Mislinja - Črepič (circular path)

Access to the starting point:
From Velenje along the main line to Mislinja.
From Slovenj Gradec to Mislinja

Path description:
The Mislinja valley in Carinthia, through which the Mislinja river meanders north-westwards, offers many possibilities for hiking trips. On the one hand, Pohorje beckons with its dark forests, bright mowed grasslands and secluded farmhouses, on the other hand, Uršlja gora evokes shrugs with the highest church in Slovenia, and the walks in the lower surrounding hills are no less attractive. The circular route through Črepič, Fričev vrh and Završe, which is looked after by the Mislinja Mountaineering Association, leads through the rugged countryside to the south of the Mislinja valley. The interesting landscape and wide views make it an attractive walking route in all seasons.

From the bus stop in the centre of Mislinja, head west parallel to the main road. The cart track level, which follows the route of the former railway (the Velenje - Dravograd line was discontinued in 1969), closely follows the shady foothills of the forested Lučenec. After about 20 minutes of walking, you reach the hamlet of Vovkarje, where you turn across the torrential Mevlja stream. On the other side of the bridge, the flat walk is over for a while. We have half an hour of relatively steep climbing ahead of us, which finally wakes us up and warms us up in the cold morning. The soft path, covered with needles and leaves, at first bends slightly between the tall trunks, but quickly tires of this game and starts straight up. At a clearing covered with black holly, trumpet grass and common wolfsbane, we take a brief respite before moving on. The slope soon breaks, the trees part and a large patch of mowed grass is revealed. Once on its edge stood the homestead of the farmer Črepinšek, after whom Črepič was named, but today there is an old wooden hayloft with a stone foundation.
Before continuing to the top, which is obscured by trees, let's have a quick look around. To the west we can see the vegetated Fričev vrh, flanked by Peca and Uršlja gora. In the valley are the settlements of Dovže, Šmartno and Slovenj Gradec, behind which rise Rahtelov vrh and Selovec. Above the Drava Valley, which we can only glimpse, is Košenjak. The hill behind it is already in Austria. The horizon is closed in the north by Pohorje with Kremžarjev vrh, with Malo and Velika Kopa and with Črni vrh, and in the south-east by Paški Kozjak with Špik and Basaliste.
From Črepiča, where there is a metal box with a registration book and a stamp, continue westwards. The descent is surprisingly short in contrast to the ascent: before you know it, you are among the meadows. We join the dirt road that winds past the chapel, turn right at a fork and retreat into the woods again above the next farmhouse. The soft path, which is becoming more and more undulating, soon leads to Časov vrh. From there, descend to the saddle between the Fric and Levovnik farms, find the narrow path to the summit and scramble up the bank.
From Fričev vrh, where we are less than halfway there, we continue across the meadow to the junction of the macadam roads. For the next few minutes we walk through the trees, then the world opens up again. In the distance
Smrekovec, Golte and Posavsko hribovje appear in the distance, while to the north we can slowly walk across Fričev vrh and Črepič. Scattered across the ridge and nearby hillsides are the houses and outbuildings that make up the Završe settlement. The place was once called Šentvid nad Valdek, indicating its connection with Valdek Castle, of which only the ruins remain. Završe has a school and two churches: the dirt road leads first to the one dedicated to St Rupert, and after the hunting lodge and the crossroads, where you take the upper path, you reach the church of St Vida. It is richly painted inside. The ceiling is particularly elaborate, with images of St Jerome, St Ambrose, St Augustine and St Gregory arranged around Christ the King, while St Hema and St Florian are depicted next to the organ.
Below the church, we leave the Šaleška Mountain Trail, which we joined before St Rupert, and head diagonally downhill. Cart track soon leads to a road, which you follow to a bend under the tennis court. There, turn onto a sandy track through the pine trees. Among the soft greenery, we descend without much haste to a secluded farmhouse at the foot of Lučenec. Now the circle is almost complete: in a few minutes, the world around us will open up and Mislinja will reappear in the valley.

Length of the circular route (Mislinja - Črepič - Fričev vrh - Završe - Mislinja): three and a half hours

Description of the route and difficulty: the route is easy, only the ascent to Črepič is a bit steeper. Walk along well-marked forest paths, tracks and macadam. In spring there are lots of flowers along the trail, and you can enjoy a beautiful view.

We can extend the trip to the following destinations: Časov vrh, Fričev vrh

We recommend: trips from the same starting point, similar trips, panorama, Inscription book