Green Velo

This trail, less than 40 km long, passes though the southern part of the Białowieża Forest (Puszcza Białowieska). It begins in Dubicze Cerkiewne and goes via Topiło to Białowieża. Its easy and pleasant route, good road surfaces, decent marking and some interesting places on the trail make for an interesting trip idea, even for less experienced cyclists.

The general course of the trail is as follows: Dubicze Cerkiewne, Orthodox Church (0.0 km) - Bachmaty artificial lake (2.2 km) -Werstok (7.0 km) - Topiło (11.2 km) - “Miejsce Mocy [“Energy sites” in Polish]” (33.5 km) - Białowieża, palace park (38.4 km).

The beginning of the route is located in the large village of Dubicze Cerkiewne, south of Hajnówka. The trail departs from the wooden Orthodox church of Holy Virgin Mary and heads east, arriving at a cycling path which is used by a Green Velo trail. The two trails go together for a while, but the green route, which we’re on, once again turns towards the forest. After around 2 km it gets to the Bachmaty artificial lake, a popular leisure destination among locals and tourists alike, offering a beach, a swimming area a camping area.  From here, it is not far to the village of Werstok, located at the edge of the forest. It has an old wooden Orthodox church and a cemetery. The trail delves into the woods of the Białowieża Forest, heading towards a village located in the forest, Topiło, in which you can see an old station of a decommissioned narrow-gauge railway and numerous wooden, old cottages. The trail continues through waterlogged woods in the eastern direction, towards Białowieża.  Passing through extensive forests, which, however, are not so natural as those in the vicinity of Topiło, we go near the so-called “Miejsce Mocy” [“Energy sites”], shrouded in legends. The trail leads to the famous village of Białowieża, nestled in the heart of the forest. You can finish the trip here, returning via Hajnówka to Dubicze Cerkiewne, or stop here for a bit longer to explore the many attractions this popular tourist locality has to offer. You can see the historic palace park with what remains of the old Tsar residence, the natural history museum, the nearby Orthodox church and the rebuilt railway station. Further in the village, there is a church and the Białowieża Towarowa railway station. Restored in a style that evokes the atmosphere from the Tsarist era, it is now home to a very elegant restaurant. You should allocate at least a few hours for sightseeing in Białowieża. It is a good idea to make this trail a part of a two-day or a longer trip in the Białowieża Forest. Using the Green Velo trail, you can easily get from Hajnówka to Dubicze Cerkiewne, and then hit the green trail to Białowieża. From here, you can extend the trip towards the Siemianówka lake. Along the way, you can spend the night in a tent in one of the camping areas, in at one of the numerous agrotourism farms found in the villages in the area.

Points of interest along the trail:

1. Dubicze Cerkiewne - Orthodox church, Bachmaty lake (swimming beach, campsite)
2. Werstok - Orthodox church
3. Białowieża Forest
4. Topiło - village in the forest, narrow-gauge rail mini open-air museum
5. “Miejsce Mocy” near Białowieża
6. Białowieża (monuments, village architecture, museum, park)

The entire trail is suitable for bicycles with panniers/bike trailers. 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. Recreational character.

Starting point:

Dubicze Cerkiewne, Orthodox church of the Holy Virgin Mary

Finishing point:

Białowieża, parking near the entrance to the palace park