If you are one of those lucky ones who, instead of packing school backpacks in autumn, pack travel bags and swap Excel reports for maps of trip routes, we have a few suggestions on how to spend your autumn holidays by the Polish sea even better.
Vacation with a bike off-season?
A September holiday by the Baltic Sea means entering a completely new, off-season reality. Without the hustle and queues at beach bars, but with the sound of waves that sound like a personal relaxation melody.
Do you want to experience a seaside holiday differently than ever before? Immerse yourself in silence, catch the wind on a bike route, or discover charming spots invisible in summer? Here is some inspiration for exceptional moments by the sea – for you and those with whom you like to share the most beautiful moments.
Biking with the sea in the background - the best bike routes from Jastrzębia Góra
For muscle-powered two-wheel enthusiasts, the Velo Baltica route, also known as EuroVelo R10, needs no introduction. However, few of us have had the chance to ride the entire route. It is over 500 km long, so one bike weekend is hardly enough time to get to know it and appreciate the undeniably beautiful sections running right along the Baltic coast.
For cyclists visiting Jastrzębia Góra, we offer three scenic alternatives to Velo Baltica.
Route to the Beka Reserve
The route from Jastrzębia Góra to the observation tower in the Beka Reserve is about 20 km long. It passes through small towns where you can stop for water or a snack. Outside the summer season, car traffic in the area is not heavy, so the route does not get unnecessarily prolonged.
The Beka Reserve is a bird paradise and a real treat for ornithology enthusiasts and nature lovers. It is located within the Coastal Landscape Park and also two Natura 2000 areas: the Special Protection Area for Birds “Puck Bay” and the Special Habitat Protection Area “Puck Bay and Hel Peninsula.”
The reserve includes:
halophilous (salty) marshy meadows,
semi-wet meadows and sedge swamps,
reed beds and dune formations, where many endangered, protected or rare plants occur.
The Beka Reserve is also a habitat for many rare bird species – hence we justly call it a bird paradise. Out of season, it gains a special charm – silence, peace, and of course a greater chance to encounter wild fauna.
Even if Latin names of plants and birds are unfamiliar to you, you will certainly not remain indifferent to the vast green space and characteristic scent floating over the meadows of the Beka Reserve.
Key information:
Difficulty level: Easy to moderate
For whom: Families with children (from 10 years), beginner and intermediate cyclists, nature lovers
Length: approx. 15-20 km (one way)
Riding time: 1.5-2.5 hours (depending on pace and stops)
Surface: Bike paths, dirt roads, some asphalt segments
Elevation: Minimal
Bike path to Łeba and Słowiński National Park
You can reach Łeba from Jastrzębia Góra in several ways. Depending on the chosen route, you should prepare for cycling from 60 km to almost 70 km one way. A lot? Yes, but worth it.
The shortest route runs along the sea. An alternative is a route passing through Żarnowiec and Wierzchucino to reach the Baltic Sea again in Białogóra. This option is a bit longer but allows you to explore charming small towns and see Lake Żarnowieckie, which we recommend visiting another time for a longer lake relaxation. It is worth mentioning that on the way you will pass the Żarnowiec Hydroelectric Power Plant – the largest pumped-storage power plant in Poland.
The longest option is a route through small Kashubian villages such as Zwartowo, Wojciechowo, and Maszewko. If you choose this route, you will be impressed by green landscapes, gentle hills, and local folklore visible in roadside shrines, small churches, and sometimes directly in the yards and houses of local residents.
When you finally arrive in Łeba, you must see the moving dunes. An apparently endless sandy plain with gentle dune hills makes an amazing impression on everyone seeing this landscape for the first time. Frankly, even for those who have been here more than once or twice, the sea of sand spectacularly transitioning to the Baltic Sea never fails to amaze every time.
Słowiński National Park is not only a dune strip of the spit and moving dunes but also coastal meadows, swamps, peat bogs, coniferous forests, woodlands, and beautiful lakes: Łebsko, Gardno, Dołgie Wielkie, and Małe. In short, nature has generously endowed these 327 km² of land.
We recommend visiting this place off-season – bike paths are then almost empty, there is no crowd or rush, and access to the National Park takes place in peace and quiet, and above all with greater safety.
Key information:
Difficulty level: Moderate to difficult
For whom: Intermediate and advanced cyclists, people in good physical condition (from 14 years)
Length: approx. 65-70 km (one way)
Riding time: 4-6 hours (without longer stops)
Surface: Mixed - asphalt, bike paths, dirt roads
Elevation: Moderate
Bike route to the Hel Peninsula
We are not fans of trips to Hel in the summer season, but in autumn, when the season ends, it’s a completely different story. The route to the Hel Peninsula is then definitely quieter, so cycling through Chałupy, Kuźnice, and Jastarnia, one notices much more. Picturesque snack stops often turn into lazy, longer breaks but very pleasant ones. The whole route is about 40 km long and runs on a hardened surface suitable for trekking and mountain bikes. MTB owners are encouraged to test the route through the forest, parallel to the designated bike route and running along the sea. Road bikes can safely ride on the street if the cobbled bike path slows them down too much. After the summer season, car traffic is much, much lower.
Key information:
- Difficulty level: Easy to moderate
- For whom: Everyone - from families with children (from 8 years) to advanced cyclists
- Length: approx. 35-40 km (one way)
- Riding time: 2-3 hours
- Surface: Mainly asphalt and cobblestones, forest fragment before Hel
- Elevation: Minimal
What if you don’t have a bike on your autumn holiday by the sea?
If you don’t happen to bring a bike with you but still want to pedal by the sea, as a guest of Pilice Apartments, you can use the bikes available on-site free of charge! On-site we will gladly advise you which routes to choose – we will recommend where it’s worth going from Jastrzębia Góra and which trails work best both for families with children and for more experienced cyclists.
You can also go by car!
And if cycling doesn’t suit you, choose the four wheels of your own car, bus, or train. You can reach all the places described above without any problem using motorized vehicles. PS: We also have stables nearby, so maybe non-mechanical horses can be used too, but we haven’t tested that :)
