Elbląg Channel Trail

Voivodeship

Warmińsko-Mazurskie

Kingdom

At the Vistula Lagoon

Start:

Zielonka Pasłęcka Railway Station

End:

Elbląg (at the town border)

Download GPX file

The trip starts on the railway station in Zielonka Pasłęcka. From there the trail leads on a local road through Marzewo and Drulity to the provincial roadway no. 526. Close to the crossroads, there is one of the oldest reinforced concrete bridges in northern Poland, which was built in 1894. The trail leads farther along the Elbląg Canal – a 82 km long waterway built in the middle of the 19^th century. A world-unique complex of five slipways functions here, making it possible to cover the almost 100-metre difference in height between the Iława Lakeland and Żuławy Elbląskie in the around 10 km long section of the canal. In the last few years, the canal was renovated with the aid of EU funds, which largely improved its attractiveness. To arrive at the first slipway in Buczyniec, follow the roadway no. 526 to the right, then turn left onto the forest road. Near the slipway, there is the Chamber of the History of the Elbląg Canal; you can also visit the machine room. Then the trail leads to three other slipways: Kąty, Oleśnica and Jelenie. In order to reach the fifth slipway – Całuny Nowe, go straight along the canal at the crossroads with the road no. 527 in front of Jelonki. It is worth noting the architecture of villages on the trail, particularly arcade houses, which are a distinctive feature of the Żuławy region. In Jelonki, you can visit a 14^th-century Gothic church and see a boulder commemorating victims of World War I in the centre of the village. In Dzierzgonka, the next place on the trail, there is a swing bridge over the Dzierzgoń River; built at the beginning of the 20^th century, it is closed today. Near Żółwiniec, you can ride off the trail to the observation tower on Lake Druzno. The lake along with the adjacent coastal belt forms a nature reserve. The tower provides a view of the lake and the Elbląg Plateau with the distinctly shaped church in Przezmark. In Raczki Elbląskie, the trail passes by the lowest situated point in Poland (1.8 m b.s.l.) and leads farther to the border of Elbląg, where the trip ends.

Trail option :

From the railway station in Zielonka Pasłęcka, you can ride to the centre of the village to visit the Baroque Church of St. John the Baptist. Inside it, there is a 17^th-century painting of Merciful Jesus, which is famous for graces. Because of its presence, the temple became a sanctuary.

Surface and marking of the trail:

PARTLY MARKED TRAIL

The most part of the trail runs on asphalt roads, sometimes turning into a gravel surface and historic cobblestone. The trail is partly marked: it overlaps with the green trail from Buczyniec to Marwica and with the blue trail from Dzierzgonka to Elbląg. Sections from Zielonka Pasłęcka to Buczyniec and from Marwica to Dzierzgonka are not marked.

Attractions on the trail: