Green Velo

The White Stork Trail is marked in green, and is less than 30 kilometres long. It runs in the form of loops, through old villages and open agricultural areas east of the locality of Sępopol, approaching the border with Russia. It runs mainly on poor quality asphalt roads through open areas, which makes the trail highly exposed to the wind. The attraction of the route are two Gothic churches and numerous stork nests, as the name of the trail suggests. Due to the proximity of the border, you must bring your identity card and expect a meeting with the border guards.

The general course of the trail is as follows: Sępopol (0.0 km) - Romankowo (2..8 km) - Lwowiec (8.0 km) - Dzietrzychowo (11.9 km) - Gaj (16.7 km) - Dzietrzychowo (20.5 km) ) - Sępopol (28.3 km)

In villages along the route, numerous old red brick houses have been preserved, covered with ceramic tiles, with decorative cornices and friezes. Such buildings were characteristic for the whole area of ​​East Prussia in 19^th and early 20^th centuries. The buildings preserved to this day create a characteristic cultural landscape of the Warmia village. Despite the destruction caused by the Red Army during the 1945 offensive and the subsequent long-term devastation of abandoned estates, the beauty of the old architecture has been rediscovered in recent years.

The trip starts and ends in Sępopol - a small town located in the Łyna bend, at the mouth of the Guber river. In 19^th century, the anticipated necessity to build several bridges was the reason why the main railway junction in East Prussia was finally located in the town of Korsze, 12 km away. In 1945, 80% of Sępopol was destroyed. Major monuments include the Gothic church of Archangel Saint Michael dating back to 14^th century, with a tower standing watch over the city, where a panorama deck was made at a height of approximately 60 m. Inside the temple you can see the Baroque main altar and the pulpit dating back to the first half of 17^th century and the burial chapel of the Kunheim family, the owners of the palace in nearby locality of Judyty. Next to the bridge over the Łyna river, a fragment of the defensive walls with the city's coat of arms has been preserved. An interesting structure is also the Art Nouveau water tower, built in 1912, which is still in use. The local church tower, dating back to the 14^th century, has a panorama deck and a museum exhibition about the history of the city and the region. Leaving the locality of Sępopol, it is worth paying attention to the preserved part of the defensive walls with the coat of arms of the city placed on them.

The trail runs along the road towards the village of Romankowo, partly through forests, to the large and old village of Lwowiec. Practically on every house and pillar there are nests of white storks, which in the area find excellent conditions for living and rearing young. Open areas of extensive agriculture, and a large amount of food and peace make this part of Poland a real refuge for this beautiful bird. The most interesting monument of the village is the Gothic defensive church from 14^th century. Its huge tower resembles the architecture of the Teutonic Knights’ castles - and this association is right because it was founded by one of the Great Masters of this Order. Gothic and later elements of the interior are preserved in the temple. This church is now the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Scapular.

The trail runs from the village of Lwowiec to the north, towards the village of Dzietrzychowo where there is another, historic church. This much smaller temple has a wooden tower and a more modest but also Gothic body. From this village the trail runs in a small loop to the village of Gaj, approaching the border at a distance of 1.5 km. Then the route turns back and again runs through the village of Dzietrzychowo to the city of Sępopol. The last part of the trail runs through the valley of the Łyna River.

Points of interest along the trail:

1. Sępopol - monuments of the city, urban layout
2. Lwowiec - defensive church, traditional, rural buildings
3. Dzietrzychowo - a Gothic church
4. Numerous white stork nests

The entire trail is 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 traffic, without dangerous intersections. A recreational trail.

Starting point:

Sępopol, north-eastern part of the city (trip to Romankowo)

Finishing point:

Sępopol, north-eastern part of the city own (trip to Romankowo)