FRUIT CYCLE TOUR
Length
39.2
Length 39.2 km
Time needed
03:30
Time needed 03:30
Največja strmina vzpona[%]
9
Greatest slope of the ascent: 9 %
Greatest slope of the descent: 9 %
Average slope of the ascent: 8 %
Length of ascents above 5%: 9.70 km
The lowest point of the route: 685 m
The highest point of the route: 267 m
Difference in altitude: 1344 m
Poraba kalorij
7122
Consumption of energy for men: 7122 kJ (1701 kcal)
Consumption of energy for women: 5803 kJ (1386 kcal)
Difficulty
Difficulty: Very demanding
Quality of the surface
Quality of the surface: Mixture
Type of bike: Mountain bike
Short description

A diverse and partly demanding route across the hilly land of fruit and chestnut between Podgrad, Prežganje, Trebeljevo and Javor where a picturesque view of the hills and valleys, solitary farms, orchards, fields and numerous churches will often surprise you while cycling along the turns on the ridge. You'll only take a break in the last section of the cycle tour between Sostro and Podgrad where the route descends to the flooded plains of the Ljubljanica and Sava rivers. The ground for cycling is mixed, from asphalt and macadam roads to forest and field paths. Thus take your mountain bike with good tyres and hard felloes. You can make numerous stops on the resting points or at the homesteads.

Course

Podgrad – Vnajnarje – Gabrje pri Jančah – Volavlje – Prežganje – Malo Trebeljevo – Veliko Trebeljevo – Mali Vrh pri Prežganju – (Ravno Brdo) – (Javor) – Zagradišče – Češnjica – Sadinja vas – Sostro – Zavoglje – Podgrad

From Pecelj past Lazar to Pri Tomažetu along the Blueberry Hiking Trail
As you are cycling along the fruit route, you'll start your journey accordingly - at the cherry stem. Pri Peclju (At Stem's) is an inn before Podgrad on the main road Zalog-Podgrad . Its two hundred years old history is connected with fruit sale and cherry stems which the then owner threw among cherries intended for sale after he had used the sweet fruit at the inn. The children noticed that and named him Pecelj (Stem). You can park your car by the road and change it for your bike. Cycle the route clockwise. Thus turn right through an underpass under the railroad and to Podgrad, but not too fast as the underpass is narrow and has a low visibility.
You're probably still wondering why today's route is called fruit cycle tour. The answer offers itself after some tens of metres behind the underpass before Podgrad where an information board reads: 'Welcome to the land of strawberries.' The boards mark the starting points for fruit road between Javor and Janče and Borovničeva pohodna pot (Blueberry Hiking Trail) . When you reach the settlement, turn left at the information board behind Lazar Tourist Farm and up the hill . You'll leave the asphalt road and the tourist farm behind and will continue along the steep macadam road. The ground is sandy at some sections, so be careful not to slip. You'll arrive to Lazar's courtyard where you can take a rest from the first ascent and take a look at the Ljubljana Basin and all the tops including Golovec, Triglav and Ojstrica from the viewing point.
Continue from Lazar's courtyard to the right, past the bench and direction board to Blueberry Hiking Trail into the forest . Follow the signposts for the next three kilometres , and cycle along the forest path , and the ridges between Lazarjev vrh, Grmadnik and Španov vrh where you will descend towards Pri Tomažetu, a homestead before Vnajnarje. The path along the ridges is undulating, but passable. Some shorter sections are quite steep and sandy, so you might need to step off your bike. Nevertheless, you can make use of your walking and observe undergrowth or pick blueberries, while in the autumn, you can pick chestnuts. The benches along the route can be useful if you need to take a break.

To the land of fruit...
From Pri Tomažetu slowly descend along the field path past the homesteads to the main asphalt road between Besnica and Janče. Then turn left at the crossroads and continue up the hill towards Janče . The road through the forest ascends at the turns and is quite narrow, so be careful! When you come out of the forest, a view of the first solitary homesteads in Vnajnarje opens up. The road between the homesteads winds in short flat descents and ascents. Cycle in the direction of Janče all the way to the village of Gabrje pri Jančah and be mindful in Vnajnarje where you have to keep the right side of the main road . You'll come across these names: Marolt, Kostevc, Brdar, Črnivec, Balant. These are the names of the farms included in the offer of the fruit road between Javor and Janče. Most of the farms offer home-grown fruit and some of them must and spirits. Between Brdar and Balant past Črnivec is a kilometre long section of a wide macadam road where it is forbidden to drive between 6 and 7 a.m. and 1 and 2 p.m. on weekdays. In Gabrje, you'll reach the main road between Zgornja Besnica and Janče. At the crossroads, do not turn left and up the hill towards Janče, but right downhill to the village . You can visit Janče on Sundays as Strawberry Sundays are held there in summer and Chestnut Sundays in autumn, both fun and full of delicacies.
Turn sharply left and steeply downhill in Gabrje and descend, after a kilometre and a half long section of narrow and undulating asphalt road above the valley below Gabrje, to the next crossroads, where you turn right to Volavlje . Stop safely three hundred metres further, at the left side of the road under old fruit trees and take a look around. On the left, you'll see a church on the top of Janče and a picturesque hilly landscape and a valley of the Mala Reka Stream with a view of Velika Štanga on the right below the church. Fruit trees grow around the village and settlements - old fruit tree-lined alleys at the entrance of the village are very typical of this area.
Cycle along the ridge for a short time and then steeply descend to Volavlje. At the turn before a dense section of the village, a view of the village on the slope of the hill with cultivated surfaces, hayracks and orchards will open up just after a hayrack. You'll also see the Church of St. Margaret at Prežganje , , in the background. There are also some homesteads in the village.
Steeply descend from Volavlje along the asphalt road and stay on the right side to get to Prežganje. Just before the ascent you'll see a signpost for a waterfall on the left in front of the garden greenhouses. The waterfall emerged from a tufa wall which is with its 17 meters one of the tallest walls in Slovenia . You'll reach the waterfall and the wall along a narrow forest path which winds steeply downhill for about a kilometre. You'll have to walk on sleeper stairs for the last 30 metres.

...and to the land of strawberries.
Cycle through Prežganje just below the observation spot with the Baroque Church of St. Margaret and descend in five sharp turns to the crossroads before Malo Trebeljevo. Turn right there and, after a kilometre of mix macadam and asphalt road which runs across the fields on the eastern side of the settlement and past the old part of the village join the main regional road between Besnica and Litija at the crossroads with a chapel. Turn right at the crossroads to Besnica and for the next 300 metres cycle along quite a busy road. In a sharp right turn cross the regional road and continue to the village of Veliko Trebeljevo . Look carefully in both directions to see fast cars in time.
The area of Trebeljevo is known for its garden strawberry plantations and it thus gained the name Strawberry Land. The farms here offer home-grown fruits, home-made pastry, jams, meat and other products.
Veliko Trebeljevo is an old clustered village with the Church of St. Cross. The view of the village and church is the best from the south where you're also headed. When you reach the new part of the village, turn right from the main road past the houses and up the hill to the macadam road . After 600 m at the crossroads with the signpost for Polica, turn right uphill to the asphalt road to the village of Mali Vrh (not towards Polica) . In the centre of the village, at Kamnikar Homestead, the road in the right turn descends and you can stop and take a rest on a bench at the village water hole − an old village pool that the villagers revived and arranged. From here on are only 300 m of the asphalt road left which you'll leave behind for a while. The macadam road is replaced by the field path which at first slowly and then more and more steeply ascends to the last village houses. A few metres after the information board about Mali Vrh forest and natural science educational path, a marvellous view of the land of fruit, strawberries and steep pastures opens up on the right , .

From Mali Vrh along the Chestnut Hiking Trail
At the last houses in Mali Vrh descend down the forest path to the forest , , and bypass the clearing past another house, then finally ascent to the ridge. The path to Javor is nicely undulating , and almost completely runs along the ridge. It is well-trodden and passable, only here and there rocks appear, so your bike has to have good tyres and hard felloes. The path can have muddy puddles after the rain , but they are easy to bypass. The markings for Kostanjeva pohodna pot (Chestnut Hiking Trail) - direction Sostro, help you orientate, thus follow them all the way to Zagradišče. The path is popular among hikers and chestnut pickers, so consider others too. You can also meet motorcyclists on the way. After four kilometres, the forest path joins the macadam road between Ravno Brdo and Javor, while you continue left downhill to Javor where the landscape opens up as you leave the forest and can already see first houses in Javor on the left .
Just before Javor when the macadam ends and you end up on the asphalt road again, do not turn to the village, but ascend right towards the ridge and bypass the village . Turn back left before the settlement of Zavrharji and below you'll see the Church of St. Anne in Javor which dominates at the prominence . From here on, the path will still be undulating with short gentle or steeper ascents and descents and will wind past numerous hamlets and solitary hills, while you'll slowly and constantly descent towards Sostro. You can stop by at the Centre of the Amateur Radio Operators at Žagarjev vrh and take a lunch break. The road will descend through the forest and in steep turns around Babna gora Hill towards Pečar, while you'll turn left before Pečar to the forest path towards Zagradišče .

Past Zagradišče to Sostro
At the crossroads, stick to your right or rather a better road. When you pass the holiday houses, you're already near Zagradišče which extends along the ridge. A view of the Ljubljana Basin opens up on the right, and on the left, the valley of the Kižlovka Stream which is known for the fossil and mineral deposit. It isn't far from Zagradišče to Češnjica which is the next settlement along this route. The forest or macadam road becomes quite poor narrow asphalt one at the end of Zagradišče. After the descent past Češnjica, continue through the valley to Sadinja vas where you'll turn right towards Sostro at the crossroads with the main road. Pri Kovaču Inn is located at the beginning of the settlement and you can stop there to rest and eat or continue to the Church of St. Leonard where you turn right , cycle along Sostrska Road through the settlement of one-family houses, cross the priority Litijska Road and continue to Zavoglje . Zavoglje is a lovely village with a typical village atmosphere; as you cycle past the chapel, stick to the left and quickly catch a sight of the Church of St. Ulrich, then turn right at the crossroads and proceed to the Ljubljanica River.

...and along the Ljubljanica and Sava rivers back to Pri Peclju
Cycle along the Ljubljanica River only for few tens of metres and as the view opens up, turn right to the field path across the fields and to the macadam road. Across the flood plain, where grey herons often wander about, you're approaching Kašelj Hill. How pleasant and relaxing it is to cycle along this plain after all the difficult ascents. You can also check out why there are so many cars parked right by the side of the road a kilometre ahead. Right next to the road, there's a large pond called the Kašelj Pond . The ducks enjoy its two islands where they can safely nest, while the fishermen naturally enjoy fishing. Not far away (600 m) you come close to the ex-Ljubljanica River, because you cycle past the oxbow meander with an island in the middle which you can reach by the footbridge.
From the island on, the path first continues through the forest. At the end of the forest, there is the Fishermen's Hut (Ribiški dom) on the right and the road goes back to being asphalt. Cycle to the underpass below Ljubljana-Zidani Most railway line a little further on and in a short and steep ascent - the last part of the route - carefully continue to the crossroads with the main road Zalog-Podgrad (Cesta v Kresnice Road). Turn right to Podgrad there. The road runs along the right bank of the Ljubljanica River and is busy with bicyclists, so the motorists are mostly patient.
Only a kilometre and a half until the end of the route. You're probably full of impressions from the cycle tour, while you're anxiously anticipating apple and blueberry strudels at Pri Peclju Inn.

Fruit Road between Javor and Janče , , ,
The entire area kept the rural image as the villagers are still engaged in agriculture. Fruit growing and live stock farming are prevailing activities. It is possible that due to favourable location and soil, the first inhabitants in the area were already involved in fruit growing. Apple, pear, plum and cherry production for sale has been present at least since the beginning of the 20th century. Old sorts of apples (such as golobar, bobovec, voščenka, gambovec, mošanček, čebular, carjevič), pears (dišečka, rumenka, medenka, mešiček, tepka, rjavka), plums (ciber, home-grown plum) and cherries (belica, morka, hrustavka) have been preserved until today. In the period between both World Wars, the cultivation of strawberries for home use and for sale began in the area of Janče. Only a few farmers cultivated them at first, but mass production of strawberries started only between the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1993, the implementation of the CRPOV (Comprehensive Countryside Development and Village Renovation) project began in the area of the Besnica Valley and Janče. The fruit road between Javor and Janče was created. Within this project, pastures and contemporary plantations for integral fruit production (strawberries, apples, pears, cherries, plums, peaches, walnuts, chestnuts etc. are being produced) were arranged, the project of the revitalisation of grass plantations and gardens was implemented, and 11 water reservoirs to irrigate fruit trees and berries were set up. Farmers established a tourism society, within which all activities regarding the Fruit Road are performed. Farms are always open for all visitors; they offer various agricultural and other products. Within the framework of the Fruit Road, several traditional events take place each year.

Prežganje and the Church of St. Margaret
Prežganje is a scattered settlement. It is located on the sunny side of the slope and isolated hill which is a watershed between the Reka and Besnica streams. The settlement has two groups of houses. The Baroque Church of St. Margaret from 1777 has rich interior equipment from the 18th and 19th centuries (Metzinger, Cebej). A belfry from 1873 is on the west. The church is enclosed by a cemetery and the walls. The image is completed by the parson's house with commercial buildings, a well and a chapel from the 18th century. It is located at 657 metres high observation top. There is a small astronomical observation site (astronomical observatory) at Prežganje. During World War II, between 1943 and 1944, bloody battles took place nearby.

Veliko Trebeljevo ,
Veliko Trebeljevo is a clustered village with a branched system of village paths, which used to belong to Stična Monastery. The Church of St. Cross was also built on the southern side of the village. The year 1698 on the belfry probably also denotes the year of the construction of the church. The settlement was first mentioned in 1145 and is nowadays developing into an attractive tourist spot and is a starting point for pleasant trips. There is an arranged ski slope at the hill above the village. The area of Trebeljevo is known for the plantations of garden strawberries.

Archaeological sites and forts
Numerous archaeological sites, which prove the area was settled already in the old Iron Age, are located in the section of the Posavje Hills which you'll cycle. Some of the prehistoric forts have been already discovered and some are only assumed according to the configuration of the terrain and fallow names. The forts were discovered (or are at least assumed to have been located) at the villages of Volavlje (Lanišče fort at the slope north of the village), Prežganje, Malo Trebeljevo (fields south of the village where the fort and the walls from the Roman times were partly uncovered), Mali Vrh pri Prežganju (Križatec fallow), Nad žitnicami fallow between Ravno Brdo and Javor, the wider area of the village Javor (Iron age burial ground, Antique graves and prehistoric mound burial ground have been partly explored) and Zagradišče.

Tufa wall and waterfall ,
Tufa wall between Volavlje and Prežganje at the spring of Pečen potok Stream is 17 metres high and is one of the highest in Slovenia. The water partly falls from the wall as a 8 to 10-metre high waterfall and partly slides over it. It is overgrown with typical Cratoneuron commutata mosses. The tufa piles from the calcium carbonate saturated stream which flows on dolomite.
In 2003, the waterfall and the tufa wall were arranged for the visitors. A secured footpath leads to the waterfall.

Fossils and minerals in the valley of the Kižlovka Stream
South of Zagradišče, there's a fossil and mineral deposit in the valley of the Križlovka Stream. Among minerals, the beautiful quartz crystals are really exceptional and locals refer to them as 'little churches' because of their typical pyramid-like shape. Near Gradišče, a hill above Zagradišče, where remnants of a prehistoric settlement were found, there's also a smaller, once quite renowned deposit of special quartz crystals which are as beautiful and clear as, well, crystals. They resemble chunks of ice with frozen green moss inside them. Actually, it isn't moss, but a mineral called chlorite, which is clearly visible through the transparent layer of quartz. One of the deposits of quartz crystals was also a quarry of quartz sandstone and conglomerate, which is today disused and inaccessible.

 

Tourist Farms
You'll cycle past numerous tourist farms (included in the offer of the Fruit Road) on the route between Javor and Janče. If not specified otherwise, you need to notify the visit in advance at all the farms.

Blueberry Hike
The hike is traditional and is a part of the second Strawberry Sunday at Janče (the second Sunday in June). It starts in Podgrad. Hikers can participate in an organised hike along the marked Blueberry Hiking Trail running from Podgrad to Janče (792 metres altitude) along well-maintained forest and village paths.

Chestnut Sunday and Chestnut Hiking Trail
Chestnut Sunday takes place the first, the second and the third Sunday in October at Janče. You can try home-made delicacies from a wide culinary offer, roasted chestnuts, freshly squeezed apple juice, desserts and take a look at the display of spirit distilling and other farm chores. The event is accompanied by entertaining programme.
The hike along Chestnut Hiking Trail is annual and is held on the second Sunday in October. More information available at Kamnikar Tourist Farm at Mali Vrh.

Strawberry Sunday
Strawberry Sunday takes place on the first and the second Sunday in June at Janče. You can buy strawberries or eat strawberry desserts there. The offer includes home-made liqueurs and spirits, the exhibition of home-made delicacies and other culinary offer. Entertainment programme is also organised, including the introduction of foreign and local tourist societies which are a part of similar country developing programmes. Children can play at Strawberry Playground.

The route is very undulating, ascents and descents are steeper and longer when you ascend or descend to and from one of the ridges. These sections are shorter at the ridges and the inclination is smaller too. The ground is mixed, mostly asphalt roads with occasional macadam sections and field paths between Vnajnarje and Mali Vrh. Between Lazarje and Pri Tomažetu and between Mali Vrh and Javor, there are two longer sections of the forest path which is occasionally steep and made of sand and rough rocks; and you can also come across a muddy puddle. The road runs through the forest when you descend to Zagradišče; the road through the village is asphalt, but of bad quality and narrow. Pri Lazarju Tourist Farm in Podgrad is accessed by a steep macadam road.
Be attentive and careful when cycling through these sections:
- through the railway underpass in Podgrad
- on the road from Pri Tomažetu to Vnajnarje along the main road Besnica-Janče which is steep, narrow and winding,
- regional road Besnica-Litija and the crossroads at Veliko Trebeljevo,
- the crossroads of Sostrska and Litijska roads,
- through the underpass under the Ljubljana–Zidani Most railway line, where you join the main road between Zalog and Podgrad (Cesta v Kresnice Road) after a short and steep ascent.
If you set out for this route in the beginning of May, be sure to check if Rally Saturnus (an annual event) is not taking place at the route Podgrad-Sp.Besnica-Vnajnarje-Gabrje pri Jančah-Janče-Tuji Grm-Dolgo Brdo-Volavje-Zgornja Besnica. The roads are entirely closed during this event.