Discover Gdańsk: Żuławy, the Radunia and cultural routes

Two distinctive landscapes meet in Gdańsk County. To the west, the Gdańsk Heights extend along the edge of the Kashubian Lake District. Gentle moraine terrain, small hills, lakes in ribbon valleys and forests characterise this area; the Radunia and its tributaries form gorges and meanders. To the east lie the Gdańsk Żuławy in the catchment area of the Martwa Wisła, part of the larger Żuławy Wiślane region. The Żuławy Gdańskie Protected Landscape Area covers 27,491 hectares within the county and protects this distinctive cultural landscape. The Radunia Valley Protected Landscape Area covers 925 hectares and includes the valley floor and slopes of the Radunia, as well as adjacent forest and agricultural land, basins and gorges. Four named nature reserves complete the picture: Jar Reknicy, Bursztynowa Góra, Wyspa na Jeziorze Przywidz and Dolina Kłodawy.

Cycling routes through varied landscapes

Several circular routes let you experience the differences by bike. The 18.5-kilometre “Szlak Trzech Jezior” (Three Lakes Trail) runs through the municipality of Przywidz, alongside Lakes Przywidzkie Małe, Połęczyńskie and Głęboczko. The 13-kilometre “Dolina Reknicy” (Reknica Valley) cycling route starts and ends in Przywidz and passes through the glacial valley of Lake Głęboczko and the Reknica River. If you would rather explore forests and ridges than lakes and a river valley, the 12-kilometre “Wzgórza Przywidzkie” (Przywidz Hills) circular route offers just that: it runs mainly through wooded areas along the highest elevations in the municipality of Przywidz and passes a burial mound field. The routes’ different lengths and landscapes can help you choose outings to suit your holiday plans.

The “Szlak Motławski” (Motława Trail) is 37 kilometres long in total, of which 24.7 kilometres run through Gdańsk County. The county section is flat and follows asphalt roads or concrete-slab paths with little car traffic. This provides practical guidance when choosing a cycling route, without implying anything about other routes. Canoe trips are also possible along the Motława route from Gdańsk to Tczew, which passes through Gdańsk County.

Arcaded houses, Mennonites and hydropower

The 20-kilometre “Szlak Domów Podcieniowych” (Arcaded Houses Trail) can be explored on foot, by bike or as a water tour. Its destinations include seven arcaded houses, among them the most imposing one in Trutnowy, as well as churches in Osice, Trutnowy and Koźliny, the ruins of a Gothic church in Steblewo and an 18th-century granary in Koźliny. The half-timbered house with an arcade in Trutnowy was built between 1720 and 1726 by Dutchman Peter Lettahn for Georg Basener. Another cultural and historical route is the 34-kilometre “Szlak Śladami Mennonitów” (Mennonite Heritage Trail). It leads, among other places, to arcaded houses in Krępiec and Trutnowy, churches in Wróblewo and Kiezmark, a bell tower in Wiśliny and a Mennonite stele in Wocław. Along the route, the meandering Motława, canals, smaller waterways and extensive meadows dotted with willows typical of the region shape the landscape.

Explore industrial architecture on the “Szlak Elektrowni Wodnych” (Hydropower Plant Trail), a walking and cycling route. Visitors can see a group of eight hydropower plants built along the Radunia River between 1910 and 1937. Six of them form the Radunia cascade; the plants are considered noteworthy examples of interwar industrial architecture. The Faktoria Handlowa adds archaeology to the cultural offerings: it is a reconstruction of a trading settlement that existed around 2,000 years ago, as well as a modern exhibition and education centre. It presents finds relating to the history of the Amber Road and everyday life in a settlement from the 1st century AD.

Which holiday apartment suits your trip?

When choosing a holiday apartment in Gdańsk, your planned outings can help determine what you want to focus on: lakes and forest paths, the cultural landscape of the Żuławy, or architectural and industrial history appeal to different interests. Compare the specific places and routes you want to visit with the accommodation locations you are considering for your holiday.

More destination pages: Gdańsk, Świbno, Elganowo, Ostrowite, Straszyn, Pomlewo, Juszkowo, Postołowo, Kłodawa, Pruszcz Gdański, Koszwały, Przejazdowo, Suchy Dąb, Łęgowo, Otomin, Grabiny-Zameczek, Cedry Wielkie, Pszczółki, Żukczyn, Miłowo, Ząbrsko Górne, Przywidz, Pręgowo Górne, Wiślina, Trzepowo, Cedry Małe, Buszkowy Górne, Kleszczewo and Warcz.

Back to the regional travel overview: Pomerania.