When you find yourself in Celje and you don’t have much time for hiking but in a desperate need for fresh air you should consider hiking to Ranšperk. It got the name after the castle from 12th century that used to be on top of the hill. Today the ruins are waiting to be explored by adventurous hikers.

Take a car, turn North in Ostrožno settlement direction and just drive straight forward until you reach Šmartno v Rožni dolini (10 minutes drive). Pass the chapel by the road and after 200 m or so on the sharp right corner turn left to Rupe. Then just follow the white signs directing you to Rupe. Park at the chapel or somewhere close.

You will then follow the road for cca. 10 minutes and then turn left at the wooden electricity post to the path that passes the field and a small vineyard. Then just follow the marks. If you turn around you can already enjoy the beautiful view over Celje.

When you are done with some crawling through the bush and climbing over the old walls of the castle, you reach the top. In the middle of the ruins you will find a box with register book and a rubber stamp.

When returning you will face the spectacular view over Celje and it’s surrounding hills. In front is Šmartno, to the left you will see Šmartinsko lake and Ranšperk’s neighbor Kunigunda on the right. Further ahead lies Celje with it’s old castle watching it. Celjska koča, Grmada, Šmohor, Gozdnik and many more hills are the background of a beautiful view.

To conquer Ranšperk you don’t need any special equipment, just a sunny day and a bottle of water. It will take around 20 to 30 minutes to reach the top.