Sitno: Twin Lakes, Church History and Cycling Route

Sitno brings together a moraine hill and the nearby twin lakes Rybna and Rokitna. There is also a church with a layered history of construction and furnishings, as well as the “Zaczarowane pejzaże” cycling route, which passes through Sitno. Here, landscapes, local history and a longer cycling route come together—different themes to help you plan your trip.

Landscape between Rybna and Rokitna

Sitno lies at the foot of a moraine hill, near the twin lakes Rybna and Rokitna. Both bodies of water are similar in size, each measuring 0.5 kilometres in length and up to 0.3 kilometres in width. Lake Rybna covers 10 hectares and lies 142.4 metres above sea level; Lake Rokitna is listed as covering 9.5 hectares and lying at an elevation of 143.1 metres. This makes Lake Rybna slightly larger, while the lakes have the same length and maximum width. These specific measurements provide a tangible frame of reference for the landscape without treating the two bodies of water as a single destination.

Church and local history

The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was built in 1871 on the site of an older wooden church dating from 1580. Its Neo-Gothic interior is designed as a hall and defined by a wooden ceiling with two bays. Its furnishings include a Neo-Gothic pulpit, Neo-Baroque pews and an organ loft. The church also houses a bell cast in Bochum in 1873. The building’s history, its layout and its individual furnishings tell different chapters of the same local story.

The historical name Sitnos also points to the area’s past: over time, the place was called “Kurdorf” and described as a health resort. The “Swojacy” folk ensemble was founded in 2003 on the initiative of Sitno residents. It took part in various folk competitions and showcases and represented the municipality in Poland and abroad, including in Belarus, Lithuania and Germany. Events organised by “Swojacy” included the “Szczecineckie Spotkanie z Folklorem” folk festival and the “Ludowy Przegląd Kolęd i Pastorałek” folk music competition.

Explore the area by bike

The approximately 52-kilometre-long “Zaczarowane pejzaże” cycling route runs via Szczecinek, Świątki, Sitno, Dziki, Turowo, Wilcze Laski, Kruszka, Lotyń, Drzewice, Wojnowo, Dębowo, Drawień, Żółtnica, Buczek and Czarnobór before returning to Szczecinek. Sitno is therefore part of a longer loop that passes through several places. At kilometre 6.2, the yellow-marked route turns left towards Sitno, at the edge of the “Dęby Wilczkowskie” nature reserve, beyond a stream that flows into Lake Wilczkowo.

More places to explore in the Szczecinek destination

The wider Szczecinek destination also includes standalone attractions outside Sitno. In Trzebiechowo, a castle complex dates from the second half of the 19th century. There is also a church from the third quarter of the 19th century, dedicated to Our Lady of Częstochowa. In Wierzchowo, the “Wielkie Błoto” nature and forest educational trail lies on the southern shore of Lake Wierzchowo, southeast of Wierzchowo. Its features include five information boards, a wooden footbridge over the marsh and an observation tower. The red-marked, 161-kilometre “Szlak Wzniesień Moreny Czołowej” also passes through the Szczecinek municipality. These places and routes broaden the perspective on Szczecinek, but they are separate regional stops from Sitno.

Other places in the same destination: Rakowo, Stare Wierzchowo, Sępolno Wielkie, Szczecinek, Pilawa, Krągi, Spore, Silnowo.

For the wider travel overview: Szczecinek.