Green Velo

The Geo-touristic Trail of Central Roztocze is not a typical bike route. It is a thematic natural and cultural trail, featuring many interesting tourist attractions within its nearly 80-km long loop. It passes through several famous localities of Roztocze, such as Józefów, Susiec and Krasnobród.

The general course of the trail is as follows: Józefów (0.0 km), Majdan Niepryski (3.0 km), Szopowe (7.1 km), Senderki - tunnels (10.8 km), Stara Huta (12.7 km), Malewszczyzna (16.4 km), Namule (19.6 km), Hutki (21.2 km), Krasnobród (25.9 km), Podklasztor (27.3 km), Łuszczacz (36.6 km), Wapielnia (39.1 km), Łasochy (43.4 km), Grabowica (46.7 km), Susiec (50.2 km), “Szumy nad Tanwią” reserve (55.1 km), Susiec (62.4 km), “Nowiny” quarry (66.3 km), “Czartowe Pole” reserve (68.3 km), Hamernia (70.5 km), Józefów (76.9 km).

Along the way, you will encounter the famous “Szumy” of Roztocze, i.e. waterfalls, as well as old quarries, ancient churches and lookout towers. Riding this trail is a great opportunity to get to know what is likely the most interesting part of the region when it comes to natural beauty. Road surfaces on the trail are quite sandy, which makes the route rather tiring. Most of the time, the trail uses paved roads with little or moderate traffic, but there are also sections of the trail that use forest firebreaks which are unpaved. For this reason, the route is recommended for cyclists who are in quite a good shape. The white-and-brown marking is quite unusual, as it is not only dedicated to cyclists. The blazes are readable and can be found at all major intersections and forks in the road. You can also verify the course of the trail thanks to numerous information boards that give you a good orientation about the area. On top of that, there are many rest areas, so riding this route is sure to be interesting. The trail starts and ends in Józefów. Due to its length, it is best to divide it into two days. The overnight stay will then be in Krasnobród, where there are a lot of accommodation facilities. There are no major climbs or descents along the way, and the highest hills are located between Susiec and Krasnobród. In several places on the trail, there are hills on which the lookout towers were erected, allowing you to enjoy the picturesque panorama of Roztocze. Here and there on the Tanew River there are steep slopes, but it has to do with the morphology of the terrain. Thanks to that, you can see the river valley really well.  The starting point and the end of the trail is in Józefów, which is also a good starting point for exploring the area. While here, you should see the sights of the town and the quarry “Babia Dolina” with a high lookout tower. Riding north from Józefów, you can visit several interesting and little-known places, like the stonemasonry studio in the neighbouring locality of Majdan Niepryski, the lookout point at the top of the Młynarka hill or the mysterious tunnels in Senderki. The trail leads into the valley of the Wieprz River, to Krasnobród, which is the halfway point of the route. Here you can relax on the artificial lake, eat, stay overnight or just to see this pretty spa town with its many monuments.  The route continues up the Wieprz to the villages of Majdan Wielki and Majdan Mały, from where the trail starts climbing up Wapielnia hill – the highest point of the whole trip. From there, the trail traverses fields to get to Susiec, before which there is another lookout tower, made of stone. In the vicinity of Susiec, visiting the “Szumy nad Tanwią” reserve is a must.  The trail returns from Susiec to Józefów together with a Green Velo trail. Along the way, you can visit the quarry in Nowiny and the “Czartowe Pole” reserve with the gorge of the Sopot River. From there, it is not far to the starting point of the tour, that is Józefów. You can ride the trail in both directions with a comparable physical effort, however, due to the length, surface, and the number of attractions, doing it in one day is in this case not quite feasible.

Points of interest along the trail:

1. Józefów: religious monuments, urban layout, “Babia Dolina” quarry and the lookout tower
2. Jan Pastuszek’s stonemasonry studio in Majdan Niepryski
3. Młynarka hill - lookout point
4. Senderki - tunnels, former sandstone mines
5. Hutki/Krasnobród - artificial lake on the Wieprz
6. Krasnobród - spa, religious monuments, architecture
7. Wapielnia - lookout point
8. Susiec - lookout tower, tourist locality
9. “Szumy on the Tanew” reserve
10. “Nowiny” quarry
11. “Czartowe Pole” reserve - waterfalls on the Sopot River

Not all fragments of the trail are suitable for bicycles with panniers/bike trailers. The trail uses (in its entirety or in part) roads with average traffic volume. There is at least one dangerous intersection (with no bicycle crossing or traffic lights); probably not recommended for families with children. Trail of outstanding natural beauty. Trail of outstanding cultural heritage value. Trail offering outstanding vistas.

Starting point:

Józefów, tourist information point in Kościuszki street

Finishing point:

Józefów, tourist information point in Kościuszki street