Green Velo

With just over 17 km, the Little Narewka Bike Loop is a short bike trail, passing through the northern edge of the Białowieża Forest (Puszcza Białowieska). The trail takes the form of a loop, starting and ending in Narewka. It is an excellent recreational route for every cyclist, also suitable for family trips. It traverses a fragment of the national park to reach “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) - fork in the road, “Wilczy Szlak” - Stare Masiewo (8.3 km) - Gruszki, forest division (13.8 km) - Narewka (17.3 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 crosses 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. The route turns north after approximately 1 km, and makes a loop, returning to the edge of the Białowieża Forest around the village of Gruszki. The village is the headquarters of the forest division, with an herb garden, or herbarium, and a place where you can rest.

Points of interest along the trail:

1. Narewka - religious monuments, folk gallery, wooden architecture
2. Białowieża Forest - national park, wildlife refuge of on the Hwoźna (“Kosy Most”)
3. “Wilczy Szlak” - section of the route passing through the national park
4. Gruszki - herbarium

The trail is separated from vehicle traffic and only uses only safe bicycle crossings on public roads, separated bike paths and roads with no car traffic, dirt roads, forest paths, etc. 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