Hike through the valley of the White Opava from Karlova studánka and back

An easy trip with children through the valley of the White Opava river

Starting point

We arrived by car at the paid parking lot of the Hubertus restaurant. The parking fee for the whole day was 130 CZK (August 2024). It is almost impossible to find free parking for the whole day due to the high tourist attraction in Karlova studánka. Unless you want to leave your car along the road with the possibility of a fine.
 

Description of the hike

Right at the Hubertus restaurant, the blue and yellow trail starts and we head towards the road No. 450. The sign leads about 200 meters along the road and after a while we are at the official entrance to the valley of the White Opava river. At the beginning we follow a wide paved forest road. The fact that it is wide is important at the beginning, because in season you will meet a lot of people here.

After about 1.5 km we come to the Na Paloučku signpost, where the blue and yellow markers divide. The yellow trail leads through the more attractive parts directly in the riverbed of the White Opava with many bridges and wooden steps. The blue trail is less dynamic and follows a narrow forest path.

I would definitely recommend going up the yellow trail, which is absolutely trouble-free and also fun for children from the age of six. You will see many terraced waterfalls and pools. This yellow part of the trail is about 2 km long. It then connects with the blue trail at the signpost Nad vodopády Bílé Opava (Above the White Opava Falls).

The blue/yellow trail then leads you to the mountain hut Ovčárna or Barborka - depending on which trail you follow at the end (yellow = Ovčárna, blue = Barborka). We chose to have lunch at the Ovčárna hut. We walked back the same way, but we chose the completely blue marker for the descent, i.e. the part we didn't go up.
 

Difficulty

This is an easy mountain hike with an elevation gain of up to 500 vertical metres. The trail follows forest paths with roots and in places near the river on large boulders. The trail is well maintained due to its popularity with hikers. You walk on many wooden footbridges and steps. Of course, because of this, it gets really crowded in season. Even six year olds can do the hike just fine (tried).
 

Water availability

We had about 0.5 litres of water per person for the whole route. In addition, there are several huts in the middle of the route where you can have lunch and refill your fluids. There are mountain huts Barborka, Ovčárna and Sabinka.
 

Mountain peaks

There is no peak to climb on this route. But there is nothing easier than to continue from the Ovčárna or Barborka hut along the asphalt road to the top of the highest mountain of Jeseníky, Praděd 1 491 m above sea level, from which you will have beautiful views of the entire mountain range. At the top there is a transmitter, restaurant and hotel Praděd.
 

Danger

Probably the biggest danger for tourists can wait on the road. Otherwise, the path is really easy and all bridges and stairs are quite smooth even for small children. Of course, in wet or rainy conditions, you have to be more careful when walking especially on stones but also on wooden stairs.
 

Food

We had snacks with fruit and ham rolls ready for the trail with the kids :). In the middle of the route it is ideal to take a lunch break at one of the mountain huts Ovčárna, Barborka or Sabinka. For those who reach the top of Praděd, you can have lunch here.