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.