Žiri - Sveti Tomaž (Vrsnik nad Žirmi)

Access to starting point:
A) From Železniki, Kranj or Medvode we drive to Škofja Loka, and from there we continue driving in the direction of Gorenja vas in the valley Poljanska dolina and Žiri. From Žiri we continue towards Logatec, and then still before end of the settlement, we get to the inn Gostilna Lenger and few 10 meters further also to a crossroad, where the main road towards Logatec turns left, and in the direction of straight the road continues towards Idrija. We park on an appropriate place by the crossroad. Large parking lot is by the inn Gostilna Lenger, but it is polite to ask the employees, if we are allowed to park on the mentioned parking lot.
B) From Horjul or Polhov Gradec we drive to Šentjošt above Horjul, and from there we continue driving towards Smrečje. When we reach the main road Podlipa - Žiri, we follow it to the right, and we are driving there to Žiri. When in Žiri, we reach the main road Škofje Loka - Logatec, we follow it to the left, and we are driving there past the parish church and inn and pizzeria Gostilna Lenger, to a crossroad, where the main road towards Logatec turns left, and in the direction of straight the road continues towards Idrija. We park on an appropriate place by the crossroad. Large parking lot is by the inn Gostilna Lenger, but it is polite to ask the employees, if we are allowed to park on the mentioned parking lot.
C) From highway Ljubljana - Koper we go to the exit Vrhnika, and when we reach old road Ljubljana - Logatec, we continue in the direction of Logatec, but only a short time because already at the next crossroad we continue right in the direction of Horjul. The road ahead short time still leads through Vrhnika, later through periphery of Stara Vrhnika, and then we soon leave the road towards Horjul and we continue driving slightly left in the direction of Smrečje. After Smrečje the road starts descending towards Račeva and Žiri. When in Žiri, we reach the main road Škofje Loka - Logatec, we follow it to the left, and we are driving there past the parish church and inn and pizzeria Gostilna Lenger, to a crossroad, where the main road towards Logatec turns left, and in the direction of straight the road continues towards Idrija. We park on an appropriate place by the crossroad. Large parking lot is by the inn Gostilna Lenger, but it is polite to ask the employees, if we are allowed to park on the mentioned parking lot.
D) From highway Koper - Ljubljana we go to the exit Logatec, and when we reach old road Logatec - Vrhnika we follow it to the right (first exit from the roundabout), and there we drive only a short time because then signs for Rovte and Žiri point us to the left. After Rovte the road starts descending towards Žiri, and when we reach the mentioned settlement, a road towards Idrija branches off to the left. We park on an appropriate place by the crossroad. Large parking lot is by inn Gostilna Lenger (inn is located few 10 meters ahead from the crossroad in the direction of center of Žiri), but it is polite to ask the employees, if we are allowed to park on the mentioned parking lot.
E) From the road Idrija - Spodnja Idrija, immediately after the end of Idrija we turn right (if we come from the direction Spodnje Idrija, still before Idrija we turn left) through a bridge over the river Idrija towards store Eurospin. On the other side of the bridge we get to the settlement Mokraška vas, and we stick to the main road which leads towards Ledinsko Razpotje and Žiri. Higher, the road leads through few hairpin turns, and then we get to the settlement Ledinsko Razpotje, where the road gradually flattens. After neighbouring settlement Govejk, the road starts descending towards Žiri, after few kilometers of descent we get to Žiri and a little ahead also to a crossroad, where we reach the main road Žiri - Logatec. We park on an appropriate place by the crossroad. Large parking lot is by inn Gostilna Lenger (inn is located few 10 meters ahead from the crossroad in the direction of center of Žiri), but it is polite to ask the employees, if we are allowed to park on the mentioned parking lot.

Path description:
If we've parked at the inn Gostilna Lenger, we at first walk to a crossroad, where from the main road, the road towards Idrija branches off. From the mentioned crossroad, we continue left towards Logatec and we continue by the main road, where the path at first leads past the religious symbol (cross), and then also through stream Osojnik. By the main road we walk few minutes, and then on the house with address Logaška cesta 46 we notice signs for Vrsnik pri Vidicu, which point us to the right on a little narrower asphalt road which starts ascending at first still among few houses. After the nearby old bunker the dense settlement ends, and the road gradually turns left, where it then crosses slopes towards the left. The asphalt quickly ends, and the road then leads us below an old quarry, and there few minutes higher we get to the farm Plesk.
After the farm we continue on a grassy cart track, on which blazes point us to, and we walk there only about 30 meters, after that at a smaller right turn we continue left, on at first worse cart track which quickly changes into a footpath. We continue on a quite steep path, which soon crosses another cart track, and in the summer time also quite an overgrown path, with a view on surrounding hills brings us to the next crossing of a cart track, after which through a lane of a forest we reach the macadam road. We are slightly ascending on the road, and on a smaller plain it turns slightly to the left. From here we walk on the road only a short time because then blazes lead right, on the path which quickly widens into an old forested cart track. After a well preserved border stone of old Rapallo border from the year 1920, we leave also the cart track and we continue even a little more to the right, on a well-marked footpath which continues on an indistinct ridge. Higher, we reach the peak, on which there is an old wall, and inside a newly built building (on maps appears name Vidicov dom). When on the left side we bypass walls and house, we step on the road, and on the trunk of the nearby tree we notice an inscription box.
When we step on the road, we continue in the direction of Ledine. After we cross a lane of a forest, on the right we will notice old Italian structure from the time of Rapallo border, and in front of us, we see surrounding hills and soon also church of St. Tomaž, which is situated on a panoramic hill between Spodnji and Gornji Vrsnik. When a little lower road turns right, we can in the direction of straight in few minutes on pathless terrain or meadow get to the church of St. Tomaž, but mentioned approach isn't recommended, especially during the grass growth period, because we would cause damage to farmers (settled path to the church leads from the village Gornji Vrsnik). The road ahead leads us also past a watering-place for animals, and then we gradually get to the first or last houses in the village. At first crossroad we go slightly left (right Sivka) and we continue on an unmarked road which we follow to few 10 meters distant chapel. At the chapel, we go left on a macadam road which starts ascending through more and more panoramic meadow. At the smaller crossing, which we reach on part, where a worse road flattens a little, we go slightly right and we continue on a cart track, on which in two, three minutes of additional walking, we get to the church of St. Tomaž, from which a nice view opens up on surrounding hills.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in the year 2015 (January).

On the way: Vidicov dom (764m), Gornji Vrsnik (715m)