Zgornja Bistrica (Center Vintgar) - Marolt fir tree (Bistriški vintgar)

Access to the starting point:
Drive into the centre of Slovenska Bistrica, from where you can follow the road towards Zgornja Bistrica and Bistriški Vintgar. Follow the signs for Bistriški Vintgar and park in the parking lot next to the Vintgar Centre.

Path description:
From the parking lot at Centrum Vintgar, return to the road and continue in the direction of Bistriški Vintgar. Walk along the road, or pavement, for a short time, then the path to Trem kralji (the path over Veliko Tinje) branches off to the left, and we continue along the pavement. The pavement ends and we continue along the road to the next parking lot, where there are red mountain direction signs (20 minutes to get here).
Continue along the wider path leading to Bistriški vintgar, and at the point where you leave the road there are signs for Rimski kamnolom and Šmartno na Pohorju.
The path continues to climb gently, and when you cross the little bridge on the right bank of the Bistrica, the path gradually becomes a little steeper.
Before the path turns slightly to the left and passes onto a slope, we see the Rimski kamnolom on the right, and we then cross-climb up the gradually steeper slope. At this point, a path branches off slightly to the right, leading to the Šum waterfall (the path to the waterfall is about 5 minutes long and is dangerous to slip on, especially in wet conditions), and we continue along the path, which climbs steeply up the slope (there is a greater risk of falling rocks on this part, especially in spring and during and after rainfall). When the slope becomes slightly less steep, we are joined on the right by a difficult path leading past the Šum waterfall, and a little further on we arrive at a marked crossroads, where we continue to the right in the direction of St. Three Kings and Močnik (straight Ančnikovo gradišče).
The way forward leads over two small bridges, and after the second one we return to the left bank of the Bistrica, where the path leads us through lane raspberry and blackberry trees. In the steeper parts of the path, there are steps, and in most of the more dangerous places there is a wooden fence. Further on, the path climbs alongside waterfalls and rapids, and is slightly elevated from the stream bed, so that the gorge can be observed from a distance, only occasionally getting quite close to the Bistrica. Higher up, there is a bit of a descent, and at the crossroads you continue straight on towards St. Three Kings. There is some more ascent, then the path and the gorge lay down and in a slight ascent we reach an information board located near Marolt fir tree, which slowly disappears on the other bank of the stream.
Description and figures refer to the situation in July 2022.

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