Velo Baltica - Stage III [Kołobrzeg- Mielno]

Stage III: Kołobrzeg – Mielno [35 km]

Kołobrzeg marks the beginning of what is probably the most spectacular section of the route. But before we get back to it, it is worth stopping in one of the oldest cities in Poland. The problem is that not much of its old age remains, as 90% of the buildings were destroyed during the war. The battle for Kołobrzeg was one of the fiercest in Pomerania, so it is no surprise that today we can visit military-related sites, such as the Polish Arms Museum, the Bagienna Redoubt, and the Bastion Military Attraction Center. There is also a lighthouse, built after the war on the site of its destroyed predecessor. The surviving or rebuilt buildings, led by the Co-Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, give an idea of the former glory. After all, for several hundred years, Kołobrzeg was a member of the Hanseatic League, just like Toruń, Gdańsk, Lübeck, and Riga. Also worth seeing are the neo-Gothic town hall and the water tower, which houses an original restaurant and a microbrewery.

This is a good place to consider whether you want to take the Old Railway Trail (marked with the number 15), which will take you to the south of the region.

Kołobrzeg is now a health resort, with mineral water springs, brine and mud deposits in the surrounding area. So take a deep breath and continue along the route along the beaches. During the season, you will share it with spa guests, but there will be fewer and fewer of them as you move away from the city. The concrete path, sometimes in the form of footbridges, runs directly above the beach and dunes. On the right, we have wetlands - an ecological area with the unattractive name "Ekopark Wschodni" (Eastern Ecopark). They look better than the name suggests, and above all, they are a refuge for birds such as the red-necked grebe, bittern, cormorant, sandpiper, and heron. Behind the Ecopark and in front of the Kołobrzeg-Bagicz airport, we recommend turning 4 km inland to see Bolesław, known until recently as the oldest oak tree in Poland. Unfortunately, the tree was knocked down by a storm in 2016 and now lies on the ground, slowly decomposing its 800 years of history. Fortunately, right next to it, its younger colleague, the Warcisław oak (isn't that a beautiful name for a boy?), which is about 640 years old, is still standing guard. We recommend returning to the sea by the same route, as the section along the airport is really charming. For several years now, the airport itself has been hosting one of the largest and oldest electronic music events in the country - the Sunrise Festival.

Continuing on, we pass the lighthouse in Gąski, and we can also feel the fishing atmosphere in the village of Chłopy, which is listed in its entirety in the register of monuments. The preserved traditional layout of the fishing settlement, together with 19th-century half-timbered houses decorated with folk paintings, is protected. An even greater attraction are the fishing boats "lounging" on the beach. Such images are becoming increasingly rare on the Baltic Sea and it is worth capturing them before they disappear completely.

Transport: the PKP railway station is located in Kołobrzeg (accessible from Szczecin, Koszalin, and Szczecinek) and along the Kołobrzeg-Koszalin railway line. For those traveling to the Kołobrzeg station with unusual bicycles (e.g., cargo bikes, tandems, trailers with children) or heavy bicycles with panniers, we recommend getting off the train at the Kołobrzeg Stadion station to ensure a smooth departure from the station. Connections are operated by POLREGIO and Intercity. The timetable can be found at https://portalpasazera.pl

Surface: asphalt 53%, aggregate 4%, cobblestones 38%, concrete slabs 5%.

Type of traffic: bicycle paths 76%, general traffic 24%.