Vitanje - Chapel Marijina roka (Stenica)

Access to starting point:
From Vojnik, Mislinja or Slovenske Konjice, we drive to Vitanje, where we park on the parking lot in the center of the settlement, we park on a marked parking lot by Hudinja (at the starting point, there is parish church of St. Peter and Pavel). In the settlement it is possible to park also elsewhere.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we walk to the bridge over Hudinja, where at the crossroad we continue left in the direction of Slovenske Konjice and the path on Stenica. After the nearby chapel we at the pedestrian crossing carefully cross the main road and few 10 strides we still continue on a sidewalk in the direction of Slovenske Konjice, and then blazes lead us slightly right on a steeper narrow road, on which we quickly ascend on the nearby hill, where there is the church of the Assumption of Mary.
Before the church we continue left and on an asphalt path we return to the main road, where we few steps still continue on the sidewalk, and then signs for Stenica point us to the right. Only a little further, we over the bridge cross the stream Hočna, and a narrower asphalt path in a gentle to moderate ascent past the trough brings us to a crossroad, where we go left in the direction of Stenica. At the next crossroad, we go slightly right, and then on an asphalt road, we ascend to the left turn, where we leave the road and we continue on a wider cart track in the direction of Stenica.
The wide cart track after few steps, we leave and we continue left into the forest, where we immediately start ascending steeply. Next follows a steep ascent on with a forest covered northwestern ridge and when the path flattens, we quickly get to the vantage point on Stenica, where there is an inscription box.
From the vantage point, we continue slightly right and we at first ascend, and then the path flattens and near the private cottage it brings us on a smaller cart track, where we go right, and at the nearby crossing left on a marked path. Next follows a shorter moderate ascent, and then we reach the road which we follow to the right, and it quickly returns into the forest. In the forest, we get to a crossroad, where we go sharply left, and about 100 meters ahead at the signs for Stenica we go right into the forest. For some time we are then ascending steeper, and at the crossings we follow the blazes. When we higher again reach the road few steps we follow it to the left and then we go right in the direction of Stenica and Mary's chapel. Next follows an ascent on a steep cart track, and higher we go past signs for a vantage point (the path on which the signpost is pointing is entirely overgrown), and when the path flattens we get to the next crossing.
In the direction of straight the path continues towards the summit of Stenica, to where there is approximately 10 more minutes of ascent, and we continue right in the direction of Marijina roka. Next follows a short moderate ascent and after a minute of additional walking, we get to the chapel Marijina roka.
The starting point - Church of the Assumption of Mary 0:05, Church of the Assumption of Mary - viewpoint 0:35, viewpoint - Marijina roka 1:00.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in July 2022.

On the way: Church of the Assumption of Mary (Vitanje) (472m), Razgledna točka na Stenici (630m)