Žetale - Rudijev dom na Donački gori

Access to starting point:
We leave Podravska highway at exit Zakl, and then we follow the signs for Žetale. When we get to Žetale, at municipal building we turn left and we park on a settled asphalt parking lot.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we return to the main road and next to it we continue in the direction of Rogatec. At the primary school Žetale, at the pedestrian crossing we carefully cross the main road and we continue on a sidewalk to the nearby crossroad, where we go right on a side road, by which there are signs for Donačka gora. On the mentioned road, we walk only for a short time, and then before the nearby house we continue left on a cart track which then ascends diagonally towards the right and through a meadow brings us into the forest. Through the forest follows a shorter ascent and we get to the church of Our Lady of Mercy.
We continue on the road, on which we lightly descend to a marked crossroad at which we go right. From the crossroad, we walk on the road only for a short time because still before the hamlet and after a smaller garage we continue left on a marked cart track in the direction of Donačka gora. Only a little further, we return on the road, and this time we continue there to the proximity of the next house, and before which we go slightly left on a cart track which further passes into the forest. Next follows a longer crossing with some shorter ascents and descents, where we occasionally get closer to individual houses, and occasionally also some view opens up on the other side of the valley, where we clearly see Maceljska gora. At few smaller crossings we follow the blazes, and all the time we continue in approximately the same direction. When we join the cycling trail we go right and we ascend above the nearby stream. Higher, we leave the forest and through a meadow we ascend to the saddle between Donačka gora and Resenik, where next to a smaller hamlet there is also a marked crossing.
We go on the road which continues towards the southwest, and from there after few steps a demanding path on Donačka gora branches off, and we continue on the road which is further ascending diagonally towards the right. Few minutes ahead we get to a marked crossing, where we go straight and we still continue on the road (left - demanding path on Donačka gora, right - Kupčinji Vrh).
From the crossing, we walk on the road for few minutes, and then at turning point it ends, and we continue straight on a cart track which quickly brings us to the next marked crossing.
This time as well we go straight (left - demanding path on Donačka gora) and we continue crossing the northern slopes of Donačka gora. During the crossing we go past the hunting observatory, and behind it on the left side we bypass indistinct Joški vrh. The cart track few minutes ahead brings us to a macadam road which we follow slightly upwards.
Still before the mountain hut the normal path on Donačka gora branches off to the left, and from the right joins also a marked path from Stoperce, and after the crossing in few 10 strides we get to the mountain hut Rudijev dom.
Žetale - church of Our Lady of Mercy 0:15, church of Our Lady of Mercy - Rudijev dom 1:55.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in April 2022.

On the way: Church of Our Lady of Mercy (Brezje nad Žetalami) (382m), Medgore (526m)