Carsus Trail, stage 4: Štanjel-Sesljan

We cross the railway and climb up to the main road on the other side. On the right edge of the settlement above the regional road, we find a hiking and cycling path that takes us all the way to Hruševica. The path line runs mostly straight – let's not be misled by junctions leading left.

From Hruševica to Kobjeglava, we continue along the road. At the main entrance to Kobjeglava near the fountain, we turn left onto the firebreak path. Right at the beginning of the path on the right, we find a track leading through vineyards. We follow it first across meadows and past vineyards and then through the Karst forest all the way to Gabrovica.

Through Gabrovica, we walk to the other side, where we look for the next firebreak path, reinforced with coarse asphalt and arranged as a cycling connection. We follow it all the way to the next village, Volčji Grad. Details on the entrances and facades of each house in the village show that we are truly in the stone masonry capital of the Karst.

Here too, we continue through the village to the church of St. John the Baptist and further along the next firebreak path to the village of Nadrožica. In Nadrožica, the firebreak path turns into a narrower track, which we follow mostly straight to Brij.

Brije is the last village on the Slovenian side. On the other side of the village, we find the next firebreak path that takes us across a stretched saddle under Trnovski Hill to the Italian side in Šempolaj / San Pelagio.

In Šempolaj, our path joins the Alpe Adria trail. Just behind the village, behind the church, we leave the road and turn onto country paths that lead us to Slivno / Slivia.

From Slivno, we descend to the crossing under the railway and continue on the other side to Sesljan / Sistiana to the end of our stage. The most convenient parking lots and accommodations in town can be found along the regional road above Sesljan Bay.  

Standard hiking equipment: lighter hiking shoes and clothing suitable for the season.

The trail is passable all year round; the most suitable and most beautiful are spring and autumn. It will not disappoint in winter either, only in summer must we accept the possibility of high temperatures.

In Volčji Grad, we can visit the nearby prehistoric fort Debela griža.

On the route from Štanjel to Sesljan, there are the most possible accommodations. Because this stage is the longest, and the next one is half as long, we can also look for accommodation in the villages of Brje, Šempolaj, or Slivno, and we will still have enough time to complete the whole circuit in six days.