Green Velo

The Sitkówka - Nowiny bike trail is a short route, only 7.6 kilometres long, marked out in the area of the Zelejowski Range, southeast of Kielce. It is signposted in green, and runs mainly on forest roads, near the “Raj” (Paradise) Cave near the town of Chęciny. The trail was marked out between the old quarry on the slopes of Mount Okrąglica, south of the village of Szewce, and the surroundings of the village of Gałęzice.

The route is recreational, it is ideal for lovers of light MTB cycling and actively spending time in a wildlife refuge. The surface is quite rocky, as is the case on foothill routes, with a small amount of mud and roots. You can easily get here by mountain bike, and the ascents and descents are not tiresome. The route has great sightseeing value. On the trail there are several interesting natural attractions that are part of the Świętokrzyski Archeo-Geological Trail.

The Szewce quarry, where it starts, is an example of such a point of interest. On the slopes of Okrąglica between the 14^th and 20^th centuries, lead and copper ores as well as the unique Devonian limestone, with a pink colour, were mined here.

Only two kilometres southwest of the starting point of the trail is the “Raj” (Paradise) Cave - the most famous of the Kraków-Częstochowa Jura (The Kraków-Częstochowa Upland) caves. It is open to visitors, and the underground tourist route allows you to see unique forms of dripstone that gave the cave its name. Next to it there is an archaeological exhibition, the Neanderthal Centre, presenting a reconstruction of the original settlement, traces of which were found in the cave.

However, the trail runs in the opposite direction. The route from the old quarry runs in a collision-free manner under national road no. S7, then through a forest ravine between the Żakowa and Bukowa hills. On the slopes of Mount Żakowa and the neighboring Mount Zelejowa, nature reserves have been created. On Mount Żakowa, the protection covers local vegetation and the remains of mining excavations and tunnels, since lead was also mined here. Neighboring Mount Zelejowa is a rock reserve, protecting geological outcrops and the remains of limestone mining, subject to karst features. In the past, the so-called "Zalejewa Rose", a local variety of limestone rock, similar to and often confused with marble, was also mined here.

At the foothills of Mount Żakowa, not far from the trail, there is a second cave located in this area. It is called Piekło (Hell), because according to the local legends it was once inhabited by devils. It does not have such dripstone forms as the neighboring Jaskinia Raj (Paradise Cave), but it can be visited independently. It is a fissure at the foot of a rock, whose main corridor is several meters long, with four entrances, including a large main entrance. The cave is inhabited by bats and spiders and can be seen during a cycling trip. It is about 200 meters from the trail.

Cycling down this trail, the cyclist can within an hour get from hell to paradise, or from paradise to hell. The direction of cycling, of course, remains a question of choice, although cycling in the first direction is a bit more difficult (due to the terrain profile).

Points of interest along the trail:

1. Jaskinia Raj (Paradise Cave)
2. The Szewce quarry
3. Mount Żakowa, Mount Zelejowa Nature Reserves
4. Jaskinia Piekło (Hell Cave)

Not all fragments of the trail are suitable for bicycles with panniers/bike trailers. The trail runs only on roads without road traffic or on local roads with a low and very low volume of traffic; no dangerous intersections. A recreational trail. A trail for lovers of mountain biking and off-road cycling.

Starting point:

Szewce, an old quarry

Finishing point:

Zawada, near the asphalt loop at the edge of the forest