The entire European footpath E6 is 7000 km long, it traverses Slovenia for 350 km and runs along the Lož valley for about 20 km.
Description of the path (description from north to south):
You arrive to the Lož valley from the direction of Bloke and its ridges, from the Metulje village, along side roads and forest routes to the crossing. The middle road, seen as second from the right, must be followed along the flat terrain and twice shortly uphill. At a well marked sign at the crossroads, you should follow the downward left path leading through the forest, crossing a clearing and reaching a wider path where you will turn right. After a short climb you will reach another clearing to cross at its lower part and reaching forest anew.The path turns slightly uphill, but soon descends directly toward the road that will take you to the Markovec village.
The path from Markovec to the Snežnik castle is crossing the flats of the Lož field. Hiking through the villages is pleasant and gives the hiker a chance to restore food supplies, sleep over and get ready for a hike through the wilderness of the Snežnik forest in the direction of Mašun.
The road toward Stari trg pri Ložu, the center of the Lož valley with stores, a post-office, a bank, a clinc, a drugstore and other institutions, is to be followed from Markovec. At the main road in Stari trg pri Ložu, you turn left and following the signposts after only about 200 meters turn right to a side road toward Nadlesk village about a kilometer away.
In the Nadlesk village, right in front of a bus station, a sharp turn to the right is to be followed until reaching a macadam route and a left turn that soon crosses the Obrh brook. A once blazed trail from here on is now overgrown with trees and bushes, which makes it difficult to follow. Therefore it is more advisable to turn left and join the Loška dolina heritage route yellow-green signs when over the bridge. It will lead you directly to the Snežnik castle. A macadam path over fields and pastures, past a Cross by a lime tree will bring you to Šmarata village. Through the village downward almost right through, turning right toward the church at a house-number 2. Right in front of the church there is a left sandy footpath with blazes, leading to the Snežnik castle.
Between the Castle and its outbuildings, following an upward route, you will notice a big old house in ruin. Bellow the house a turn to the left will take you through a tree-lined alley and then uphill along a serpentine road to the Luisa's stone, a point with a table and a bench, suitable for a short rest. Continuing the path along forest routes you will reach the depths of the Snežnik forests.
Once you reach a road to cross, you continue right along the pathway. After a short climb, pay attention to the left turn at a crossing that will direct you to the road. After about a kilometer of following its right direction, there will be signposts and blazes pointing to the left and upward. Following the path you go up a ridge and then downward to the route past a meadow. The route leads to Martinčev laz (woodland) and left along the road to Vratca pass.
Follow the left downward path at a crossing to reach a wider path and left along this path to a crossroad nearby, where you turn right. Go off the road left soon to reach a wider path and follow it down the plain until you reach an intersection of the forest routes. The path ascends at first, then descends and takes a few -well-marked - turns. Once you reach a forest road, turn right and right once more at a crossroad for a woodland. Go off road to the left at a sharp turn in front off the next intersection. Up and down along the swallow-hole karst world to the forest road with the help of mountain blazes. Follow its left direction and right up at a crossing. After less than a hundred meters turn left to the path up and to the road; take the direction right, soon after that at a turn to the left and along the path up. The crossings are marked but numerous, so one needs to be vigilant not to miss out on any and miss the right way. Once on a forest route again, we follow it until it widens and go along its right side to Mašun, where there is a guesthouse to freshen up and spend the night.
E6 stamps: Stari trg pri Ložu (Guesthouse Škriban), Snežnik castle
Starting point: Metulje
Finish: Mašun
Length: 20 km through LOž valley, 28 km from Metulje to Mašun
Hiking time: 8 hours
Difficulty: easy marked-path
Warning: The path runs through the bear life area, so one should take it into account and be careful. Protection against ticks is advisable. Take enough water (no potable water on the way). Week phone signal in certain areas.
The consequences of the 2014 sleet with many broken treas and branches make the path difficult in parts and blazes less visible or lost.
Maps:
Snežnik, 1: 50 000, Alpine Association of Slovenia
Notranjski Kras, 1: 50 000, Kod & Kam
Slovenski turistični atlas, 1: 100 000, Mladinjska knjiga, Geodetski zavod Slovenije