Łódź - Chałupy (Hel), Polska 200407

Another of my old trips from before the era of GPS. This time 5days bike trecking trip from my home town Lodz to polish seaside at Hel penisula. It was done in July 2004 together with two friends. I marked waypoints for places where we stayed the nights after each day of riding.

DAY1
Stage1: Łódź - Łęczyca, 40km
Start from Widzew neighborhood to Bałuty to the meeting point (photo 1). From meeting point with national road 91 (old number 1) through Zgierz and Ozorków to Łęczyca where we did first stop for rest and snack. This part is not really comfortable as the road has huge traffic with many trucks. Good for us that is also has big extention lane where bikes are more safe. Considering ascent on this section and the fact that it was the start of our trip, it was probably the fastest section from whole the trip with average 30kmh!

Stage2: Łęczyca - Sompolno, 70km
After passing Łęczyca, we continued for another 2km with national road, later to take a turn left into local road 2506E in direction to Kłodawa, passing through rural areas and small villages. After small stop in Kłodawa, we took local road 263 to Sompolno. The ride becomes much nicer here, with almost zero traffic and some nice views to polish village. Another quick stop in Sompolno's main square.

Stage3: Sompolno - Połajewo, 20km
Leaving Sompolno with road 266 north in direction to Piotrków Kujawski. After about xkm, in Ziemięcin, we took a left into minor local roads and passed through villages: Sadlno, Słomkowo, Nowa Wieś and Łączki, to arrive at Gopło lake in Połajewo - our first night. We took advantage of another of our friend staying at his weekend house at the lake and slept comfortably in regular beds :-P This is great area at the lake!


DAY2
Stage1: Połajewo - Inowrocław, 40km
From Połajewo, we started north with minor local roads along the lake to finally reach national road 62 just before entering Kruszwica, where we made our first stop. After Kruszwica, we left road 62, going straight into local road 412 and very soon turn right into national road 15/25 to enter Inowrocław. Beautiful town with very nice classic center.

Stage2: Inowrocław - Bydgoszcz, 40km
We left Inowrocław with road 25 in direction to Bydgoszcz (road is actually called 'Bydgoszcz road' :-P). Traffic started to increase in this section, but real nightmare began when we reached the ring road of Bydgoszcz! Last 8km before the city was a huge express way S5/E251 with huge traffic and very little space for tiny bicycles! We survived, but not without some scary moments... We took a break in the center next to Opera Nova (at that time still under construction).

Stage3: Bydgoszcz - Tuchola/Jezioro Szpitalne, 48km
We left Bydgoszcz heading north-west with Grunwaldzka street and Nad Torem street, that still are marked as national road 25, in direction to Tuchola. On the outskirts of the city, there is huge military base on the left hand side of the road. After Bygdoszcz, route enters dense forest areas, offering nice shadow and much less traffic. Route follows national road 25, until Mąkowarsko, passing through Tryszczyn and Koronowo. In Mąkowarsko, we took a right turn to Tuchola with local road 237. After passing Gostycyn and few kilometers before Tuchola, we found dirt road going to the lake (Szpitalne jezioro), where we decided to spend the night in the forest (photo 2).


DAY3
Stage1: Jezioro Szpitalne - Tuchola, 9km
First stage of the day was actually just a wake up quick ride to Tuchola in order to get some snacks there and have proper breakfast. Very beautiful town in the middle of dense forest!

Stage2: Tuchola - Chojnice, 30km
Quite fast stage from Tuchola to Chojnice with local road 240, north-west. Chojnice is one of the bigger towns in the area, also very beautiful with classic houses and old square in the center. We had a meeting point there with another friend of ours, a scout master, to stay the night at scout camp in nearby forest.

Stage3: Chojnice - scout camp, 15km
We left Chojnice to north-west with local road 212 and after 13km took left turn into the forest to get to the camp after another 2km. We had a nice full meal at the camp and full size camping tent just for 3 of us - royal treatment from scout master :-D (photo 3)


DAY4
Stage1: Scout camp - Brusy, 33km
Early morning wake up call together with scouts and also nice big full breakfast with them - still the royal treatment :-D We started the ride north through forest dirt roads between small lakes to reach local road 236. Turning north-east/east we followed the local road until Brusy, passing through dense forest and many tiny lakes - great section!

Stage2: Brusy - Kościerzyna, 40km
We reached local road 235 in Brusy and followed it north from there. Still route goes through great forest areas and occasional small lakes. 11km before Kościerzyna, local road meets national road 20, to follow it until the town. Kościerzyna is quite famous summer destination with multiple lakes surrounding it, lots of hotels and campings.

Stage3: Kościerzyna - Chmielonko, 23km
Starting north from Kościerzyna with local road 214 until Stężyca. There we took a right turn into forest dirt roads to go next to beautiful Raduńskie upper lake. After crossing local road 228, we still continued with minor roads along the same lake, the lower part of it. Close to tiny village of Chmielonko, we stayed the night.


DAY5
Stage1: Chmielonko - Kartuzy, 12km
Starting north from Chmielonko and passing through Chmielno, next to the lakes of Kłodno and Białe, we reached local road 211, turning east into it. We followed it until Kartuzy - another summer destination, specially for local people from Gdansk.

Stage2: Kartuzy - Żukowo, 16km
Still with 211 road all the way to Żukowo to meet again national road 20 there.

Stage3: Żukowo - Rumia/Gdynia, 30km
From Żukowo north with national road 20 until Chwaszczyno, where route leaves the national road to continue north with local road 218 until Koleczkowo. Route turns right (north-east) from there, into regional park of Tricity area - great fast descent through amazing forest, all the way down to national road 6 at border of Gdynia and Rumia.

Stage4: Rumia - Rzucewo, 24km
After crossing national road 6, route continues north through outskirts of Gdynia and Rumia with local road 101 to Rewa by the sea. Quick stop there and again with minor local roads to Rzucewo - former summer royal palace of the last king of Poland, Jan III Sobieski, now renovated and adapted to a luxury hotel and restaurant with beautiful garden and park by the sea (photos 4 & 5).

Stage5: Rzucewo - Chałupy, 24km
Last stage of the trip from the palace to Puck with minor local roads and later to Władysławowo and Chałupy with road 216, until the camping by the bay. End of the ride! Exhausted but very happy :-D


Great trip to the seaside! Only the first 100km are not really interesting with national roads and not specially nice views. From Inowrocław and specially from Bydgoszcz north, route goes through amazing forest and lake areas with pure nature all around. Last day by the bay and seaside! Level moderate for overall effort, but the ride is flat and fairly easy. 95% or even more done with asphalt roads, and even the parts on dirt roads could be easily by passed.
Photos are also from before digital era, taken with classic analogue automatic camera and scanned with very low quality :-/