Eagle observing the fox
The route starts at the quarry in Orle. You reach the starting point by car; from the direction of Podmolnik, Rudnik or Lavrica, ascend to the pass between Sostro and Lavrica and head for the route towards Molnik. Leave your car on a small, unregulated car park at the edge of the quarry and get ready for the hike: snacks, drinks and walking pole in one hand, cheerfulness in the other. Do not forget to remove from the car all valuable things that could attract thieves.
Villages, views and kind people embellish the first part of your route. From the pass , walk along asphalt road past fruit trees and hayracks , to the village of Orle. After more than 200 metres, you see a monument on the left in memory of the last battles for the liberation of Ljubljana in May 1945 . Before Orle, look towards south for a while. And you can already see the first hills you are headed to . On the right, there is Javornikov hrib Hill with its forest clearing, made for power lines; a little lower is a grassy patch with orchards and few houses, part of the hamlet of Lisičje. Lisičje? In Slovenian, the word Lisičje reminds of chanterelle mushrooms (lisičke) and foxes (lisice). Is the name therefore associated with mushrooms or those cunning animals which wander the forests? This and much more will be revealed later, on the other side of the valley.
Orle is a roadside village of low houses which in some parts passes into a nucleated settlement. At the junction near the telegraph pole with a sign for the international Way of St James , turn right along the road past the orchard and old homesteads . After 200 metres you will again arrive to the main road. At the next junction, near an old outbuilding , turn left to the fields below the village.
The asphalt road soon turns into a field path which runs along the edge of the prominence and later descends towards the valley through the forest. The landscape is picturesque, with cultivated land, hedges, forest edge and individual groups of trees which give you shade for a few steps along the road. When leaving the forest, turn right to the macadam road, pass the motocross polygon and continue through the motorway underpass to Sela. On the left, the Grivka Stream meanders among trees.
Over the valley twice
The road through the valley is flat and without pavement, but wide enough to safely walk along its edge. Towards the end of Sela, turn right at the junction, pass the farms , and cross the fields in the valley. In the middle of the valley, the grave of the soldiers who fought in National Liberation War is on the left under the birches. In addition, you can see Krim in the distance which rises above the Ljubljana Marshes. A few metres further, the road ascends steeply in the turning to Srednja vas or Lavrica. In other words, Lavrica comprises two former settlements: Srednja and Zadnja vas. Walk along the main streets in Lavrica, i.e. Srednjeveška and Kamnikarjeva streets. Turn left at the school across the car park and cross the valley for the second time between new residential blocks. When arriving to Jagrova Street, turn left and at the foot of Šeparjev hrib Hill direct back towards north and Sela in the shade of trees.
Fox observing an eagle
At the junction under the power line pylon, you are only 100 metres away from the village of Sela and from the path where you have already walked. Above the village, you can see the pass between Sostro and Lavrica from which Orle (whose name reminds of an eagle in Slovenian) closely monitors happenings in the valley. Do not turn into the village this time, but go right on the old cart track and into the forest .
At the beginning, ascend steeply for more than 100 metres and stick to the left at crossroads . Once you reach the ridge, take the shortcut from the main road along a narrow, beaten path to the parallel main path which leads to the ridge from Šeparjev hrib – Čemšenik Hiking Trail. You can rest on the ridge and have a snack on the bench . Do not forget to put the trash in your pocket and take them with you! On the ridge, take the right at road splits; following the signs for Čemšenik Hiking Trail can be used for orientation . In autumn, chestnut cupules roll under your feet and various mushrooms grow along the path on the left and right. Many of them are toxic, so it's best to just observe them.
From the forest, you arrive on the asphalt road and descend left to the hamlet and Lisičje Castle. Just before the hamlet, look to the left under the power lines. The pass between Sostro and Lavrica can be seen in the distance above houses, as well as the quarry on the right and Orle on the left side . You are standing at the site that you've seen from Orle at the beginning of the route. Lisičje Castle is located at the end of the hamlet , . Built in the 16th century, it was originally called Geierau which means 'vulture grove'. But, since there are many foxes in the nearby forests, the locals named it Lisičje. The name has been preserved until today. The castle used to be surrounded by the largest floral, botanical and fruit garden in Carniola. The mighty linden trees on the northern side of the castle are the only reminders of this magnificent garden .
Below Molnik back to the quarry
From the castle, you can already see and hear Dolenjska motorway. After slowly descending along a short and winding road to the motorway cut, walk downhill along the steep macadam path onto the motorway overpass. Ascend steeply on the other side and look around for a bit , and then proceed into the forest to the slopes of Molnik. The route is diverse and rather steep in short sections. Follow the signs for Čemšenik Hiking Trail and descend to the left below the top of Molnik, after joining the main road to Molnik. Along the way, you can meet hikers, mountain bikers and interesting creatures on 'two legs' .
After around 10 minutes, you will get out of the forest to the path by the edge of the quarry near Orle and return to the starting point. Before driving off, you can seat on a bench under a tree for a while and look around the valley once again.