Kućište/Viganj - Sveti Ilija (Pelješac)

Access to starting point:
The starting point is the cemetery (with the church of St. Luke), which is located quite high above the village of Kućište. You can get there by car from the direction of Orebić (see below under a). If you are staying in Viganj or Kućište, the most elegant and easy solution is foot access (see b or c). Very rarely in life do you have the opportunity to start the ascent directly from sea level! In this case, jumping into the sea after the tour is almost mandatory ;-)

A) By car: You drive through Orebić; at its western end at the "Y" junction you turn right in the direction of Kućište/Viganj/Lovište. For the next approx. 10 minutes (5.3 km) you continue on the main road. At the signs for camp Antony Boy or for bar Čiringita you turn right into the steeper climb (0.25 km). Park by the wall of the cemetery.

B) On foot from Viganj: you begin the ascent from the sea approximately 200 m west of Cape sv. Liberan, on the first distinct road west of this cape (signs for Konoba Forte). Up this road, you cross the main road, continue uphill to the mountain signposts. Before them you turn right in the direction towards the east (few meters of concrete road, then a nice path through the forest, at the end past the water reservoir) in a few minutes you reach the starting point.

C) On foot from Kućište: from the church of the Holy Trinity, which is located by the sea in the western part of the village, you go steeply uphill, first along the "S" bend, then you cross the main road and continue uphill to the starting point.

Distances from the nearest tourist places to the starting point: Orebić (center): 6 km; Viganj/Kućište: 0.5 to 1.5 km; Lovište: 12 km.

Path description:
On this approach with quite a substantial altitude difference, in the first part you are thrilled by the constant view of Pelješki zaliv bay and the town of Korčula. Like most accesses, this one in the middle part also leads through a beautiful pine forest (at an altitude around 600 m). For a quick morning or evening "walk", the midway goals are also attractive: church sv. Luncijate (around 170 m) and the first peaklet in the ridge (Vrh ljute, 311 m; a cross stands up there).
In the great heat of summer holidays, it makes most sense to start the tour still in the dark (somewhere between 4 and 5 a.m.) and finish it early in the forenoon, or to take advantage of a possibly cooler day (passage of a front). There is no water along the path. Both mountain huts - the new one (right by the hunting hut; 5 minutes along the path towards Nakovana) and the better-known old one - are closed in summer (keys at PD Orebić).
Note: Most signposts for Ilija have the inscription turned towards the east (some are - unfortunately - also removed). If coming from the west, you therefore see the back side of the sign! In short, you do not see the inscription Sv. Ilija.

At the right edge of the cemetery wall you head north. After a few steps in the forest you are soon on the bare clearing (traces of the 2019 fire are visible), along which a comfortable mulatiera in a few turns quickly brings you to the church sv. Luncijate. Behind the church you steeply engage your knees towards north; you walk among maquis or on very rocky sections. When the steepness eases, you progress along a gentler, scenic rocky ridge, which gradually turns more and more eastwards. The rock here is locally very sharp, so "slowly and carefully" (as Uroš Buh sings in the piece by Manca Udovič); this especially holds for the descent! Past the cross it goes gently and even a bit downhill, then again in moderate ascent in the direction NE (on this section the markers are very rare or faded, the cairns save you) to the triple junction (junction of the path from the direction Bilopolje/Orebić). This part 1:10.

The continuation of the tour is considerably gentler. After a nice traverse you cross the western slope of Vrh M. Kontija (707 m), then across a few ledges you soon reach the famous pine forest, after a few steps also the second triple junction (junction of the path from the direction Nakovana). This part 0:20.

The last hour takes you further towards the east, first through the beautiful pine forest, then again a bit more open. Before reaching the old mountain hut, you still engage your knees twice a bit more steeply. At the hut the path from the direction Orebić/Ruskovići joins. Above the hut a few more steps of steeper ascent through the forest await you (towards NE), then gently along the bare summit ridge to the top.

Times: starting point - first triple junction 1:10; first junction - second triple junction 0:20, second junction - top 1:00. Total 2:30.
If you start from the sea, add another 10-15 minutes of walking, total therefore 2:45; additional ascent is 60 m, total therefore 970 m.
Described state applies to August 2022.