Things to see along eastern Poland by bicycle

♂

Edited by: jwojcie Jun 1, 11, 13:36 #31

Bearnyboo:

This summer im going on a bicycle trip through a couple of countries, one of them is Poland. I will be entering Poland from Lithuania and will probably go from Suwalki towards Augustow, from there onto Suchowola and Bialystok, then Siedlce and finally toward Lublin.

I was wondering about it last year but lack of consistent cycle route discourage me a little. There is many sites with cycling routes but all of what I saw concerns only area around some city/touristic area. So, you probably have to design your own route. The single most important rule: avoid national roads if possible.

As for fine places/activities, I would consider two things:
1. ride along National Parks
2. for a couple of days break from cycling - nice canoeing near Suwałki/Augustów on Czarna Hańcza or Rospuda

As for first part it would include (from north to south):
a) Wigierski National Park (actually this is the part when you can think of canoeing)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigierski_National_Park
http://www.wigry.win.pl/index_en.html
map:
http://www.wigry.win.pl/map_tur_en/index_en.htm
b) Biebrzanski National Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biebrzanski_National_Park
http://www.biebrza.org.pl/index.php?ustaw_jezyk=2
routes and map:
http://www.biebrza.org.pl/index.php?strona=69&ustaw_jezyk=1
c) Narwianski National Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narwia%C5%84ski_National_Park
http://www.npn.pl/index.php?lang=en
trails:
http://www.npn.pl/index.php?id=106&lang=en
Bialystok is around:
http://www.wrotapodlasia.pl/NR/rdonlyres/043DE66E-4FFD-47FF-8E70-D2241 295B845/0/tdokolicemapkawww.jpg
d) Bialowieski National Park - probably the most important (last natural old forest in Europe etc)
http://bpn.com.pl/index.php?lang=en
map:
http://www.powiat.hajnowka.pl/ctrpb/PBCTH1.html
e) Poleski Park Narodowy around Lublin (I don't know much about that one)
http://www.poleskipn.pl/

The bigger picture of National Parks in Poland:

Basically If I were you I would connect those small maps with some path avoiding national roads. Hm.. I'm starting to think to do it myself :), well maybe next summer...

♂

Jun 1, 11, 13:46 #32

Magdalena:

Like all the drivers with any experience died out, you mean?

Like there are three times as many drivers, and most of them are innexperienced. Traffic has mushroomed as well. Since you left six years ago, the number of drivers and cars has more than doubled, and very few new roads have been built.

Magdalena:

That takes the cake, I actually lived in the area for a long time.

Then you ought to know that the roads are choked with traffic. Augustów is especially a big mess. The highway isn't finished yet, so traffic has to go through the town and use secondary roads. I spend a month every summer in Augustów, and the traffic is MACABRE.

Magdalena:

I beg to disagree. Try the Brda for a change.

I have, and it's very good, too. So is the Drawa. I still prefer the Czarna Hańcza/Kanał Augustowski, though. I've done the route eight times. Four times all the way to Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki near Warsaw.

Czerwone Bagno is spectacular. One of the few places in Poland where you can feel truly isolated and lost in time, there is no trace of man to be seen, and some of the best birdwatching in all of Europe.

Antek_StalichThreads: 6 Posts: 1,533 Joined: May 6, 11 ♂	Jun 1, 11, 13:51 #33
Dominicus: Then you ought to know that the roads are choked with traffic. Augustów is especially a big mess. The view of the Route 16 from Augustów towards Ogrodniki, crammed with large trucks both ways and trying to overtake a cyclist swaying on the edge of the road is just priceless.

MagdalenaThreads: 5 Posts: 1,389 Joined: Aug 15, 07 ♀	Jun 1, 11, 15:43 #34
http://www.exoticpoland.info/pe.php?t=mapa_trasy-2 To stay optimistic and on topic :-)

Bearnyboo

Jun 1, 11, 20:03 #35

Wow, alot of new replies since yesterday, a few positive, some off-topic and mostly negative. The picture I have in my head now is that it would almost be considered suicide to venture out on the polish roads on a bike, that's a very nice impression you've given me of your country!
Last year I went through 15 european countries on my bike, among them Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. Before I went on that trip I was quite worried about traffic on larger roads but of course, when I actually biked on those roads in those countries my worries settled, there wasn't much to worry about at all. I've cycled through sand in Hungary, on endless cobblestone roads in east Germany, on gravel in most countries and up mountains in Switzerland. I was away for almost 4 months and I think it gave me some experience, atleast I like to tell my puny brain I widened my horizons alittle.
My plan this year is to go from Riga to eastern Turkey or perhaps even Iran if time allows me. One country I want to go through to get to Turkey is Poland but in Poland, even on the smallest roads and village roads there are thousands of lorries and the roads are so small there is no place left for cyclists, if you are unfortunate and meet a lorry it will not slow down, it'll just run you over. I do hope you understand im exaggerating here but the impression you give me is overwhelmingly negative.

The fact is that I will cycle through Poland this summer, my hope with this post was to gain a few ideas of what routes might be good, as far as landscape and nature goes, I got a few and im very grateful of that. Another fact is that a fellow countryman of mine went from Riga to South Africa a while back, he cycled almost the same route I want to take through eastern Poland and he didn't mention anything about bloodthirsty lorries.
In my experience people seem to love to talk negatively about their neighbours and neighbouring countries, in Croatia I was told Slovenia would be terrible, of course this wasn't true, it's a beautiful country. And lastly, of course I aim to go on small roads, the smaller the better, if you ever thought my plan was to go along motorways you are very wrong, as small but as scenic as possible is the plan.

If you still have any suggestions about scenic places and good routes to take, they are still greatly appreciated!

♀

Jun 1, 11, 20:21 #36

Bearnyboo:

If you still have any suggestions about scenic places and good routes to take, they are still greatly appreciated!

http://kruk.ovh.org/Trasy/trasa2a_kazik.htm
Here you will find the trail I talked about in my first post: a trail between Kazimierz, Naleczow and Lublin. If you bike from Augustow towards Lublin, you should get on the trail in Kazimierz and continue to Lublin. I've hiked in some of the places on the trail and the nature really beautiful. And Kazimierz and Naleczow are lovely small towns. And the trail takes you right to Skansen (the village museum).

Antek_StalichThreads: 6 Posts: 1,533 Joined: May 6, 11 ♂	Edited by: Antek_Stalich Jun 1, 11, 21:20 #37
Bearnyboo: that's a very nice impression you've given me of your country! Are you telling us that our frankness and honesty (greatly appreciated in Sweden) are wrong? Is it not right that we are giving you safety tips (and Swedes are obsessed with safety)? Bernie, if you know better, don't ask questions. I personally wish you all the best and safe voyage!

Bearnyboo

Jun 1, 11, 21:55 #38

Not at all, I do appreciate everything you've said and I will surely be careful when I enter Poland and take extra precaution on the roads. I do think it is a shame however when I ask about possible routes through your beautiful country and what I get mostly is replies of how dangerous it is, it just can't be that bad. If I take only small roads, wear a reflective vest, use lamps on my bike and only cycle at daytime it surely must be possible to go through Poland without being hit by a lorry?

And for your information, I never asked about how dangerous it is to cycle through Poland, I merely wanted to know about good routes, that was the question.

Obsessed with safety? Now you are being judgemental, this is what im talking about my friend :) I don't know how you polish people feel about your neighbours, maybe you dislike Belarus?(we Swedes always kid around with Norwegians and vice versa) Im sure if you'd actually go to Belarus you would think differently, politics is one thing, people are people and usually people tend to be nice.
To the point, we are not obsessed with safety, as a matter of fact, the guy I mentioned who went from Riga to South Africa and cycled through eastern Poland does not wear a helmet, I know he isn't wearing a reflective vest either and managed to get out of Poland alive :) So it most be possble! :)

♂

Jun 1, 11, 22:06 #39

Bearnyboo, I've been travelling to Sweden on business, consulting, to train Swedish engineers and to sell technical software to them since 1995. I have been also spending some holidays in Sweden. So you do not need to tell me that your country is wonderful and people are great, because both are true. I especially value the Swedish openness and ability to honestly raise difficult questions. I'd be glad if you respected same features in your Polish correspondents.

Said the above, let me tell you this:
The Swedish safety obsession is something you may certainly not notice but I do:

1.The meetings and workshops I was leading were always preceded by safety instructions by the meeting host, as if it was an airplane
2. Any flammable liquids such as "white spirit", oil, solvents, are stored in protective anti-explosive cabinet at petrol stations

I could say more and I can tell you: If this is not an obsession, I don't know what obsession is. Taking all of this into account: Poland is not a biker-safe country and you have been warned.

Thank you for your attention.

♂

Edited by: jwojcie Jun 1, 11, 23:58 #40

He he, Bearnyboo, this forum is full of grumbles... You seem to be serious cyclist so you should survive this unforgiving land of Poland ;-)
I use to spend my vacation on bicycle with travelling bags to. I was cycling both on great Danish cycle paths like some poster above or on great cycle paths of Rugia and it was all great, smoth and fun, but to tell you the truth no one from those experiences is more memorable after years than unexpected swamps instead of the cycle path or a few kilometers of cycling through the beach at Polish seaside (btw. I strongly recommend cycling at the Polish seaside till it is not all smoth, fun and boring - but remember from west to east) :-)
I have done a lot of cycling in different places in Poland, never near the east border though, but I saw some relations from it on cyclist festivals and it did look ok... For sure Polish drivers are not the friendlest folks on earth, and most Polish roads lacks separate lines for bicycles BUT if you plan your route carefully and remember about some cultural differences you should be ok.
After this a little to long intro, the rules again:
1. avoid national roads - already said, but to reiterate this - the path you planning to take near east border is one of the most inadequate in Poland (ie traffic there is to big considering width of the road) - especially road number 8 between Suwalki and Bialystok. 8 is the road toward Warsaw, that is the reason. From Bialystok to Lublin there is national road number 19 where amount of cars is smaller.
2. there is no habit in Poland to pay a lot of attention toward cyclists. 90% of the cars will pass you at legal distance of 1 metre, but at least 1% bastards will almost touch you with their mirrors - that means you should always keep safe space on your right in order to have some survival space...
3. Edges of Polish roads are usually their weakest part - it is much safer for you to just keep straight line on the road than manouver in order to avoid some holes (quite obvious advice probably...)

Anyway, if because of some reason you will plan your route through national roads, I think those maps below will be useful to you:
State of Polish national roads, green=very good, red=critical (proves that road number 8 is a bad choice):
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/692/mapa0515.png

Traffic on national roads in Poland (2010 survey) - again proves: avoid road number 8 ;):
http://www.gddkia.gov.pl/userfiles/articles/g/gpr_7247/documents/Mapa_ SDR2010.pdf

♂

Jun 2, 11, 02:07 #41

Bearnyboo:

Hello dear polish folks!

I'm not exactly Polish, but hello yourself.

Bearnyboo:

This summer im going on a bicycle trip through a couple of countries, one of them is Poland. I will be entering Poland from Lithuania and will probably go from Suwalki towards Augustow, from there onto Suchowola and Bialystok, then Siedlce and finally toward Lublin.

I want to cycle to Iceland. I think I'll have to take a Ferry though! I love cycling, and I think it's awesome you're going to cycle through a couple of countries. It just proves you have balls. Or tits. I'm not sure which gender you belong to.

Bearnyboo:

Im wondering if this is a good route for me to take, I want to see as much of Poland as I can and I need advice from you who actually live in the country. Is there something in eastern Poland I absolutely have to see? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I still think you have to see Kraków, and there's much to see in Racibórz as well, believe it or not!

Bearnyboo:

Kind Regards,
A Swedish cyclist

I like you, so don't you go and eat any cucumbers now!

Echidna

Jun 12, 11, 19:09 #42

hi all,

I just saw this thread and had to laugh. I have lived in Augustow for about a year or so and do a bit of cycling. It is as you say, the roads can be very tough and dangerous - dry deep sand in summer, ice and snow in winter and very variable at other times. My wife dislikes the gravel roads heaps. Main roads should be avoided if you wish to live.

A week ago we had two Swedish cyclists stay with us for one night, on their way south to Bialystok. Young, fit but with inexpensive bikes with no suspension and a book map of Europe! It showed only the major roads.

I recommended they stay away from the E67 / Highway 8 for the reasons you have outlined. So I escorted them 10km south to Bialystok via Grabowe Grady (where they did get bogged in the sand) then returned to the tarred road and pointed them south to Debowo. This road has an excellent surface, little traffic but is narrow.

I am not familiar with the roads south past Debowo and told them so. Anyway, we heard later that both riders destroyed their tyres ... and tubes I guess, and had to be picked up and driven to Bialystok. I don't know what roads they travelled on but imagine they ended up on some small gravel rough roads and with the extra weight from their baggage over the wheels, it was simply too much and there was equipment failure.

One can cycle in eastern Poland and have a great time, I do, but experience and the appropriate equipment counts for more than optimism.

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