Discover Giełczyn: Routes and Memorial Sites

Cycling routes, a long hiking trail and several memorial sites give Giełczyn a range of things to explore. You can focus your stay more on tours or set aside time for the historic memorial sites. When looking for a holiday apartment, this is a useful first consideration: the cycling and hiking routes differ in mode of travel, length and course, while the memorials offer their own historical focus.

Cycling Routes and Hiking Trail

The 40.15 km C-1 cycling loop was described in 2012 as following a route through Czaplice, Osobne, Wierzbowo, Śniadowo, Jemielite Stare and Giełczyn, before returning to the PKS bus station. Its stated loop format distinguishes it from routes that include Giełczyn or begin there and continue onward.

The C-9 cycling route, also described in 2012, is 46.8 km long. It passes through Giełczyn and then follows the blue trail via Wygoda, Puchały and Zawady. The description identifies gravel as the surface on the stretch from Giełczyn to the edge of the forest. Before setting out, check whether this stretch is still gravel-surfaced.

The red Giełczyn–Szumowo hiking trail (PL-2555-c) starts in Giełczyn, passes through Głębocz Wielki and ends in Szumowo. It is 28 km long. The three routes differ not only in length: C-1 is described as a loop, C-9 follows the blue trail through other places, and the hiking trail runs from Giełczyn to Szumowo. You can start by choosing a mode of travel and the kind of route you want.

Memorial Sites in Giełczyn

There is a monument next to the village community centre. Giełczyn is also home to a cemetery for those murdered during the Second World War, listed in the register of monuments under number A-422. Nearby, a monument in the Giełczyn forest commemorates several thousand Jews and Poles murdered there by Germans between 1941 and 1944. These sites represent different forms of remembrance: a monument by the village community centre, a cemetery with a register number, and a forest monument naming the victim groups and the period.

Nature and History in the Wider Łomżyński Destination

In the wider Łomżyński destination, tourist trails in Łomża Municipality pass through protected areas, including the Łomżyński Landscape Park of the Narew Valley. These trails offer direct contact with nature. From the observation point in Siemień Nadrzeczny, visitors can watch numerous birds that live in the landscape park; birdwatching is seasonal and naturally variable. Also in the wider Łomżyński destination, Wielki Dział is a permanent refuge for cranes, black storks, lesser spotted eagles, white-tailed eagles, moose, wolves and deer.

Archaeological sites are also part of the wider Łomżyński destination. On Góra Królowej Bony, clear traces of a large fortified settlement and the earthworks surrounding it are visible. Wzgórze Św. Wawrzyńca is next to Góra Królowej Bony. It is home to a fortified settlement dating from around the 9th to 10th centuries, with remains of a settlement and a church. The two neighbouring hills therefore offer distinct archaeological features: visible traces of fortifications and earthworks on one, and settlement and church remains on the other.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Giełczyn, use your planned activities as a guide: consider whether cycling, hiking or visiting memorial sites will shape your stay. The nature and archaeological sites in the wider Łomżyński destination provide a separate regional theme to explore.

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