ŠMARNA-SAVA ROUTE
Length
18.2
Length 18.2 km ​
Time needed
07:00
Time needed 07:00 ​
Največja strmina vzpona[%]
55
Greatest slope of the ascent: 55 %
Greatest slope of the descent: 14 %
Average slope of the ascent: 9 %
Length of ascents above 5%: 4.00 km
The lowest point of the route: 294 m
The highest point of the route: 672 m
Difference in altitude: 810 m
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Poraba kalorij
6858
Consumption of energy for men: 6858 kJ (1638 kcal)
Consumption of energy for women: 5627 kJ (1344 kcal)
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Difficulty
Difficulty: Demanding ​
Quality of the surface
Quality of the surface: Mixture
Primerna obutev: Hiking boots
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Short description

This circular route takes you in a semicircle from Tacen on the bank of the River Sava to the hills in the northwest outskirts of Ljubljana, and back to Tacen across fields, plains and through forests along the plain next to the River Sava. Three popular shorter mountain trips (to Grmada, Šmarna gora and Rašica) and a walk along the plain constitute a Šmarna-Sava hiking route. It's considered demanding mainly due to its length. It also includes some ascents so you should be physically fit to manage it.
Along the route, you can enjoy some beautiful views from the summits of the hills and a stroll in the well preserved nature, across meadows and through forests, where you can relax in the tranquillity and greenery of nature, rustle of the leaves in the trees and bird songs.

Course

Tacen – Grmada – Šmarna gora – Zavrh - Povodje – Mali vrh – Rašica –Gameljne – Tacen

Beginning of the hike
The route begins in Tacen in the car park near the bridge over the River Sava and city bus stop. From the car park, meander the streets among houses in Tacen until you reach the nearby foot of Šmarna gora , where you start walking up the hill along a well beaten and marked path. At first, follow the signposts for Šmarna gora, but after a short ascent, you'll reach the first plain where the path is gently sloping and you need to pay attention to the signs directing you left along the Mazi path to Grmada. The plain you're walking on is called Spodnja kuhinja (lower kitchen). The name derives from the period of Turkish invasions when the Turks camped and set up a kitchen here during the siege of Šmarna gora.
From the plain, turn left up the hill and follow the signposts for Grmada. Along a winding and increasingly steeper path, ascend the ridge of Grmada through a bright deciduous forest and you'll reach it after about half-hour walk. At the ridge, you'll reach the path coming from Vikrče. Turn right there towards the summit of Grmada. Along the path, you can clearly see the ecological boundary between thermophilic forest on the southern slope on the right and the shady one on the left. Downy oak and hop-hornbeam prevail on the sunny side of the forest, while beech prevails on the shady side.
From a clearing at the top of Grmada (676 m), there's a wonderful view of the Polhov Gradec Hills and Ljubljana Basin . Continue along the ridge. Along the marked path, descend until you reach the saddle and then ascend the summit of Šmarna gora along a sandy forest path. First, you'll reach the famous bell which makes wishes come true, but the habit is to only ring the bell on the way back to the valley, so go past the bell to the platform in front of the Ledinek Inn S08] and continue along the observation path around the wall surrounding the Šmarna gora church .

Bell makes a wish come true
At the top of Šmarna gora (667 m), you can be completely taken care of. Your physical needs will be seen to at the inn, where you can refresh yourself with some food and drink. You can rest on the benches next to the observation deck and fill your soul with a magnificent view of Ljubljana and its surroundings, and hills and mountains in the immediate and distant surroundings. For inner balance, you can visit the pilgrim Church of the Mother of God within the wall and see an occasional exhibition in the gallery.
Full of new strength and energy, continue the route but before descending Šmarna gora, don't forget to ring the bell and make a wish. The bell is supposed to be miraculous and makes wishes come true...
From the top of Šmarna gora, descend back towards the saddle and continue along the macadam road past the Gorjanc Homestead , , and past the chapel which you see at the other end of the pasture. In spring, the meadow below Grmada on you left is full of daffodils. Take the forest path to descend to the village of Zavrh at the foot of Šmarna gora. In Zavrh , a bit off your route at the opposite end of the village, there's a house of the famous priest of Šmarna gora, composer, mountaineer and national awakener, Jakob Aljaž.

Colourful nature
Stroll a few tens of metres along the asphalt road past the farm and down the hill past some houses, and then, at the signpost to Šmartno, turn right and continue along the idyllic sandy road , meandering across fields and meadows towards east. Later, the road turns into the forest and a bit upwards . After about 500 metres and a right turn, there's a marked path leading from Šmarna gora towards Skaručna and crosses the road there. When you see this marked forest path, turn left and follow it towards north. When you reach a clearing under a power line, cross it. The path then descends somewhat through the forest to a more swampy field of the Gračenica Stream, but don't worry, the path is lifted enough for you not to get your feet wet, and a wooden footbridge will take you over the stream . But you should mind the tree roots the path is full of in this section. Forest undergrowth is here substituted by wetland plants .
The forest path slightly ascends, and as the ground becomes drier, you need to be careful to turn sharply right at the first intersection (before reaching the meadow near the motorway) and approach the motorway whose noise is coming from your left along the forest path. You'll reach the chain-link fence the motorway is surrounded with. Follow it to an overpass, where you turn left onto the road and cross the motorway across the overpass along the asphalt road.

Up the hill for the second time
At the first intersection, turn right and go down the hill towards a fish farm S21, then turn right again and follow the asphalt road and fence around the fish farm. On the other side of the fish farm, you'll reach some houses and an old sawmill at the stream . Go across the bridge over the stream and turn right onto the macadam road leading up the hill. You'll soon notice a signpost of Šmarna-Sava route, where you turn right onto the path up the hill. Ascend to the altitude of about a hundred metres along the winding but well passable forest path until you reach a macadam forest road at Mali Vrh (486 m), where you turn left according to the signs. The road gradually ascends and takes you eastwards across the northern slope below Veliki vrh (568 m). From the point where the forest becomes thinner, there's a wonderful view of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, and fields and villages at the foot.
After somewhat more than half an hour walk, you'll reach the intersection on the saddle, where you can turn left to Vrh Staneta Kosca (641 m) or right towards the village of Rašica. If you're up to it and would like to enjoy the view once more, turn left (it'll take you half an hour to ascend to Vrh and return), but the intention was to continue towards Rašica, so follow the signpost to the right and then down the hill towards the village along the cart track , .
In Rašica, you'll arrive at the asphalt road which you'll follow through the village. Rašica is situated on the hillside with a lovely view of Ljubljana and also Rašica can be clearly seen from Ljubljana, and this is the reason why the Germans burnt the village down during World War II as a warning to rebellious townspeople not to support partisans. History has shown that also this act by the occupation army fortunately had just the opposite effect.
After strolling through Rašica, you'll see a board with a plan of the Šmarna-Sava route at the lower end of the village by the road. Turn left before the board onto the macadam path, where signposts and then blazes will first lead you towards Črnuče and Gameljne. Forest paths parallel to the asphalt road will take you down the hill to Srednje Gameljne, where you'll exit the forest at the first houses. The asphalt road will lead you downhill for a few hundreds of metres and over a stream to a fire station , where you cross the main road and continue the route on the opposite side of the road between houses towards the River Sava on the south. The asphalt road continues across the fields for some time. Then you'll reach a macadam road. Continue to the forest by the River Sava . When you reach an intersection, turn right into the forest, and then right again at the next intersection.

Returning on the plain by the River Sava
For a kilometre or so, follow the asphalt road parallel to the River Sava , through a bright forest and along the edge of meadows. From this quiet road, there are several paths to the river, but the path right by the river is hardly passable due to river alluvium and other man-made obstacles.
The forest path will lead you past a clearing with the training site of the Ljubljana Canine Society. The path then exits the forest and you'll gladly notice that you're very close to Šmarna gora , . The route approaches the River Sava next to the motorway and turns under the bridge, but no need to be concerned, the sandy road below the bridge is set high enough so that you won't have to wade through the river. On the opposite side of the motorway, continue along the path along the river. Over the fields, you'll be seeing Šmartno on your right for some time and then you'll soon reach the first houses in Tacen. The macadam road will become asphalt. Follow this road across a few crossroads in the vicinity of the river. Go past a few beautiful luxury houses and you'll soon reach the inns near the Tacen Bridge. You're at the end of today's route.

Šmarna gora
Šmarna gora (with Grmada) is a solitary mountain meaning that it's the only hill on the plain. It was formed due to tectonic movements when deep-water sediments rose to the surface upon corrugation.
It has a very diverse geological structure. The lower sections are made of carboniferous slate, the middle section of Permian sandstone and sand slate, and the upper steeper sections of Triassic dolomite and limestone.
Due to the shape and position of Šmarna gora, also the flora on the hill is very diverse, mainly on its sunny side. You can learn more about this along the forest educational trails and boards along the way.
In the 15th century, a wall was built around the church on Šmarna gora to prevent Turkish invasions. In the period of Islamic threat, people from surrounding villages resorted behind the safe, thick walls of the Šmarna gora camp, but before that, they had lit a bonfire and shot with a mortar informing Upper Carniola that Turkish army had been approaching.
Next to the inn, there's also a Church of the Mother of God dating back to the mid-18th century with a dome above the nave and a smaller one above the presbytery. The famous priest, composer and mountaineer, Jakob Aljaž, born in Zavrh at the foot of the hill, worked in this church.

Grmada
Zahodni vrh, Šmarnogorska Grmada or Grmada in short (676 m) is 7 metres higher than Šmarna gora. The name is a remnant from the period of Turkish invasions. Due to its position, an observatory was located on it, and they used bonfires to signal the approaching danger of Turkish incursions.

Rašica
Rašica is a solitary mountain on the west of the Kamnik- Bistrica Plain. It's made of Trias limestone and dolomites. Because of its altitude (647 m), we can say that Rašica is a hill. Rašica being the summit of a solitary mountain, its tower offers a stunning view of the surrounding hills of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and a part of the Julian Alps.

River Sava
Before the glacial period, the predecessor of the River Sava flowed more northward in the west-east direction. Later, it made its way between Šmarna gora and Rašica, then moved its bed once again to the area between the Polhov Gradec Hills and Grmada, where the River Sava still flows today. It was carrying numerous alluvium, gravel and clay. During the interglacial period, the River Sava contained much more water than today and it alternately deepened and deposited its riverbed. Thus the riverbed was shifting. Terraces with risers were formed which are still visible today. Risers are slopes between terraces mostly overgrown with trees and bushes.

Košir Inn in Tacen
The Košir Inn at the very foot of Šmarna gora has a venerable tradition. For decades, it has been attracting individuals, families and groups who come here for a snack, rest, entertainment, and gatherings. It is known for its good homemade food, fine service and round-the-clock availability. You may enjoy in the comfort of its shady chestnut garden and playground.

Dvor Café in Tacen
Café, confectionery, and bed and breakfast.

Ledinek Inn on Šmarna gora
The Ledinek family Inn or Šmarna gora has been considered a synonym for barley soup (ričet) for a long time. In addition to people favouring barley soup, lovers of Istrian stew (jota) or sauerkraut with buckwheat žganci and the genuine certified Kranjska klobasa (sausage with mainly pork meat) also come to Šmarna gora. In addition, cottage cheese and tarragon dumplings, apple or sour cherry strudel, and gibanica (layered cake with poppy seeds, walnuts, apples, raisins and cottage cheese filling) are also on the daily menu.

How Šmarna gora was formed?
Many myths and tales speak about the formation of Šmarna gora. One of them goes like this:
Once upon a time there lived a giant called Hrust (Giant) and people from all around dreaded him. A dog, whose head was much like a dragon's head, helped him loot and intimidate. The brave Kajžarjev Janez decided to stop the giant. At night, he put a rabbit in a sack, took an iron rod and went after the giant. When he arrived in front of the cave where the giant was sleeping, he let the rabbit out of the sack. The dog guarding the giant went after the rabbit. But the giant woke up as well. At first, he sneezed so powerfully that Janez was blown away over the River Sava. Then the giant started throwing rocks over the river. He was throwing them all day, then he went over to the opposite bank and piled the rocks. After he was finished, he stepped on the top, took a look around the world and crawled into the centre of the mountain. Thus Sedlo, Grmada and Gora were formed.

Why the bells on Šmarna gora toll at half past eleven instead at noon?
In the 15th century, a defence wall was built around the church on Šmarna gora to prevent Turkish invasions.
The tale says that the Turks, who were once robbing all over Carniola, agreed that they would toll the bell when they reach the summit. If they don't beat the defenders of the Šmarna gora wall by noon, the remaining units should come and help out. The locals found out about the enemy's plan so they tolled the bell at half past eleven instead of at noon. For the Turks, this was the sign that the hill had already been seized so the units turned around half way.
The camp at the top was never seized. To remember the miraculous solution, the bell still tolls at half past eleven.

Bell of Šmarna gora
The bell [S07 next to the statue of St. Anton was mentioned as early as the 19th century. Originally, the bell at St. Anton was tolled for the livestock to be healthy and it was also supposed to help with human diseases. Some people even tolled with their teeth which was supposed to be eliminating toothache. The bell helped girls to get married, and in modern days, the bell became the bell of wishes.

Šmarna gora race
The Šmarna gora race is a traditional mass sporting event which, in addition to recreational runners, attracts best international fell runners.

The route takes you along various paths and picturesque nature. The major part is covered by forest paths, a few sandy cart tracks and macadam roads, even fewer asphalt roads in the surroundings of the villages. In some places, the route takes you across the meadows. And in some sections below Grmada, the path is narrow and steep, just like a proper mountain path.
On a clear day, there's a superb view of the valley, hills and mountains in the immediate and distant surroundings from the top of Grmada, Šmarna gora and Rašica. Because of its position on the sunny side, the southern slope of Šmarna gora is renowned for its diverse flora.
The route itself is not difficult, but it is relatively long so you should be suitably physically fit. You can achieve this by walking just sections of this route at first.
The major part of the route is well passable so appropriate hiking footwear should suffice, but in winter, harsher conditions need to be considered, so mountain boots will be a lot safer and warmer.