Podlaskie has the highest percentage of Orthodox inhabitants in Poland. When you are here, you must enter at least one Orthodox temple. On our route, one of the most interesting temples will be the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Hajnówka, the largest two-level Orthodox church in Poland.

On the way, you will learn about the old times in the Podlaskie countryside, and you will also get in touch with nature. A visit to the Nature and Forest Museum will be an introduction to the local fauna and flora, followed by biking through the Białowieża National Park with a stop in the Bison Reserve. You will spend the night in Tarnopol.

Podlaskie continues to surprise. On the third day you will visit the Siemianówka Reservoir – the third largest artificial lake in Poland. This reservoir, often called a lake, is above all a paradise for fishermen and one of the best places for bird watching in Poland. As you already know, Podlaskie is a region full of orthodox churches, and today there will also be plenty of them along the way. On the route you will pass the orthodox wooden church of Nativity of St John the Baptist in Nowa Wola and the orthodox church of St Anne in Królowy Most.

You will reach the place of today’s accommodation in Supraśl, passing through the Knyszyn Forest Landscape Park. Before dinner, you will also visit the Museum of the Printing and Paper Industry.

In the morning you will ride the distance of 18 kilometres by bike to visit the capital of Podlaskie – Białystok. Ludwik Zamenhof, the founder of the international language Esperanto, was born here.

While exploring the city streets, you will see the Hagia Sophia Orthodox church, the Branicki Palace and Białystok Cathedral.

During the break you will taste Podlaskie cuisine, which is significantly different from the other regions of Poland. Local culinary traditions are influenced by Jewish, Belarusian, Ukrainian and Lithuanian cuisine. One of the most popular dishes is potato pie.

Continuing along the Green Velo route, you will visit the Narew National Park for a few kilometres walk among the Narew backwaters. The accommodation is planned in Tykocin.

Before continuing the trip, it is worth stopping for a moment and learning about the history of Tykocin. Thanks to their diligence and various skills, the Jews made a great contribution to the economic development of this town. The brick synagogue, built in 1642, remained an invaluable memento of those times. In Tykocin, you will also visit the reconstruction of the vaults, halls and cloisters of the royal castle from the 16th century.

As you move further outside the city, you will see many storks’ nests. This bird can be watched from the observation towers located in Dworek Pentowo, which was awarded the title of the European Stork Village. You will spend the rest of the day in the Biebrza National Park. The overnight stay is planned in Goniądz.

Today’s stage ends in the city of Augustów. Before you reach it, however, you must make your way along the 10,000-year-old bicycle trail alongside the picturesque swamps in the Biebrza Valley. It is worth taking waterproof shoes with you.

Along the way, you will see another unique religious building. This time you will come across the religious building of Old Believers, which are one of the religious Orthodox denominations. This prayer house is located in Gabowe Grądy and resembles an Orthodox church from the outside, but the differences are visible inside.

Riding further through beautiful forests, you will come across Lake Sajno; fish from the surrounding lakes will be served for dinner. If you have a special diet, don’t worry – there is something for everyone!

Everyone will be happy to take a short break from the bike. If the weather is good, kayaks will be the new means of transport. The route we have checked is the most beautiful section of the Czarna Hańcza River, which leads through the heart of the Augustów Forest.

Ahead of you lies 12 kilometres on a meandering river among forests and marshy meadows. At the end of the route, a surprise awaits, i.e. locking and rafting down the historic Augustów Canal.

The day will end with a dinner, which will again include local products: delicate Korycin cheese, golden and crispy potato pie, legendary kartacze, known as ‘zeppelins’ in Lithuania, and last but not the least a tree cake, which is slightly moist and crusty at the same time.

After a good night’s rest, it’s time to get back to the saddle. The main attraction on the eighth day of the trip will be a bike tour of Lake Wigry, considered one of the cleanest reservoirs in Poland. Through straits and streams, Lake Wigry connects with sixteen other lakes. The Czarna Hańcza river, which we met in a kayak, also flows through it.

The Perkuć nature reserve, located in the central part of the Augustów Forest, also deserves your attention. It includes forests, peat bogs and Lake Kruglak with rich and interesting water plants. The nature lovers will feel fulfilled, especially since the night is planned by Lake Wigry.

After packing up the equipment, you will continue your journey. The first place you will visit will be the former Camaldolese monastery, beautifully situated on the Wigry Peninsula. It is definitely a showcase of the Suwałki Region. John Paul II chose this area for a few days’ rest for a reason.

After a dozen or so kilometres you will reach Suwałki. In the city centre, it is worth slowing down to see historic tenement houses, the Church of St Alexander and the Town Hall.

Outside the city, you will enter the Suwałki Landscape Park, famous for the deepest lake in Poland. Overnight is planned at the other end of Lake Hańcza.

Today, a rather more difficult part of the route is planned. Few people associate the north of Poland with elevations, but the Suwałki Region is the most mountainous area in the Polish lowlands. The first stage will lead you to the border Triangle – the point where the borders of Poland, Lithuania and Russia meet.

A photo on the bridges in Stańczyki will be an unforgettable souvenir. These two railway bridges built by the Germans after World War I are now listed as protected monuments and used by bungee jumping enthusiasts.

As you cover the next section of the route, you will pass three glacial lakes: Mauda, ​​Linowo and Przerośl. You will spend the night on another reservoir of the same origin – Lake Czarne.

By riding most of the route down the hill, you will get to Gołdap, a spa town with its own sanatorium, pump-room of mineral waters and graduation towers. You will be able to admire the area from the terrace of the tower located 46 metres high.

We have planned dinner for you in a restaurant highly rated by locals, where the traditional Polish dish – pierogi – is especially recommended.

A hearty lunch will give you energy and allow you to reach the finish line of our route – Węgorzewo. In the evening there will be an opportunity to go for a walk along the marina on your own.

It’s time to say goodbye to biking and nature. Today you will be transferred to Gdańsk by coach.

A beautiful port city with a rich history that is best explored with a local guide. Our proposal is a 3-hour sightseeing tour of the Old Town combined with a walk around the shipyard grounds. Let’s stay in an industrial climate a bit more and visit the European Solidarity Centre, which will bring you closer to the history of the shipyard workers.

And in the evening a real culinary feast awaits you as a reward for physical endurance and covering over 500 km by bike. Local beer and Polish specialties will be the perfect ending to this trip.

Taking advantage of the last moments in Gdańsk, you can go for a morning walk along the Motława River, reaching it through old streets. For those who love shopping, we suggest a stroll down Mariacka Street to get souvenirs, especially those made of amber.

In addition to shopping, we also recommend visiting one of the many good cafés.