Route begins At a stalk (Pri Peclju)
The route begins At a stalk, not apple's, however, but an inn by the Zalog–Podgrad main road, just before Podgrad, bearing the name Pri Peclju (At a stalk) , . You can park your car by the road and change it for your bike. Of course, the direction of cycling is just as important and it's best to cycle clockwise towards Besnica, so quickly turn right off the straight road through an underpass under the railway and head to Podgrad. Don't go too fast though as the underpass is narrow and has low visibility!
Under-castle (Pod-grad) and Osterberg
The settlement is called Podgrad (under a castle), which tells you that it is located under a castle. Not only one, but two castles: beneath the old and new Osterberg. Locals call them the Ostrovrhar Castles. The settlement has a long history which began with the erection of the first castle, i.e. the old one or the original Ostrovrhar Castle, on the Kašelj Hill around 1150. The castle was a genuine fortress with a strategic position above the valley of the Besnica Stream, but today, there are only some ruins left of it . The new castle is architecturally less interesting. Except for some emphasised features on the façade, it doesn't give the impression of a real castle, it more resembles a country villa. Probably, this is a consequence of numerous reconstructions .
The settlement comprises two tourist farms and an interesting old factory called Arbo, where chemical products used to be made, but now it is, unfortunately, desolate. Take a good look at it and don't overlook a narrow opening with the space for only one car to go through at a time and no space for a bicycle , .
Through the narrow valley to Besnica
The route runs along a good asphalt road along the right bank of the Besnica Stream. The road slightly and steadily ascends, while the valley is rather narrow as it's bound by the steep slopes of the surrounding hills to the left and right. This is good because the summer heat doesn't affect you too much and bad because it gets dark quickly in the evening.
In the narrowest part of the valley, there are the ruins of the old Osterberg Castle at a sharp left turn, a kilometre or so from Podgrad. You can't see the castle from this spot, but an opportunity occurs some 300 metres ahead if you look back . Be careful, however, the verges of the road are not wide enough for you to stop for a longer period of time. At the top of the hill, you'll notice a bright spot under the ruins of the castle. This is a quarry where they used to get millstones from.
Furiously up the hill
After a kilometre and a half, the valley becomes wider and houses appear again: you've reached the settlement of Besnica (Fury), which is scattered over most of the valley. Go past the fork towards Vnajnarje and just before the crossing with the main road, turn right and drive along the macadam shortcut , . This way you'll spare a few metres, although you might just as well drive along the asphalt road to the crossroads. In both cases, you need to turn right towards Ljubljana. In front of you, there are two kilometres of a steeper slope along a macadam road, so shift the chain which is stopping you from easier pedalling and push the pedals as much as you can. It's a little unpleasant if you meet a car as there's a lot of dust coming from behind it and, besides, some people drive rudely fast. And, of course, a truck may also appear, and that's double joy for you. But the path isn't so bad, and the fact that it isn't very long is even better. Three solid hairpin bends and you'll be back on asphalt under a pass in no time.
Pečar and Zagradišče
At the pass, there's a settlement called Pečar. Due to its excellent strategic location, it's always been a popular post and defensive point, of which remnants of bunkers and dugouts from World War II south of the settlement are still a reminder. Behind the houses, there's a view of the Ljubljana Basin and Ljubljana , you, however, need to turn left in the settlement onto the road towards Javor.
The approaching slope is approximately twice as steep (14 per cent) but short, since you need to turn right onto a forest path (first intersection) after somewhat less than 200 metres , . The road turns downhill for a while and the forest is pleasantly cool. The path is not the best. It runs along a slope made of slate, which quickly disintegrates and forms impermeable layers, and thus makes the road very muddy when it rains. At the crossroads, stick to your right or rather to a better road. Once past the holiday cottages, you're already near the settlement of Zagradišče (meaning behind a fort), whose name implies that there used to be a prehistoric settlement or fort in the vicinity. The settlement is situated on a ridge , which offers views of the Ljubljana Basin on the right and the Kižlovka Stream on the left, which is known for being a fossil and mineral deposit site.
It isn't far from Zagradišče to Češnjica, the next settlement along this route. The forest and, at the end of Zagradišče, macadam road becomes a poor asphalt one. After the descent past Češnjica, go through the valley to Sadinja vas, where you'll turn left towards south at the crossroads with the main road.
Sadinja vas and quarry-pality
Here, the area is more densely populated. You're driving through a scattered settlement of Sadinja vas. On your right, a large quarry is located, which is very much alive so the traffic with many cargo vehicles is quite heavy. To avoid the traffic on the main road, take the first turning right onto a field path . A signpost for the cycling route L043 is there to help you orientate. The path leads to the Marenček Hill and left towards the quarry. There, you'll reach an intersection under the power line and need to turn right towards Podmolnik.
On the left (south) side, you can see the quarry and a chapel below it . On the right (north) side, there's the Marenček Hill, where a prehistoric fort and later castle used to be situated, of which only the foundations have remained . At this quarry, which considerably mars the appearance of the surroundings, dolomite aggregates of various granulations are being acquired. It is managed by the Ljubljana Municipal Utility Company and if we play with letters for a second, we could easily call it quarry-pality, as it's very characteristic of the Municipality of Ljubljana .
The cart track below Podmolnik is getting increasingly worse but, luckily, you'll be back on asphalt in the settlement. This minor settlement of Podmolnik has become known for its 'dog hotel', where you can place your pets when you go on vacation. The hotel is somewhat beyond the settlement and you won't pass it. In the settlement, stick to your right , and drive to Zadvor along the main asphalt road.
Back in the city
Continue towards north, cross the Cesta II. Grupe odredov Road and Litijska Road, and drive into the old centre of the village of Zadvor. The road narrows down to less than three metres. There isn't much traffic but you can never be too careful. Just after the village centre, you can see a flood plain, where special plant communities thrive, by the River Ljubljanica on your right below the riser.
Along Zadvor, drive north of the Vevče Paper Mill and then cross the bridge over the River Ljubljanica. Along the middle of the bridge, you'll see an industrial track of the paper mill. The tracks are deep and may be dangerous for bicycles, so stick to the edge of the carriageway.
On the other side of the bridge, Vevče is located. In the vicinity, there are also stops of city buses nos. 12 and 29, blocks of flats and the main Papirniški Square. Cross Vevška Road, and drive along the slope between the railway and houses onto Grajzerjeva Street , and then continue along Pečinska Street.
Kašelj
You're in Zgornji Kašelj now. Before the war, there were mainly fields around here while today everything seems to be built up. The settlement has a long history and has been known for its free peasants since the Middle Ages. There were more of those here than anywhere else and they also stuck around longer. They were mentioned from the 12th to the 14th century and then they became serfs as well, although properties of individual free peasants were still haunting land registries up until 1527.
When you reach Kašeljska Road, turn right and drive through the old part of the settlement, where the road is quite narrow. After about 500 metres, the settlement ends and you're back on the fields. At the first crossroads, turn right onto Mazovčeva pot , , which leads to the bridge over the River Ljubljanica. On the bank, you can often see fishermen trying their luck in the murky water. Don't overlook the first turn to the left, since it's there where you turn onto macadam, and then stick to the main road. You'll drive on macadam for another two kilometres.
Across the flood plain, where grey herons often stick around, you're coming closer to the Kašelj Hill. Humming of an ultralight aircraft warns you that an airfield is nearby. But foot power is foot power and own force is own force, so turn your back on it and head northward. The view here is prettier – you can see the Kamnik-Savinja Alps in all their greatness .
Pond
A kilometre ahead, there are some cars parked on the right side of the road. Let's check out what they're doing here. Right next to the road, there's a large pond called the Kašelj Pond , . Ducks love its two islets, where they always find a safe nesting place, and the fishermen love what is hidden under the surface. The pond is managed by the Vevče Fishing Club.
After 600 metres, you'll get closer to the River Ljubljanica again, 'former' Ljubljanica actually, since you're cycling along a dead arm with an islet in the middle. An interesting place, a true paradise for frogs and you can even reach the islet along a footbridge , , .
Return
From the islet, the path continues through the forest. At the end of the forest, there is the Ribnica Hut on the left and the road goes back to being asphalt. A bit further on, you'll drive into an underpass under the Ljubljana–Zidani Most railway line, and after a short and steep ascent, you'll reach the crossroads with the Zalog–Podgrad main road (Cesta v Kresnica Road). Be careful at the crossroads, as the junction isn't clearly visible for drivers on the main road because of the ascent.
At the crossroads, turn right towards Podgrad and your starting point. The road you're driving along runs along the right bank of the River Ljubljanica. There's some heavy traffic on this stretch of the road and the drivers are mainly patient. A kilometre ahead, you'll see a wider footpath on your left leading to a meadow. Not a usual meadow, but a meadow on a river island. The islet is about 300 metres long and over 100 metres wide .
There's less than 500 metres to the end of the route. A piece of cake, after everything you've experienced.