In May 2017 Michał and I went on a two-day bike trip: by train from Olsztyn to Malbork, and back by bike – through Powiśle, the area around Jerzwałd, Miłomłyn and Łukta. It came to 130 km and one night in a tent. On the way we had two punctures, once took a wrong turn and had to backtrack, and on part of the route there was no phone signal. There were also fields of rapeseed in bloom, lakes, forests and old village buildings. We reached Olsztyn several hours later than planned.
Table of contents
- By train with our bikes to Malbork
- Through Powiśle: rapeseed, brick churches and the manor in Cieszymowo
- Stary Dzierzgoń and a night in the tent
- Cobbles, forest and two punctures
- Rapeseed, Boreczno and Miłomłyn on the Elbląg Canal
- Through the forests to Łukta
- Through Warmia to Olsztyn
- Practical information
By train with our bikes to Malbork
We set off on Thursday 25 May 2017. Shortly after 1:30 pm we left Olsztyn Główny station by train with our bikes, and by half past three we were in Malbork. This time we didn’t visit the famous Teutonic castle – the largest brick castle in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I visited Malbork a year later, during the Kortowo Hitchhiking Rally. From the station we headed straight south-east.
Through Powiśle: rapeseed, brick churches and the manor in Cieszymowo
The first stretch led through Powiśle – a flat, farming area east of the Vistula and the Nogat, which today still belongs to the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Through Pijaki we reached the area around Stary Targ. We rode along narrow tarmac roads between fields of rapeseed, which was in yellow bloom at the end of May.
On the way we passed brick churches and old farm buildings. The roads varied – from new tarmac to cracked, narrow roads that remember older generations.
In the evening, through Balewo, Krasna Łąka and Linki, we reached Cieszymowo Wielkie. There is an old manor house by a pond there, and next to it an octagonal half-timbered building with a thatched roof.
Stary Dzierzgoń and a night in the tent
After eight in the evening we were in Stary Dzierzgoń. In the village we passed the “Gabi” bar with its wooden sign.
Dusk was falling as we rode through the village of Bądze. We pitched the tent just past it, in tall grass at the edge of the forest. It was a great spot to camp.
Cobbles, forest and two punctures
In the morning, on Friday 26 May, we packed up the tent and rode on east towards Jerzwałd. Part of the way led through the forest on old cobbles.
That morning we had two punctures – less than an hour apart. The first on the forest cobbles, the second on tarmac in a village.
At noon we took a longer break by a lake with a wooden jetty, small boats and a yacht by the shore.
Rapeseed, Boreczno and Miłomłyn on the Elbląg Canal
After half past one we passed Dobrzyki. Further on we rode, among other things, along a dirt track right through the blooming rapeseed, and rested by a pond between the fields.
Through Boreczno, which lies on a lake, we reached Miłomłyn after four o’clock.
A brown sign at the entrance shows the Church of St Bartholomew, the Miłomłyn lock and the route of the Elbląg Canal. The canal was built in 1844–1860 and links Ostróda and Iława with Elbląg. It is best known for its slipways, on which boats travel overland on rail-mounted carriages.
Through the forests to Łukta
From Miłomłyn we rode east on forest roads, past piles of timber and through the lakeside village of Tabórz. After seven in the evening we were in Łukta.
In Łukta we stopped for ice cream. There were still about 30 km left to Olsztyn.
Through Warmia to Olsztyn
Regional road no. 527 leads from Łukta to Olsztyn. A few kilometres past Łukta there is a brown sign reading “Warmia – historical border”. From that point on we were riding through historical Warmia, to which Olsztyn also belongs. A moment later we crossed a bridge over a forest river.
Through Stękiny, Wrzesina, Giedajty and Warkały we reached Olsztyn at half past nine in the evening.
Practical information
- Train with a bike: a regional train runs from Olsztyn to Malbork, and the journey takes about 2 hours. You buy a separate ticket for the bike, and the number of bike spaces in the carriage is limited.
- Route: the 130 km from Malbork to Olsztyn on back roads can be done in two days with one overnight stop. There are stretches of old cobbles and dirt tracks on the way, so a trekking or mountain bike works better than a road bike.
- Navigation: in the forests and between villages there are places without phone signal – download an offline map before you go.
- Camping: in the forest you may only camp in designated places, for example as part of the State Forests programme “Zanocuj w lesie” (Spend the night in the forest). On a meadow, ask the landowner.
- Repairs: take a spare inner tube, patches, tyre levers and a pump. There are no bike repair shops in the small villages along the route.
- Malbork Castle: if you want to visit it, plan a separate day or arrive in the morning – a guided tour takes about 3 hours.
- More by bike: cycling in Warmia and Masuria – trips from Olsztyn and by bike to the Pyramid in Rapa. I described Olsztyn itself in the post Olsztyn – what to see.
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