Zagora - Vodice (via Preški vrh)

Access to starting point:
A) First, we drive to Nova Gorica, and then we continue driving towards Tolmin and Bovec. Further, we drive past Solkan bridge (Solkan bridge over which runs railway line is long 220 meters, the bridge has the longest stone arch in the world), and then we few kilometers drive directly by the river Soča. And when the road goes a little away from the river, we get to a smaller crossroad, where a road towards Zagomila branches off to the right (house number 1-2) and Zagora (house number 1-7) and accommodations Pri Martinovih. Here we continue right and after the first right turn, we park on an appropriate place by the road. We can also park higher by the road.
B) From the direction of Tolmin and Most na Soči on a regional road we drive towards Nova Gorica. After the settlement Plave we need to pay attention to the left turn-offs. First, the road branches off to the left towards a smaller hamlet or nearby house, and a little further, the road towards Zagomila branches off sharply to the left (house number 1-2) and Zagora (house number 1-7) and accommodations Pri Martinovih. Here we continue left and after the first right turn, we park on an appropriate place by the road. We can also park higher by the road.

Path description:
From the spot, where we've parked, we continue on the asphalt road which is moderately ascending through the forest. On the very beginning, also a view opens up a little on the other side of the river Soča, where we see the church of St. Ahacij above Prilesje, after that except the view on the nearby pasture to the sharp right turn we don't get much of a view. From the mentioned turn, we clearly see Soča, Prilesje, Plave and Korada. After the turn, the forest gradually gets thinner and the path brings us to the village Zagora, where the path leads us past few houses. In the middle of the settlement a short road branches off to the right towards Martinovi, and we continue left in the direction of Sveta Gora. Only a little further, we get above the village, and we continue the ascent on the asphalt road which for quite some time continues through the forest. The road is then ascending towards the south to southeast and eventually brings us to Zagomila, a smaller hamlet above which a beautiful view opens up towards Korada and the ridge of Sabotin. After the settlement also the asphalt ends, and the road brings us to the marked crossroad, where we continue straight in the direction of Sveta Gora (left hamlet Vodice, peak Vodice through the hamlet Vodice, peak Kuk...).
The path ahead gradually starts descending, so that we descend almost for 50 altitude meters. During the descent, we at first cross the slopes of Košutnik (592 meters), and then also slopes of Vodice (651 meters). On the southwestern slopes of Vodice the path stops descending and it starts ascending diagonally towards the saddle Preški vrh. A little before the saddle from the right joins also the marked path from Skalnica (path from the starting point at the sharp turn of the road Nova Gorica - Sveta Gora, more precisely between the quarry and inn Gostilna Skalnica). From the mentioned junction of the path, and to a saddle Preški vrh we have only few minutes.
On the saddle, there is a marked crossing of multiple roads, and we continue on the most left road (straight Grgar, right Sveta Gora), which only few 10 strides ahead we leave because blazes point us to the left on a well-beaten footpath. The path ahead passes into a low forest and then continues in a moderate ascent. Further, the path leads us past several trenches and few caverns from the time of the first world war, and then it for some time ascends a little steeper. Steepness very quickly decreases and a relatively gently sloping path brings us out of the forest on an overgrown meadow, from which we already see the peak of Vodice, on which there is a mausoleum of general Gonzaga and which we reach after few 10 strides of additional walking.
The path to Preški vrh isn't marked with trail blazes, but at the crossings it is well marked.

On the way: Zagora (200m), Zagomila (400m), Preški vrh (504m)

Trip can be extended to: Sveta Gora