EV9/Wistula Bicycle Trail – stage 2 – the left side of the Vistula

Logistics

Tczew is a large railway junction serving almost all connections to Gdansk and Gdynia. Both EIP, EIC, TLK and Regio trains stop here. It is worse with other towns at this stage of EuroVelo 9/Wistula Bicycle Trail (WTR), as there is no railway station directly on the trail until the very end. However, it is possible to travel by bike from towns located near the route (no more than 30 km), e.g.: Czarlin, Subkowy, Pelplin, Moreszczyn, Smetowo Graniczne or Twarda Gora (already on the side of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship). Another option to overcome this 2nd stage is to start the trip in Grudziadz, which has rail connections with towns in the neighbouring province (including Bydgoszcz, Laskowice Pomorskie, Chelmza) but also TLK with Gdynia.

Characteristics, mileage, tips

EuroVelo 9/ The Vistula Bicycle Route at this stage runs through the rural communes of Tczew, Subkowy and the urban-rural communes of Pelplin and Gniew and covers Kociewie in its entirety. The route is initially still close to the Vistula. But the further south you go, the farther away you get from the river. The Kociewie section of the trail is characterized by beautiful landscapes, but the differences in elevation are sometimes very burdensome. There is no developed infrastructure in the form of bicycle paths. Only in the Tczew commune, from the bridge over Struga Subkowska to the exit from the national road 22 in the direction of Gorzedziej, there is an asphalt road for bicycles. It is worth paying attention to the Vistula panorama with the Tczew bridges in the background. The second part of the bicycle path is located on the Vistula embankment in the Pelplin commune, near the village of Stary Miedzylez.

The remaining sections lead along local roads on general terms or on the Vistula embankment along the existing concrete slabs. Investments in bicycle infrastructure are planned on these sections in the coming years. The largest town at this stage is Gniew, where EuroVelo 9/Wistula Bicycle Route runs through the historic center of the town, crossing, for example, the market square. It is worth noting that in the Gniew commune, near the village of Aplinki, there is the last road crossing in the Pomorskie Voivodeship to the other side of the Vistula River (national road 90). Therefore, when driving from Gniew southwards to the border of the voivodeship, one must bear in mind that only in Grudziadz one can get to the eastern bank of the river. The last accent of the trail in the Pomorskie Voivodeship is the passage through forest areas. This is quite a difficult section due to the differences in elevation. In the Kujawy-Pomorskie Voivodeship, the Vistula Bicycle Route leads through Kozielec to Nowe and further through Tryl, Matawy, Wielkie Zajaczkowo, Wielki Lubien, Dragacz to national road No. 16, which crosses the Vistula and reaches Grudziadz.

Mapa EV9/WTR - Etap 2 - lewy brzeg Wisły

Download the section map in PDF format here

Download

Dedicated parking spaces

• Tczew Struga Subkowska – by the bridge over the Vistula River (bike racks, benches, information board).
• Knybawa – right next to the route near the national road 22 and the Knybawski Bridge (bike racks, benches, information board).
• Gorzedziej – at the exit to the sanctuary (planned place).
• Rybaki – by the historic set of sluices.
• Miedzylez – planned site.
• Male Walichnowy – planned site.
• Wielkie Walichnowy – in the recreational area behind the grocery store building (benches, bicycle racks, bicycle repair kit).
• Polskie Gronowo – next to the school building (benches, shed, bicycle racks, information board.)
• Gniew Castle – at the foot of the castle hill on the Wierzyca River (bench table, shed, bicycle racks, information board) .
• Jazwiska – next to the Volunteer Fire Brigade building (canopy, bench, information board).
• Opalenie – next to the school and sports complex (shelters, benches, benches, information board, WC).

Possible difficulties

This is the most difficult stage of EuroVelo 9/Wistula Bicycle Route, both in terms of differences in height and surface. As far as asphalt bicycle roads are concerned, they exist only in the commune of Tczew and the commune of Pelplin. In the remaining distance, the cyclist moves mainly on the roadway or in a fragment on the Vistula embankment. While most of these are roads with little traffic, on some sections cars can be an obstacle. The further south you go, the less traffic there is. These are in particular the following places:

• The section between Gorzedziej and Rybaki (small vehicle traffic, but long straight sections where cars develop speed.)
• The section between Male Walichnowy and Gniew (moderate vehicle traffic, the road towards Gniew has ramps, it is particularly steep before the village of Cieple).
• Section between Nicponia and Tymawa (small traffic, long and cumbersome driveway).
• The section between Tymawa and Jazwiska (small traffic, long and cumbersome driveway).
• Intersection with the national road 90 near the village of Aplinki.
• The section between Opalenica and Widlice (small traffic, long driveway).
• Section of the forest road in front of the border with the Kujawy-Pomorskie Voivodeship (steep uphill stretch) In the coming years, the construction of asphalt bicycle routes is planned on some of the sections mentioned above.

You will see on the route EuroVelo 9/Wistula Bicycle Route and in the vicinity

• Knybawski Bridge (Tczew commune) – fortified abutments of the bridge in the form of shelters and fire stations, one of the shelters is located near the Knybawa bicycle parking place.
• Gorzedziej (Subkowy commune) – a Gothic church from the 14th century (Saint Adalbert’s Sanctuary).
• Rybaki (Subkowy commune) – a historic hydrotechnical complex from the 19th century (a sluice and Hope and Peace pump stations).
• Miedzylez (Pelplin commune) – remains of the old Mennonite cemetery.
• Wielkie Walichnowy (Gniew commune) – a Gothic church with a half-timbered tower, an old Evangelical cemetery.
• Gniew – a huge Gothic post-Teutonic castle with a hotel complex, spa and wellness in the building of the outer bailey and the „Marysienka” palace, Gniew castle is a thriving center for promoting medieval culture and Pomorskie heritage, there is also a branch of the Archaeological Museum in Gdansk; gothic church of St. Nicholas, the market square with a neo-Gothic town hall and tenement houses (gothic relics of some buildings have been preserved), cobbled streets with old building.
• Tymawa (Gniew commune) – a baroque church.
• Opalenica (Gniew commune) – a Baroque church, a Rococo palace from the 18th century.
• Wioslo Duze (Gniew commune) – a nature trail with a viewing tower overlooking the Vistula’s proglacial valley (it is said to be one of the most beautiful views in the region).

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

• Maly Garc (Subkowy commune) – artillery battery.
• Miedzylez (Pelplin commune) – ruins of a manor house from 1911.
• Male Walichnowy (Gniew commune) – a wooden manor from the 19th century.
• Nicponia (Gniew commune) – an abandoned manor from the 19th century.
• Opalenica (Gniew commune) – abandoned Evangelical church from the 19th – 20th century, ruins of the bridge over the Vistula River.

Other bike trails and excursion suggestions

• The Grzymislaw Trail (green, 100 km long) – runs from Tczew through Rajkowy (a Baroque church from the 18th century), Pelplin (a monumental Gothic cathedral with numerous treasures of sacral art), Dzierzazno (the oldest parish in Kociewie, probably founded in 1001). ), Gniew (Teutonic castle, Gothic church, historic buildings of the market square and surrounding streets), Piaseczno (Marian Sanctuary) to Nowe in Kujawy-Pomorskie Voivodeship (Gothic churches, eastern wing of the former Teutonic castle, market square with historic tenement houses).
• The Maternow Trail (red, length 19 km) – route from Pelplin (connection with the green Grzymislaw trail) through Klonowka, Kolincz to Starogard Gdanski .
• Abbot Werner’s trail (black, length 47 km) – route from Pelplin (connection with the green trail of Grzymislaw) through Bobowo, Sumin to Pogodki .
• Chamomile Trail (red color, length 17 km) – route from Dzierzazno (connection with the green Grzymislaw trail) through Mozeszczyn to Skorcz.