The 200-km Amber Bike Trail is the most alluring cycling route in the eastern Greater Poland. It goes along a historic trade route between the Baltic and the Adriatic Sea, and since the 5th century BC it was used by amber traders traveling to northern Europe. It used to be crossed on horseback and by carts, but these days it’s a great place to ride a bicycle instead.
The trail starts in Sycowo, a town just outside the southern border of Greater Poland. It leads through Kobyla Góra, which is the highest point in the region (at 284 meters above sea level) and Parzynów with its beautiful wooden church. Going along the trail you’ll ride through Ostrzeszów, where you can see the medieval fortified tower and the remains of the defensive wall, as well as a Gothic parish church and a Baroque Bernadine monastery.
The trail then leads to Kalisz, considered the most important settlement along the whole of the ancient Amber Road. The town square and the town hall aren’t the only things worth seeing in Kalisz, there are also gorgeous churches, monastery complexes, a fortified tower with remains of the wall and the oldest Polish city park.
Other places of interest are Russów featuring Maria Dąbrowska’s (a Polish writer) manor house, Stawiszyn with a monumental Gothic church and the Bronikowski Palace in Żychlin. The Romanesque sandstone post in Konin is also a must see as it’s the oldest road sign in Poland. and the nearby Licheń Stary offers a Marian Sanctuary along with a colossal Basilica.
