Giełczyn – Cycling Routes, Hiking Trail and Memorial Sites

Giełczyn can be described in terms of two specific interests: cycling or walking tours and places of remembrance. The named routes provide specific distances and itineraries for comparison; the monuments and cemetery point to the historical dimension of the place.

Cycling and Hiking Routes Compared

The 40.15 km C-1 cycling loop runs via Czaplice, Osobne, Wierzbowo, Śniadowo, Jemielite Stare and Giełczyn, returning to the PKS bus station. The loop is therefore a clearly defined option for anyone planning a cycling tour based on its length and a described route.

The 46.8 km C-9 cycling route also passes through Giełczyn and then follows the blue trail via Wygoda, Puchały and Zawady. According to the stated distances, it is 6.65 km longer than C-1. This makes it possible to distinguish the two cycling routes by both their length and their described layout: C-1 is a loop, while C-9 continues through several named places.

A hike also starts in Giełczyn: the red Giełczyn–Szumowo hiking trail (PL-2555-c) runs via Głębocz Wielki to Szumowo and is 28 km long. At this length, it is an extensive hiking route and a specific benchmark for planning your day.

Descriptions of the two cycling routes date from 2012. They also state that the section of C-9 from Giełczyn to the start of the forest is gravel. Check the current route and surface conditions before setting out on a cycling tour.

Places of Remembrance

There is a monument next to the village community center in Giełczyn. The village is also home to a cemetery for those murdered during the Second World War, listed under monument register number A-422. Near Giełczyn, a monument in the forest commemorates several thousand Jews and Poles who were murdered there by Germans between 1941 and 1944.

In the wider Łomżyński destination

Two neighboring hills are part of the cultural and historical context of the wider Łomżyński destination. On Góra Królowej Bony, clear traces of a large fortified settlement and the earth ramparts surrounding it are visible. Wzgórze Św. Wawrzyńca lies next to it; there is a fortified settlement there dating from around the 9th to 10th century, with settlement remains and the remains of a church. The two neighboring hills reveal different archaeological features.

Another regional tradition of remembrance takes place at the Stach-Konwa clearing in Jednaczewski Forest. Since 2022, the Łomża municipality has organized patriotic commemorations there around the name day of Stach, or Stanisław, on May 8. They are accompanied by the “Kurpiowska Majówka u Stacha” family festival, which features historical and educational elements. If you would like to include this date in your travel plans, check the current event details.

Nature experiences are also part of the wider Łomżyński destination. In the Łomża municipality, tourist trails run through protected areas, including the Łomżyński Park Krajobrazowy Doliny Narwi; they offer direct contact with nature. From the viewpoint in Siemień Nadrzeczny, visitors can observe numerous birds that live in the landscape park. Which birds can be seen varies by season.

The regional natural landscape also includes Wielki Dział, a permanent refuge for cranes, black storks, lesser spotted eagles, white-tailed eagles, moose, wolves and deer. Thus, alongside archaeological traces and places of remembrance, the wider destination offers protected areas, birdwatching and diverse wildlife as subjects to consider when planning a trip.

Discover more destinations: Nowogród, Piątnica Poduchowna, Nowosiedliny, Kisielnica, Wizna, Łomża, Olszyny, Drozdowo.

Back to the wider travel overview: Łomżyński.