Blue Velo - Stage VI [Trzcińsko-Zdrój - Debno]

Stage VI: Trzcińsko-Zdrój - Dębno [36 km]

The section runs mainly along local roads with low traffic. Separate bicycle paths are available at the entrance to Dębno and on the Dębno - Chwarszczany section.

Trzcińsko-Zdrój, as one of the very few towns in Pomerania, did not suffer damage during the war, so today we can admire the historic old town and numerous buildings from the Middle Ages. It is still an undiscovered gem, which has a chance of increasing interest due to the intersection of two long-distance bicycle routes - our Blue Velo trail and the Western Lake District Route. If you only have time, it is a great idea to stay overnight in Trzcińsko and cycle the other route to the European Bridge in Siekierki. It is 38 km of a ride on a brand-new asphalt bicycle path along the railway with a spectacular finale in the form of the longest crossing on the Odra River. The German part of the crossing was also opened at the end of June 2022, creating up fantastic opportunities for cross-border cycle loops.

Trzcińsko-Zdrój also deserves attention. In 1895, a local doctor discovered layers of peloidal peat, and three years later the first treatment facility was established here. In 1907 the city was granted the status of a health resort, which unfortunately was lost after the war. A reminder of those times is the spa park and the beautiful Spa House, picturesquely situated on the shore of a lake, now the Social Care Home. In the middle of the town square is one of Poland's oldest and most valuable town halls, built in the 13th century as a merchant's house. In the 16th century it received decorative gables. The area of ​​the old town is surrounded by 1.5 km long city walls, including the Myśliborska and Chojeńska gates. City gate fans can deviate 10 kilometers from the trail to see the Świecka Gate in Chojna from the 15th century. It is one of the most beautiful Gothic city gates in the country.

Going south along local roads, you can make a 6 km detour to Brwice to see the largest and oldest giant sequoia in Poland. Sequoias are the tallest trees in the world, reaching up to 130 m in height. Although "our" tree is almost 130 years old, it is "only" 27 meters high, and its trunk circumference is 361 cm. It was probably planted in 1895 by the family von Trescow.

Another interesting place on the route is Gogolice, where we can see a church built in the 13th century, renovated in the 18th century. The heart of the village was the 18th-century manor, recently renovated. The remaining, impressive buildings of the farm are in state of neglect, and the manor park has gone wild.

Nearby palace in Smolnica hosting Agricultural Schools is in quite good condition. However, it is enough to look at the archive photos to realize what wonders a comprehensive renovation could do.

On the way to Smolnica, we pass the small village of Chełm Dolny. Unfortunately, the court of the von Trescow family did not survive here, but their family mausoleum in the form of a small chapel has been preserved. The object itself is perhaps not very impressive, but there's an interesting story behind it. The Wehrmacht general Henning von Trescow was buried here with honors in 1944, but his body was resting peacefully just for one month. When it was discovered that he was one of the leading conspirators who planned the assassination of Adolf Hitler, his body was exhumed and burned in the crematorium of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.