Green Velo

Marked in green, the Big Narewka Bike Loop is a 33.4 km long bike trail in the northern part of the Białowieża Forest (Puszcza Białowieska). It departs from Narewka via the forest village Masiewo and the part of the national park known as “Wilczy Szlak” (“Wolf Trail”) to “Kosy Most”, a forest wilderness on the Hwoźna River. The route was laid out using local roads, partly paved and partly unpaved, some of them dirt roads, almost entirely free of car traffic. The fragments traversing the Białowieża Forest are forest firebreaks and paths. Along the way, there are a few places where you can rest. Lookout towers and numerous information boards allow you to get acquainted with the nature and history of the surrounding area. The trail is well marked and there are numerous rest areas along it. The route is short and almost flat, with no difficult fragments, so it is perfect for a family bike ride.

The general course of the trail is as follows: Narewka, near the Orthodox church (0.0 km) - edge of the forest, Janowo forester’s lodge (2.5 km) – “Kosy Most” wildlife refuge (7.3 km) - “Wilczy Szlak” - Stare Masiewo (19.6 km) - Nowe Masiewo (21.9 km) - Olchówka (26.7 km) - Guszczewina (30.3 km) - Narewka (33.8 km).

The trail begins in Narewka near a beautiful Orthodox church and a folk gallery. The village was founded in the 17^th century. Its growth took place during the interwar period, in a time of activity of industrial facilities. The inhabitants at the time were Poles, Belarusians and Jews, who were the largest group in the town’s population. Currently, the only trace of that Jewish community is a small cemetery. In Narewka, you can see the Orthodox church of St. Nicholas, the Museum of Beekeeping, and the Tamara Sołoniewicz Gallery, hosting exhibitions by artists and telling about the rich traditions of the Narewka region. The new waterside hostel gives you the opportunity to kayak on the Narewka River. The trail leads to the edge of the Białowieża Forest via the road to the Janowo forester’s lodge. Then it delves into the forest and runs on good-quality dirt roads until it reaches a forest clearing with plenty of reeds. This is the valley of the Hwoźna River, which is also a wildlife refuge. Here, you can spot bison and other large animals dwelling in the Białowieża Forest. A special lookout tower was built nearby to facilitate observation. There are a few information boards around for those eager to get acquainted with the local nature.  The trail heads to the east, takes the bridge, and for a moment goes together with a green bicycle trail, which takes the “Wolf Trail” (“Wilczy Szlak”) to Masiewo. The waterlogged forest on the east bank of the Hwoźna is situated within the national park. It is virtually impenetrable, so you should never leave the trail. Abandoning the trail is not allowed anyway, for reasons that have to do with the protection of wild nature. This fragment of the trail (around 10 km long) allows you to explore the “spirit of the Białowieża Forest” and gives you a good chance to meet a bison or find wolf tracks. Portions of the route were designed to follow the tracks of the old narrow-gauge rail, used for transporting timber in the past. A mini open-air museum dedicated to that rail is located near the rest stop by the “Głuszec” reserve. Traversing the forest, the trail leads to a vast meadow, in which you will find the small villages of Nowe and Stare Masiewo. The Polish-Belarusian border crosses the meadow. Far away from civilisation, it is one of the most remote areas of the Białowieża Forest. Many old wooden houses survive in these two small villages.  From Masiewo, the trail re-enters the woods, this time a little less wild. It takes a paved road to go west, then at the edge of the forest it turns slightly to the south, returning to Narewka. Along the way, it passes through the small villages of Olchówka and Guszczewina, next to the Gruszki forest division. Leaving the route there for a while and seeing the local herb garden, or herbarium, is a great idea. After about 3 km, the loop closes in Narewka.

Points of interest along the trail:

1. Narewka - religious monuments, folk gallery, wooden architecture
2. “Kosy Most” - wilderness, wildlife refuge
3. “Wilczy Szlak” - route passing through the national park
4. Białowieża Forest
5. “Głuszec” reserve - mini open-air museum of the narrow-gauge rail
6. Masiewo Stare and Masiewo Nowe - villages in the forest
7. Gruszki - forest division, herbarium

The entire trail is suitable for bicycles with panniers/bike trailers. The trail uses solely roads with no motor vehicle traffic allowed or local roads with a low and very low vehicle traffic; no dangerous intersections. The trail is especially recommended for families with children and bike trailers for kids. Recreational character.

Starting point:

Narewka, Hajnowska street by the Stara Gospoda restaurant

Finishing point:

Narewka, Hajnowska street by the Stara Gospoda restaurant