Karavanke Trail- STAGE 3: Kranj - Tržič

The third stage begins where the second one ended – at Pungert, a popular corner of the town on the rock. We walk along the already familiar route through town, past Prešerenov gaj, at Kosorep we follow the lively Kokra River all the way to Predoslje and from there we pass Park Brdo to the left. Just before the bus station, turn right, cross the bridge, and turn left at the partisan monument. After crossing the main road, we are quickly at the parking lot for Bobovška jezera (lakes), where to the left, past the information board about the protected nature area, we follow the path to the lakes with eloquent names. We walk past all the lakes and then left, through the village, we reach the main road again, on which we turn right and a little later turn right again past the school. At the roundabout, cross the road to the left and then follow the bike path to the right until you reach the unmarked entrance to the unique Udin boršt. The intertwining of many forest and shady paths will lead you, with the help of a GPX track, to the Race pond (in some places marked as the Želin pond). To the right, we rise slightly above the lake and soon we are at a partisan monument. We follow the GPX to Kriva jelka and further to the hamlet of Kamnjek. We leave the flat forest and macadam paths behind and head towards Golnik, where at its end we find the path to the hut ZavetišÄe v Gozdu, a popular starting point for Kriška gora. We have the only concrete climb of this stage ahead of us, with already a good 20 km of trail behind us. To continue towards Tržič, from the hut, we go down the road for a short time and pay attention to the mountain's red sign for Tržič, which invites us into the forest on the right. From here, about 1.5 hours separates us from arriving in Tržič, where shortly before the end of the journey we are greeted by a dragon that, according to legend, hatched from a rooster's egg. Before TIC Tržič, the longest of the stages ends.

Durable hiking shoes, clothing suitable for the weather, backpack with lunch, snacks and a sufficient amount of water and other drinks, hiking poles (if you use them), a telephone with a downloaded GPX trail. An additional portable battery (power bank) is also recommended if the phone may already have a bad battery.

Before you go:

Check the weather forecast. Especially in the summer, set out early enough to avoid the summer heat and afternoon thunderstorms. Inform someone close to you of your destination and departure time. Check that the length, gradient and time of the route correspond to your level of ability before setting off and do not overestimate your capacities.

During your hike:

Follow the marked paths  Take away your rubbish, do not light fires, be discreet so as not to frighten wild animals, and do not pick wildflowers or plants, a photo should be a sufficient souvenir.

Highway:

Ljubljana–Jesenice – exit Kranj vzhod and drive towards the centre of Kranj.

Bus:

Ljubljana-Kranj

Train:

Ljubljana-Kranj

Ljubljana Airport:

Bus to Kranj

There are several parking lots in Kranj, with different parking fee payment regimes.

The third stage of the Karavanke long distance hiking trail is the longest of all seven stages. The part through Udin boršt is a bit more demanding for orientation, so it is suggested to upload the GPX route on one of the hiking applications in advance, for use in "off-line" mode. The trail is also suitable for dogs. Due to the mostly flat terrain and the length of the route, the route is also suitable for listening to a podcast.

If the hut ZavetišÄe v Gozdu is open, this is almost the only place for refreshments. However, you can find some self-service shops even before that, in Kranj, Kokrica and Golnik. And then later in Tržič.