Green Velo

This proposition is addressed to enthusiasts of nature, beautiful views and fantastic stories. The 25-kilometre route is characterized by a low degree of difficulty and a high degree of mystery. The highlight of the tour is an Orthodox monastery with the church of St Onuphrius in Jabłeczna, picturesquely situated by the Bug River.

The route begins at the Market Square in Sławatycze; exit through Kraszewskiego Street. In the forest, south of Krzywowólka, there is a place in the shape of a circle, where trees have not grown for hundreds of years. To get there, on loop no. 63 of the Southern Podlasie Cycling Trails you need to head in the direction of loop no. 33. The road is not paved and in case of bad weather access might be difficult.

In Krzywowólka turn right and after a few kilometres reach Jabłeczna. Return to Sławatycze through the villages of Nowosiółki and Liszna, admiring on the way the beautiful landscapes of the Bug River Valley. It’s advisable to come here in June, during the Bug River Valley Bike Rally – a regular event allowing you to get to know the most interesting places of the Sławatycze municipality from the perspective of your two-wheeler.

Route:

• Sławatycze (0 km)
• Krzywowólka (7 km)
• Jabłeczna (16 km)
• Sławatycze (25 km)

Route options:
Returning from Jabłeczna, on loop no. 60 of the Southern Podlasie Cycling Routes turn left and head towards loop no. 30. The route is similar to the basic variant, but it leads through dirt roads. This, in turn is compensated by splendid views and the possibility of experiencing the nature of the Bug River Valley even more closely.

Surface:
Tatar mizar in Zastawek: asphalt: 100%

The route is marked:
Green Velo and a network of Southern Podlasie Cycling Trails

Tourist attractions on the route:

• Sławatycze – standing in the town square are the over three-metre tall statues of bearded men, made of linden wood. Brodacze (Bearded Men) is the local name for the costumed revellers who, in the last three days of December, put on special outfits and parade through the streets of Sławatycze. The oldest locals say that their grandparents used to tell them about the custom.
• Krzywowólka – in a forest south of the village is a 5-hectare spot in the shape of a perfect circle in which no tree has grown for hundreds of years. According to local legends, an Orthodox church that used to stand there that was one day swallowed up by the ground.
• Jabłeczna – in the place where, according to legend the icon of St Onuphrius stopped on its way down the Bug, a monastery was built. For centuries, it was a stronghold of Orthodoxy in the region. In the vicinity of the church, among the Bug River meadows, there are two wooden chapels built in the beginning of the 20th century. In June, the Orthodox monastery holds religious ceremonies on the Day of St Onuphrius, gathering hundreds of pilgrims.