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From Ovčárna to Moravia’s highest peak, Praděd (1491m): 8 km there and back

  • Praděd is considered the highest mountain in the territory of Moravia (although technically the highest point lies in the region of Czech Silesia). At 1491m it is the fifth highest mountain the the country – the viewing station on the TV transmitter is actually the highest point in the Czech Republic. It is a cold and windy place, with an average annual temperature around 1 °C. Notwithstanding the harsh climate, it is an extremely popular mountain to ascend, mainly because the quickest ascent(from the south side) can be done by walking up an asphalt road all the way to the summit.
  • Despite the un-mountainlike path and its popularity it is worth the trip, mostly for the excellent views of the Jeseníky mountains at various points near the road as it carves its way for 4km up the mountainside from the ski center of Ovčárna. The height difference from Ovčárna (which has bus connections with Karlova Studánka in the valley below, as well as a large paid car park) is just 200m. The route is easily managed with a stroller. There are refreshments at the summit, as well as various options in Ovčárna.
  • Praděd can also be climbed by taking longer (more rugged) routes up the northern or western flanks of the mountain. For a longer route on the south side (17 km with 700m of height to ascend-descend) combine the ascent along the road with the challenging but lovely waterfall path beside the Bílá Opava stream, starting at Karlova Studánka. See the separate walk page for a description of this route.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

  • Starting at the Ovčárna car park, follow the GREEN hiking trail along the road as it gently ascends the mountain
  • After 2.6 km reach the trail junction of Praděd – rozc. Here change to the BLUE trail and continue on the road for 1.2 km to reach the summit
  • Return to Ovčárna along the outbound route
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