BREEZE FROM MAGDALENSKA GORA
Length
32.3
Length 32.3 km
Time needed
02:00
Time needed 02:00
Največja strmina vzpona[%]
9
Greatest slope of the ascent: 9 %
Greatest slope of the descent: 11 %
Average slope of the ascent: 4 %
Length of ascents above 5%: 4.20 km
The lowest point of the route: 280 m
The highest point of the route: 540 m
Difference in altitude: 596 m
Poraba kalorij
4070
Consumption of energy for men: 4070 kJ (972 kcal)
Consumption of energy for women: 3316 kJ (792 kcal)
Difficulty
Difficulty: Medium demanding
Quality of the surface
Quality of the surface: Asphalt
Type of bike: Trek bike
Short description

This cycling route offers a pleasant afternoon cycling trip. Diverse altitude profile and fascinating landscape provide plenty of cycling pleasures. However, you can also embark on an excursion, which will take you to the archaeological areas with three thousand years of history. But this will take a little more of your time.

Course

Sostro – Sadinja vas – Podlipoglav – Selo pri Pancah – Mali Lipoglav – Permete – Šmarje Sap – Škofljica – Lavrica – Ljubljana Rudnik – Orle – Podmolnik – Sostro

A blacksmith is shoeing a horse
The route begins at the car park near the final stop of city bus no. 13 in Sostro . The stop is located between the Church of St. Leonard and the Pri Kovaču (blacksmith) Inn, where you can leave your car on a well-maintained parking area.

Along the valley to a pass
Drive on towards south. On the right side, a solitary hill Marenček is rising at the end of the valley. On the right, you can notice the Sostro Quarry in Sadinja vas like a giant wound in the hill. Continue along a partly populated area and you'll soon arrive at Podlipoglav, where you'll turn left in the centre of the village towards Javor and Pance. Next up is a very pleasant path through the valley between meadows and forests with little traffic and good asphalt . Along the path, you'll run into Dolenčev mlin . After about two kilometres, you'll get to Selo pri Pancah , where the route turn right towards south. From here on, the valley gets narrower. In some parts, there's barely enough space for a road and stream called Rekarjeva reka (Rekar's River) , . Now you'll slowly start to ascend. When you leave the long village of Selo pri Pancah, you'll be so high that you'll see the valley starting to open up. Another hairpin bend and you'll reach a pleasant shady forest. As you exit the forest and drive between meadows, new views start to open up . You've almost reached the ridge.

There's plenty of sunshine in Pance
Here, there's a crossroads , where the path turns sharply right towards Mali Lipoglav. But after an exhausting ascent, some refreshment would be nice, so make a detour and turn left towards the settlement you see in the vicinity. You're three hundred metres of slight ascent away from the Pance Top Snack Bar, which is located in the second house at the beginning of the settlement . You may observe many things over these meadows; if the weather is fine, the view of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps is fabulous.
Continue along a gradually steeper road towards Mali Lipoglav (530 m), which is about one and a half kilometres away. Although the path runs along the ridge, you can't see very much at first as it runs through the forest. There are numerous signs along the way . The landscape doesn't open up until you've driven through the first part of the settlement . On the right, you can admire the Kamnik-Savinja Alps yet again over the sloping meadows, and an outline of the settlement of Veliki Lipoglav in front of the Alps . (Don't be misled by the name: Veliki (Big) Lipoglav is smaller than Mali (Small) Lipoglav and vice versa. Go figure...). Go straight through the first part of the settlement, and then turn left towards south immediately at the beginning of the second part. If you've skipped refreshment in Pance, here's another chance – Pri Jakobcu Tourist Farm is before the church, right after the crossroads . Don't forget to put on a cycling jacket, since this is the beginning of a well-deserved three-kilometre descent.

Magdalena descent
The crossroads is the beginning of a descent, which will bring you to the settlement of Šmarje - Sap. At the transformer, turn slightly right into the forest and drive past the settlement of Permete . A bit further on, you'll see a higher hill with a church on the top on your left side . This is the renowned mountain called Magdalenska gora. The remnants of an almost 3000 year old reinforced Illyrian fort, which was supposedly one of the largest in this part of Europe in those times, are still visible today, so you may decide on a short visit. You can begin at the car park by the road, where you're greeted by an information board . You can continue by bike thorough the forest along a forest path and almost to the top; however, we advise against it.

Through Šmarje and Sap
Still impressed by the ascent to the Magdalena Mountain, return to the road and continue descending straight to the Ljubljana–Novo mesto motorway. Drive through an underpass under the motorway, go past the railway, and you're in Šmarje at the crossroads with the old main road, where you turn right towards west. Drive through the settlement and admire the lovely old square in front of the Church of the Virgin Mary .
Towards the end of the settlement, the road after a slight ascent turns into an interesting descent along some hairpin bends; the main road used to be located here (before the Brotherhood and Unity Highway in Yugoslavia was built). When you reach the valley, the road branches off to the right and leads to the settlement of Pleše (two kilometres), where barite used to be excavated . If damp holes and underground passages aren't up your alley, go straight ahead towards Škofljica. You can wet those dry lips at the Ona Pizza Restaurant before the crossroads to Lanišče. A mighty motorway viaduct is rising on the right, and a view of the lovely Lisičje Castle is opening up straight ahead, which you can reach through Lanišče. At the end of Škofljica, you can turn right to an abandoned coal mine .

Under the Debeli hrib Hill
If you decide to ignore the castle, just drive on through the settlement and as you get closer to the railway, you're also getting closer to the crossroads with a road leading to Kočevje. There, turn left towards north, cross the railway and you'll reach two adjacent traffic lights with an arranged cycle lane . At the second crossroads, join the former artery and continue along it towards Lavrica. The road is wide enough for the otherwise heavy traffic not to be too disturbing. The path will lead you along the northern edges of the Marshes and is somewhat raised thus enabling lovely views over the plain towards Krim, which is the highest hill in the surroundings and can't be miss it (a truncated pyramid with a transmitter on the top southwest from you). And you're on your way through Lavrica and around Debeli hrib meaning you're back in the area of the Municipality of Ljubljana. At the crossroads with the Rudnik motorway junction , drive straight on. Driving might be a little unpleasant due to heavy traffic, but you'll soon (after the Petrol service station) turn right towards north, where you should follow the signpost to Orle.

Another ascent and descent
This is the beginning of another ascent, this time to the ridge of the Golovec Hill you're about to cross. You'll drive through the beech and oak forest so that the path is shady and not too hot in summer. When the forest comes to an end, you'll find yourself in Orle, from where you can marvel at the Ljubljana Marshes and slopes along its southern edge . Slowly descend through the settlement. Just before the quarry, turn left towards north. As you cross the meadows along a steeply descending asphalt road, you'll reach a homestead with a lovely lake and feathered bipeds walking around , . How wonderful would it be if those were swans. The road starts to ascend through the forest again and after a few turns, you'll be in Završje, which is a part of the settlement of Podmolnik. At the top, you'll drive past a renowned pet hotel and where descent starts. But don't descend too quickly; there's an unpleasant intersection with the main road right after the first turn and if you're too fast, you'll have problems stopping. At the roundabout, turn sharply left towards north. Make a longer descent across the nice landscape, which ends near the Zadvor Log Cabin . 50 metres left of the road, there's a trim trail and other sports facilities in the forest. But, of course, you can just carry on through the village of Žabja vas (Frog village), whose name probably derives from numerous frogs living in the swamp ponds on your right , . Through a section of new houses, you'll reach the Cesta II. grupe odredov Road, where you'll turn right. Past the school and cemetery, and you'll find yourself at the end in front of the Pri Kovaču Inn . You've driven quite a few kilometres and you've also seen a thing or two, haven't you? The Magdalenska gora Mountain leaves an impression which won't fade away that easily.

Church of St. Leonard
The large parish Church of St. Leonard was erected after the 1895 Ljubljana earthquake. We should also mention a Minorite monastery located in the vicinity, which has been in operation since 1965 and is the largest Minorite community in Slovenia. The monastery is situated in a white two-storey building at the crossroads in the immediate vicinity of the church.

Marenček Hill (1 km)
The Marenček Hill was supposed to be populated as early as the prehistoric times after the end of the Roman Empire; while native inhabitants of the surrounding villages supposedly resorted here during the Migration Period.

Dolenčev Mlin Mill
At the end of the settlement of Podlipoglav, there's a 200-year old mill near the confluence of the rivers Panska reka and Javorska reka. Next to the mill, there's also a mighty double hayrack to offer you some shade. By prior arrangement, you can grind cereals, knead bread dough and bake it in a wood-fired oven at the mill. At the homestead, other workshops and literary evenings are also organised, and larger announced groups can be catered for.

Mali Lipoglav (50 m)
In the centre of the nucleated village, there's a parish Church of St. Nicholas from the 15th century, which was renovated in Baroque style in the mid-18th century. Next to it, there's the Pri Jakopcu Tourist Farm, a village shop and a fruit drying house, which is just left after the crossroads in the direction of Šmarje - Sap.

Magdalenska gora (800 m)
The Magdalenska gora Mountain is known for its archaeological findings from the Late and Early Iron Age. It must have been populated as early as 800 to 100 BC, when there was supposed to be a reinforced Illyrian fort on this mountain, one of the largest in this part of Europe. Its remnant are still visible today. At the car park by the road, you'll be greeted by the first information board. We suggest you go for this historic walk on foot. So move slowly forward, read the information on the boards and take a look at the 2500-year old remnants from the so-called Hallstatt culture. You don't have to race to the top and back. Walking slowly and blending in, you'll feel a powerful energy emitted by this place. Along macadam, go straight into the forest , where you'll see the second board and numerous wooden crosses on the trees announcing the holiness of this once famous pilgrims' place. At the crossroads, turn left past the next information board towards the church , . Ditches and artificial levelling below the summit , where the central part of the settlement used to be, are still clearly visible. The settlement was quite large for those times, as it was about 800 metres in length. The main entrance was on the south-eastern side, while there was a temple or acropolis atop the mountain. The inhabitants lived in accordance with their social status, so that only those who were situated high enough on the social ladder could live near the summit of the mountain.

Šmarje - Sap
Even a hundred years ago, Šmarje was the administrative centre of the entire Grosuplje Basin, so it isn't surprising that it got the first school very early on. That was no later than in 1504, and on 8 July school started. Nowadays, it would be difficult to lure anyone to school since this is the time of school holidays. It used to be different, however – classes took place when there was nothing else to do in the fields. Topsy-turvy world. The premises of the first school were in Turnček, one of the four watchtowers in the wall protecting the settlement from the Turks . Just next to Turnček, the Church of the Virgin Mary is located, which was mentioned as early as 1228. It was renovated many times; the latest renovation took place at the end of the 19th century. During World War II, it was damaged by an allied bomb, but was later beautifully renovated.

Abandoned mine near Pleše (2km)
Remnants of the mining activity are still visible. Bars are closing the entrance to the abandoned barite mine, while the abandoned passage of the coal mine is open but filled up with water and as such impassable soon after the entrance. But trash still gets thrown into it...

Lisičje Castle (1.5 km)
Lisičje Castle is located at the Ljubljana Marshes inlet above the village of Lanišče. It was erected in 1560.

Orle
Orle is situated on the Golovec slope. Modern houses at the beginning of the village are very eye-catching.

Pri Kovaču Inn
At the old Pri Kovaču Inn, you can quickly substitute the calories you've burnt during the tour. Their specialities are dishes made in a wood-fired oven.

Pance Top Snack Bar (300 m)
The Pance Top Snack Bar is a popular cycling finishing point. Each year, it holds a competition for the cyclist with the most ascents to Pance. The most persistent cyclists get medals and a t-shirt.

Pri Jakopcu Tourist Farm (20 m)
A traveller can get a liquid snack anytime, but you need to order in advance if you wish to get a homemade snack.

Ona Pizza Restaurant
You can take a break, have a drink or try ravioli au gratin on a lovely terrace with a view of the Marshes.

Zadvor Log Cabin (50 m)
You can get some refreshments in the nice shade or some exercise on a trim trail as you're already approaching the starting point.

Exploration of burial mounds on Magdalenska gora
The wider area of Magdalenska gora is known for the burial mounds where the dead used to be buried in and where archaeologists found many precious grave accessories . The mounds are so large that they contain a few hundred or even a thousand graves. Most mounds are located on the north-western side of the slope and some are still intact. The archaeological site has been known since 1870 when first, incidental findings were described. 22 years later, amateur exploration by Jernej Pečnik took place and he discovered numerous objects including the renowned bronze situla similar to the one from Vače pri Litiji. The news even reached a British archaeologist, Arthur J. Evans, a famous explorer of the Cretan civilisation, who came to see the excavations the following year. The most important exploration period was between 1905 and 1913 , when the excavations were lead by the Princess Marie of Windisch-Grätz, the wife of the Duke of Mecklenburg. The result of the long-term systematic excavations was numerous valuables and other objects, which were gathered in Vienna. But the collection didn't remain there. The majority of the objects was sold at an auction to Harvard, USA, where it still is today. What was left including the situla is kept in a museum in Vienna, and a few smaller objects are in the National Museum in Ljubljana. Ironic...

Time-trial to Pance
In September, a time-trial in cycling called The Ascent to Pance is organised. The best receive beautiful awards. Information is available on 01/7868053.

- You should be careful for 1.3 kilometres from the beginning of Sostro to the crossroads for Karlovce in Sadinja vas as the road is packed with heavy lorries coming from the Sostro Quarry.
- The level crossing in Šmarje - Sap after an underpass under the motorway is not protected so you'd better look three times before crossing the railway.
- Due to heavy traffic, going across the crossroads with the motorway junction in Rudnik is rather unpleasant, so drive carefully straight across.