Libeliče - Šteharski vrh (Šteharnikov vrh) (via Trotov križ)

Access to starting point:
A) From Slovenj Gradec or valley Mežiška dolina we drive to Dravograd, and then still before the bridge over the river Drava we turn left in the direction of settlements Črneče and Libeliče. Further, we at first cross river Meža, and then we drive through Črneče and later also through Gorče. After Gorče we get to Libeliče, where at the chapel we continue right, and then we go once again right and we park on a larger asphalt parking lot by the fire station Libeliče.
B) We drive to Dravograd, and then we continue driving towards Slovenj Gradec. Soon after the bridge over the river Drava, we turn right in the direction of settlements Črneče and Libeliče. Further, we at first cross river Meža, and then we drive through Črneče and later also through Gorče. After Gorče we get to Libeliče, where at the chapel we continue right, and then we go once again right and we park on a larger asphalt parking lot by the fire station Libeliče.
C) Over the border crossing Ljubelj or Jezerski vrh we drive to Austria, and then we follow the signs for Pliberk / Bleiburg and forward settlement Labot / Lavamünd. Before the settlement Labot, still before we cross river Drava, signs for Potoče / Bach and Libeliče / Leifling point us to the right on a little narrower road. Further, we drive through the settlement Potoče, and behind it soon over the border crossing Libeliče we get to Slovenia, where we park on a parking lot by the fire station in Libeliče.

Path description:
From the fire station we at first ascend to the parish church of St. Martin, which is situated on northwestern part of Libeliče. Before the church, on the part where there is ossuary from 11th century, before the wall on the left we notice beaten path, on which we diagonally ascend in the forest.
During the ascent through the forest at first we are accompanied by signs of the nearby path Ethnological and natural sights of Libeliče, which we follow in the opposite direction, so that the numbers on signposts are decreasing. Through the forest, we are mostly ascending on forest cart tracks, and higher by the pear tree avenue we ascend to homestead, where there is a viewpoint.
We continue through the yard, and from the crossroad after the homestead we continue to the right road which leads us past a religious symbol. Next follows a diagonal ascent with nice views, which reach from Koralpe over Košenjak to Pohorje, and then the cart track brings us into the forest, where we reach the macadam road. We follow the road to the right, and after left hairpin turn we leave it and we continue slightly right on a cart track which past the hunting observatory brings us to a larger clearing. On the other side of the clearing, we return into the forest, and the path for some time brings us to the national border with Austria. By the national border we are ascending to the spot, where national border turns sharply right, and on a footpath that runs through the meadow, we ascend to the next homestead, which we bypass on the left side and where at the next religious symbol we cross another road. With nice views we ascend to the forest. In the forest, the cart track splits, and we choose the left, less steep cart track which further in a gentle ascent crosses eastern slopes of Požegov vrh. During the crossing the path leads us past an older cross and past a smaller well, and then we soon reach the macadam road which we reach by the crossroad towards the farm Jorgač.
We follow the road to the right, and there we diagonally ascend to a little bigger crossroad by NOB monument, where we continue straight towards Ravne na Koroškem (right Strojna). The path ahead leads us past the chapel Trotov križ (chapel with triangular shape with saints depicted on frescoes), and still before we step out of the forest road branches off sharply to the right towards the farm Utek (on maps Vutek). We continue straight, at the crossing in the middle of a meadow we go slightly right. Next follows a short walk with nice views on Peca, and then at the entrance into the forest, the path once again splits. This time we choose a slightly left road in the direction of the hunting cottage Strojna (slightly right Ravne). Further, the road passes into the forest, but above the homestead Trot once again a nice view opens up on peaks above the valley Mežiška dolina. The path ahead leads us on a gently sloping macadam road which crosses slopes of Trotov vrh, and on the road we soon get to the hunting cottage Strojna.
Behind the hunting cottage we for some time return in the forest and then the road which crosses slopes leads with nice views towards Peca, Uršlja gora, in good visibility, the view reaches all the way to Ojstrica and Planjava. Later we get to the turn-off of the road towards the hamlet Šteknija, where there is a smaller pond, and we go straight and we continue with the crossing. Next follows few minutes of light diagonal descent, and then the road passes on a ridge and a little after Jakob's sign we get to a little bigger crossroad.
Sharp to the left, a macadam road branches off, on which we can past the hunting lodge Libeliče get to Libeliče, left leads the road on which we can get to the church of the Holy Cross, and the right road leads towards Ravne na Koroškem, and we continue straight on an ascending cart track, on which we start ascending steeper. After approximately 20 minutes of ascent we reach a marked path, and there in few steps we reach Šteharnikov vrh.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in the year 2019 (February).

On the way: Trotov križ (863m), Trotovo razpotje (972m)

Trip can be extended to: Sveti Urh (Strojna) , Pokeržnikov vrh