Čatež - Bajturn (Zaplaški hrib) (on ridge)

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Novo mesto we go to the exit Trebnje east, and then we continue driving in the direction of the settlement Velika Loka. After the settlement Zidani Most we get to the settlement Štefan pri Trebnjem, where we continue sharply left in the direction of Zaplaz. After few kilometers of a partly winding road we get to Čatež, where the road on Zaplaz branches off to the left, and on the main road, we descend a little and then we park on a large parking lot between the culture house Kulturni dom Čatež and the fire station.
B) From Trebnje or Mokronog we drive to Mirna, and from there we drive towards Litija. Towards Litija we go to the sharp right turn, and from there we continue left in the direction of Cirnik and Selska Gora. After Cirnik the road gradually starts descending. When we descend to a river Mirna we at first cross the bridge, and then at the crossroad we continue left. After the crossroad, the road slowly starts ascending, and then it brings us to the settlement Čatež, where we park on a large parking lot near the Culture house Čatež.
C) We drive to Šmartno pri Litiji, and from there we continue driving towards Gabrovka. After the settlement Moravče pri Gabrovki, after the transformer we turn slightly right in the direction towards the gas station. Further, we drive through the valley of river Mirna. When after the turn-off for Gornje Ravne the road turns right, it leaves river Mirna and starts ascending towards Čatež. When we get to Čatež we park on a large parking lot between the fire station and Culture house Čatež.

Path description:
From the parking lot, near of which there is also the end of the path Levstikova pot from Litija to Čatež, we at first ascend to the parish church of St. Mihael in Čatež, and from there behind the church we continue right and at the inn Gostilna Tončkov dom, we return to the main road which we reach at the marked crossroad. We continue the ascent on the main road which leads us past the bus stop and the tourist map, and after good 100 meters we continue right, on a steep road in the direction of Zaplaz. The road quickly flattens and it turns left, where it brings us to the edge of the forest, where there is a marked crossing.
The right path leads towards Zagrič and also towards Bajturn and Zaplaz, and we continue on the asphalt road few more 10 strides, and then a sign for the pilgrimage path goes on a grassy footpath, on which with nice views in few minutes we ascend to the church on Zaplaz.
From the church, we walk on the other side, where we step on a larger parking lot.
From the parking lot on Zaplaz we continue towards the west, where at the end of the parking lot, we get to a marked crossing.
We continue straight (right - chapel with healing water and Bajturn on the northern slope), so that the nearby homestead we bypass on the right side. Behind the house, the cart track immediately brings us to a nice viewpoint, from which a nice view opens up towards Dolenjska and surrounding hills. Further, the cart track passes into the forest and it is moderately ascending on the ridge and by the path, we notice a larger number of information boards. A little after the stone for weather forecasting, at the smaller crossing, we continue slightly left (if we continue slightly right, we join the path on the northern slope), and a gently sloping path which for some time even slightly descends leads us past a manger and a hunting observatory. At the crossing after the hunting observatory we go slightly right and for some time we ascend steeper. When the path returns on the ridge, it turns to the left and flattens. From here follows only few minutes of a light ascent and the forest path brings us on a vegetated peak.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in the year 2016 (March).

On the way: Zaplaz (543m)