Do trail colors matter? And what is their significance?

Do trail colors matter?

"Tourist trails colors" is a query that often appears in search engines. Because on warm days in Poland, many people gladly set off on trips. And on the trail... well.

Which trail should you choose after all? Is the black trail really the hardest? Well: it depends :) The hardest ski trail is indeed marked with black. The statement "black = hardest" does not apply to hiking trails. The color of the trail always means something, although depending on the type of route, the meaning may not always be the same. To start with: hiking trail

So what do trail colors mean on hiking trails?

• Red trail – this is the main trail in a given range. Both the Main Beskid Trail and the Main Sudetes Trail are marked with this color. Usually, these are routes with beautiful views and key points. On the red trail, you can also expect travel companions because these are usually the most frequented.

• Blue trail – this marks the second most "important" trail in a given area. It often happens that it is a very long tourist route. Hiking trails that pass through more points than the main trail are marked this way.

• Green trail – choose this if you want to get to know a given region thoroughly. It will be a scenic trail, including the most characteristic points in a given area.

• Yellow trail – this trail color most often indicates access paths and connectors. Usually, these are short sections of tourist trails.

• Black trail – and this menacing and ominous black hiking trail - these are most often trails connecting different routes or the shortest access routes to a given point on the map.

What if several trails run simultaneously in the same place? Don't worry, such a section of a tourist trail usually does not exceed 3 km, so you can quickly decide what to do next.

Where does the tourist trail start and where does it end? How to figure this out?

A colored dot on a white background indicates the beginning or end of the trail.

A change of direction, i.e., a turn sign (usually bent at an angle of 135* or 90*) allows you to change your walking direction well - they usually appear before and after a turn - just to be sure. Often, there will also be arrows nearby.

A white exclamation mark warns you that you need to pay more attention to the route because, for example, you should turn onto a path that is easy to miss.

What does a square divided into two triangles mean?

These are walking paths, which you will find near tourist towns or spa resorts. Such a walk should not be longer than 5 km and expect it to lead you in a loop.