Olimje - Plešivec (Rudnica) (past lake Zmajevo jezero)

Access to starting point:
We drive to Podčetrtek, then follow the signs for Olimje, where we park in the parking lot by the Minorite Monastery Olimje.

Route description:
From the parking lot, we continue ahead, and at the end of the parking lot, the path splits. To the left, a path branches off towards Sveti Andrej and Virštanj, but we continue straight in the direction of Koča pri Čarovnici hut and other destinations. When Olimje ends, the path leads us past the Turistični center Jelenov greben, and then the road gradually transitions into the forest. Through the forest, we continue to moderately ascend, and then we quickly arrive at Koča pri Čarovnici hut, which is situated on the left side of the road.
From the hut, we continue on the asphalt road, which shortly leads us to a marked junction from which we turn left onto a side road, marked with signs for the lake, hunting bivouac, Plešivec, and the tower of love (to the right, the Tower of Health and Joy, Plešivec, Zavetišče Šmarnica, Tinska Gora). The path ahead leads us along a macadam road, which, a few minutes further, makes a left hairpin turn and then continues ascending diagonally to the left for some time. When we reach the eastern slopes of Olimska gora, we will soon notice signposts on the right, which, after a few dozen steps of further walking, lead us to Zmajevo jezero lake.
From the lake, we continue briefly along the macadam road, then the signs for the bivouac direct us right onto a footpath, through which we ascend through the forest to the hunting bivouac on Olimska gora.
At the hunting bivouac, we reach a road and begin descending. At a left turn, we veer right onto a cart track that enters the forest and, in a few minutes, ascends to a small saddle west of the peak of Olimska gora.
Here, we turn left (to the right, an unmarked path leads to the summit of Olimska gora) and follow the marked path, which takes us past a hunting blind. Next, we continue walking along the cart track for a while, then return to the macadam road, which we follow to the right. We continue along the road for some time. Upon reaching a smaller junction, we leave the road and go straight onto a footpath that enters the forest. A few minutes later, we arrive at a marked junction, where we turn left toward Plešivec (to the right, Podčetrtek, Olimje, the Tower of Health and Joy...). In a few minutes of further walking, we reach the highest peak of Rudnica, Plešivec.
Olimje - Koča pri Čarovnici 0:30, Koča pri Čarovnici - Zmajevo jezero 0:30, Zmajevo jezero - hunting bivouac 0:10, hunting bivouac - Plešivec 0:40.
Description and pictures refer to conditions in April 2024.

Along the route: Koča pri čarovnici (410m), Zmajevo jezero na Olimski gori (550m), Lovski bivak na Olimski gori (580m)

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