Orlek - Orleška draga

Access to starting point:
To Sežana we drive on the highway section between the junction Gabrk (at Divača) and border crossing Fernetiči. We leave the highway at exit Sežana-vzhod and we drive to Sežana (on the road we drive past the traffic light crossroad, where from the right side joins the road from Nova Gorica and from the left road from Divača). In Sežana at the traffic light crossroad we turn left on the road Bazoviška cesta (marked with signposts towards Lipica), after the overpass we cross a railway track, at the first roundabout we turn right (direction Lipica) and in the next again right (direction Orlek). When we get to Orlek, on the northern edge we reach northwestern part of the village, where there is NOB monument. Before the monument there is some space, where we can park.

From Sežana we can get to the starting point also on foot. Much nicer as on the described road is via the Karst living museum, where we can see some other karst attractions along the way. Eastern from the town center we look for road Bazoviška cesta, where we go towards the south. When after the overpass we cross a railway track, at the first roundabout we turn right (direction Lipica), and at the next roundabout we go straight (direction ZGRS Sežana and Karst Living Museum). A little further from the fire station the asphalt ends and starts a well-marked path via the Karst Living Museum. First on a wide macadam path we walk towards the south (direction Bazovica), after about 2 km several blazes points us right towards Orlek, to where there is about 2 km of walking. At some crossings there are more possible directions towards Orlek, in this case, we choose the more right option, which is a little shorter, except if are interested in some other point by the second versions of the path. When from the east side we reach Orlek, we walk through the village to the starting point at NOB monument in northwestern part of the village.

Path description:
From the starting point, we go past the recycling spot towards the west. Already after about 50 meters we get to a crossing. Straight leads an access path to a fenced private land, to the left leads an asphalt path towards the national border and forward towards Trebče (italian Trebiciano), and here we go right on a macadam path. On this path we get to few crossings, but we all the time stick straight. After about 200 meters from the crossing through a narrow underpass we cross a railway track. Immediately after the underpass the path again splits into more directions. Here we choose the most right option. After additional 200 meters after that crossing there is already another crossing. Here we turn on a cart track mildly left (not perpendicular left on a meadow). The cart track only few 10 meters leads between two meadows, and then in the forest turns to the right and starts descending into the sinkhole. The cart track on the northern, western and then also on the southern slope is slowly descending towards the bottom of the sinkhole, which we reach at the southeastern "corner" where it ends. Along the way we will just by the westernmost point of the path notice the border stone, which tells us that the western slope of the sinkhole is located already on the territory of Italy.

Description and pictures describe the condition in November 2022.