Podgrad - Castle Stari grad (Stari Osterberg) (on Ostrovrhar trail)

Access to the starting point:
From the Ljubljana Eastern Bypass, take the Ljubljana - East exit and continue along Zaloška Road towards Zaloga. Continue along the main road towards Podhrad. In Podgrad, turn right through the underpass under the railway line and then continue along a relatively narrow road towards Besnica and Janče. Just before the end of Podgrad, park in the parking lot on the left side of the road. If the parking lot is busy, you can turn right at this point onto cart track by the information board and cross the stream over the wooden bridge. There is then some space for parking.

Path description:
From the parking lot, first cross the main road and, passing an information board describing the Ostrovrharje trail, take the cart track and cross the Besnica stream via a wooden bridge. Cart track turns left and leads to a crossroads where there is also a sign for the Ostrovrharjeva cesta.
At the crossroads, turn sharp right to where the marker also directs you. The path here follows the cart track and climbs steeply through the forest. Occasionally, we also get some views towards Podgrad. There is also a smaller cart track branching off from our trail up to the left, and we continue straight on until we reach a sharp left turn where the marked trail from Podgrad joins us from the right.
Here we continue left up the cart track, which leads us again to a crossroads at a right bend. Here, leave the cart track, which leads to the nearby Osterberg Castle or Villa Kansky, and turn left onto the footpath, where we are also directed by the Ostrovrharjeva cesta sign. After a short steep climb, you reach a ridge where there is also an information board describing the (new) Osterberg Castle. Access to the castle itself is forbidden (private property).
We continue to the left along the wooded ridge and the path leads us past another information board where the border between Itali and Germany was during the Second World War. The trail continues through the forest, mostly in a southerly direction, and later leads to a crossroads. Here, the path from Zalog joins us from the right, and the path to Debný vrh also branches off to the right.
We continue on the left along a relatively gentle path which crosses the slopes to the south, then turns left and crosses a distinct ravine. We then continue eastwards across the slopes, mostly in a gentle ascent. Here the path widens slightly and leads past Ostrovrhar's Well.
A short climb follows and the path leads us to a crossroads where a more direct dirt track from Podhrad joins us from the left. We continue to the right and quickly reach the saddle below the old Osterberg Castle, where there are also some benches and an information board. From here, two paths lead to the top, and after a short climb, both lead to the top where the ruins of the old Osterberg Castle are located.

On the way: Grad Osterberg (318m), Ostrovrharjev studenec (430m)

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