Green Velo

The Polish Amazonia – this is what the Narew Valley is often called. It is around this place that the entire tourist offer advertising the attractions of the Narew National Park – one of the five national parks through which the Green Velo trail runs – is focused. Choroszcz with a summer mansion of Count Jan Klemens Branicki, the seat of the park in Kurowo, a broken bridge in Kruszewo, with which an interesting legend is associated, and the biggest attraction of Narew – the Śliwno – Waniewo footbridge consisting partly of floating platforms – are a real treat for tourists.

You can start your adventure with the unknown treasures of the Polish Amazonia in the central point of Choroszcz near the Białystok Biker station. When leaving Choroszcz, you should arrive at an overpass in the north-western direction and then take the access road to a separate cycling path situated on the left side of the overpass. Following this route, you ride almost to the 16th kilometre of the trail, where you turn left before an overpass 200 metres behind the church painted pink. In Radule, you turn right and follow the gravel road to Pajewo, still sticking to the red trail – the Podlasie Stork Trail. Following this trail, you reach Kurowo. After a few moments, you arrive at a must-see point in the Narew National Part: the Waniewo – Śliwno footbridge with floating platforms that you have to use in order to move to its farther part. After passing the footbridge, it is time for a broken bridge in Kruszewo, the road to which is paved with cobblestone in some places. In Kolonia Rogowo, you turn left and, going straight for the next 6 kilometres, you reach the Choroszcz/Białystok/Zaczerlany crossroads. Then you ride straight 200 metres farther in order to see the site of a grave called the “Gallows” and then turn left towards Choroszcz at the crossroads.

Route:

• Choroszcz (0 km)
• Żółtki (2.8 km)
• Radule (17.3 km)
• Kurowo (22 km)
• Waniewo (28 km)
• Śliwno (29.8 km)
• Kruszewo (34.8 km)
• Pańki (38.5 km)
• Choroszcz (49.5 km)

Route option:
An optional part of the excursion is the detour around the seat of the Narew National Park in Kurowo. It enriches the route with extra sightseeing and aesthetic benefits, adding only 1.5 km of cycling distance.

Surface:

• Mixed: alternately asphalt, gravel and cobblestones
• Asphalt: 80%
• Asphalt and gravel: mainly of good quality
• The centre of Choroszcz – the 17th kilometre of the route, past Radule: a cycle path, then a local asphalt road
• Past Radule: almost 1 km of gravel
• Pajewo: asphalt
• Past Pajewo – the 22nd kilometre of the route: gravel
• Kurowo near the seat of the Narew National Park: the red asphalt Stork Route: 1 km of gravel, with a turn to the left
• The 24th kilometre in Pszczółczyna: asphalt, a red route with a turn to the left towards Waniewo, to the Śliwno – Waniewo footbridge, over 1 km of passage to the 30th kilometre, with a break in Pańki and Kruszewo to Choroszcz

Partly marked route:

• Choroszcz – towards Żółtki: blue cycling trail – the ring-road of the Narew National Park
• Separate unmarked cycling trail along the S8 route
• Rzędziany – Radule: Green Velo, orange marks
• Before Radule – Kurowo – crossroads with the shrine of the Holy Mother of God on the outskirts of Waniewo: Podlasie Stork Route, red marks:
• To Kolonia Rogowo: no clear navigation marks of the route
• Śliwno – Kruszewo: asphalt to the mark directing to Pańki, from Pańki to Kolonia Rogowo
• Pańki – Choroszcz: Green Velo

Tourist attractions on the route:

• Choroszcz – the summer mansion of Count Jan Klemens Branicki houses the Museum of Palace Interiors. The facility is surrounded by a park and moats, canals and footbridges.
• The Podlasie Stork Trail – it was created in order to present the rituals of the white stork, a species which inhabits this region in large numbers.
• Kurowo – the seat of the Narew National Park is situated here on the bank of the Narew River. Cycling around the 19th-century manor house will make the excursion longer by 1.5 km.
• The Waniewo – Śliwno footbridge in the Narew National Park contains watchtowers and signboards. Its charm lies in four floating platforms that you have to use in order to move to the farther part of the footbridge. And all of this happens among singing birds and the lazy flow of the Narew.
• A grave called the Gallows – the place of execution of 11 insurgents.