One of the great positives about Poland is the strong attachment to socio-cultural traditions. The photo below depicts a typical Gorale wedding party where the bride and groom are ‘summoned’ by a trio of horns. The Gorale are an ethnic group, with a distinct language and culture, who live in the Sudetan mountain range in south-west Poland.
Quite a funny clip with adult themes and some strong language. View at your peril!
The more I cycle the more I realise the transformative effect cycling can have on our cityscapes. Cityscapes that are, in the main, dominated by a car culture. It was back in the 60s when bike friendly Copenhagen understood this and fought back against the threat from the increasing affordability of the car. Today, similar battles are being fought between car proponents and cyclists for relatively modest proposals like providing 3ft wide cycling lanes on public roads. Even within the cycling community there are disagreements between integrationists (facilities on roads) and segregationists (separate bike paths). Although I straddle that divide and believe that there should be a mix of these facilities depending on the environment. Freewheeler provides a strong argument for segregation, while the CTC argue for integration, and The Cycling Lawyer has a more balanced view.
As a cyclist, I’d like to have our cities back and place people and our living spaces before cars. And this is something I’ll post about in the future. In the meantime, have a squiz at the video below from Streetfilms (a bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organisation). It’s an inspirational video!
Dave Harmon and Sean Kelly have kept me entertained while watching some exciting and not so exciting Tour de France stages via Eurosport player. This video was tweeted by @spokesmen (Dave Harmon) and exists on the German Radsport Facebook page. Sean rides up the Tourmalet on a 1910 singlespeed. Well produced and well worth watching!
The power of social media was brought into sharp relief during the week. I was watching Stage 9 of the Tour de France on Thursday with David Harmon and Sean Kelly commentating. David and Sean started chatting about the upcoming Tour de Pologne and promoting Eurosport’s coverage of it (I’ll be posting a video extract of their conversation shortly). As you may or may not know, the 66th Tour de Pologne runs through August 1 to 7 and has a history dating back to 1928 when it was first run. They’ve moved the dates from July to August in an effort to avoid the worst of the wet weather that as plagued it in recent years. It’s a great advertisement for Poland, boasts some big name teams, and is being covered by Eurosport -- which will provide even more exposure.
It was great to hear other people extol the virtues of cycling in Poland as the word must be getting out. It’s an amazing country to lay down some tyre tracks and surprises await around every corner. The geographical, cultural, and architectural features are astounding and I get really excited when showing them off to people on my cycling trips. I was so wrapped to hear them talking so glowingly about Poland I tweeted them @spokesmen:
“@spokesmen Poland is an amazing country for cycling. Fell in love with Poland and opened a cycle tour business there! www.cyclingpoland.com“
A few minutes later, David mentioned my Tweet on air and there was a bit of a traffic spike. The mention on Eurosport LIVE was great, the increased exposure was great, and the ‘as good as’ real time interaction, communication, and feedback was even greater. The team at Eurosport monitor forums, email addresses, and Twitter making the Tour de France a much better experience for the viewers. A great example of how media organisations can embrace interactivity and make the product more engaging. Here is the video!:
The region of Lower Silesia is one of largely unrecognized beauty. The region’s capital, Wroclaw, is replete with Gothic churches, Flemish-style Renaissance mansions, Viennese Baroque palaces and chapels, tranquil parks, gardens, rivers and a vibrant cultural scene.
Outside Wroclaw you enter the region’s playground. The gently rolling landscape is full of ponds, lakes, rivers, open farmlands, dense forests, rugged mountains and unspoiled villages. The cycling is superb, the scenery is stunning, and the people are warm, generous and welcoming.
Our first stop after leaving Wroclaw is in Olesnica, a beautiful town that was established as part of the Amber Trail in the 13th century. Today it is home to a unique complex of the Princes Castle, the Basilica of St. John the Apostle and the Wrocław Gate Tower.
Tracing our way along serene country lanes towards the peaceful village of Poreby, we stop in a small village with an even smaller shop where we are spontaneously treated to a large bottle of crystal-clear fluid courtesy of a local. We spend a wonderful afternoon talking about his ‘bike passport’. He bought a small notebook in the 80s and has cycled some 10,000kms since. His book is a conglomeration of petrol station stamps, passport control stamps, tourist attraction stamps… you get the picture. After bidding farewell (Czesc!) we endure a weaving journey of a few hundred meters to a hearty dinner and the comfortable beds of a local agro-tourism farm.
We’re smack bang in the middle of the Milicz Lakes District, home to 13 amphibian species, 250 bird species and 44 different mammals. In the picturesque town of Trzebnica we spend the morning exploring its long and distinguished history. The main attraction is the Cisterian Convent, established in 1202 by Saint Jadwiga (St Hedwig).
Gdańsk, home of the Solidarity movement, once a member of the Hanseatic league, is the largest city of the Kashubian ethnic group. It’s come a long way from its origins as a fishing village in the 9th century and is now the jewel of a region which ranges from the sand dunes of Slowinski National Park to the ancient shores of the Vistula River and the tranquility of the Zarnowieckie Lake.
Add the gothic old town of Toruń, the intact fortified medieval walls of Chelmno, the 15th century Basilica in Pelplin, and the magnificent Malbork Castle into the mix and you have a trail of amazing memories, unforgettable cycling, and remarkable sights to discover.
Where better to start your adventure than in Hel? The Hel Peninsula is a sliver of sand which stretches some 35kms to the west of Gdansk. The timeless Kasubian town of Hel is not all fire and brimstone; with the sea breeze at your back, and the scent and the sound of the sea, you just can’t help but relax.
We veer away from the coast and head south into the heart of the Pomerania region. We are in the medieval lands of the Teutonic Knights and traces of their existence are scattered throughout. An extraordinary example of the Teutonic legacy is the 14th century castle in Bytow.
Next, we visit the stunning medieval town of Chelmno; whose fortified walls, five Gothic cathedrals, and Renaissance town hall must have been designed to impress.
The Hanseatic port of Toruń is a special highlight. A Slavic settlement since 1100 BC, a Teutonic outpost since the 13th century, the birthplace of Nicolas Copernicus in the 15th century, and UNESCO World Heritage listed in the 20th century, Toruń will captivate you with its Gothic charm and off-the-beaten-track character.
Another astonishing day beckons as we head towards the majesty of Malbork Castle. This colossal fortified castle is Europe’s largest Gothic fortress. We spend a few hours exploring its multiple defensive walls, labyrinth of rooms and chambers, and exquisite architectural detail and decoration. The late afternoon sun on the 600-year-old red brickwork is indescribable.
The Great Masurian Lakes Plateau is an area of renowned beauty. It’s a landscape of gentle hills, cool lakes, rustic farmhouses, quiet villages, and swathes of tranquil forest.
In addition to these natural wonders, you can explore the vestiges of Teutonic, Prussian, German and Polish architectural legacies. The infamous ‘Wolf’s Lair’ – Hitler’s main headquarters – is one of the more surprising highlights. In the tiny hamlet of Gierloz there is the eerie sight of 18 hectares of a partially-destroyed Nazi complex. Hitler’s series of bunkers with eight-foot thick walls were designed to blend in with the landscape of idyllic forests and lakes.
The scenery is breathtaking and the cycling is superb as we twist and turn through the unspoiled ‘green lungs’ of Poland which are rich in blackberries, raspberries, wild strawberries and mushrooms. There are many black storks, eagles and snipes, and if you keep your eyes peeled you may even see lynx, elk, stag, wolf, fox or wild boar!
On the way to Mikolajki, we pass through the village of Gizycko and stop for a closer look at the 19th century Boyen Fortress, one of a network of 14 forts which comprise the Baltic Fort Route.
Turning our handlebars south for 50km of rivers, lakes, marshes and wildlife, we head for the Luknajno Reserve where Europe’s largest community of wild swans live. If you keep an eye out you may also see a ‘tarpan’ which is the cousin of the now extinct wild horse.
The land of 3000 lakes and the wildlife, built history, and warm people leave us with an indelible impression of the natural, historical, and cultural significance of a region which is virtually unknown. The Masurian Lakes Plateau does ‘indelible’ very well.
My first visit to with Poland was in 2001. I was on four-week cycling holiday and fell in love with the scenery, pace of life and old world charm. So much so that I moved here to Wroclaw, the capital of Lower Silesia.
Eight years later, the Polish countryside, brimming with awe-inspiring natural attractions, remarkable buildings, and mostly traffic-free roads still astounds me. It’s not only the beauty of the Sudeten Mountains, their rolling green and yellow foothills, the deep blue lakes, the Odra River, and the Klodzko Valley that fill your senses with unique sights, sounds, and colours. It’s also the numerous castles (ruined and renovated) to explore, the Cistercian monasteries for contemplation, the historical churches of peace, the rejuvenating health spas, plus the Gothic and Baroque treasures of a country which is largely untouched by tourism.
Poland is sure to satisfy your desire for adventure, relaxation, exploration, and surprise. And I can’t think of a better way to experience Poland than by bike. An 83-year-old Polish cyclist once told me: ‘If you are going for a long ride with others, make sure there is an interesting destination or highlight or two along the way.’ I’ve provided just three of the unmissable ones below.
Heading north, we can see Sobotka Mountain in the distance. That’s the great thing about cycling – you can sometimes see your destination and head towards it. But it doesn’t come at you too fast; you have time to drink it in. The rolling foothills leading to Sobotka and the family-run hotel where we’ll spend the night vary enough to give interest to the ride but are without major inclines. Conversation turns to the mysterious ancient monuments found on the slopes of Sobotka and what role they may have had in the lives of the Pagan and Celtic peoples who once lived here.
As we leave Sobotka in the cool calm of the following morning, I calculate that we’ve ridden almost 340kms (211 miles). It sounds like quite a distance when I write it now, but the characters, the conversations, and the camaraderie eased the distance into the background. The cycling in this wonderfully varied terrain is fantastic. I know these quiet country lanes that meander their way through a countryside virtually unchanged from yesteryear, like the back of my hand (which now has a strange tan line in the shape of a cycling glove).
Our pace slows as we close the distance to Wroclaw, perhaps to prolong the experience as much as possible, perhaps to harmonise with the tempo of life here. But I believe it’s actually because, after a week on a bicycle one can’t help but to slow down, to relax, to live in the moment, and wish it to continue.
RSS Feed
Twitter
