Križe - Mala Poljana

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Naklo, and then we continue driving in the direction towards settlements Žeje, Spodnje and Zgornje Duplje to the settlement Retnje, where we turn right towards the settlement Križe. Further, we drive past NOB monument, sports field Križe to the parking lot by the cemetery and a parish church of Holy Cross.
B) From highway Jesenice - Ljubljana we go to the exit Podbrezje, and then we continue driving towards Ljubelj and Tržič. Before Petrol gas station in Bistrica pri Tržiču we turn right and then we drive in Tržič. When the road descends into the valley, we continue sharply right in the direction of Pristava and Križe, and further we drive on the main road which leads towards Zgornje and Spodnje Duplje, mentioned main road we leave at settlement Retnje, where we continue left in the direction of the settlement Križe and Golnik. Further, we drive past NOB monument, sports field Križe to the parking lot by the cemetery and a parish church of Holy Cross.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the road towards the east, where the path leads at first past the church, and then also past the post office, inn Pr Benk and bakery to a crossroad at the chapel, where we continue left in the direction of Pristava. The road then leads us also past the store Tušek market Markič, and then we already notice first signposts for Gozd, Kriška gora and Storžič, which lead right on street Planinska pot. At crossroads through the settlement we follow the blazes, and then the road loses an asphalt covering and passes into the forest. Few minutes higher, at the crossroad of the macadam roads we continue right, and then we gradually get out of the forest, from where a nice view opens up towards Gorenjska. After the panoramic part, the road becomes asphalted and it brings us to the spot, where we join the road which leads towards Gozd. We follow the road to the left, and there we walk only for a short time because blazes lead right on a cart track.
We leave the road at smaller information board, which informs us about openness of the cottage Zavetišče v Gozdu. From the cart track, we continue immediately 2 times left, so that we continue the ascent on a forest path, and it soon joins to other cart track, on which we in few minutes return on an asphalt road. Few strides we walk on the road, after that from the left joins the path from Tržič, and right continues a footpath or cart track towards the cottage Zavetišče v Gozdu (straight on the road Koča na Kriški gori - steep path).
We continue on the right path (cart track), which at first runs parallel with the road and further leads past a trough with water. A little further, we leave the cart track, because blazes lead left on for some time a little steeper path, which soon returns on a cart track, and then on an asphalt road. We follow the road to the right, and we walk there for few minutes, or all the way to the spot, when on the right side we notice a large parking lot and next to it cottage Zavetišče v Gozdu.
From the cottage, we walk to the near church, and then we come at the marked crossing, where from the right side joins the path from Golnik. We continue left upwards on an increasingly bad road which in few minutes brings us to a crossing.
We continue on the right cart track in the direction of Storžič, Tolsti vrh and Mala and Velika Poljana (left mountain hut Koča na Kriški gori). Cart track, which is diagonally ascending towards the east has in the lower part some crossings, but those are well marked, so that at orientation there aren't any bigger problems. Higher, the cart track changes into gradually increasingly steep footpath, and out of the forest it brings us on panoramic grassy slopes. Eventually, the path flattens and it brings us to a pleasant viewpoint with a bench, by which we notice a memorial plaque.
Further, the path crosses a steep grassy slope (dangerous for slipping and in the winter time also exposed to avalanches) and then passes into a dense forest, where we come to a marked crossing. We continue straight in the direction of Velika Poljana (left Tolsti vrh), where for a short time, we cross forested slopes, and then forest gradually gets thinner and passes on steeper slopes of Štajnarica, where we continue with some shorter ascents and descents, and on harder spots we get some help from steel cables. In the last part of the passage over Štajnarica we also cross steep grassy slope, from where opens up first nearby view on Storžič. After the bench the path passes into the forest and then it starts descending diagonally towards Mala Poljana, which after few minutes we also reach. When we step out of the forest, we step also on a cart track, on which we descend to the hunting cottage on Mala Poljana.

On the way: Zavetišče v Gozdu mountain hut (891m)

Trip can be extended to: Velika Poljana ( 15 min) , Dom na Kališču , Tolsti vrh , Storžič