Velo Baltica - Stage V [Darłowo - Ustka]

Stage V: Darłowo - Ustka [47 km]

We start the last stage of Velo Baltica in Darłowo, a city with its own microclimate. It is more humid here and the air is saturated with iodine even more than in other parts of the coast. The most important monument of the city is The Pomeranian Dukes' Castle from the 15th century, as well as St. Mary's Church from the 13th century and the baroque town hall. A slightly more modern attraction awaits in Darłówek - the only extendable bridge in Poland, built in 1988. Directly in its vicinity there is a UFO-like control room. The bridge opens every full hour, but if no ships are waiting to enter the port, the crossing won’t open.

The route from Darłówek leads next to the beach, at the beginning on a not particularly comfortable technical road made of slabs. It runs along the dike between the sea and Lake Kopań, so the discomforts are rewarded with stunning views. Some say it is the most beautiful part of the route. Ahead of Wicie, a comfortable asphalt bike path begins, which will take us to Jarosławiec, recently known as "Polish Dubai". Fortunately, it is not about skyscrapers, but the largest artificial beach in Europe. In 2018 a huge beach was "heaped up" by the sand from the seabed at the Polish seaside. If you are not interested in sunbathing, you can visit another lighthouse or the Amber Museum. It is also another opportunity to see the fishing port and fish boats stretched out to the beach, arranged in picturesque rows. Next, the route runs along various kinds of bicycle paths through Łącko, and we enter the Pomeranian Voivodeship. From Zaleskie, a brand-new bicycle path will lead us to Ustka. This charming town is known for its historic half-timbered houses, carefully restored in recent years. Here we end the queen of coastal bicycle routes, although nothing stands in the way of continuing the journey along the Iron Curtain Trail (EV13) towards Norway or the Baltic Sea Cycle Route (EV10), to come back to the point where we started after crossing 9 countries and 9,000 kilometers.