1st day

We start our two-day road trip around the borderland between Poland and the Czech Republic along the Silesianka trail in Wodzisław Śląski, next to the Knight’s Bastion. You can get materials on the entire trail there. On sunny days, if the visibility is good, you can admire the panorama of districts of Wodzisław: Old Town, New Town, Jedłownik and Radlin II from the observation deck.

On the route of the trip there are the following lookout towers of the "Silesianka" trail:

- The Knights' Bastion in Wodzisław Śląski - picturesquely situated in the Grodzisko Forest,

-  Viewing point in the Moravian Gate Arboretum in Raciborz - the object can be found in the Obora district, in the forest area above the so-called "Enchanted garden", a plant labyrinth,

- The lookout tower in Pietrowice Wielkie - whereyou can see the surrounding agricultural landscape with small towns and the Silesian Beskydy Mountains as if they were on the palm of your hand,

- City tower "Hláska" - Opava - from the viewing terrace of the Renaissance town hall tower you can see the center of Opava and, during good visibility, the surrounding mountains.

After seeing all the sights, we recommend accommodation in Opava or its surroundings. From there you will continue your trip to Hradec nad Moravicí the following day.


 In the vicinity:

• Grodzisko Forest

•  Market Square in Wodzisław

•  The Palace of the Dietrichstein

• The “Three Hills” Family Leisure


Another point on our way is Racibórz and its district called Obora. There, after taking a walk in the forest around the Moravian Gate Arboretum complex, you get to the lookout point and the so-called “Enchanted Garden”, that is a maze with collections of plants. You can walk around the maze, but it is most impressive to watch from the observation deck.

In the vicinity:

•  Historical center of Racibórz

•  The Piast Castle

• The Nature Reserve Łężczok


Heading towards the border between Poland and the Czech Republic, we stop next to the lookout tower in Pietrowice Wielkie. From there, you can easily see the agricul- tural and small-town panorama of the vicinity – fields, towns belonging to Pietrowice Wielkie commune, Kietrz in Opole Province as well as Czech towns in the borderland and the Silesian Beskids.

In the vicinity:

•  Graduation tower

•  Wooden Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Cross.

 

The first town we visit in the Czech Republic is Opava and its object along the Silesianka trail – the Renaissance tower of the Town Hall, i.a. City Tower “Hláska”. The observa- tion deck offers a view of the center of Opava, and if the visibility is good, you can also see hills nearby – the peaks of Hrubý Jeseník with Praděd as well as Nízký Jeseník.

 In the vicinity:

•  The Silesian Museum

•  Městské sady (leisure zone)

•  Castle in Kravaře

• Státní zámek Raduň


2nd day

After a night in Opava or its surroundings, continue your car trip in the Czech Republic and return to Poland at the end of the day.

On the route of the trip there are the following lookout towers of the "Silesianka" trail:

-  Bezruč lookout point - Hradec nad Moravicí - which offers a view of the castle and the town of Hradec nad Moravicí,

- Blast Furnace No. 1 with the Bolt Tower superstructure - Ostrava - theobservation tower with a glass superstructure is located in a monumental post-industrial complex. It offers the view of the industrial space of the Lower Vítkovice area and its surroundings,

- Observation tower of the New Town Hall - Ostrava - from the observation terrace of the New Town Hall you can see almost the whole of Ostrava,

- The lookout tower on the Oder Border Meanders in Chałupki in Krzyżanowice - here you can enjoy the view of the naturally meandering Oder River.


After a night in Opava or in the vicinity, we move on and head towards the castle in Hradec nad Moravicí. The complex consists of the White Castle and the Red Castle as well as a standalone White Tower. Everything is surrounded by an English park where you should take a long walk. In order to get to the wooden Bezruč lookout point, we need to walk approx. 2 kilometers. The view of the palace and the town of Hradec nad Moravicí and - if the visibility is really good - Opava will be a reward.

Another lookout tower on our way – Bolt Tower – is located in the territory of a gi- ant industrial Dolní oblasti Vítkovice (DOV) complex in Ostrava. It is topped with a glass superstructure. You can visit it on your own or with a tour which, apart from entering the observation deck, gives you the opportuni- ty to get near the former blast furnace. The tower offers a view of the industrial area of DOV and the vicinity – Ostrava, the Beskids (sometimes even Fatra!) or spoil heap “Ema".

In the vicinity:

•  The entire Dolní oblasti Vítkovice (DOV) complex

•  The Silesian-Ostrava Castle and the center of Ostrava

  • The Mining Museum in Landek Park

Another point on our map is located in the center of Ostrava. The observation deck in the building “Nové radnice”, that is the New Town Hall, is 73 meters above the ground. You can easily Ostrava from there and if the visibility is good, you can also see the Silesian Beskids and the Moravian-Silesian Beskids, the Oder river, the Polish borderland (Rybnik, the spoil heap “Szarlota” in Rydułtowy) and if you are really lucky, you can even see the peak of Praděd.


Ostrava was the last point on our map in the Czech Republic. From there, we will depart to Poland, to the lookout tower on the border meanders of the Oder in Krzyżanowice commune. This lookout tower is located in an incredibly valuable 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 processes. You can reach it from the parking lots in Zabełków or in Chałupki. After you reach the top of the tower, you can see the meanders of the river as well as the agricultural and small-town landscape of the border between Poland and the Czech Republic. This is where we finish our two-day road trip along the Silesianka trail.

 

In the vicinity:

•  Cycling routes on the “Meanders of the Oder

•  Palace in Chałlupki

•  Multimedia Center of the Upper Oder in Chałupki.