Potoče - Planinska koča Iskra na Jakobu (via Francijeva koča)

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Kranj - east, and then we continue driving in the direction of Jezersko. When we get to Preddvor we leave the main road and we continue driving left, and after few 10 meters, opposite the company Jelovica we continue right in the direction of village Potoče, St. Jakob and Potoška gora and lake Črnava. Further, the road leads through the settlement Hrib, above which we get to a crossroad, where we continue straight (left Hotel Bor and lake Črnava, right Senior citizens home Preddvor. Next follows a good 100 meters of a light ascent to the chapel, where the road turns right, and we are driving there past few more houses, and then before Senior citizens home we turn left on a larger macadam parking lot.
B) From highway Jesenice - Ljubljana we go to the exit Kranj - zahod and at the first crossroad, we continue left. Further, we drive through the underpass below the highway, and then we get to a roundabout, from where we continue driving in the direction of Golnik. The path ahead leads us through the settlement Mlaka pri Kranju, and at the end of the settlement, we continue right in the direction of the settlement Srakovlje. Next follows driving through Srakovlje, Spodnja Bela, Srednja Bela to Zgornja Bela, where we continue right towards Preddvor. At the end of the Preddvor, only few 10 meters before the road joins main road Zgornje Jezersko - Kranj, we continue left in the direction of village Potoče, St. Jakob and Potoška gora and lake Črnava. Further, the road leads through the settlement Hrib, above which we get to a crossroad, where we continue straight (left Hotel Bor and lake Črnava, right Senior citizens home Preddvor. Next follows a good 100 meters of a light ascent to the chapel, where the road turns right, and we are driving there past few more houses, and then before Senior citizens home we turn left on a larger macadam parking lot.

Path description:
Few strides before the beginning of the parking lot, by the fence of Senior citizens home Preddvor, we will notice hiking signposts, and we go on the path in the direction of Senčnica Josipine Turnograjske. The path starts by the already mentioned fence, and then continues through the forest. Through the forest, we are few minutes relatively steeply ascending, and then the path flattens and it brings us to Senčnica Josipine Turnograjske, where there is also an inscription box with an inscription book.
From the top follows a short descent on a forest path, and then we reach the forest road which we follow to the left, and there we are for a short time lightly descending. We soon reach the other wider road (road which leads from the parking lot near the Senior citizens home Preddvor and which bypasses Senčnica Josipine Turnograjske), which we cross slightly towards the left, where by the entrance into the forest, we notice red hiking signposts (to here possible also on the before mentioned road).
We continue in the direction of ruins of the castle Novi grad (Pusti grad) and footpath towards St. Jakob and Potoška gora. The path ahead is moderately ascending through a forested valley, and then splits into two parts.
We continue slightly right in the direction of St. Jakob, Potoška gora and Javorov vrh (left Novi grad (Pusti grad) and the path Juhantova pot) on the path which from a small valley gradually avoids more and more to the right. The marked path, which occasionally steeply ascends further few times crosses a forest road which leads towards St. Jakob, mountain hut Planinska koča pri Franciju and mountain hut Planinska koča Iskra na Jakobu. When higher, at the red color sign we again step on the road, there we continue left. After few 10 meters path branches off slightly to the right, which leads towards Planinska koča Iskra na Jakobu, and we continue straight on a bad road which a little further joins the path Juhantova pot. We still continue on the road, and it quickly brings us to Planinska koča pri Franciju.
From the mountain hut, we return few steps to the nearby crossing, and from there we continue on a marked mountain path in the direction of Planinska koča Iskra na Jakobu. The path ahead leads us through a short lane of a forest and then with nice views, we reach already mentioned mountain hut.

On the way: Senčnica Josipine Turnograjske (570m), Planinska koča pri Franciju mountain hut (930m)

Trip can be extended to: Mihčeva kopišča ( 25 min) , Baba ( 50 min) , Potoška gora ( 40 min) , Zavetišče v Hudičevem borštu (2 h 20 min) , Javorov vrh , Dom na Kališču (3 h 40 min) , Cjanovca (3 h 10 min) , Srednji vrh (3 h 25 min)