Old Railway Trail - Koszalin link

Mielno – Koszalin – Białogard [50 km]

Another option for starting the route begins in Mielno, right next to the Walrus Monument on the Friendship Promenade. This nearly 2 km long walking path was built in 1908 to protect the coast from the waves of the Baltic Sea. Today, the promenade is so popular that during the high season, it is almost impossible to ride a bike along it. Mielno is one of the most popular towns on the Polish coast, although it enjoys a rather specific reputation. The resort looks completely different in winter, when it is quiet and peaceful, interrupted only by the panting of walruses who have taken a liking to the local beach. The International Winter Swimming Meet is held here regularly, and Guinness World Records are broken in the number of people swimming at the same time - in 2018, as many as 3,212 people took part in the joint swim. However, if you are here in the summer, we recommend heading inland along Tadeusza Kościuszki Street and then taking the bicycle path along the highway.

The route runs along separate bicycle paths to Koszalin, which was a provincial capital until 1999. The entire Old Town area has been entered in the register of monuments, even though it suffered significantly during the war. However, while we can also find wonderful examples of Gothic architecture in other towns in Pomerania, Koszalin has something that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Have you heard of the Jamno culture?

The villages of Jamno and Łabusz, cut off from the world by vast swamps, were for centuries an isolated enclave where an original culture flourished, created from a mixture of Slavic, German, Dutch, and Frisian elements. Only in winter or during exceptionally dry summers could the inhabitants leave their villages. The end of isolation came with the construction of a road in the 19th century, and the Jamno culture disappeared along with the inhabitants, who were forced to leave in 1945, leaving their homes and possessions behind. Today, they form an open-air museum of Jamno culture in the center of Koszalin, right next to the dendrological park and the new concert hall building. However, it is worth seeing the village of Jamno itself, which has been incorporated into Koszalin. In 2019, the "Jamno Farmstead" was opened there, a reconstructed fragment of the old world. You can make your trip even more attractive by sailing from the Unieście II marina in Mielno to the Koszalin Marina in Jamno. The electric water tram "Julek" takes bicycles, unfortunately without children's trailers.

Another interesting place near Koszalin is Góra Chełmska, whose highest point, Krzyżanka, rises to a dizzying height of 136 m above sea level. There is a sanctuary of Our Lady Thrice Admirable and an observation tower from 1888, from which you can admire the panorama of the city, Lake Jamno, and even the Baltic Sea.

Following a separate asphalt bicycle path, you will reach Strzekęcin, where the Amber Palace, now a four-star hotel, is located. From this point, the route runs along concrete slabs and asphalt roads with low traffic to Pomianowo. A new bicycle path was built in 2023 on the section between Wronie Gniazdo and Żeleźno. From Pomianowo to Białogard, the route will ultimately run through Dargikowo, but until a bicycle path is built on the flood embankment of the Liśnica River, this section is not passable. Alternatively, you can take the Pomianowo-Białogard county road, which has moderate traffic.

Transport: PKP railway stations are located in Darłowo (accessible from Sławno) and along the route in Skibno and Wiekowo (on the Koszalin-Słupsk line). Connections are operated by POLREGIO and Intercity. The timetable can be found at https://portalpasazera.pl

Surface: asphalt 80%, cobblestones 9%, concrete slabs 8%, dirt roads 2%, cobblestones 1%.

Type of traffic: bicycle paths 59%, general traffic 34%, forest/field roads 7%.