Poland Biking Exploratory Adventure

Please note we have listed the main biking route each day. Longer options are generally available.

Day One: We meet in the city of Kraków in southern Poland. Kraków is the second-largest city in the country and has a good airport but it is more known for its ancient history, beautiful downtown, and ring of parks where the historic city walls used to stand. We'll transfer from Kraków to the cute mountain town of Zakopane, heart of the Polish side of the Tatry Mountains, where we'll grab our bikes, do a short introductory ride of about eight kilometers, and then have a slower walk through the town. We'll overnight in Zakopane and have dinner at a local Polish restaurant in town.

Day Two: Today is our first real ride but we'll start off by taking a cable car from Zakopane up the Gubałówka mountain so we can begin our ride with a fun downhill cruise on a small side road, avoiding the main route into the city. After a long and gradual downhill we reach the town of Chochołów, known as a "living history" museum due to its 100+ rough wooden houses, often over one hundred years old, that line the main street of town. From there the route takes us on what is called the "historical cultural natural trail around the Tatry mountains", which sounds good to us, and is a great way to experience nature while making our way to Novy Targ. Novy Targ is a small city known as the home of the local mountain people and boasting a huge pedestrian-only central square. Distance Today: 50 Kilometers

Day Three: This morning after breakfast we will check out and continue our ride. Our route takes us along the fantastic Dunajec River Bike Path and then along the shores of Lake Czorsztyn. We have plenty of time to view sights along the way, including an ancient wooden church in Dębno built around the year 1500 that is on the UNESCO list. We even make use of a fun ferry crossing to cross the lake. We pass the Niedzica Castle, a 14th century structure, on a hill overlooking a lake, which was built to defend the northern border of Hungary. We continue along the Czorsztyn Lake and then continue on the Dunajec River bike path. About halfway through our ride we cross over on a pedestrian and bike bridge to Červený Kláštor in Slovakia. This is a good place to stop for lunch and, if you wish, visit the local museum. We'll have views along our route of the highest mountains in the Pieniny Mountains. Our route then takes us through the Dunajec Gorge on a path carved out of the limestone and made just for walkers and cyclists. It is probably the scenic highlight of the trip. We might see local Gorale (mountain people) guiding people through the gorge on rafts as we cycle next to the river. Our destination is the small spa town of Szczawnica, back in Poland. In the afternoon, we'll have options to do one of two hikes: a 10 kilometer hike to Bereśnik Hill and the Zaskalnik waterfall ora 2.5 kilometer walk to Palenica Hill. Distance Today: 60 Kilometers

Day Four: Our route today continues along the Dunajec River through another gorge, although since this one is not made of limestone the river banks are gradual and more wooded. We'll have the option to stop in the ancient small town of Stary Sącz and will pass the Bobrowisko nature preserve with its resident population of beavers. Our ultimate destination is the city of Nowy Sącz. Nowy Sącz was founded in the year 1292 (everything seems old here) and has well-preserved historic buildings, museums, and churches well worth time to wander and see. Distance Today: 65 Kilometers

Day Five: We make our way along the Poprad River slightly uphill south again towards Slovakia. We'll pass by the Sądecki Ethnographic Park (a large open-area museum showcasing the area's history and culture) and the small town of Stary Sącz with its cute central square. Our destination is Piwniczna Zdrój, where we'll stay in a four-star spa hotel that has a spa, swimming pool, a fitness room, and even a pool table. This is a relatively short ride so we will optionally do an afternoon walk in the nearby woods and past agricultural fields. Distance Today: 30 KM

Day Six: We have a final morning ride, some of it on the Velo Natura trial along the Poprad River in Slovakia. In Powroźnik we'll see a former Greek-Catholic church, listed on UNESCO. Our destination is Krynica Zdrój where you'll have a chance to grab a bite for lunch as we load the bikes in preparation for our 2.5 hour drive back to the city of Kraków, where you'll have time to check in and shower. In the afternoon, we'll do a walking tour of the impressive old town and the Jewish quarter. Kraków is probably considered the most magical city in the country and we'll enjoy that magic on our final night of the tour with a delicious dinner in town plus a final nightcap in the old town for those interested.

Day Seven: Today is departure day. As flights can leave early in the morning, we have nothing planned and you are free to either depart for the airport or continue your further travels in Poland or in Europe.