NATURAL AND EDUCATIONAL TRAIL "THROUGH THE BYSTRY POTOK VALLEY TO BISKUPIA KOPA"
biskupia-kope
Route length: 7.4 km, walking time: 2 hours 15 minutes.
The trail begins at the county road from Jarnołtówek to Pokrzywna, opposite the Opole Landscape Parks headquarters in Pokrzywna. It leads through the Bystry Potok valley – a mountain stream with crystal-clear water, home to brown trout and minnows, among others. Initially, the trail follows a gravel road.
After about 100 meters, the path crosses a bridge to the other side of Bystry Potok and, leaving a campsite with a fire ring and a chapel on the right, heads towards an old, disused ski jump. Currently, all you can see here are the remains of the run-up path, an overgrown ramp and a wide concrete bridge over the stream. Further on, on the left side of the trail, note the interesting rock outcroppings in the form of protruding pulpits. 200 meters further, the trail reaches
stop No. 1 – "Gwarkowa Perć". This 1,200 m² excavation was created by the extraction of phyllite shale, used locally for construction purposes (roofing, house cladding). Near "Gwarkowa Perć," you can also find a barred entrance to a partially buried, several-meter-long old mining drift, created after the extraction of precious metals (gold) or stones. Ice-cold water flows from the beam-lined interior year-round. Observations conducted over the past few years have confirmed that the drift interior is a hibernation site for rare bat species: the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros), the Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentoni), the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) and the serotine bat (Eptesicus nilssoni). Many interesting species of crustaceans (Crustacea) and arachnids (Arachnida) also live here. The path leaves "Gwarkowa Perć" to the side and continues along the road, crossing Bystry Potok several times, reaching stop no. 2 - "Cicha Dolina".
Here, we can admire a protected mixed forest, the largest area of which is made up of solid beech (Fagus silvatica) forests, aged 100 to 150 years. The trail then climbs upwards. After crossing a steep, rocky gully, the trail reaches the PTTK Mountain Tourist House (Górski Dom Turysty PTTK) located on the northern slope of Biskupia Kopa. From there, in just a few minutes, you can reach stop no. 3 – "Biskupia Kopa," situated on the highest peak in the Opole region (889 m above sea level). In 1890, a wooden observation tower was built here, replaced by a brick one in 1898. It was named after Emperor Franz Joseph. Today, for a small fee, you can admire magnificent views from the tower: Zlaté Hory, Praděd, Srebrna Kopa, the surroundings of Prudnik and Głuchołazy. At the top of Biskupia Kopa, the hike along the green nature and educational trail ends.
Based on the Opole Landscape Parks Complex (ZOPK) information materials. All paths are marked with a white square with a green diagonal. The address provided for PTTK Głuchołazy
