Gora Oljka in Šmartinsko jezero
A scenic, longer tour through the Savinja Valley. We start at Hotel Grof and take the first exit at the roundabout. Ride along a side road under the highway, passing through Stopnik and by Žovnek Lake. From Polzela, start the ascend to Gora Oljka. After a stop, return via the same route toward Tomažin and past Polzela along a gravel road. When we reach the highway, we turn left along the highway and soon cross it. In Spodnje Grušovlje, we recommend stopping at the Green Gold Brewery or Flis farm. We take a gravel path to Gotovlje. Passing through Ložnica near Žalec and Arja vas, we reach Levec, then follow a side gravel road through Koprivnica to Celje. At the Lidl roundabout, take the third exit toward Šmartno v Rožni Dolini. After about a kilometer, turn left for Lokrovec and immediately right onto a gravel road. Soon, join the paved road again toward Lake Šmartinsko, enjoying beautiful views of the lake.
To Arclin, part of the route is on gravel, part on paved road. We cross the main regional Maribor–Celje road and immediately turn left onto a side street. We continue on side roads toward Celje, where we ride for a while along the Hudinja River, a tributary of the Savinja River. On Bežigrajska Street, we turn right toward Teharje and cycle on side roads. At the roundabout near Picikato Pizzeria, we take the first exit, and after crossing the railway, we immediately turn right and follow the gravel road along the railway and the Voglajna River, also a tributary of the Savinja. We continue to the Suspension Bridge by the Savinja River, where we turn right and mostly ride on gravel to Vrbje. The last 20 kilometers take us through smaller villages and settlements — Šempeter, Ločica ob Savinji, Pariželj, Gomilsko, Ojstriška vas, and Tabor — mostly on side roads back to Hotel Grof.
Sights
- Hekenberg Castle
- Žovnek Castle
- Lake Žovnek
- Mt. Gora Oljka and Church of the Holy Cross
- Green Gold Brewery
- Roman Necropolis
- Beer Fountain Žalec
- Clef Brewery
- Celje Airport
- Lake Šmartno
- Celje Old Town and Museums
