Laski: Cycling Routes and Historic Traces

Cycling routes of varying lengths

Cycling Route No. 2 is about 25 km long, and Cycling Route No. 5 is about 35 km. Both pass through Laski and then reach the edge of the Parczew Forests. Cycling Route No. 3 is about 30 km long and also passes through Laski; at about 50 km, No. 6 is the longest of the four routes mentioned. This makes it possible to compare the routes by their stated lengths: Nos. 2 and 3 are about 25 and 30 km respectively, while Nos. 5 and 6 are about 35 and 50 km.

The red partisan trail LU-5515 also passes through Laski towards the Parczew Forests. Its total length is given as 104.7 km; in the section near Parczew, it runs through Laski. The trail was intended to showcase natural attractions and sites of partisan battles from the Second World War. It thus combines a longer route with an explicitly historical theme.

Walking trails and a boardwalk through forest and marshland

The red Szlak Dzikiej Przyrody nature trail is 42 km long. It starts at the car park by the Minor Basilica in Parczew, passes through Laski and the Parczew Forests to Białka Sosnowica, and reaches the Parczew Forests at Pohulanka. Laski is therefore part of a route connecting Parczew and Białka Sosnowica. Check local signage and trail conditions before setting out.

A shorter alternative nearby is the Jezioro Obradowskie nature trail, about 3 km south of Laski. It is 800 m long, of which about 700 m runs along a wooden boardwalk through forest and marshland. Compared with the 42 km nature trail, its short length stands out, while the boardwalk accounts for a large part of the route. Conditions may change during a visit, so check the trail’s condition in advance.

Architectural history at specific sites in Laski

The sites listed in the Voivodeship Heritage Register include the granary at Laski No. 229, the former school at No. 49, the roadside cross at No. 12 and the wayside shrine opposite house number 2. They date from the first to the second quarter of the 20th century: the granary, former school and wayside shrine date from the first quarter, and the roadside cross from the second quarter. Alongside the religious roadside landmarks, the granary and former school represent different types of architectural heritage in the village.

In the wider destination of Parczew: city history and architecture

Parczew adds its own city history to the picture of Laski. The settlement, formerly called Parczów, is documented as early as the 13th century. In 1401, Władysław Jagiełło granted Parczew town rights; in 1413, Parczew was designated at Horodle as a venue for Polish-Lithuanian gatherings and Sejms. The city preserves a medieval layout established under Magdeburg Law, as well as underground settlement remains and archaeological layers documenting the city’s development. The wooden bell tower from 1675 is described as the city’s oldest surviving historic building.

Another architectural landmark in the wider destination of Parczew is the Minor Basilica, the Sanctuary of Our Lady Queen of Families in the Parish of St. John the Baptist. The Neo-Gothic church has two distinctive towers and five wooden altars. Pope John Paul II granted it the status of a Minor Basilica in 1989. Inside, polychrome decorations and stained-glass windows adorn the church; these include a window depicting St. Anthony from 1939 and one depicting the Assumption of Mary from 1937. The former Jewish cemetery in Parczew was established around 1566 and destroyed during the Second World War. Today, the site serves as a park with a monument to the victims of the Second World War.

To the wider travel overview: Babianka.