Bistriški jarek (Verdinek) - Bricnik

Access to starting point:
A) We drive to Dravograd, and then we continue driving towards Maribor. After the road sign 8.0 km we need to pay attention, because we will a little behind the bus stop and a pedestrian crossing, turn left in a settlement Gortina (turn off from the main road isn't marked). Immediately, when we leave the main road we get to the settlement Gortina, and then we drive in the direction of Muta, we turn left at the marked crossroad, where we notice signs for Bistriški jarek. The road then quickly brings us in Bistriški jarek, through which we are gently ascending. After the homestead Verdinek and still before the road sign 6.0 km slightly to the right a macadam road branches off, which leads towards the homestead Štrigel. At the crossroad, where a little to the right there are also red signposts, there is the beginning of the described path.
B) First, we drive to Maribor, and then we follow the signs for Dravograd. When we already cross the river Mučka Bistrica, a little after the store Tuš we drive right in the direction of the settlement Muta 1. The path ahead brings us in Muta, where on a crossroads we follow priority road, from a little bigger crossroad we go left, so that we are further driving towards Gortina. A little after the settlement Muta ends, from marked crossroad we drive right in the direction of Bistriški jarek. The road then quickly brings us in Bistriški jarek, through which we are gently ascending. After the homestead Verdinek and still before the road sign 6.0 km slightly to the right a macadam road branches off, which leads towards the homestead Štrigel. At the crossroad, where a little to the right there are also red signposts, there is the beginning of the described path.

Path description:
From the starting point, we continue even a little more to the right than the side road branches off, on a footpath in the direction of Sveti Jernej and Bricnik. At first the path ascends diagonally through the pasture, and then it passes into the forest, where at the religious symbol entirely flattens. For a short time, we still cross the slopes towards the right, and then we continue by the small stream. Higher by the small stream for some time runs also a national border, and the path higher brings us on a cart track, on which we are few minutes ascending. From the cart track then signposts point us sharply left, and we are for some time ascending through the forest, and before the homestead Lubej we for some time step on the road.
Before the homestead we continue slightly right, on a worse footpath, and above the homestead we reach the cart track which we follow to the right. A well-marked path few minutes higher brings us to a crossing, by which there is an information board with the description of Knafelc blaze with green border.
We continue straight towards Sveti Jernej (left - Austria, Sveti Lovrenc), and the path a little higher comes out of the forest, where we go right, for some time once again in the forest. We quickly leave the forest and then past the cemetery we reach the church of St. Jernej.
From the church, we quickly descend to the homestead Primož, where at the mighty linden tree there are an inscription box and a stamp.
At the linden tree is also a marked crossing, and we continue slightly left in the direction towards Bricnik and Sveti Lovrenc (slightly right Sveti Primož). Behind the homestead Primož we short time continue on the macadam road, and then we go slightly left on a footpath which continues through an ample panoramic meadow. The path ahead leads us also past the chapel and hunting observatory, and then it turns left and passes into the forest. Through the forest, we at first start moderately descending, and when signs point us to the right, on a worse cart track, we also start descending a little more. Lower, we reach stream Vud, by which we for some time continue, and then we cross it and we ascend to the nearby crossing, by which there is a wooden religious symbol.
From the crossing, the path branches off to the left towards Sveti Lovrenc / St. Lorenzen, and we continue right towards the farm Odernik, Bricnik and Muta. The path ahead leads us on a cart track, and at Odernik it widens into a macadam road. We continue on the macadam road which leads us with increasingly beautiful views, which reach to Peca, Raduha and Uršlja gora, and after the nearby chapel, the road gradually returns into the forest, where at the crossroad we continue right towards Bricnik and Sveti Primož (left Sveti trije Kralji). From the crossroad, we few minutes continue on the road, and then we go straight on a cart track which at first steeply ascends through the forest, and when it flattens, it quickly brings us to the top of Bricnik.
Bistriški jarek - Sveti Jernej 1:40, Sveti Jernej - Bricnik 1:30.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in the year 2018 (October).

On the way: Sveti Jernej nad Muto (1038m)

Trip can be extended to: St. Lorenzen ob Eibiswald