Green Velo

The Łyna River Valley Trail is a green bike trail with a length of approximately 30 km, connecting the city of Sępopol with the town of Bartoszyce. It runs along two banks of this river through agricultural, open areas, between villages where a lot of old, former German red brick houses  have been preserved. The trail has pavements in good condition, and its points of interest include the monuments of the cities of Bartoszyce and Sępopol and the stud farm of the Trakehner horses in the village of Liski.

The general course of the trail is as follows: Bartoszyce - departure from the city towards Maszewy (0.0 km) - road to Witki, exit from the provincial road (3.0 km) - Wiatrowiec (10.3 km) - Sępopol (15.4 km) - Liski (22.6 km) - Skitno (27.8 km) - Bartoszyce (32.0 km).

The length of the trail, including closure of the loop through the centre of Bartoszyce - preferably along the Green Velo route - is about 35 km. The route is easy, deprived of large changes of elevation, and runs on good asphalt roads. In the villages along the trail, numerous old red-brick houses, covered with ceramic tiles, with decorative cornices and friezes have been preserved. Such construction was characteristic for the whole area of ​​East Prussia in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. The buildings preserved to date create the characteristic cultural landscape of the Warmia village. Despite the destruction caused by the Red Army during the 1945 offensive and the subsequent long-term devastation of abandoned estates, the beauty of the old architecture has been rediscovered in recent years.

The route starts in the south-eastern part of Bartoszyce. The first three kilometres run along the busy provincial road no. 592, where caution should be exercised because of vehicles driven at high speeds. Then, turn left, towards Witki, and continue along the local roads through the village of Wiatrowiec. In the village there is a railway line stop, built in 1866, connecting the port of Königsberg with Odessa on the Black Sea. Currently, only freight trains run through it. Then the trail runs to Sępopol, a small town founded in 1331 by the Teutonic Knights. The building of the border guards reminds us of the nearby national border. The specific location of Sępopol, in the Łyna bend at the mouth of the Guber river, makes the city almost entirely surrounded by water. This, despite the significant defence potential, did not contribute to its development. In the 19th century, the requirement to build several bridges meant that the main railway junction of East Prussia was located in Korsze, 12 km away. In 1945, 80% of Sępopol was destroyed. The major historical monument, the Gothic church of Saint Michael Archangel from the 14th century, with a tower standing watch over the city, where an observation deck was made at an altitude of approximately 60 m. Inside the temple you can see the Baroque main altar and the pulpit from the first half of 17^th century and the funerary chapel of the Kunheim family, the owners of the palace in nearby Judyty. Next to the bridge on the Łyna, a fragment of the defensive walls with the city's coat of arms has been preserved. An interesting object is also the Art Nouveau water tower, which is in use until today, built in 1912. From Sępopol, through Smolanka and Turcz, the trail continues to Lisek. There you find a stud farm of the Trakehner breed, which dates back to 1740. The tradition of horse breeding revived after the Second World War, for many years it was the largest stud farm in Poland. It is worth paying attention to the farm buildings set around a spacious courtyard. At one of its sides stands the manor house of the facility manager. The stud farm is adjoined by residential buildings and a former school. From Liski, the trail runs towards provincial road no. 512 back to Bartoszyce. The route ends near the Gothic church of St. John the Baptist on the outskirts of the city.

Points of interest along the trail:

1. Bartoszyce - urban layout, monuments
2. Sępopol - remains of city walls, church
3. Liski - a stud farm of the Trakehner breed
4. The Łyna River Valley

The entire trail is suitable for bicycles with panniers/bike trailers. The trail runs fully or partially on roads where traffic intensity is medium, with at least one dangerous intersection (with no bicycle crossing or traffic lights); probably not recommended for families with children.

Starting point:

Bartoszyce, in the direction of Maszewo

Finishing point:

Bartoszyce – the entry to the city from the village of Łoskajmy