Velo Baltica Under the Microscope. What Does the Latest Report Say About the West Pomeranian Section of EuroVelo 10?

The survey covered 233 kilometers between Świnoujście and Ustka, divided into five daily stages. The assessment was conducted according to the European Certification Standard, the methodology used by the European Cyclists’ Federation to analyze the quality of EuroVelo routes. Inspectors evaluated not only the road surface and safety but also signage, access to railways, lodging, dining options, bike service, and information available to tourists.

The results show that Velo Baltica is already a well-developed long-distance route. As much as 73% of its route in West Pomerania runs away from motor vehicle traffic, while only 15% runs on public roads. Three-quarters of the route was rated as having good or very good rideability, and four out of five analyzed stages meet key quality criteria over 90% of their length.

The report also confirms that the route is well-suited for multi-day trips. Accommodations, dining options, service points, and rest areas are available along the coast, and each daily stage includes facilities participating in the “Cyclist-Friendly Places” program. Another significant advantage is the availability of regional rail service, which makes it easier to start, shorten, or end the trip at a location of your choice.

However, this report is not solely about successes. It also highlights sections requiring further modernization—primarily between Świnoujście and Międzyzdroje and along the route through the Wolin National Park. It highlights local “bottlenecks” in port cities, sections with poorer road surfaces, and problems arising from shared pedestrian and bicycle traffic during the summer season. It is precisely these areas that will determine how the standard of the entire route is further improved.

Velo Baltica has been developing for years as part of the West Pomeranian Cycling Route Network, and the report offers a broader perspective on this process. It traces the route’s evolution from a popular, informal trail along the coast to a route meeting the standards of the European EuroVelo network—with the ambition of achieving full certification (which would make it the first certified EuroVelo route in Poland).

EuroVelo certification is a recognized confirmation of a route’s high quality and an important tool for promoting cycling tourism. Although the entire analyzed section of EuroVelo 10 does not yet meet the certification requirements due to deficiencies in signage, route continuity, surface quality, and service availability, the situation in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship clearly stands out from that of other regions. Two sections (Dziwnówek–Kołobrzeg and Kołobrzeg–Mielno) already meet the required certification standard; the Darłowo–Ustka section will meet them in the second half of 2026; and the remaining two fall short of the criteria only slightly, mainly due to surface quality. This means that Western Pomerania is currently the closest to obtaining EuroVelo 10 certification among all the analyzed sections of the route. The full report includes detailed data for each stage, maps, an assessment of infrastructure and services, a description of the most important challenges, and recommendations for the coming years. The full report may be useful both to those planning a cycling trip to the Baltic Sea and to local governments, infrastructure managers, the tourism industry, and anyone interested in the development of cycling tourism. It presents Velo Baltica not only as a recreational route but also as part of a broader network of European cycling routes and an important component of Western Pomerania’s tourism offerings.