Krakow and the Dunajec River Valley – 8 Days
Type of tour: Guided
Level: 3
Duration: 7 Nights
Distance: 30 Miles/day average
Dates: Saturdays: May 16-Sep 5, 2015 (additional dates available for groups of 2 or more at an extra cost)
Tour price: US$980
Start city: Krakow, Poland
End city: Stary Sacz, Poland
Tour Description
Many of the most beautiful cycle paths run along river valleys flanked by mountains and hills. These rides, parallel to foaming river waters, are gentle and pleasant and it is not surprising that every year thousands of cyclists follow cycle routes along the Mosel, the Rhine or the Danube. Similar routes can be found in other Alpine countries as well – but are there any in Poland? The answer to that is a resounding ‘Yes!’ One of these rides follows a spectacular route along the river Dunajec, from Podhale (the plateau at the foot of the High Tatras) to the towns of Stary Sacz and Nowy Sacz – an adventure you can now experience for yourself.
You may have heard of the Dunajec raft trips, one of the earliest attractions in Europe to be organised especially for tourists. The famous, deep gorge of this river forms a natural border between Poland and Slovakia. Following the cessation of border controls a few years ago and with the building of a new suspension bridge this natural wonder finally became accessible to cyclists as well. Other stretches of the Dunajec valley have paths that are just as beautiful taking you past the folk traditions of the Goral and Spisz people.
We invite you to a week-long tour, beginning and ending on a Saturday, with the first and last nights spent in Krakow and five nights in villages and towns in the mountains.
Highlights: Guided Daily Program: Guided Day 1: Krakow Arrival Day 2: Krakow – Zab – Zakopane (15-18 miles/25-30 km) Among Krakow’s most important architectural treasures are St Mary’s Church with the world-famous altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss; medieval buildings of Jagiellonian University, Poland’s oldest university; Wawel Cathedral adjacent to the 11th century Wawel Castle; Europe’s largest medieval town square; Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter; the promenade along the Vistula at the foot of Wawel Castle. On our cycle tour we visit the “Planty”, attractive gardens laid out around the Old Town on the site of the earlier medieval city walls. At about midday a minibus takes us to Podhale. Our destination is the village of Zab, Poland’s highest village. The journey takes about 2 hours. The first ride will be to Gubalowka, from where we can enjoy a panoramic view of the High Tatras. We then cycle down the mountain, past farm carts laden with hay. After a short rest at the point where the Poroniec and Zakopianka streams join the White Dunajec, we ride through the village of Olcza to Zakopane. Our accommodation here is not far from Krupowki, Zakopane’s main street, a pedestrian area lined with lively cafés and shops. Zakopane has developed a very distinctive cultural character. The folk culture of the people who live in the Tatras, the Gorale, has been preserved in their music, their songs and their local costume. And the characteristic “Zakopane style” of timber architecture, which developed around the turn of the twentieth century, can be found nowhere else in Europe. During our break we can sample “oscypek”, the delicious smoked ewe’s-milk cheese made in the Goral houses here. Day 3: Zakopane – Nowy Targ (29 miles/46 km) Following a short climb we enter the valley of Cichy Potok (“the quiet stream”) and continue further downhill along a quiet path, through Ciche, Stare Bystre, Ludzmierz (with a famous Marian pilgrimage shrine), to the town of Nowy Targ, the main town of the Gorale mountain people. We spend the night in a stylish hotel located on the green outskirts of the town. Day 4: Nowy Targ – Niedzica (27 miles/44 km) We are now in the Spisz region, an area with a rich history and a remarkable folk culture. Until 1918 this area was part of Hungary, and for many centuries it was home to several ethnic groups: Gorale and Ruthenians lived in the villages, Germans in the towns and the Hungarian nobility in the castles. Following the bank of the reservoir, we reach one of these castles at Niedzica and spend the night in a nearby hotel. Day 5: Niedzica – Szcawinca (24 miles/40 km) We then cycle along the “Pieniny Way”, a narrow ledge open only to walkers and cyclists, carved out of breathtaking limestone cliffs that run the entire length of the Dunajec Gorge. Unlike the tourists on wooden rafts being steered down the river by Gorale we can stop at any time to take photographs or even to bathe in the river. Also very beautiful is the gorge of the Lesnicky Potok, a stream which flows into the Dunajec from the Slovakian side, passing through the sleepy village of Lesnica. You can do a little shopping here before it’s time to head back into Poland. The little spa town of Szczawnica is a pleasant surprise, with its cycle-friendly separate lanes for cyclists. In the afternoon we ride along the elegant promenade in the valley of the Grajcarek and explore the paths in the upper and lower spa gardens. Day 6: Szczawnica – Rytro (34 miles/55 km) We soon leave the main road, crossing the river on a suspension bridge to the right bank and making our way between the paths among the farms of the village of Tylmanowa with glimpses of the old barns, granaries and hen-houses though open doors. We stop for lunch at a guesthouse in Lacko, known for its strong slivovitz, a plum brandy. It is also possible to halt alongside fruit gardens on the valley slopes. At Golkowice we leave the Dunajec and ride to Rytro, an old feudal village at the foot of castle ruins. On our last evening we have a dinner with grilled trout fresh from the river. Day 7: Rytro – Krakow (34 miles/55 km) Then, we’ll head to Stary Sacz. The morning is spent exploring this historic little town, one of the most beautiful in southern Poland, cycling through the maze of narrow streets for a feel of the atmosphere of past times. We’ll lunch here and then return to Krakow by bus. Our accommodation for the last night is in the same hotel as on the first night, but we will spend the rest of the day in the quiet Kazimierz district, once the Jewish quarter of the city. An evening of Klezmer music brings the tour to a close. Day 8: Krakow Departure Included Services: Guided Bike Rentals: Guided Bikes come equipped with: Pedals: Seats: Helmets:
You arrive in Krakow and spend the first night in a three-star hotel in the Old Town. After finding your room, there is time for a stroll through Krakow and for a first impression of the Old Town and its nightlife.
Overnight in Krakow.
Bikes are selected at our cycle center in the middle of the Old Town our tour of Krakow, a former capital of Poland gets underway. The city that was once the residence of Polish kings is on the UNESCO World Heritage list and boasts a historic architecture which came through the Second World War unscathed.
Overnight in Zakopane.
We take the cable car back to the top of Gubalowka and then cycle down through the village of Dzianisz as far as Chocholow, a village which is now a “living open-air museum” of timber architecture, where we have lunch in the village inn.
Overnight in Nowy Targ.
Today we head south and follow the course of the Bialka, a third mountain river flowing into the Dunajec and see its impressive gorge near Nowa Biala. On the way we can also take a look at one of Poland’s oldest wooden churches at Debno, built around 1500, which has an impressive painted interior.
Overnight in Niedzica.
This is the most spectacular day of the tour. We follow the river through Sromowce, a village once famous for the flocks of geese that used to be bred here. Soon, at about midday, we cross the border into Slovakia on the newly built bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. After cycling to the village of Cerveny Klastor (Red Monastery), above which rise the three peaks of Trzy Korony (Three Crowns), the highest point in the Pieniny range, we have a meal and visit the local museum.
Overnight in Szczawnica.
The stretch today leads us through what is known as the “green Dunajec Gorge”, where the river passes between two ranges of the Beskids. Although there are no limestone cliff walls here, the slopes with their beech woods are still very impressive.
Overnight in Rytro.
After breakfast we take a 6.2 miles (10 km) ride through the Poprad Valley, where we will visit the spa town Piwniczna surrounded by mineral springs and natural swimming pools.
Overnight in Krakow.
After breakfast your journey ends. If you wish, you can book an extension.
Bikes available to rent on this tour (must be reserved advance at the time of booking):
The bikes are equipped with flat pedals. You may bring your own pedals if desired.
Tour saddles are included, but you may bring your own seat. Please ensure that your seat has a universal seat post.
Please plan to bring your own helmet for safety and hygiene purposes. Helmet rental is not available on this tour.
