The Carsus Trail, Stage 3: Lipa – Štanjel

At the church in Lipa, follow the waymarks for the mountain trail, which climbs into the forest just beyond the village. Stay on the path until you reach the road leading to Stjenko Hut on Trstelj (610 m).

From the hut, climb to the top of Trstelj (643 m), the highest peak on the Slovenian Karst and the highest point of the Carsus Trail.

Descend from the summit on the gravel road. When the road turns back towards the hut, continue straight east on the path. First walk along the distinct ridge, then continue down across wooded slopes to the tarmac road.

Cross the road and continue east on the gravel track, staying on the sunny southern side of Sveta Katarina, Lipnik and Mali Ovčnjak.

At the junction by the old linden tree, turn left to the northern side towards the village of Pedrovo.

Follow the forest road down to the junction on the small saddle. Continue across the saddle, then down to the right, and around Mali hrib and Veliki hrib to the beautiful village of Pedrovo.

From the village, descend past the church on the access road into the valley. The lower you go, the finer the view of the magnificent Rihemberk Castle. When your road joins the local road leading to the Karst, continue down to the castle. If it is open, take the opportunity to visit it.

Find the path for the next section just behind the car park on the bend before the castle garden. It climbs steeply through the forest to the next fire track, laid out across scenic grassy slopes on Golec above the Branica Valley.

At the first junction, take the right branch. After a short serpentine section, climb onto the open plateau and turn left towards the village of Lukovec.

You can walk through Lukovec, or continue on the fire tracks below the village to the second junction soon after it.

From there, take the marked path across the karst plains. It first joins easier tracks and then leads on to Štanjel behind its mighty castle and medieval walls, the end of stage 3. Do not miss a relaxing stop in the Ferrari Garden, one of the most beautiful Mediterranean terraces designed by Max Fabiani.

The Lipa–Štanjel stage is without any serious dangers. If you visit Rihemberk Castle, follow the instructions and stick to the designated paths, as a significant part of the castle has not yet been restored and can be dangerous.   

The trail is passable all year round, but the best and most beautiful times are during spring and autumn. It will not disappoint even in winter, but in summer the temperatures may be uncomfortably high.