Cycling Along Biała Przemsza

Gentle slopes, steep climbs and breakneck downhill slopes. In some sections there will even be a lot of sand, as this is the vicinity of the famous Błędowska Desert. Our region is a place which seems specially created by nature for cyclists. The large variety of terrains means everyone will find something for themselves, especially as there is no shortage of bicycle routes.  They pass through the beautiful scenery of Jurassic landscape among the white, strange rocks and romantic ruins of castles and forts.

Green Bicycle Trail: Desert, ponds and ruins

The Green Bicycle Trail has a length of 25 km and it offers a one-day trip during which we will see the most interesting places of our region: we will look from above at the Błędowska Desert, admire the picturesque ponds surrounded by limestone walls and then we will take a rest near the ruins of Rabsztyn castle.

This green-marked trail makes a loop starting and ending at the seat of The Local Action Group (LGD) “Nad Białą Przemszą” at 1 Partyzantów Street in Klucze. A map of hiking trails in the Klucze commune may be found there. We follow the route markings and reach the edge of the Błędowska Desert, where we admire the panorama of the desert from the summit of Czubatka. Near the northern tip of the hill there is a cave, Jaskinia Rudnicka, and two ponds, “Czerwony” and “Zielony”, surrounded by beech forest. The ponds were formed in 1880 after the flooding of two pits which had been mined for iron ore (pyrite and limonite). Surrounded by limestone walls, this is a very picturesque location. There we will also see signs of the nature trail “Around Rudnica”.

Following the signs of our trail, we pass the intersection with the road to Pomorzany, where there is a monument of nature, Pomorzańskie rocks (single rocks with names: The Sphinx, The Castle, Little Labyrinth). They are an excellent vantage point of the area. From the rocks we go on to the Olkusz-Klucze road. Then we follow to a dirt track to Bogucin Mały (the route markings go south to the market square in Olkusz by the PTTK tourist centre - If we do not want to enter the town, we may head towards Jaroszowiec). In Bogucin, castle ruins in Rabsztyn are visible to the east. At the foot of those castle ruins one can rest for a moment and enjoy a meal in the local restaurant “Podzamcze”. We ride farther along the edge of the Czarny forest, through Jaroszowiec (on the right side we see the wooded hill above the mine). We cross the Kolejowa Street  heading towards the already visible church - Sanctuary of the Blessed Mary, Help of Christians (here we reach the yellow pedestrian route, the red bicycle Eagles’ Nests Trail and the educational route). We follow the route signs past the church and we enter the forest road, past the hillside with a ski lift, then through the beech forest to the allotments in Klucze. We ride next to the Kamyk hill, then along a dirt road by the edge of the forest until we reach Partyzantów Street in Klucze, where our tour ends.

Imbramowicki Trail: Palace of the Popiel family, convent and wooded gorge

The lovers of one-day bicycle rides will enjoy the Imbramowicki Trail, which leads from the area of Minoga to Glanów passing through Ściborzyce and its nineteenth-century palace of the Popiel family and a monument of nature: the "Jordan" water source. Further along, the Imbramowicki Trail reaches Małyszyce and the convent in Imbramowice and continues through a picturesque gorge and future forest reserve "Ostrysz" to Glanów.

A cycling trail runs also along the Dłubnia River - it reaches the village of Ściborzyce and continues through Małyszyce and Imbramowice to Trzyciąż, to the sources of Dłubnia River. The tourists interested in accommodation in the area are invited to Milonki.

Liverwort cycling route for advanced cyclists: jewels of architecture, limestone inselbergs and large differences in elevation

The real lovers of cycling are invited for a longer ride along the 38 km long liverwort cycling route. Large differences in elevation and different types of road surfaces mean that the trail is designed especially for users of mountain bikes. Many sections of the trail are heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs and bushes.

The route starts at the primary school in Klucze in Zawierciańska Street. It runs along the regional road No. 791, passes by a paper factory, turns left and into the forest surrounding the Błędowska Desert. Signs point to the hill of Dąbrówka (355 m) which offers a beautiful view of the "Polish Sahara".

We get to Chechło, where you can see Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the adjoining bell tower from 1830, historic nineteenth-century tombs of noble families and the grave of Home Army soldiers who died in 1944 at Błojec. One can rest here in agrotourist farm of Janusz Wójcik (ul. Kluczewska 1, Chechło).

Further on, the liverwort route leads through Rodaki, where you can see a real jewel of the Jura - the wooden church of St. Mark from the beginning of the seventeenth century. Near the village, there is the Świniuszka Mountain (488 m), the slopes of which are adorned with numerous limestone rocks and the Na Świniuszce cave. In Rodaki, the route goes through the forest, where there are interesting limestone inselbergs, to the limits of the Klucze commune. We can stay here for a rest in Horse-riding centre “Rancho Geronimo” (ul. Grabowska 3, Rodaki) and in the guest house “Cztery pory roku” at Mrs Beata Fugiel’s in the nearby Ryczówek (ul. Laski 8b, Ryczówek). We pass through Śrubiarnia, along many limestone rocks such as Straszykowe Skały and Kaczmarkowa Skała. We pass next to the Ruskie Góry reserve to the national road linking Pilica and Klucze. The trail leads through Krzywopłoty to Bydlin, where it is a must to pay at least a short visit to the ruins of a fortified castle from the fourteenth century; traces of the trenches of World War I, located at the top of the Holy Cross Mount; the church of St. Małgorzata (St. Margaret) of 1865 and the cemetery with the graves of soldiers from Napoleon’s era and the Virgin of Consolation chapel dating back to the eighteenth century. We can regenerate our strength resting in the guest house “Gościniec AMiG” (ul. Hardego 15, Krzywopłoty) whereas in Bydlin we can find accommodation in “Zacisze” guest house (ul. Turystyczna 86, Bydlin) and in Sports Pavilion (ul. Legionów 41, Bydlin).

Having passed the signs, the route leads to Cieślin. Here you may stray from the route to see the church of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr built in 1923, and the statue of St. John of Nepomuk. The route goes on to Golczowice  where a January Uprising monument may be seen,  and through a beautiful beech wood  to Jaroszowiec, where we pass an old church located on the edge of the forest, and further along  the Shrine of  Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians.

If we feel tired during our ride, we can have a rest and enjoy a meal in agrotourist farms: "U Felka” (ul. Plażowa 11, Golczowice), "U Funi” (ul. Powstania styczniowego 6, Golczowice) and at Mr Aleksander Mrówka’s (ul. Jurajska 20, Golczowice). Then, turning sharply to the right, we pass near the ski lift and we return through allotments back to Klucze where our tour ends. Here we can find accommodation “U Pawła” (ul. Dworska 15, Klucze).

Some advice for those who prefer to explore other regions "on two wheels”

- An excellent and convenient cycling path runs along the Dunajec River on the Slovak side. It leads near the beautiful Red Monastery. Additional bonus is the view of the Pieniny Mountains’ summit of Three Crowns.

- The cycle routes in the area of Cserépfalu can be found in a booklet published by the Bükk Mountains National Park.