Rudnica Hike
About the Rudnica Tower Hiking Trail
During the Christmas holidays in 2025, we spent three nights at Terme Olimia in Slovenia with our two children. The thermal pools and wellness facilities were a great fit for our family, and the kids would probably have been happy to spend the whole holiday in the water. However, we also wanted to explore the surrounding hills, so we decided to hike to the Tower of Health and Joy on Rudnica.
The Tower of Health and Joy, or Stolp zdravja in veselja in Slovenian, is about 40 metres tall. Its 185 steps lead to a viewing platform roughly 35 metres above the ground, with wide views over the surrounding hills. We chose Olimje Monastery as our starting point, which also gave us a convenient excuse to visit the nearby chocolate shop before setting off.
The hike turned out to be longer than we had anticipated. Our route covered 10.37 kilometres with 516 metres of recorded ascent, and we were out for approximately four hours and ten minutes. Our two-year-old travelled in the child carrier, while our six-year-old daughter walked the entire route herself. It was a long outing for her, but the chocolate supplies certainly helped.
Rudnica Tower Hiking Trail Details
Physical Difficulty
Medium
Technical Difficulty
Easy
Duration
4h 10min
Distance
10.37 km
(6.44 mi.)
Ascent
516 m
(1693 ft.)
Descent
516 m
(1693 ft.)
Highest Point
663 m
(2175 ft.)
Lowest Point
262 m
(860 ft.)
Date of the Hike Date when we did this hike ?
December 2025
Weather On the day when we did this hike ?
Partly Cloudy
Temperature On the day when we did this hike ?
3° C
(37° F)
Wind On the day when we did this hike ?
7.2 km/h
Rudnica Tower Hiking Trail GPS Route and Trail Description
*Click on the chart to see the location on the map
GPX route helps you with the navigation on a hike. It can be used with a smartphone, handheld GPS device or a GPS watch.About GPX Route
There are several routes to the tower, and the directions below describe our hike from Olimje Monastery, using the easier approach to the tower and a steeper path on the return. If you use a GPX track for navigation, see our guide to using GPS tracks for hiking. You can also turn a GPX file into a paper backup with our printable GPX map tool.
Reaching the starting point
This hike starts at the car park by Olimje Monastery. We drove there from Terme Olimia and found plenty of space. Parking was free of charge during our visit in December 2025.
The main parking area is approximately 50 metres beyond the monastery. I recommend continuing to this car park. For a summer visit, I would aim to arrive early to give yourself more time to find a space.
Rudnica Tower Hike – The free of charge parking lot
Trail Description
From the parking area, walk past Olimje Monastery. If you have time, you can stop at the monastery’s herbal shop, which sells homemade herbal teas, tinctures, ointments and other preparations associated with its herbal tradition. Around 100 metres beyond the monastery, you reach the chocolate shop, where you can buy handmade chocolates, pralines and other sweet treats. We stocked up here before starting the climb.
Rudnica Tower Hike – View on the monestary and chocolatte shop to the right
Continue along the asphalt road as it climbs steeply northwards. The road eventually becomes gravel and bends towards the east. After approximately 1.7 kilometres from the starting point, you reach a junction where you should turn right, following the signs for “Stolp”, meaning tower.
The route continues uphill to another junction at around 2.3 kilometres. Keep right again. From here, the path descends slightly towards the east before becoming relatively flat. At approximately 3.7 kilometres, turn left at the next junction and follow the signs for “Stolp zdr. in veselja”. These distances are approximate and measured from the start of the hike.
Rudnica Tower Hike – The directions sign for the tower
The path now climbs steeply towards the northwest. You soon reach another junction, with roughly 20 minutes of hiking remaining to the tower, depending on your pace and the conditions. Here, follow the sign for “Lažja pot na stolp”, which means the easier path to the tower. There are two approaches from this area, and this one is less steep.
There was quite a lot of snow on this part of the trail when we visited. Other hikers had already made a clear track through it, which made walking easier that day.
Rudnica Tower Hike – The easy path to the tower
At the tower, our daughter still had enough energy to climb all 185 steps and was the first of us to reach the viewing platform. After walking all the way up from Olimje, that was quite an achievement for a six-year-old. The platform offers a great view over the surrounding hills and gives the hike a clear destination to work towards.
Rudnica Tower Hike – View from the top 2
For the return, we took the steeper path down from the tower to save time. In the winter conditions we encountered, this was the most awkward part of the hike. The path was very muddy and slippery, and descending required particular care with our two-year-old in the child carrier. The easier approach would be my preference in similar conditions.
After the short, steep descent, we reached a gravel road and turned right, continuing towards the southwest. Farther down, the gravel gave way to asphalt, and the road descended back towards Olimje Monastery, passing the Witch’s Cottage along the way.
Rudnica Tower Hike – On the way down
The Witch’s Cottage is a quirky attraction with fairy-tale characters and playful displays that would make an appealing stop for children. Unfortunately, it was already getting late and very cold, so we skipped the visit and continued directly to the car park.
Rudnica Tower Hike – Witch’s Cottage
After the hike, we had dinner at Jelenov Greben. I had sauerkraut with deer sausage, which was delicious. I would happily recommend a meal here, especially if you enjoy game and mushroom dishes. We then returned to Terme Olimia for a couple of hours in the warm thermal pools, which felt particularly good after the cold walk.
Photo Gallery
Rudnica Tower Hike - View
Rudnica Tower Hike - The tower of health and joy
Rudnica Tower Hike - The path in the beginning
Equipment
For this hike, I wore my Apricoat pants with an Isobaa zip-neck base layer and a Mammut Aconcagua fleece jacket. I also brought my Dark Peak Nessh down jacket for breaks.
I carried our youngest child in the Osprey Poco child carrier, while my wife carried most of our supplies in the Osprey Talon 22 daypack. For footwear, I wore Salewa Mountain Trainer 2 Mid GTX hiking boots, which suited the muddy and partly snow-covered trail well.
Equipment under scrutiny
Salewa Mountain Trainer 2 Mid GTX Hiking Boots
Salewa Mountain Trainer 2 MID GTX: I tested them thoroughly also on snowy trails
The Salewa Mountain Trainer 2 Mid GTX boots turned out to be a good choice for this hike. I appreciated their ankle support while carrying the child carrier, and they handled the muddy and snowy sections well overall. My feet also stayed comfortable despite the low temperatures. The steep descent was still slippery, though, and I had to take it carefully even with these boots.
Conclusion
The hike from Olimje Monastery to Rudnica’s Tower of Health and Joy made a great break from the swimming pools at Terme Olimia. We enjoyed the outing as a family, although the 10.37-kilometre route was on the long side for our six-year-old. Having chocolates in the backpack helped keep her motivated, and climbing the tower gave her something to look forward to.
If you are hiking with children, take the distance and ascent into account when choosing your route. I would also be cautious about the steep approach to the tower after rain or in snowy conditions. It was particularly slippery on our descent, and taking the easier path would have made that part of the day more comfortable.
With a meal at Jelenov Greben afterwards and a return to the warm pools at Terme Olimia, this was a very enjoyable way to spend a winter day in the area.
If you have any questions about this hike, please drop me a line in the comments below.
