Archives
Categories
Meta
Our bicycle trip around the eastern part of Poland will allow us to discover two amazing regions. Lubelszczyzna and Roztocze.
Lubelszczyzna is one of the oldest historical lands in Poland. We want to present the most beautiful corners of the western part of the region from the perspective of a bicycle saddle. We start from Lublin, which is sometimes also called the Polish Lviv because of similar architecture and terrain. The Old Town, Lublin Castle, and Chapel of the Holy Trinity are its greatest monuments. The charm of old houses, the appeal of small cafes and the breath of history – this is what you experience walking through the narrow alleys of the beautiful capital of the Lublin region.
Kazimierz Dolny is undoubtedly the gem of this land, which we will visit the first day on a bike. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful city in Poland. Red roof tiles, white houses, numerous memorable monuments. The city founded by Casimir the Great not only captivates with its wonderful architecture but also with stories circulating the cobbled streets. We can see the true richness of the landscape while moving away just a few hundred meters from the center of Kazimierz. The area is famous for its numerous loessal gorges that surround the city with a dense network.
Stretching here, from Puławy to Zawichost, the Vistula River Gorge of Lesser Poland creates an amazing view. Sandbanks and the meandering waters of the queen of Polish rivers between them, limestone slopes and lush green meadows – these are typical of this valley panorama. In the crosshairs of our bicycle escapades, there will also be spots such as the Spa Park in Nałęczów, the Castle in Janowiec, loessal gorges near Józefów nad Wisłą.
Meanwhile, Roztocze is a beautiful geographical land that connects the Lublin Upland with Podolia. It is a clearly elevated bank of hills 12-32 km wide and nearly 180 km long. The region runs from the northwest, from Kraśnik, southeast to Lviv. Roztocze separates the Lublin Upland and the Volyn Upland from the Sandomierz Basin and the Transnistrian Basin. The Roztocze region consists of three parts: West, Middle, and East Roztocze. Eastern Roztocze is largely located in Ukraine. Our goal during your stay is Central Roztocze and Padół Zamojski.
During the next three days of cycling, we will get to know the most beautiful places of this region. We will also cover a few kilometers around the Roztocze National Park. There are currently 17 nature reserves in Roztocze. These are forest, landscape, and geological reserves. This place is perfect for enthusiasts of the natural world and contact with nature.
But here too, there will be something for fans of exploring cities and towns. During our stay, we will visit well-known and attractive places such as Zwierzyniec, Zamość, Józefów, Szczebrzeszyn, Krasnobród, and numerous smaller towns. During the trips, we will go along the sections of the Green Velo trail, the Central Roztocze Cycle Route. We will devote one day to visiting Zamość, with the Renaissance Market inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
DAY 01 – meeting in Lublin
We meet at the hotel in Lublin around 16:00. After the meeting and accommodation, we will go for a short ride around Lublin. Joint dinner, discussion of the trip and integration. Return to the hotel for the night.
DAY 02 | Lublin – Kazimierz Dolny | 70 km | 525 km descent | 600 m ascent
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we will put our baggage in the bus and hop on the bikes. We will cover the first twenty kilometers on the bike trail towards Kazimierz Dolny, and after about an hour’s drive, we will take a break to gain strength for the next 20 km, which we will cover in the direction of the charming Nałęczów. It is a well-known and admired spa town. We will visit the Zdrojowy Park in the city center with a pond and historic buildings. We will stop at one of the local restaurants for dinner. After dinner, we will have to drive about 30 km. After driving about 20 km we will enter the Kazimierski Landscape Park. Here we’ll take a break for an energy snack. The last 10 km of driving is ahead of us. The last kilometers are a journey through the surroundings, which are distinguished by the highest density of loessian gorges in the Land of Loess Gorges. We will visit the Korzeniowy Dół Gorge. This will be the end of our trip for today. Accommodation and dinner.
DAY 03 | Kazimierz Dolny – Józefów nad Wisłą | 67 km | 610 m ascent | 620 m descent
Check-out after breakfast, packing luggage into the bus. We will start the day with a drive near the castle in Kazimierz. The ruins of the magnificent fortress built here in the mid-fourteenth century by Casimir the Great tower over the town. We will take the ferry to cross to Janowiec, where on the high Vistula embankment stands a castle, which was once owned by the magnate families of Firlej, Tarlow, and Lubomirski. The castle is huge, in its glory days it had 7 large rooms and 98 rooms – its size was equal to Wawel. Its walls offer a wide view of the Vistula valley. Ferry transfer back to the right bank of the Vistula, transfer to Móchmierz. A further 20 km southeast of the Powiśle Forest. Lunch break in Opole Lubelskie, followed by a journey through the picturesque areas of the Vistula River Gorge which, along with very steep banks, forms numerous picturesque meanders as well as different sizes and heights of the island. Accommodation and dinner.
DAY 04 | Józefów nad Wisłą – Sandomierz | 72 km | 375 m ascent | 330 m descent
Check-out after breakfast, packing luggage into the bus. The first approx. 20 km is a drive towards Annopol; it’s a further route along the right bank of the Vistula. We’ll take a short break in Annopol; After the break, we are awaited by the last kilometers through the Lubelszczyzna. Here, the Vistula has retained the features of a wild river, where oxbow lakes and small natural water-covered reservoirs occur. We take a lunch break on the trail. Behind us is more than half the route; after covering another 10 km we will cross the San River in Radomyśl and enter the Green Velo trail, which we will travel to Sandomierz. A journey through the areas located at the fork of the Vistula and San rivers; this episode is meant to give us joy from the ride itself amid the beautiful natural circumstances. The finish line of the trip at the Sandomierz market. Accommodation and an evening walk around the town.
DAY 05 | Sightseeing Sandomierza and transfer to Zamość
On this day we will take a break from the bicycle. In the first half of the day, we will visit Sandomierz. After lunch, we will go on a bus trip to Zamość, where we will begin the next stage of our bicycle journey in eastern Poland. After checking into the hotel, we will visit Zamość.
DAY 06 | Zamość – Tomaszów Lubelski | 64 km | 640 m ascent | 600 m descent
After breakfast and check out, we set off. Ahead of us is a 37 km stretch in the direction of Krasnobród with a break and a visit to the Hill and Church of St Roch. Half-way we take a short 15 min. break for refilling liquids and snacking on an energy bar. We make a stop for dinner in Krasnobród. There will also be a moment to relax by the lagoon and visit the lookout tower. The next stage of the journey is to overcome the section from Krasnobród to Tomaszów Lubelski. This part of the day includes 27 km with a tour of Tomaszów Lubelski. We will see the Market Square, Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Orthodox church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Czajnia building – an example of Russian wooden architecture. Accommodation at the hotel and dinner.
DAY 07 | Tomaszów Lubelski – Susiec | 71 km | 540 m ascent | 560 m descent
After breakfast, we hop on our bikes to cover the first 27 km along the Central Roztocze Cycle Route in the direction of Hrebenne. Along the route, we pass Lubycz Królewska, small charming villages and we reach Hrebenne under the border with Ukraine. We make a brief stop here. After which we set off further towards Werchrat, passing through the South Roztocze Landscape Park. After 18 km we reach Wola Wielka, where we enter the trail towards Tanwia Springs. We reach the Green Velo trail. We will take a lunch break in Narol. Another 20 km is a ride to the Tanew River Nature Reserve, which we can reach on the Green Velo Trail. Tanew River Nature Reserve is a showcase of this region and a must-see location to visit. We have the last 6 km to the guest house. Our accommodation is in Susiec. Accommodation and dinner.
DAY 08 | Susiec – Zamość | 72 km | 400 m ascent | 390 m descent
We check out after breakfast and hop on the bike and drive 16 km towards Józefów. Along the way, we’ll visit the recreational place of the inhabitants, namely Majdan Sopocki. While in Józefów we will see the building of an old synagogue, an observation tower above the quarry. A short break and we set off further. Everything along the Green Velo Trail. We have 20 km ahead of us in the direction of Zwierzyniec also along the Green Velo trail. On the route, we will visit Stawy Echo and the Polish Konik kennel, for which Roztocze is famous. In Zwierzyniec we will visit the local brewery, the church “On the Island” and stop in one of the taverns for dinner. After lunch, a drive to Szczebrzeszyn and a souvenir photo by the beetle. The last 26 km route in the direction of Zamość is ahead of us. For the next km, we will follow the Green Velo trail and then take the side road to Zamość. This section is all about drawing joy from the ride itself amongst the beautiful natural environment. In Zamosc, we will accommodate in a hotel, enjoy our dinner and talk about our joint adventure at the table
DAY 09
This is our last day of the trip. After breakfast and check out we will transfer cyclists to Lublin, where we will finish the adventure.
Lublin, Nałęczów SPA town, Kazimierz Dolny, the Castle in Janowiec, Józefów nad Wisłą, Green Velo trail, the Central Roztocze Cycle Route, Sandomierz, Zamość, Krasnobród, Tomaszów Lubelski, Hrebenne, Roztocze National Park, Tanwia Springs, Józefów, Stawy Echo, Brewery Roztocze, Szczebrzeszyn, Zwierzyniec.
Tourist trip for intermediate bikers. The group is accompanied by a bus that carries luggage. For travel, we recommend taking a mountain or trekking bike with a minimum tire width of 1.75” with tread. Why? The routes are run with virtually along any type of surface. There will be asphalt, sandy sections (due to the nature of the region and the soil there). We will also come across forest and gravel sections. There may be mud during precipitation. It is best to be prepared for everything.
We planned routes on roads with minimal traffic. Wherever possible, we will use bicycle routes such as Lublin – Kazimierz Dolny, Kazimierz Dolny – Kraśnik; Green Velo or Central Roztocze Cycle Route. Level III difficulty. What does this mean? Click this link.
Ride, ride, ride. To get the most out of this trip you must be prepared for it. Before the expedition, be sure to cover similar distances to those planned and ride through hills; if there aren’t any near you, cover longer routes. The basis is also a functional bike, meaning mandatory MAINTENANCE of the bike before the tour.