Globasnitz - Wackendorfer Spitze

Access to starting point:
A) Over the border crossing Jezerski vrh we drive to Austria, and after approximately 6 km after Železna Kapla / Bad Eisenkappel we turn right towards Velikovec / Völkermarkt. We follow the main road towards Velikovec for 2 km, and then we again turn right, this time in the direction of the settlement Pliberk / Bleiburg. Further, we drive through the valley of Podjuna, and then signs for Globasnica / Globasnitz point us to the right on a local road, on which in 2 km of additional driving, we get to the center of the village, where we park on a large parking lot. From the border crossing Jezerski vrh to the starting point, there is approximately 33 km.
B) From Dravograd or Slovenj Gradec we drive to Ravne na Koroškem, and then we continue driving in the direction of border crossing Holmec. When we drive into Austria we at first drive towards Pliberk / Bleiburg, and then we follow the signs for Globasnica / Globasnitz. After approximately 13 km from the border crossing Holmec we get to Globasnica, where we park on a large parking lot near the local church.

Path description:
From a large parking lot in Globasnica we continue towards the end of the village, where we soon join the "main" road which leads almost unnoticeably upwards towards the neighbouring village. When we get to Podroje / Podrain, we short time continue diagonally on the road which leads towards Podpeca / Koprein Petzen, and then signs with the caption "Wandersteig-Petzen" and "Wackendorfer Alm" point us to the left on a narrower road, on which we quickly get to "last" house in the village.
At the mentioned house we leave the road and we continue the ascent on a grassy cart track which quickly passes into a lane of a forest. After a gentle ascent through the forest we get to a lane of bushes and fern, through which we ascend on usually nicely mowed path. A little higher it joins the macadam road, we follow it to the right and we walk there to light left turn, in the middle of which a marked footpath branches off to the right towards Veška planina / Wackendorfer Alm. After a short ascent, we cross also a bad forest road, and then the path passes into a dense forest, through which it starts ascending steeper and steeper. Next follows a long and relatively steep path, which most of the time leads through a dense forest, only occasionally a view opens up a little towards the neighbouring Topica, Junska gora and Obir. Higher, we touch the mountain road which we immediately leave and we continue the ascent sharply right on a footpath which is still ascending through the forest. Ahead we cross a shorter panoramic slope, from which a nice view opens up towards Golica and valley of Podjuna. The path ahead for some time returns into the forest and then joins earlier mentioned road. About 50 to 100 meters we continue on the road, and then past a gate, which is preventing further driving we get to Veška planina.
To Veška planina we can get to also on the mountain road from Podgora / Untrebergen (toll costs 6 eur, July 2011). This shortens the path for approximately 3 hours.
From the mountain pasture, we continue on at first poorly visible path which continues between the chapel and mountain hut. The path at first moderately ascends, after that for some time flattens and crosses a slope towards the left. The footpath then widens and it ascends to the nearby cart track road which we follow to the right. For a short time, we walk on the road, and then blazes point us slightly to the right on a footpath which ascends parallel with the road. The marked path returns on a cart track right on the spot, where it ends.
We continue on the right side of a trough with water and we short time continue on the bottom of indistinct valley, and then the path turns left and it ascends diagonally on a panoramic grassy slope, where the footpath for some time vanishes. When we step on a grassy slope, we continue right and we start ascending steeply. Higher, the footpath flattens and brings us into a lane of dwarf pines. The path ahead leads us past a smaller wooden "cottage", and then it starts ascending a little steeper towards the summit of Veška kopa / Wackendorfer spitze, peak of which we reach after few minutes of additional walking.

On the way: Wackendorfer Alm (1568m)

Trip can be extended to: Končnikov vrh (1 h) , Feistritzer Spitze ( 15 min) , Petzen (Kordeschkopf) (Peca (Kordeževa glava)) (1 h 45 min)