Western Lake Districts Route - Stage V [Złocieniec - Szczecinek]

Stage V: Złocieniec – Czaplinek – Borne Sulinowo – Szczecinek [72 km]

The route is marked and runs mainly along separate bicycle paths and, in part, along gravel forest roads and local roads. On the section between Złocieniec and Bobrowo, there is a difficult-to-pass section of dirt road about 1 km long.

In Złocieniec, our route intersects with the Old Railway Trail from Kołobrzeg (or Mielno) to Wałcz. However, we are heading towards Czaplinek.

In Nowe Kaleńsko, turning off route 4.4 km to the north, along a local gravel and sand road (unmarked), we can reach the largest Baroque palace in the Western Lake District, the palace in Siemczyno. The palace was built between 1722 and 1726. The building houses the Museum of the Pomeranian Region in Siemczyno, while the farm buildings have been converted into a hotel and restaurants. Siemczyno Palace has joined the Cyclist-Friendly Places program, so in addition to attractions, you can also find accommodation, restaurants, a place to store your bike, and basic tools and parts for its repair. Every year at the beginning of July, the Henryków Days in Siemczyno are held on the grounds of the palace and farm complex in Siemczyno. This interdisciplinary event promoting culture and traditions includes a historical and scientific conference, historical reenactments, and a concert of high culture music. Admission to the event is free. 

Continuing along the main route near Lake Krzemno, foresters discovered mysterious stone circles in 2014 (you have to drive 2 km south of the route along a forest road), which quickly set archaeologists' hearts racing. So far, four circles and a burial mound from the 1st-3rd centuries AD, belonging to the East Germanic Goths, have been discovered. It can be expected that after the excavations are completed, this will be a major attraction in the Czaplinek area, especially since the whole of Poland will have heard of this town on the Drawa River by 2022. Less than 4 km from our route, the largest music festival in Poland, Pol'and'Rock Festival, takes place on the first weekend of August. Over 200,000 participants flock to the site of the former Czaplinek-Broczyno military airport. What can Czaplinek offer them (and cyclists)? First of all, the mighty Lake Drawskie, the second deepest lake in Poland and the largest in the Drawskie Lake District. You can dive there to a depth of 79.7 m. It is surrounded by the Drawski Landscape Park with the beautiful Valley of Five Lakes, where the Drawa River has its source. Grodzisko Sławogród is a Slavic open-air museum on the outskirts of the town. Demonstrations of ancient crafts and knightly duels take place here. Meanwhile, 6.5 km from the town lies Stare Drawsko, home to Drahim Castle, built by the Knights Hospitaller after the Templars left the area. The "via marchionis" - "the Margrave's Road" - ran through the isthmus between the lakes Drawsko and Żerdno, which was used by Western knights on crusades organized by the Teutonic Knights in Prussia. From the 7th century, there was a Slavic stronghold of the Drawian tribe here. In 1407, the castle was taken over by the army of Władysław Jagiełło and remained under the rule of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1688. The ruins of the medieval quadrangle of stone and brick walls have survived to this day. Thanks to the owner of the Museum of Motorization and Technology in Otrębusy near Warsaw, the castle has been brought back to life. Medieval-style buildings have been erected in the courtyard and an exhibition of white weapons has been organized. In the summer, on weekends, "meetings with history" take place, when knights and monks take over the fortress. Every year at the beginning of July, the anniversary of the conquest of the castle by Jagiełło is celebrated.

After Czaplinek, we head towards Borne Sulinowo,which is also home to one of the highest points on the Lake District Trail, at an altitude of 184 m. Borne Sulinowo is known to all history and military enthusiasts in Poland. It hosts the largest military rally in this part of Europe - "Gąsienice i podkowy" (Tracks and Horseshoes), but you don't have to like the sound of a tank engine to fall in love with Borne. This place is unlike any other town in Poland, and rightly so, because it was designed as a large barracks, first German, then Soviet. Until the 1990s, it did not appear on maps and only a few Poles knew of its existence. The entire population consisted of soldiers from the Soviet Union, of whom only Sasha, the shop owner, remained (or rather returned). Most of the former barracks buildings have now been renovated and converted into ordinary apartment blocks. These blocks rise up from the greenery, because the entire town is located in a forest and seems to be part of it. Unfortunately, not all buildings survived the period of degradation in the 1990s, when almost no one lived here after the Soviets left. Today, Borne has a population of about 5,000, some of whom have chosen it as a good (and cheap) place to live in retirement. No wonder - the area is beautiful. But every cyclist who travels along the Lake District Trail knows this. The most impressive building in the town is the Officer's House from the 1930s, when the Germans built a base for armored forces in Borne. The part of the building facing the lake housed an officers' casino, and all official ceremonies were held in the impressive auditorium. The building is in ruins, but in 2020 it gained a new owner. This is probably the last chance to save a place that could be a unique attraction. Another characteristic place is the "monument with a pepesza" in the cemetery at the entrance to the town.

Even greater attractions are hidden on the former military training ground. Less than 15 kilometers away, driving along an uneven, sandy road through the forest, we reach Kłomin - an even more secret settlement on the training ground. Unlike Borne, it did not get a "second life" and it is actually difficult to see the grandeur of the settlement anymore. The last prefabricated concrete blocks are being gradually demolished. However, an intriguing tank shooting range and even more mysterious nuclear missile silos near Brzeźnica Kolonia remain. However, visiting them is dangerous and we do not recommend doing so on your own. It is much better to visit the twin facility in Podborsko, located near the Old Railway Trail. There is a museum there, and the equipment in the bunkers has been preserved. On the way to Kłomin, we pass the largest heaths in Poland and one of the largest in Europe. They were created by tanks trampling the ground for 60 years. Currently, in the absence of tanks, they need to be actively protected, which is why the "Diabelskie Pustacie" nature reserve was established here. The heather begins to bloom around mid-August and can be admired from the observation tower located here.

Transport: there are train stops along the route in Złocieniec, Bobrowo, Żelisław Pomorski, Czaplinek, Czarne Małe, Łubowo, Jelenin, and Szczecinek (on the Szczecin - Szczecinek - Słupsk/Chojnice/Piła line). Connections are operated by POLREGIO and Intercity. The timetable can be found athttps://portalpasazera.pl

Surface: asphalt 66%, aggregate 17%, cobblestones 3%, slabs 6%, dirt roads 7%, cobblestones 1%.

Type of traffic: bicycle paths 35%, general traffic 44%, forest/field roads 21%.