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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe Witches' Trail - Opole's tragic history and a tourist attraction of the region<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Witches' Bike Trail is the result of the Polish-Czech project "Witches' Trail on the Czech-Polish Border," implemented between 2008 and 2010. The route was planned to allow visitors to visit sites connected with the history of trials of women who, accused of witchcraft, were burned at the stake. The Witches' Bike Trail passes through the Opole Voivodeship (95 km) and then through the Czech Republic (138 km). For those interested in visiting the Witches' Trail, Nysa, G\u0142ucho\u0142azy, or Krapkowice are excellent bases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where does the name "Witches' Trail" come from and what is the story behind it?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To explain the origins of this name, we must go back to the distant past, specifically the 17th century, when, due to several factors (wars, epidemics, crop failures, famine), evil forces began to be blamed for everything evil, and more specifically, women practicing witchcraft. From 1622 to 1684, in the Duchy of Nysa, between 250 and 500 people, mostly women called witches, were accused and burned at the stake. Often, a simple accusation of witchcraft was enough to convict, and confessions were often extracted through elaborate torture. At their peak, witch trials reached such a scale that mass executions occurred. According to sources, the last death sentences were handed down between 1683 and 1684. The end of these cruel practices is attributed to Bishop Neuburg, although this has not been conclusively confirmed. As you might guess, the trail leads through the most important places related to the 17th-century trials, but more on that in a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where is the Witches' Trail?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you're interested in a Witch Trail ride and a good, nearby hotel, Krapkowice is a good base, as is Nysa. The route begins in the town of Paczk\u00f3w and then passes through the villages of Pomian\u00f3w Dolny, Lubiat\u00f3w, Ligota Wielka, and Sarnowice. The next stop on the route is the town of Otmuch\u00f3w, a town important for the region's history. Passing through other villages, both large and small, we arrive in Nysa \u2013 one of the largest cities in the Opole Voivodeship. After visiting the numerous historical monuments in this town, we continue through the Opole villages, finally reaching G\u0142ucho\u0142azy. Founded by Bishop Wawrzyniec, the town is the last stop on the Polish section of the route, before reaching Zlate Hory, located in the Czech Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nOn the trail of churches, chapels, crosses and\u2026 executioners<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Beginning the ride in Paczk\u00f3w, known as the "Polish Carcassonne" due to its wartime fortifications, we can visit the legendary Executioner's House, which now houses the Tourist Information Center. In Otmuch\u00f3w, on 1 Maja Street, there's a unique monument to the "executioner's wife." As you pass through other villages and towns, you'll admire monuments of sacred architecture, such as the Church of St. Lawrence and St. Nicholas in Lubiatowo and the Gothic-Renaissance bishop's castle in Otmuch\u00f3w. Along the way, you'll also pass numerous chapels and penitential crosses, testifying to the exceptional piety of the region's inhabitants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nysa \u2013 let's stop here for a while<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For anyone exploring the Witch Trail, Nysa is a special place. The third-largest city in the Opole Voivodeship holds many treasures worth telling about. You can read about Nysa's most important monuments in any guidebook. Here, let's focus on places connected with the history of witch trials. The former Bishop's Palace in Nysa houses a museum, one of whose exhibitions documents these tragic events. Here, we can see the courtroom, the herbalist's chamber, and the prison. Those with strong nerves can take a close look at the torture devices used during that time, to which witches were subjected with utter cruelty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAttractions\u201d for people with strong nerves<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Witch Trail in the Opole Voivodeship leads us, among other places, to Jarno\u0142t\u00f3wek, where a "witch's chair" was discovered in one of the attics in the 19th century. It wasn't exactly a relaxing chair, but rather an invented instrument of painful torture. On the Polish-Czech border, near the pass below Zamkowa G\u00f3ra, you'll find the "Witch's Grave," where, according to legend, the village headman's wife, suspected of possessing evil powers, was buried. And speaking of the border, what would the Witch Trail be without G\u0142ucho\u0142azy? It's here that you'll find Czarcia Ska\u0142a (Devil's Rock) and the eerie hill called Szubienicza G\u00f3ra (Gallows Hill). It got its name because in G\u0142ucho\u0142azy, witches weren't burned at the stake; they were hanged, where their ashes were then buried. A place for those who aren't afraid of ghost legends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n For those staying at our hotel and wanting to take a ride along the Witches' Trail, G\u0142ucho\u0142azy is a good starting point. The distance from Zamkowy M\u0142yn to G\u0142ucho\u0142azy is only 55 km, and you can spice up your trip by visiting other attractions in the Opole region along the way, such as: Moszna Castle<\/a> <\/strong>and Robot Factory<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Travel time from the Zamkowy M\u0142yn Hotel: <\/strong>from 40 minutes <\/p>\n\n\n
Approximate visiting time: <\/strong>all day
Paid admission: <\/strong>NO
Attraction for families with children: <\/strong>Yes<\/p>\n\n\n\nBOOK A ROOM TO VISIT OPOLSZCZYNA:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n