Gdańsk: Cycling routes, Żuławy and cultural heritage in Gdańsk County

• In the east, Żuławy Gdańskie lies in the catchment area of the Martwa Wisła; it is part of the larger Żuławy Wiślane area.
• In the west, the Gdańsk Heights stretch along the edge of the Kashubian Lake District, which belongs to the Pomeranian Lake District.
• Routes include circular trails of 12, 13 and 18.5 kilometers, as well as longer trails to cultural heritage sites.

In the western part, gently rolling moraine plains, small hills, ribbon lakes and forests shape the landscape. The Radunia and its many tributaries form gorges and meanders there. If you’re interested in this landscape of rivers and hills, the 12-kilometer “Wzgórza Przywidzkie” circular trail is a good option. It runs mainly through forested areas along the highest elevations in the municipality of Przywidz. There is also a burial mound field along the route.

The eastern part has a different character: the Żuławy Gdańskie Protected Landscape Area covers 27,491 hectares within Gdańsk County and protects the characteristic cultural landscape of Żuławy. The “Szlak Śladami Mennonitów” trail passes through landscapes featuring the meandering Motława, numerous canals and smaller waterways, as well as extensive meadows with willows typical of the region. This means two distinct landscape experiences sit side by side within the county, without the routes necessarily sharing the same features.

Another protected area is Dolina Raduni. It covers 925 hectares and protects the Radunia valley floor and slopes, as well as adjacent woodland and farmland. Basins and gorges are among the features of this river valley. Gdańsk County is also home to the four nature reserves of Jar Reknicy, Bursztynowa Góra, Wyspa na Jeziorze Przywidz and Dolina Kłodawy.

The “Szlak Trzech Jezior” circular trail is 18.5 kilometers long and runs through the municipality of Przywidz along Lakes Przywidzkie Małe, Połęczyńskie and Głęboczko. If you’re looking for a shorter loop, you can compare this with the 12-kilometer “Wzgórza Przywidzkie.” The 13-kilometer “Dolina Reknicy” cycling trail starts and ends in Przywidz and passes through the valley of the former bed of Lake Głęboczko and the Reknica River.

The “Szlak Motławski” is 37 kilometers long in total, of which 24.7 kilometers run through Gdańsk County. This section is flat and follows asphalt roads or concrete slab paths that are free of heavy car traffic. This can be a useful point of comparison when choosing a route: the described trail differs in terrain and surface from routes through higher-lying, mostly forested areas.

Canoe trips are also possible along the Motława route from Gdańsk to Tczew; the route passes through Gdańsk County. For those interested in waterways, this offers a different kind of trip from cycling or walking. The “Szlak Domów Podcieniowych” is a 20-kilometer route for walkers, cyclists and waterway travelers.

The “Szlak Domów Podcieniowych” trail leads to seven arcaded houses, including the grandest one in Trutnowy. Other destinations along this 20-kilometer route include churches in Osice, Trutnowy and Koźliny, the ruins of a Gothic church in Steblewo, and an 18th-century granary in Koźliny. If you’re especially interested in arcaded houses, you’ll also find stops of this kind on the “Szlak Śladami Mennonitów.” Among other places, it leads to houses in Krępiec and Trutnowy, as well as churches in Wróblewo and Kiezmark, a bell tower in Wiśliny, and a Mennonite stele in Wocław.

The half-timbered house with an arcade in Trutnowy was built between 1720 and 1726 by Dutchman Peter Lettahn for Georg Basener. The “Szlak Elektrowni Wodnych” offers a different historical focus: along this walking and cycling trail, visitors can see a group of eight hydroelectric power stations built on the Radunia River between 1910 and 1937. Six of these facilities form the Radunia cascade and are considered notable examples of interwar industrial architecture.

Faktoria Handlowa also brings history and exhibitions together: it is a reconstruction of a trading settlement that existed around 2,000 years ago, as well as a modern exhibition and educational center. Archaeological finds relating to the history of the Amber Road are displayed there; visitors can also see what everyday life was like in a settlement in the 1st century AD.

If you’d like to focus your search on individual places, these location pages can help you explore further: Warcz, Kleszczewo, Buszkowy Górne, Trzepowo, Cedry Małe, Wiślina, Pręgowo Górne, Przywidz.

More location pages: Miłowo, Ząbrsko Górne, Żukczyn, Pszczółki, Cedry Wielkie, Otomin, Grabiny-Zameczek, Łęgowo.

You can also visit Koszwaly, Przejazdowo, Suchy Dąb, Pruszcz Gdański, Kłodawa, Postołowo, Juszkowo and Straszyn individually.

Other location pages include Pomlewo, Ostrowite, Swibno, Elganowo and Gdańsk.

How long is the “Szlak Trzech Jezior” circular trail?

The cycling trail is 18.5 kilometers long and runs along Lakes Przywidzkie Małe, Połęczyńskie and Głęboczko in the municipality of Przywidz.

What is the route of the “Szlak Motławski” in Gdańsk County?

Of the 37 kilometers in total, 24.7 kilometers run through Gdańsk County. This section is flat and follows asphalt roads or concrete slab paths that are free of heavy car traffic.

What can you discover along the “Szlak Domów Podcieniowych”?

The 20-kilometer route leads, among other places, to seven arcaded houses, churches in Osice, Trutnowy and Koźliny, the ruins of a Gothic church in Steblewo, and an 18th-century granary in Koźliny.

For the main travel overview: Pomerania.