The best traffic-free bike rides around gmina gmina Szprotawa

The intersection of the Kolej na Rower cycle route with the Velo Sprotavia cycle route, or more precisely the exit from the former to the connection with the latter, is of significant importance in connecting the Nowa Sól and Żagań poviats.

Unfortunately, this cycle path is not completely finished. The final layer of asphalt over the concrete slabs is missing. The cycle path is apparently rarely cleared and cleaned, which means that you have to cycle very slowly in some sections. The connection to the cycle path at the former Stypułów train station leads along an unpaved gravel road.

VELO SPROTAVIA is a strategic cycling path in the southern Lubusz Voivodeship. It runs vertically through the Szprotawa commune, from the town of Szprotawa to the village of Stypułów. At the former railway station in Stypułów, it connects with the regional RAILWAY TO BIKE path, which runs to Kożuchów, Nowa Sól, Otyń, Konotop, and the border with the Wielkopolska Voivodeship. The total length of VELO SPROTAVIA is 16 km. The route follows the former Szprotawa-Zielona Góra railway line (1911-1955), along the Szprotawa-Kartowice-Witków-Siecieborzyce-Stypułów section. Initially, the path runs parallel to the district road towards Kartowice, a short distance away. We ascend a gentle hill (141 m above sea level), offering a panoramic view of the surrounding area. Under favorable conditions, we can see the Karkonosze and Jizera Mountains from here. The agricultural landscape is only interrupted by a strip of trees growing along the path, with a significant proportion of fruit trees. According to legend, former passengers of the Zielona Góra railway, by throwing fruit pits out of the train windows, contributed to the creation of a linear orchard of plums, apples, pears, and cherries. From the hill, we descend pleasantly all the way to Kartowice itself, where, near the ruins of the village railway station, a cyclist service area (MOR) has been built, complete with a shelter, table, benches, parking spaces, and a bicycle repair module. No one will likely object if we pitch a tent near the shelter if necessary. It's a very atmospheric place. Near the shelter, we'll see a monument to the residents of Kartowice (Kortnitz in German) who died on the front lines of World War I. After a rest in Kartowice, we head further north, towards Witków. Soon, the agricultural landscape will transform into forest. This preservation owes its historical preservation to the fact that since the Middle Ages, this has been an inviolable border between the duchies of Głogów and Żagań. The forest preserves fragments of the famous Silesian Ramparts, built in the 15th/16th centuries, a kind of border barrier. All the preserved sections of the Silesian Ramparts constitute the longest archaeological site in Poland. The Szprotawa Land Museum holds a unique boundary marker from this forest. Nearby, by the district road, we come across a 19th-century stone signpost pointing the way towards Borowina (orig. "nach Hartau"). Old maps show peculiar enclaves in this area, such as Wilczy zaułek (Wilczy Lane), Krowie Bagno (Ciche Hill).

The Silesian Ramparts are the longest archaeological site in Poland. This medieval structure is considered the equivalent of the famous Great Wall of China. These are the until-recently-mysterious Silesian Ramparts, built in the 14th and 15th centuries on the border of the former Duchy of Głogów. The medieval Szprotawa District (districtus sprotaviensis) bordered the Duchy of Żagań to the west and the Duchy of Jawor to the south. The structure was enormous considering the local conditions. A system of ramparts and ditches was painstakingly constructed over several dozen kilometers, terminating at rivers or marshes. Sometimes the fortifications were so strong that they consisted of up to four adjacent ramparts. Hedges were planted and maintained on their crests to prevent sudden intrusions into the duchy. To give you an idea, at some sites the fortification system was over 40 meters wide with the height of the ramparts being about 2.5 meters!

The Bobrowice Loop - marked fire road no. 26, distinguished by its paved surface and additionally marked with stone signposts with the inscription "Bobrowicka Loop". The route begins in Nowa Kopernia and leads into the Lower Silesian Forest. It passes by the historic Stone Signposts and through the Bobrowice Ponds, above which there is a "Śniadanisko" (Sandbox) with a wooden shelter, benches, tables and a place for a safe bonfire. Two ecological sites have been established here: "Łabędzi Staw" (Swan Pond) and "Żurawie Bagno" (Cranes' Bagno). This is an area inhabited by cranes and a hunting ground for white-tailed eagles. The route is intersected by the Silesian Ramparts (the longest archaeological site in Poland). The 11.3 km long tourist route ends at the Forester's Lodge in Bobrowice - currently the "Nad Bobrem" agritourism farm.

To get here, you have to deviate a bit from the gravel road into the forest.

A tree with an exceptionally beautiful shape. Worth paying attention to when riding on the bike path.

An artificial reservoir in Małomice. There is a beach, walking paths, rest areas and a large playground.