Kadina Luka - Cardak - Rajac fields

Start here

Walk along by the stream

Cross here - or don't - choose your own adventure

I crossed this little bridge because that is what the trail from the Ljig Tourist Office shows. But as soon as you've passed through the the field the trail disappears. If I could do it again I would try staying on the other side and crossing later. If the water is low you could even try walking along the creek. You will see on the satellite image where you need to rejoin the trail.

Across an open field

There is no trail here - or I couldn't find it!

This bit is awful - crawl up the hill!

Join the road, go down

I tried going up first, but it takes you away from where you need to go

Go up here

Go up

Follow the arrow on the tree and go right

You come to a meadow

You will find the path again

Go straight

You should have just taken the lower path - then you will reach here

Just before you get here you will have seen a fork in the road with a red and white hiking dot on the tree to your left. Take the lower path and you will get here.

Go past the fallen rose bush if you can ...

I ended up going parallel path in the field for a bit before rejoining the trail. This part of the hike was so overgrown and it was hard to find the trail even though it is an old village track.

Turn left

Turn left at the rock face

Looks like ppl do rock climbing here

Spomenik Kosturnici

You will see on my trail map that shortly after this I got a bit lost. It took me ages to find the trail. I think the issue was it was summer and the actual trail was completely overgrown by blackberries. So what looked like a blackberry thicket was actually the trail. In the end I went on the left side of it, you can just see the stone wall to your right. After you are in the woods you can join the real trail.

Completely overgrown

Supposedly there is a trail here

Believe it or not you are on the trail

This is one of the worst trails I’ve done in Serbia. Completely overgrown to the point you almost give up

A trail

This forest is very beautiful

Pass the spooky gravestone of a WWI soldier

This bit is great!

Scramble over the rocks

Cardak peak - beautiful!

I'm pretty sure this is the way to go...

After this I couldn't find the trail for some time ...

Ruin

More overgrown forest! - one of the worst bits of the hike

Feel free to try find a better way to get to the field. If you do this at a different time of year it should be better than summer. It was hard for me to find a trail because everything was so overgrown.

Wheat field

Go past the potato and corn fields

Yes, this is the trail

Village

Nice view backwards

Take the right fork

Go right

Turn left - the rest of the hike is easy and beautiful - don't forget to diverge and go to Rajac!

I stopped taking photos at this point because there was a crazy storm and my phone was getting wet. I never made it to Rajac peak because it is so exposed. I was seriously concerned about being struck by lighting. But of course you should leave my trail and go there. You can see it and you need to just go off my trail at the newly build log cabin which is past the two beautiful stone cottages. You can see the marker for the top of Rajac from my trail. It was frustrating to see it, know it was so close but also know I would be crazy to go there. My path has more trees, so it is safer in bad weather.