The one-day bicycle trip of the "Silesianka" trail starts in Ostrava, in the Landek Park tourist area leading along the Oder River. Then the route continues to the Opava River towards Hlučín Lake, through Hlučín and then after crossing the border in Hať-Tworków you enter the territory of Poland. From the last lookout tower on the route - Meandry Odry - continue to Chałupky and then to Bohumín and Ostrava's Landek Park.
A more detailed description of the trip can be found below.
Near the lookout towers you can further visit:
- Mining Museum in Landek Park in Ostrava,
- The "Štěpán" Nature Reserve and the Hlučín Lake,
- Children's ranch "Hlučín" a Museum of the Hlučín Region in Hlučín,
- The Czechoslovak Fortification Area Hlučín-Darkovičky,
- Blacksmithing Museum in Bieńkowice,
- Outdoor museum of black oak and castle in Krzyżanowice,
- The 'Wielikąt' breeding pond complex in Lubomia,
- Castle and the Multimedia Centre of Upper Oder in Chałupki.
On the route of the trip there are the following lookout towers of the Silesianka trail:
- Lookout tower "Hošťálkovice" in Ostrava - a wooden structure from which you can see the panorama of the surrounding landscape - the Ostrava agglomeration, the Třebovice heating plant and the Beskydy Mountains,
- Observation tower at the ruins of the castle in Tworków - From the tower in the west wing of the castle you can see not only this picturesque building and the surrounding park from a different perspective, but also the panorama of Tworków and the Tworków Forest,
- Lookout tower on the Oder Border Meanders inChałupki in Krzyżanowice - here you can enjoy the view of the naturally meandering Oder River; the lookout tower is located approximately in the middle of the pedestrian and cycling path.
Source: Mapy.cz
We start our bike trip along the Silesianka trail to discover lookout towers and points in Ostrava, in its tourist part called Landek Park. It is an area of the former “Anselm” coal mine, but also a popular leisure and sports area. This is why we grab our bikes there and head towards the first object along the Sile- sianka trail travelling along the Oder river.
In the vicinity:
• The Mining Museum in Landek Park
A section from Landek Park to the lookout tower “Hošťálkovice” is approx. 6 kilometers long. The tower is open all year round. It is a wooden structure, which is 8 meters high and enables you to admire the panorama of the vicinity. On sunny days, you can easily see the Ostrava agglomeration, Třebovice heating plant and a range of the Beskids. Next to the tower, there are shelters as well as a pumptrack, which will certainly be an at- traction for young cyclists.
Moving on along the river (this time it is the Opava river, a tributary of the Oder river), we reach the “Štěpán” nature reserve. It is an oasis of plants and animals living in wet- lands. It is a perfect place to take some rest although the area a bit further is equally at- tractive. After further 4 kilometers, we go past the Postal Pond with several small is- lands and then reach the sports and leisure center at the Hlučínské lake with a separate bathing beach. The lake is located in the ter- ritory of the former gravel mine and covers an area of 130 hectares. It is also possible to rent a boat there.
In the vicinity:
• “Hlučín” Children’s
• The Museum of the Hlučín
• Hlučín-Darkovičky Czechoslovak Fortification Complex.
After leaving Hlučín, we head towards the border between the Czech Republic and Po- land. After approx. 30 kilometers, we leave the Czech Republic and enter Poland at the border crossing Hať–Tworków. Then, we head towards another lookout tower along the Silesianka trail located in the west wing of the ruins of the castle in Tworków. The tower, which is 21 meters above the ground, allows you not only to see this picturesque building and the park surrounding it from a different perspective, but also to take a look at the pan- orama of Tworków and the Tworków Forest.
In the vicinity:
• The Blacksmithing Museum in Bieńkowice
• The Open-air Museum of Black Oak in Krzyżanowice
• Palace in Krzyżanowice
• The complex of fish ponds “Wielikąt” (which can also be seen from an object along the Silesianka trail – a lookout point in Grabówka located on the other side of the ponds).
Having seen the castle complex, we move on heading to Zabełków. There we take a hiking and cycling nature route and reach another lookout tower along the Silesianka trail. The Lookout tower on the border meanders of the Oder was built in the territory of the Natura 2000 area. However, what attracts tourists the most is the Oder river, which is still not regulated and subject to natural pro- cesses. After you reach the top of the tower built in 2017, you can see the meanders of the river as well as the agricultural and small- town landscape of the border between Po- land and the Czech Republic. We take the nature route along the meandering Oder river to we reach Chałupki.
In the vicinity:
• Palace in Chałupki.
The meanders of the Oder river were the last stop of our cross-border bike trip. In order to return to the starting point in Ostrava in the Czech Republic, we head towards the back of the park in Chałupki, turn into Szkolna street and head towards Bohumín. Then, we take a cycling route and continue along the bank of the Oder river to reach Landek Park.
This way, we have covered a 62-kilom- eter-long loop around the borderland between Poland and the Czech Republic and visited 3 objects along the Silesianka trail. Are you tired? Even if you do not have enough energy to continue discovering the vicinity, we recommend visiting the Silesian- ka trail on a different occasion. For a change, you can organize a road trip or hit the road on foot!
The flyer for this trip is available for download in electronic form here.