Old Railway Trail - Stage 1 [Kołobrzeg- Białogard]

Kołobrzeg - Białogard, 55 km

This section of the route is not marked yet, and there are sections where bike paths are being built. Nevertheless, the route is passable and safe.

We start in Kołobrzeg, at a 220-meter pier, which prides itself on being Poland's longest reinforced concrete structure. Another interesting piece of concrete in the area is a monument commemorating "Poland's Wedding to the Sea", a symbolic return of this part of the Baltic coast to our country. It took place here after the bloody battle for Kołobrzeg in 1945. As a result, the city was destroyed by 95%, which is clearly visible in today's shape of its architecture. This does not mean, however, that the town lacks attractions. Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary gives an idea of ​​its former glory. Kołobrzeg was a member of the trade union of the Baltic cities - the Hanseatic League, together with Toruń, Gdańsk, Lubeck, or Stargard. Today, features of the Hanseatic style can be found on the European Route of Brick Gothic, which connects around 30 cities. In Kołobrzeg, brick gothic is best represented by three buildings: the cathedral mentioned above, the Schliffens' merchant tenement house at Gierczak Street (also known as the oldest house in town) and the Fuse Tower with the remnants of the defensive wall from the 14th century. The remains of the fortifications of the Kołobrzeg fortress, the neo-Gothic town hall and the water tower housing an excellent restaurant and a microbrewery are also worth seeing. There is a spa park near the lighthouse, as the city has the status of a health resort. Patients come here to heal the respiratory tract, among other diseases.

Kołobrzeg is also a junction of bicycle routes - the EuroVelo routes EV10 and EV13, known as the Baltic Sea Cycle Route and the Iron Curtain Trail, intersect with our Old Railway Route. The West Pomeranian section of both trails is called Velo Baltica, is 245 km long, and one of its most exciting parts runs between Kołobrzeg and Mielno, from where you can also start the Old Railway Trail.

The route, which runs mainly along bicycle paths, leads to Zieleniewo. Here begins a bicycle path along the former railway track, and we begin to understand where the trail's name comes from. In Zieleniewo, younger cyclists can enjoy the "Wild West'' Amusement Park. This asphalt section takes you through Gościno to Karlino. In Gościno, you can stop in a renovated manor transformed into a hotel. Just before the next Cyclist Rest Area in Lubiechów, it is worth turning left to feast your eyes on the neoclassical palace raised from the ruins. It is just a stone's throw from Karlino, with a beautiful railway bridge over the Radwia. The sophisticated structure was built in 1859, and the opening ceremony was honored by William I himself, who later became the German Emperor.

In Karlino, the confluence of the Parsęta and Radew rivers creates a "bishop's island". The bishops' castle was located here - its basements survived till our time. The Manor of Frederick William, king of Prussia, is currently being renovated and will soon become a hotel. Hopefully, it will be available to visitors along with the entire island.

The bike path construction from Karlino to Białogard should be completed in 2023. The regional road No. 163 in this section is not so cyclist friendly. However, you can do a nice alternative route - a gravel forest road and a less frequented local road. Thanks to this, we will see an unfinished German hydropower plant on the Parsęta River. It was supposed to be the second underwater hydropower plant in the world - the first one was located in nearby Rościn, but it was dismantled due to modernization in the 21st century.