Green Velo

The green bike trail around Raków is one of the routes marked out around this locality. It has a length of 36 kilometres and runs from this town with interesting monuments and history, through the forests and hills of the southern part of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. The route is quite varied, scenic and rather recommended to experienced cyclists.

The trail runs mainly along side asphalt roads and through forests. The area is strongly undulating, so the trail runs through numerous ascents and descents. A lot of forest roads with hardly passable surface and terrain make mountain bikes highly recommended. The trail also requires being in good shape.

The general route of the trail is as follows: Raków, centre (0.0 km) - Jamno (2.1 km) - Szumsko (5.7 km) - New Zbelutka (12.1 km) – Stara Zbelutka (17.0 km) - Bardo (25.0 km) - Czyżów (27.8 km) - Wola Wakopna (29.7 km) - Raków, centre (36.0 km).

The trail starts at the market square in Raków. This is one of the most interesting places in the Świętokrzyskie Province. From the beginning of its existence, the city was associated with Arianism, i.e. a doctrine created in the 16^th century and existing until the end of the 17^th century, in which a radical faction of Calvinists also called "the Polish Brethren" believed. An Arian church functioned here, and its building has survived to date. There was also an Arian printing house, and in 1602-1638 there was the famous Rakowska Academy. Currently, in addition to the church, it is worth seeing the late-Baroque Holy Trinity parish church in Raków. One of the rest areas of the Green Velo trail is on the market square.

This route runs through Raków and runs together with the blue route to the east, to the village of Jamno. At this point, the Green Velo trail runs to the south, and the green trail goes through forests towards the village of Szumsko. In this village there is a church of St. Stanisław the Bishop, dating back to the 17^th  century.

From the village of Szumsko, the trail climbs hills that surround the Łagownica valley. This trail section is quite scenic. The route runs down to the river, for a moment, through the village of Nowa Zbelutka, then turns west and once again climbs one of the longitudinal hillsides of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. The difference in altitude is about 100 meters, so the ascent is quite noticeable for the cyclist.

In the village of Stara Zbelutka, you can rest a moment while admiring the white, Classicist church of Saint Dorothy dating back to the beginning of the 19^th century. In the village there are many old wooden houses and farm buildings from the interwar period.

From here the trail continues to the west, crossing the provincial road and runs through the hills to the village of Bardo, where you can see another small, rural church dating back to the late 18^th century. The forest section of the trail, in front of the village of Bardo is heavily overgrown and very difficult to pass. Nearby, in the village of Rembów, the remains of a Medieval knight's castle have survived.

Behind the village of Bardo, the trail climbs one more hill before the locality of Czyżów, then turns south, leading all the time down, partly along the provincial road, back to Raków.

Points of interest along the trail:

1. Raków - Arian monuments, market square
2. The Cisowsko-Orłowiński Landscape Park - views, forests
3. Bardo, Stara Zbelutka, Szumsko - historic churches

Not all fragments of the trail are suitable for bicycles with panniers/bike trailers. The trail runs only on roads without road traffic or on local roads with a low and very low volume of road traffic; no dangerous intersections.

Starting point:

Raków, centre

Finishing point:

Raków, centre