Gradišče
998 m
PANORAMIC SUMMITS
Hiking time
2 h 30 min
At 998 m, Gradišče is a peak separating the Ledine Plateau from the Idrijca River valley. The steep and picturesque trail leading from Spodnja Idrija offers beautiful views on the Idrija Hills and the Idrijca River valley.
Once upon a time, they say, a castle stood on top of this hill, while the Early Slavs worshipped their gods and held ceremonies here.
In the past, the inhabitants of Ledine Plateau walked the trail to Gradišče every year on their pilgrimage to the church of Mary-on-the-Rock in Spodnja Idrija. Chapels along the trail will also remind you of the long pilgrim tradition. They stand in places where the pilgrims saw the Spodnja Idrija church for the first or the last time and said a prayer.
Attractions
- Church of Mary-on-the-Roch
- The Monument to the Fallen in the National Liberation Movement and to the Victims of War Violence
In the old town center, a monument to the fallen in the National Liberation Movement and to the victms of war violence stands as a reminder of the events of World War II. It was constructed in 1954 as planned by architect Jakobina Accetto. - Chapel of Virgin Mary
The chapel can be found near the shortest and oldest road connecting Spodnja Idrija and Ledine, in a position that connects the chapel to the churches of Ledine and Spodnja Idrija in a straight line. The chapel was renovated in 2000. - Trne Homestead
The Trne homestead is situated on the slopes above the right bank of the Idrijca river, along a road that was once an important connection between Spodnja Idrija and the Ledine Plateau. The homestead is a local monument because of its well-preserved architectural heritage consisting of a house, a hayrack, a building for drying fruit (called a pajštva) and a stable with a hayloft. In the house, there is also a well-preserved black kitchen.
Local services
Trail map
Trail description
Reaching the starting point: From Ljubljana, take the road to Idrija. When you reach Idrija, take a right turn at the third traffic lights toward Spodnja Idrija (4 km). At the beginning of Spodnja Idrija, before the bridge that crosses the Idrijca River (next to the store) take a right turn and park at the parking lot next to the Spodnja Idrija House of Culture. You can also cross the bridge, take a right turn right after the bridge, and park in a smaller parking lot next to the main road.
Trail description: From the smaller parking lot next to the main road and the bridge across the Idrijca River, take the asphalt road uphil toward Pustota. After two sharp turns, you reach a crossroads, where you follow the sign Pot v Trnje and take a left turn. On your left, you should have the Kopa hill, and on your left, a meadow with a small hayrack.
Once you reach the signpost “Pot v staje”, take a right turn past a small hydroelectric power station and a house (the address is Pot v Trnje 27). Not long after passing that house, take a left turn and continue uphill, crossing a meadow to the next house, where you take another left turn to a gravel road leading uphill (above the gravel road you can see the pajštva – a fruit-drying shed with a canopy for drying flax). The gravel road leads to the Trnovše farmstead (built in 1798). Several meters above the farmstead, you will see a signpost – continue uphill on the gravel road. After 5 minutes of walking and a left turn, you will reach a crossroads where you leave the gravel road and take the forest path. Keep to the right. Higher up, you will pass an abandoned quarry. After that, you can continue on the right path (the path is hard to spot; you can also continue onward on the clear path, but that one is longer). Either path will take you to a large fir tree.
Continue the path along the ridge and after several meters of walking you reach the end of the ridge, where you can see the Chapel of the Virgin Mary (renovated in 2000). The chapel lies next to the shortest and oldest road between Spodnja Idrija and Ledine, on a straight line connecting the churches of Ledine and Spodnja Idrija. After you pass the chapel, take a hard left turn uphill (although taking the right turn also leads to the same spot higher up) and continue past the slope called Zgor v gmajn until you reach the Žorgovše farmstead (a renovated farmstead with a nice panoramic point next to the great linden tree). Continue going uphill on the gravel road past the Mills of Pečnik (first mentioned in documents in the nearby town of Škofja Loka in 1318) and a water reserve. Right next to the gravel road, before the first water reserve, you can find a brick resting chair.
The gravel road will lead you further uphill. Once you reach a wide meadow, cross it slightly to the left, in the direction of a weekend house. Turn left when you reach the asphalt road (turning right would take you to Ledine) and continue on the road until you reach a crossroads. Turn right, onto a marked gravel path under the Gradišče peak.
After 100 m, turn right onto a marked gravel path. The trail will first lead slightly uphill, then become more flat as it takes you throug a fir forest. Once you reach a meadow, follow the blazes to a crossroads where you turn to the farl left and enjoy in a wonderful view of the Julian Alp. Continue on the gravel path under an abandoned quarry. When you reach the ridge, turn left at a larger iron electric pole. The path will lead you a few ten meters uphill where you reach a gravel path, turn right and soon reach the top of Gradišče.
Return version 2 – over Staje (gpx sled)
Right next to the transformer station, find a well-trodden path that leads steeply downhill. Follow it and after 15 minutes you will reach a steep turn where you join a forest road. Continue to the right and downhill past a water reservoir. A few hundred meters later, you will reach an asphalt road, where you turn right. Continue on the asphalt road past a farm, where the road begins descending and gradually turns into a gravel road. After a few minutes, you will reach Šnitov rob (the road forking to the right leads to a viewpoint). Keep descending the turns. After approximately 10 minutes, you will reach an orchard in Staje. Continue past a weekend house, traverse a creek and go past the Stajer farm (a renovated farm with a stable and a hayrack). Some 100 m later, the road forks right towards Merkejce, but you stay on the gravel road. After approximately 30 minutes, you will reach the majestic Trne farmstead and the first houses. Behind the first house, turn right across the meadow and continue on the asphalt road. When you reach a crossroads, keep left and begin a steep descent. To your right, you will have the Kopa hill, to your left, a meadow with a small hayrack. Keep rigth at the crossroads and after some 100 metres, you will have reached your starting point in the old Spodnja Idrija town centre.
Source: hribi.net
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