History you can touch, scenery you can breathe
Cycling trips in Poland
From the Baltic coast with its mostly plain, wide sandy beaches, the land ascends on the one hand over the lakescape of Pomerania, Pomeralia and Masuria, on the other hand over the hills and outwash plains of the Baltic land ridge far over the vast middle Polish lowlands to the narrow belt of the Sudeten low mountain range and the minor Polish plateau. A typical moraine landscape follows in the hinterland of the coast with woods and waters: the lakescape of Pomerania, Pomeralia and Masuria. As honoured in folksongs, wild swans still interrupt the nocturnal silence with their rustling wing beat, and storks adorn farmhouses and steeples with their nests.
Polish cycling routes
Flat or slightly hilly, Polish bike routes run through the countryside. You ride on side roads, field or forest paths, or cobblestone-paved trails, and sometimes on specially constructed bike paths.
Pastel-colored town houses and the largest brick building in Europe
Throughout the country, no matter which bike tour you choose, you will always discover the typical, traditional wooden houses. Some of them are richly painted. In Gdansk (Gdansk), visit the harbor and the old town, which was destroyed in World War II and then completely rebuilt and restored, with its different architectural styles, paintings and decorations. In the long street you can find especially magnificently decorated houses and many sights. Warsaw also attracts with architecture, and of various kinds: from Gothic to Classicism to modern concrete buildings, you will find everything here. Around the market square in the center of the city, beautiful, pastel-colored town houses stand in espalier. Finally, Malbork (Marienburg) is home to the largest brick building in Europe: Marienburg Castle, former seat of the Order of the Crusaders.
Music and film festivals throughout the country
Jazz Jamboree is the name of the international jazz festival held annually in Warsaw in October. Another well-known music festival is the Chopin Festival in honor of the world-famous composer and pianist in Warsaw, but it only takes place every five years. However, you will surely encounter Chopin's music again and again. Another music competition is the Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poznan, also held every five years. However, there are also the Rawa Blues and Ostróda Reggae Festivals, as well as, for metal music fans, Metalmania, the largest metal festival in Eastern Europe. Film fans will find what they are looking for in Gdynia, Warsaw and Krakow, where well-known film festivals are held. But this is only a small selection of the many, many festivals that take place in Poland.
Dumplings and Bigos
The Polish national dish is Bigos: a stew with various kinds of meat and sausages, white cabbage and sauerkraut. Overall, Polish cuisine is very meat-heavy. Polish sausages are also well known here, but the Krakauer is actually a thick smoked sausage that you spread on bread. Soups are also found everywhere, often with meat, pearl barley, sauerkraut and pickled cucumbers in vegetable broth. But be sure to try the tasty blueberry soup! As a side dish or even as a main course, there are often the popular dumplings, filled with this or that. Poles love pastries. Among the most popular cakes are poppy seed roll or apple pie. They are recommended to lovers of sweets, as well as bajgel or bagel, which actually comes from the Jewish Polish cuisine. People like to drink black tea with lemon and sugar or piwo, beer, with it. Żubrówka is a Polish variant of vodka, made from rye and flavored with bison grass. Na zdrowie! Cheers!
Nature
On the bike tours along the Polish Baltic Sea or the nature paradises around the lake districts in Masuria and Pomerania you will cycle past many nature reserves. Land of crystal lakes and dark forests is also called Masuria and bristles with whole 3,000 lakes. Many of them are connected with rivers or canals. You will observe beavers and storks, deer and elk, discover heath, forest and clear lakes. In the Białowieża Primeval Forest you will find one of the oldest forest landscapes in Europe with unique flora and fauna. The national park is a true paradise for nature lovers and cyclists!
