EV10/13 – Stage 3

Logistics

Only Leba has a railway connection at this stage. However, trains run here only seasonally. In addition to the connection with Lebork, which is a regional station serving PKP Intercity, Polregio and Tri-city SKM train, long-distance trains also reach Leba. However, you should check what these connections are beforehand. In the 2021 season, you could get to the local sea from Warsaw (TLK Delfin), from Krakow via Czestochowa and Lodz (TLK Korsarz), from Bogumin via Katowice, Czestochowa and Torun (TLK Wydmy) and traditionally from Gdynia. For those riding a bike from the east to Leba, a possible solution is to travel by train to Wladyslawowo and cover two stages with possible overnight stay in Debki or Bialogora.

Characteristics, mileage, tips

The trail in this section runs through the communes of Leba, Wicko, Choczewo and Krokowa. The vast majority of this stage leads along forest roads with good quality aggregate surfaces. There are bicycle lanes in the fragments in Leba and Nowecin, while the summer resorts of Osetnik (Stilo), Lubiatowo, Bialogora, Debki and Karwienskie Bloto Drugie can be travelled by public transport routes or local streets. Similarly, between Sarbsko and Ulinia and Sasin and Osetnik (Stilo), where special attention should be paid, because the route runs along district roads.

Long stretches of forest and seaside resorts are the greatest asset of this part of EuroVelo 10/13. In addition, everywhere you can easily get to the beach. In resort towns, it is worth staying for a longer rest with lunch in one of the numerous restaurants. A must-have is, of course, fish. A variant for the section between Nowecin and Ulinia is to go through the centre of Leba, then to the east along Nadmorska Street and further through Mierzeja Sarbska. It is one of the most interesting parts of the Polish coast in terms of nature and landscape. There is a nature reserve Mierzeja Sarbska protecting this valuable area.

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Possible difficulties

The most difficult section is the county road between Sarbsko and Ulinia (approx. 2.5 km). During the season, you can expect increased vehicle traffic there, so you need to be very careful. Also between Sasin and Osetnik (Stilo) (approx. 2.3 km) the route runs along a county road, but there are much fewer cars on this section. Through seaside towns, the route runs along communication routes together with pedestrian and car traffic. This causes various unpredictable situations involving pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. Therefore, the existing infrastructure should be used in a cultured and responsible manner.

Dedicated parking spaces

• Kopalino – on the forest section by the road to Kopalino (information boards, benches).
• Debki – in the forest section between Bialogora and Debki.
• Karwienskie Bloto Drugie – in the forest section in the vicinity of the Widowo nature reserve and the scout base.

You will see on the EuroVelo 10/13 route and in the vicinity:

• Nowecin (Wicko commune) – a castle of medieval origin, built by the Wejher family, rebuilt many times, thus losing its original appearance. Currently, an accommodation facility operates here.
• Sea Park Sarbsk (Wicko commune) – a seal centre whose main attractions, apart from seals, are sea lions and fur seals. The theme of the park is the flora and fauna of the seas and oceans, as well as the history and culture of Pomorskie. An ideal place for an all-day stay with children with many attractions for the youngest.
• Przybrzeze (Wicko commune) – beach on Lake Sarbsko, a perfect resting and recreational place.

Sasino (Choczewo commune, outside EuroVelo 10/13) – a palace from the 19th century, surrounded by a landscape park, an accommodation facility and a restaurant. The monument is located on the Trail of Northern Kashubian Mansions and Palaces, a tourist product gathering restored former residences of famous Pomorskie families.

• Osetnik (Choczewo commune) – a small holiday village with a characteristic black-white-red lighthouse situated on a high dune. The building dates from the early XX century and its height reaches over 33 m. The lighthouse is open to the public in the summer season.
• Lubiatowo (Choczewo commune) – a cosy holiday resort located in a seaside forest, over 2 km from the Baltic Sea. Nearby (about 4 km to the north-east) there is the Lubiatowska Dune, a smaller version of the famous shifting dunes from the Slowinski National Park. The marked out nature path with viewpoints and wooden footbridges adds to the attractiveness and facilitates visiting this place.
• Bialogora (Krokowa Commune) – a holiday resort located near the sea with a well-developed accommodation and catering base. For many years, Bialogora has been known as a centre of equestrian tourism. In the immediate vicinity there are two nature reserves: Bialogora and Babnica.
• Debki (Krokowa Commune) – a picturesque holiday resort situated in a forest, in the vicinity of the mouth of the Piasnica River. There are several objects of historical value in the village: a wooden church from 1935, a traditional Kashubian cottage dating back to the end of the 18th century, a replica of a border post from the times of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Piasnica is a popular and easy canoeing trail with a length of 6 km. The trip starts at the Zarnowiecki Lake.
• Zarnowiec (Krokowa commune, outside EuroVelo 10/13) – a Gothic monastery complex with the church of St. Annunciation of the Lord. This is one of the oldest temples in the region, its beginnings related to the foundation of the Cistercians in Oliwa date back to the 13th century. The monument is located on the Pomorskie Cistercian Route. In the vicinity of the monastery there is a 19th-century manor offering rooms for rent to tourists.
• Karwienskie Bloto Drugie (Krokowa commune) – the only town in Kashuby associated with the Dutch colonization. The rural layout from the 17th century creates a unique cultural landscape of a seaside settlement with a swamp row layout, unique in the country. A few half-timbered houses from the 19th century have survived. The modern summer buildings refer to the old architecture of the village and form a coherent whole.

Unobvious attractions and other mysterious places on the route and in the vicinity:

• Łeba – remains of the former 68th Air Défense Missile Squadron operating in the years 1974 – 1999.
• Osetnik (Choczewo commune) – remains of the so-called fog buzzers (or nautophones), i.e. objects supporting the work of the Stilo lighthouse during fog by broadcasting sound signals. The relics of the first of them are located on the beach itself and have been preserved in the form of a concrete pedestal. The second brick building is located in the forest and it is a 20 m high tower.
• Lubiatowo (Choczewo commune) – a former unit of the 46th Air defence Missile Squadron, the Lubiatowska Dune nature trail runs in the immediate vicinity.
• Debki (Krokowa commune) – the ruin of the former border guard post from the 1930s, located in the forest by the beach, near the mouth of Piasnica to the Baltic Sea.

Other bike trails and excursion suggestions:

• The blue trail from Kopalin through Lubiatowo, Osiek to Choczew (approx. 13 km).

The yellow trail from Choczew to Szklana Huta (approx. 9 km).

• The orange trail from Kopalin through Biebrowo, Slajszewo to Sasin, then to Stilo and back to Kopalin along the edge of the forest.
• Tourist Route of Northern Kashuby (blue and green) from Bialogora to Wejherowo.
• Red trail Krokowa – Debki through Zarnowiec (approx. 13 km).
• The Trail of Northern Kashubian Mansions and Palaces (unmarked) – a cultural trail, both by bicycle and by car. A tourist product created on the basis of historic mansions and palaces that function as accommodation facilities, restaurants, sometimes hotels and spas.