Maribor and the Pohorje mountain with its hills and forests

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN MARIBOR - SHORT CITY TOUR

Arrival in Slovenia, in Maribor. Accommodation in hotel. Afternoon meeting with local trekking guide and short introductory walking tour in the centre of Maribor. Dinner and overnight stay. 

DAY 2: TOUR OF MARIBOR WINE HILLS AND THE PANORAMA OF SANT' URBANO

Breakfast. We will start a tour in the historical centre of Maribor, with a walk through the city park up the Pyramid Hill, which offers a magnificent view of the city, river Drava and Pohorje Mountain. Walk through the woods and through some vineyards, on unpaved roads and paths to St. Urban's Hill. St. Urban is a well-known viewpoint offering a splendid panorama of Maribor, the Pohorje plateau and the surrounding vineyard and forest landscape. At the top you can relax and enjoy local delicacies offered by tourist farms. Free time before descending to the village of Kamnica, near the Drava River. Transfer to hotel. Free time to explore Maribor, dinner, overnight stay.

Tour: intermediate difficulty, approx. 4 hours in total, 470 metres difference in altitude, length 13,4 km

DAY 3: TOUR POHORJE, ŠUMIK WATERFALL, BLACK LAKE AND TRIJE KRALJI (THREE KINGS) + TRANSFER TO SLOVENSKA BISTRICA

Breakfast and departure for the lower station of the Pohorje cable car. From the top of Pohorje you can enjoy a view of the whole of Slovenian Styria, before heading on a long tour of the forests and meadows of this mountain. Walking through the green Pohorje forests to the Areh ski resort, we arrive at the famous Šumik waterfall. At 24 metres, it is the highest of the waterfalls on this mountain. Near the Lobnica stream is the Pohorje primeval forest, which covers an area of 19 hectares. In addition to being the habitat of spruce, fir and beech trees, it is also the habitat of rare plant species. The Šumik hut was built by a local count, the owner of Fala Castle, and is located below the mountain in the valley of the Drava River. We continue towards the beautiful Black Lake. The wooded area surrounding the lake is a protected reserve. It is a place in Slovenia where the Spaghum riparium moss grows. The moss covers a large flat area with shallow water. We continue our tour towards Trije Kralji. transfer to Slovenska Bistrica. We settle in the hotel where we will have a typical local dinner. Overnight stay.

Tour: difficult, approx. 6 hours and 30 minutes in total, 720 meters of elevation gain, length 20 km

Breakfast and departure by minivan to Trije Kralji. We head west through beautiful forests, on trails and forest roads, arriving at the Pesek mountain lodge, famous for its location and excellent cuisine. From there it is not much further to our daily end point, the Rogla Ski resort, which is at the top of the Pohorje ridge at an altitude of 1530 m. Rogla is a place where the locals take refuge in summer because of the fresh air and pleasant forests. It is known for its many sporting activities, well-kept trails, beautiful walks and comfortable accommodation. Registration at the hotel, time to relax or take a swim in the indoor pool. Dinner and overnight stay.

Tour: difficult, approx. 5 hours and 40 minutes in total, 600 metres difference in altitude, length 19.3 km

Breakfast. Departure for a long but interesting stage. We begin the trail in the direction of Kope, passing through excellent forest roads embraced by the untouched nature of central Pohorje. We will take a break at the Lovrenc lakes, a special natural phenomenon located on the mountain ridge. This is the area of the so-called peat bogs, formed by black soil, which prevents water from flowing under the surface of the earth. We stop at the famous Ribnica hut, one of the most popular mountain huts, which was built in 1930 as the summer residence of an industrial giant from Maribor, called Hutter. From here, we ascend to the highest point of Pohorje, (Črni Vrh, 1540 m) and then slowly descend over sunny meadows to the Kope ski resort. Accommodation and free time, dinner and overnight stay. 

Tour: intermediate difficulty, approx. 4 hours and 40 minutes in total, 440 m difference in altitude, length 15,4 km

Breakfast, departure for a tour, which is actually a long and pleasant descent in a northerly direction. The forest road and trails descend the northern slopes of the mountain. We stop at the Plesnik hut before continuing our descent towards the typical village of Ribnica. In Ribnica, our Pohorje crossing comes to an end. Transfer to the town of Maribor and arrival in the late afternoon. Free time, dinner and overnight stay.

Tour: intermediate difficulty, approx. 3 hours in total, 770 m difference in altitude, length 10,1 km

DAY 7: MARIBOR AND KOZJAK MOUNTAIN (ZAVCAR PEAK)

Our last tour is an ascent to the famous hilltop of Kozjak Mountain, which lies on the left bank of the Drava River, above the Maribor valley. Transfer to the starting point of our walk, in the small Bresternica valley. Once again we follow the beautiful forest road that will lead us to the sunny terraces of Kozjak. Amidst rural houses and beautiful forests we will reach the high altitude of 850 m above sea level. This is one of the most popular trekking spots in Maribor, Žavcarjev vrh, where there is a beautiful hut. A fabulous view of the Drava river valley and the great Pohorje mountain on the opposite side. Descent into the valley and transport to the town of Maribor. Here we finish our tour. Free time to spend in the city. Dinner and overnight stay.

Tour: medium difficulty, approx. 3 hours and 30 minutes in total, 500 metres difference in altitude, length 10,2 km

DAY 8: MARIBOR - TRANSFER TO MARIBOR AIRPORT

Breakfast. Free time until departure transfer to Maribor airport. Flight back to Italy.