Nature

Podlaskie Stork Trail

The Podlaskie Stork Trail is a cycling route of 412.5 km, laid out in 2002 through the nesting heartlands of the white stork. It links four national parks — Białowieża, Narew, Biebrza and Wigry — and belongs to the international Greenways network.

The route from Białowieża to Stańczyki

The trail starts in Białowieża, runs through Narewka, the Upper Narew valley (Suraż, Kurowo), Tykocin and Pentowo, then along the Biebrza past Osowiec-Twierdza and Goniądz, all the way to the Augustów Primeval Forest, Wigry and the aqueduct bridges at Stańczyky. Information boards along the way explain the life of storks and the attractions of the region; the route passes, among other sights, the Waniewo-Śliwno footbridge over the Narew and the Great Synagogue in Tykocin.

Pentowo, the stork capital

Near Tykocin lies Pentowo — the only European Stork Village in Poland, chosen by a German foundation from among a dozen or so places across Europe. Dozens of pairs nest by the historic wooden manor of the Toczyłowski family, and a viewing tower awaits observers. No coincidence: in the international census of the 2004/05 season 52.5 thousand pairs of white storks were counted in Poland, and in the valleys of the Biebrza and the Narew more than a thousand pairs feed.

Practical

The summer season, when adult birds raise their young, is the most rewarding. The route runs through open country, so plan your stages with the villages and information points in mind.