Orlík (mountain)

Orlík is a mountain in the Hrubý Jeseník mountain range in the Czech Republic. It has an elevation of above sea level. It is located in the municipality of Zlaté Hory.

Characteristics

Location

Orlík is located in the northeastern part of the Hrubý Jeseník range, specifically in the microregion known as the. It is the third highest peak of the Medvědí Mountains, after and. Orlík is a very expansive mountain, situated on two arms of this massif: the main, arched ridge stretching from to Na vyhlídce with the main summit, and the side, arched ridge stretching from pass to Rejvíz pass with two secondary summits. Orlík is a well-recognizable mountain, as it is located in the central pair of peaks Orlík and Medvědí vrch in this part of the Hrubý Jeseník range, having similar heights and being visible from the observation towers of both Praděd and Biskupia Kopa. However, from another characteristic viewpoint – the road surrounding the summit of Dlouhé stráně – it is not visible as it is obscured by mountain. Orlík is well visible, among others, from the summit of and from the slopes of mountains such as Medvědí vrch and Jelení loučky. Additionally, it is visible and recognizable from the nearby road no. 445 from Rýmařov to Zlaté Hory, as well as from road no. 453 from Jeseník to Město Albrechtice passing through the village of Rejvíz.
The mountain is bounded:

to the north by the valley of the Opava river;
to the northeast by a pass at an elevation of 853 meters above sea level towards Zámecký vrch, the valley of the Podzámecký stream, and a pass at an elevation of 1,037 meters above sea level towards ;
to the east by the valley of the Slučí stream, a pass at an elevation of 731 meters above sea level towards Velká seč, and the valley of the Sokolí stream flowing in the Jezevčí kotlina basin;
to the south by a pass at an elevation of 1,113 meters above sea level towards Medvědí vrch and a pass at an elevation of 1,097 meters above sea level towards Medvědí louka;
to the southwest by the valley of the Šumný stream'
to the west by a pass at an elevation of 1,027 meters above sea level towards ;
to the northwest by a pass at an elevation of 1,009 meters above sea level towards.

Surrounding the mountain are the following peaks:

to the northwest, Srnčí vrch, Kazatelny, and Kazatelny–SV;
to the north, Přední Jestřábí–JZ and Přední Jestřábí;
to the northeast, Zámecký vrch, Stará hora, Rovný vrch, and Rovný vrch–JV;
to the east, Velká seč;
to the southeast, Medvědí skály and Medvědí vrch;
to the southwest, Medvědí louka and Velké Bradlo.

On some maps, additional northern peaks are listed under the names Žárný vrch, Žár, and Slídový vrch. However, due to the weak differentiation and exposure of these peaks relative to the entire Orlík Massif, newer studies and measurements suggest that these names should rather be assigned to their corresponding slopes.

Slopes

Within the mountain, the following seven main slopes can be distinguished:

southern
southwestern
western, named Loučení Kristovo
northwestern, named Žárný vrch
northern, named Žár, Stráně, Nad Opavou
northeastern, named Slídový vrch
eastern, named Dlouhá, Velká seč, Macocha

All types of forestation can be found here: spruce forest, mixed forest, and deciduous forest, with spruce forest predominating. On the western, northeastern, and eastern slopes, mixed forest areas appear as the altitude decreases, and on the western and eastern slopes, even small areas of deciduous forest can be found. Due to the large area of the mountain, almost all slopes feature thinnings, clearings, glades, and meadows. Larger rock formations are found on the northern Stráně slope, the southern slope near the secondary summit Orlík–JV, and the eastern Dlouhá slope, which also features numerous rock groups. On the eastern Dlouhá slope, about 1,170 meters east of the peak, at an elevation of 1,025 meters above sea level, lies a rock group named Dlouhá.
The slopes have uneven, generally gentle, and little-varied inclines. The average slope gradient ranges from 6° to 10°. The average gradient of all the slopes of the mountain is around 8°. The maximum average gradient of the western slope at the base of the secondary peak Orlík–SZ, near the Cesta svobody road, does not exceed 35° over a 50-meter section. Besides a few marked tourist trails, the slopes are covered with a network of intersecting roads and generally unmarked paths and tracks.

Forest cemetery of Russian prisoners

At the base of the northwestern Žárný vrch slope, near the yellow tourist trail, close to a cabin named Opavská chata, about 2.3 km northwest of the summit, lies a forest cemetery. It is the resting place of Russian prisoners of war who died of typhus between 1941 and 1943 while working during World War II. They were imprisoned in the Rejvíz camp, established near the cemetery, and their graves are marked with stones of varying sizes. The cemetery has been reconstructed multiple times, most recently in 1999. The cemetery holds the remains of 23 prisoners, as listed on a special informational plaque placed there.

Main summit

There is no tourist trail leading to the peak. The summit area is forested with spruce, covered with alpine grass, and features a wooden fence to the east, erected by forestry services around a closed wildlife feeding area of about 0.3 km². Additionally, the summit area is at the intersection of field roads leading to neighboring peaks such as and. Due to the increasing height of the forest over time, the summit area is not a viewpoint. At the summit, there is a triangulation station, marked on geodetic maps with the number 22, with an elevation of 1,203.58 meters above sea level and geographic coordinates.
The most convenient access to the summit is from the tourist intersection called Pásmo Orlíka, with an indicated elevation of 1,005 meters on the information board. Following the green tourist trail towards the Solná chata tourist stop, after about 900 meters, there is a path where one needs to turn left, covering a distance of about 560 meters to the peak of Medvědí louka, which has a characteristic exposed summit area. Continuing through this area for about 500 meters along a path marked by posts, there is an intersection, from where a visible field road through a clearing leads to the summit, approximately 900 meters away. An alternative route is also possible from the yellow tourist trail and the tourist intersection Kristovo loučení.

Secondary summits

Within the entire massif of the mountain, apart from the main summit, there are three lower secondary summits.

Geology

Geologically, Orlík belongs to the unit and is composed of metamorphic rocks, mainly blasto-mylonites, phyllites, gneisses, mica schists, and quartzites. It also contains sedimentary rocks, primarily meta-conglomerates and meta-aleurites, as well as igneous rocks, mainly meta-granitoids and meta-pegmatites.

Waters

The summit and slopes of Orlík are located northeast of the European watershed, therefore belonging to the Baltic Sea watershed. The waters flow into the Baltic Sea, specifically into the Oder river basin, which is an extension of the mountain streams originating from this part of the Hrubý Jeseník mountains. Among these streams are the Podzámecký potok and Šumný potok, which flow near the mountain. From the western slope of the mountain, the Černá Opava stream originates, while from the eastern slope, the Slučí potok and Sokolí potok streams begin. Additionally, short, unnamed streams originate from the slopes, serving as tributaries to the aforementioned streams: Podzámecký potok, Šumný potok, Černá Opava, and Slučí potok. Due to the relatively gentle slopes, the mountain does not feature waterfalls or cascades.

Nature protection

The entire mountain is within the protected area known as the, established to protect geological formations, landforms, flora, and rare animal species.

Tourism

Tourist trails

The Czech Tourist Club has marked two hiking trails in the area of the mountain:
Rejvíz – – Přední Jestřábí – Přední Jestřábí-JZ – Kazatelny-SV – Kazatelny – Orlík – pass – – Ostruha–JV – – – – – Javorový vrch – pass – – – mountain hut
Město Albrechtice – Česká Ves – Holčovice – Komorský potok stream valley – Komora – Končina – Heřmanovice – Hornické skály – – Pod Ostrým – – Orlík – Opavská chata mountain hut

Cycling and ski trails

Two cycling routes run through the slopes of the mountain:
Videlské sedlo – Javorový vrch – Lysý vrch – Ztracený vrch – Děrná – Ostruha–JV – – Orlík – Kristovo loučení pass – Prameny Opavice pass – Příčný vrch – Lysý vrch – Zlaté Hory
– Sněhulák – Strmý – Miroslav – Sedlo pod Javoříkem pass – Javořík – Javořík–SV – Nad Bobrovníkem – – Šumný potok stream valley – Dlouhá hora – – Orlík–SZ – Velké Bradlo–Z – – Pod Velkým Bradlem
During snowy periods, cross-country skiing trails follow the hiking and cycling routes. No downhill skiing routes have been established in the area of the mountain.