Western Lake Districts Route - Stage III [Choszczno - Ińsko]

Stage III: Choszczno - Dobrzany - Ińsko [47 km]

The second lakeland on our route is the Choszczno Lake District, in the heart of which, on the Kluki Lake, lies Choszczno. You should stop at its Avenue of Polish Cycling Stars. Our greatest sports masters left their handprints on a monument here. There is still a lot of space for new boards, so Choszczno is waiting for Rafał Majka, Michał Kwiatkowski and future champions of two wheels. Street cycling races are held in the city, initiated in 1969 by the famous sports journalist and Olympic athlete - Zygmunt Weiss.

The city was almost completely destroyed in 1945, but there are some miraculously preserved fragments of the city walls from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. Among them, it is worth paying attention to the barbican. Only two known barbicans are left in Poland - in Cracow and Warsaw. Meanwhile, there is also a third one in Choszczno, though slightly less impressive. It has the form of a gothic tower, and its medieval function may not be so clear, but it is there. After WWII, it was rebuilt and adapted as a library. The most valuable monument in the city is located in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the niche of the southern wall of the chancel, you can see a medieval ceramic relief - the Tree of Jesse, the biblical father of David, depicting the genealogy of Jesus Christ. It isn't easy to find similar work all over Europe.

From Choszczno, we go mainly along local roads towards the next lakeland - this time Ińsko Lake District. In Dobrzany, the trail joins an alternative route from Szczecin. You can also turn to Stargard here, thus making a loop to the capital of the voivodeship. It is planned to build a bicycle road along the railway embankment from the village of Kozy. The section Choszczno - Kozy has been marked.

The small resort of Ińsko lies on the lake of the same name and is known for one of the oldest cinema festivals in Poland. The Ińsko Summer Film Festival takes place every August in picturesque natural surroundings - the cinema is right next to the lake. You can find a crayfish monument on the promenade. The legend has it that this terrible animal terrorized Ińsko, until the blacksmith-hero chained it and lowered it to the bottom of the lake, where it lives to this day. This is not confirmed by divers who enjoy its clean waters. The bottom is full of attractions - sunken boats, cars, pirate crates, and even an office stand with a computer - all several meters under the water. Cyclists must be satisfied with a ride along an avenue of monumental trees to reach the observation tower. It is the biggest attraction of the town today. From a height of almost 30 meters, the panorama of the Ińsko Landscape Park is wonderful. You can take the elevator to the top (free of charge).