Zgornja postaja vzpenjače - Žigartov vrh (via Razglednik)

Access to starting point:
A) We leave the Štajerska motorway at the exit for Slivnica and Rogoza, and then we follow the signs for Pohorje and Areh. The path ahead leads us through Spodnje and Zgornje Hoče, Slivniško Pohorje, and after the settlements we follow the signs for Areh, higher up the signs for Mariborska koča and hotel Bellevue. We park on the parking lot between the upper station of the funicular and hotel Bellevue.
B) We leave the Štajerska motorway at the exit for Slivnica and Rogoza, and then we follow the signs for the ski area Mariborsko Pohorje. We park on the periphery of the settlement Zgornje Radvanje, on a large parking lot at the foot of the ski area, and then we walk to the lower station of the funicular (the price of a return trip for an adult is 6 EUR - November 2022), with which we go to hotel Bellevue, where the described path begins.

Route description:
At the upper station of the funicular we notice hiking signposts, and we go right in the direction of Mariborska koča and Ruška koča na Arehu. A little further a short path branches off to the right towards the nearby church of St. Bolfenk, and we continue on a marked path which continues parallel with an asphalt road. On the mentioned path we ascend gently to moderately, and after a smaller statue of Mary the path splits.
Slightly to the left the first path towards Mariborska koča branches off, and we continue straight in the direction of the path towards a lookout tower. The path which runs on the macadam road then brings us out of the forest to a ski track, and a little ahead it splits. We continue on the steeper right ski track, beside which rare blazes continue, and on the ski slope we continue to the lookout tower on Mariborski razglednik.
We bypass the tower on the left side and continue on a cart track which passes into the forest. In the forest the path splits, and we continue slightly left in the direction of Mariborska koča and Ruška koča na Arehu (slightly right Pečke) and continue with a mostly easy ascent. A little further slightly to the left the second path towards Mariborska koča also branches off, and we again continue straight and in a few minutes of light ascent arrive at the indistinct Ledinekov kogel, where we notice a radar tower.
From Ledinekov kogel some descent follows on a macadam road, then we arrive at a marked junction.
We continue straight in the direction of Ruška koča na Arehu (sharply left fenced area below Ledinekov kogel, left Mariborska koča, right Pečke and Log) and continue along a slightly narrower macadam road, from which we soon turn left onto a marked path. A little further we cross a wider macadam road (left Mariborska koča, right Ruše and Glažuta), then continue on a wider cart track through the forest. A little further a path branches off to the left to hotel Zarja, we continue straight in the direction of Ruška koča. This is followed by some diagonal ascent on the slopes of the peak Sedovec, then we descend to a small saddle where a path from the settlement Fram joins.
We continue straight and mainly ascend gently along a macadam road that leads us past some burial sites. After some time we reach the main road towards Areh, alongside which we continue briefly, then turn slightly left onto a footpath by which we quickly arrive at the church of St. Areh.
From the church we cross a meadow and we are already at Ruška koča na Arehu.
From the hut we continue right towards Žigartov vrh and walk to an asphalt road, where we go left, then continue along the road towards Šumik, Cojzerici and Žigartov vrh. Initially the path leads past a large parking lot, then the road enters the forest and ascends lightly. After approximately 10 minutes of further walking we arrive at a marked junction, where to the left a path branches off towards the Šumik waterfall and Bajgot. We continue straight on a wider macadam road, from which we go left about a minute further, as the signs for Žigartov vrh direct us left onto a poor forest road, along which we ascend to the nearby ski slope. We continue along the edge of the ski slope, higher the path goes slightly left and enters the forest. We continue through the forest following the blazes, such a path we follow all the way to the peak a few minutes distant.
Starting point - Mariborski razglednik 0:25, Mariborski razglednik - Ledinekov kogel 0:15, Ledinekov kogel - Ruška koča 1:05, Ruška koča - Žigartov vrh 0:30.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in March, May and November 2022.

Along the route: Mariborski razglednik (Cigelnica) (1147m), Ledinekov kogel (1182m), Ruška koča na Arehu (1246m)

We recommend: trips from the same starting point, similar trips, summit register