Environmental education trail “Along the Dolina Bystrego Potoku valley to the Biskupia Kopa mountain”
G?ucho?azy Municipality, Route: Pokrzywna - Jarno?tówek
Trail leading along the scenic gorge of the Bystry Potok stream.
The trail is 7.4 km long and is marked with a white square and green diagonal. It starts near the seat of the Board of Opole Landscape Parks in holiday resort Pokrzywna located by the Prudnik-G?ucho?azy road. The trail runs past a camping site and a roadside shrine and leads over a bridge to the other bank of the Bystry Potok stream. It reaches the remains of an old ski jump. It was built in 1931 thanks to efforts made by a Norwegian living in Prudnik. After around 200 metres, the trail reaches stop No. 1 – Gwarkowa Per?. It is an abandoned quarry with an area of 1,200 sq.m. It was used for mining of phyllites. Throughout the year, water picturesquely flows down the quarry walls. In winter it changes into an ice cover decorated with icicles. Access to Gwarkowa Per? is cut by Bystry Potok – a mountain stream with crystal-clear water abounding in, among others, river trout and brook minnow. In a few places the Bystry stream forms scenic waterfalls. A careful observer will notice in its waters old, wooden piles placed at intervals to prevent its bed from being washed out. Near the Gwarkowa Per? quarry, tourists will also find a barred entrance to an old, partially buried gallery. It was once used for mining of precious ores (gold) or stones. Observations conducted for several years have confirmed that the gallery is a hibernation site for rare species of bats: lesser horseshoe bat, Daubenton’s bat, brown bat and northern bat. The trail then leaves Gwarkowa Per? and winds its way from one bank of the Bystry Potok stream to another (tourists ford the stream on stepping stones) to reach stop No. 2 – the Cicha Kotlina basin. Hikers enter mixed forest in which homogenous beech wood aged 100 to 150 years covers the largest area. The forest has been proposed for reserve protection. Past a steep, rocky gully, the trail reaches a mountain hostel on the northern slope of the Biskupia Kopa mountain, close to the state border. From here it is just a ten or fifteen-minute walk to stop No. 3 – the Biskupia Kopa mountain. This is the highest peak of the Opava Mountains (889 metres), as well as of the entire Opolskie region. In 1890 a wooden viewing tower was built here named after Emperor Francis Joseph, and replaced with a brick one in 1892. At present, for a small charge visitors may climb up the tower and enjoy splendid views of the Zlate Mountains, Praded, Srebrna Kopa, the vicinity of Prudnik and G?ucho?azy. In good visibility it is possible to see Lakes Nyskie and Otmuchowskie as well as the mountain Góra ?w. Anny.
Pokrzywna- Jarno?tówek
Car, Bus, Bike