By bike and on foot through Podlasie

The beauty and majesty of the marshes along the Biebrza River are best explored on foot with the help of a bicycle, by climbing scenic towers or hiking on the provided hiking trails. Do not forget your rubber boots – they come in handy at any time of the year, and, of course, binoculars!

Here are some suggested one-day hiking and biking tours of the park:

Trip I. Bike and walk to Grobla Honczarowska

Walking/riding time: about 4-6 hours (including 2-3 hours on foot).

Grobla Honczarowska is a nature trail crossing a massive open area of fields and bogs – once cut, now left to nature. Numerous elk families roam it in the mornings, and countless species of birds can also be seen in the spring. The trail begins at the Tsar’s Trail – an old thoroughfare once built on the orders of the Russian Tsar to connect the military strongholds along the Biebrza River.

The desolate, straight route, built with tremendous effort on a purpose-built road, cuts through the park’s wilderness for more than 30 kilometers and is ideal for a bicycle tour. Due to the abundance of elk in the area, the road is sometimes called “Łosiostrada (elk highway).”

The tour starts at the ruins of the former Osowiec Fortress – a never-conquered fortress from the Russian era, located in the middle of the park. The park office is located here and it is where you can buy a good map of the area

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From the fortress we start cycling south along the Tsar’s Trail, passing forests and bogs. After 13 kilometers we reach the beginning of the hiking trail, which is marked by a small parking lot. We strap our bikes to a sign or a tree and head to the right, along a marked path to a causeway. At the end of the path is a small observation tower, from which we can watch wildlife in the morning or in the evening.

Return to the fortress along the same path.

Trip II. To the Red Swamp

Walking time: from 1 hour to a full day (depending on the route variant).

This place is the most desolate area of the Biebrza National Park – sometimes you will not see a living soul on it all day! The Red Swamp is a strict nature reserve protecting a unique area in the middle of the Biebrza valley. The landscape here is less swampy, but more varied – in addition to floodplains and peat bogs you will find sand dunes or birch forests. The Red Swamp is particularly popular with elk – going to this area, you have a good chance to see these majestic animals.

Well-marked in red and black, the trail begins and ends in the village of Grzędy, where you can reach by car or bicycle. On the map at the beginning of the trail you will find several variants of the trail, to choose from depending on the time you have available.

Guided in part by comfortable bridges, the trail crosses marshes, bogs and low forests. In two places you will find observation towers, from where it is easier to watch wildlife. We strongly advise you not to rush and carefully observe the surroundings – the most interesting things in Biebrza are hidden in the least expected places!

Note: admission to Biebrza National Park is not free. Tickets can be purchased online. It is advisable to do it before going to the field – sometimes the coverage makes loading a page on your phone impossible.