Velo Baltica Cycle Route (EuroVelo 10): Kołobrzeg – Ustronie Morskie

The Velo Baltica between Kołobrzeg and Ustronie Morskie is a short, flat stretch of EuroVelo 10, the long-distance cycle route around the Baltic Sea. From Kołobrzeg's port and parks it follows the seafront and then runs along a dune embankment through the Eastern Ecopark bogs to Podczele and the resort of Ustronie Morskie. The town calls it one of the most beautifully situated cycle paths in Poland, and it is one of the easiest ways to enjoy the coast.

Where it is

Kołobrzeg (say “koh-WOB-zhek”) is a spa town in West Pomerania, about 230 km northeast of Berlin; the nearest airport is Szczecin-Goleniów (about 100 km), and trains run from Szczecin, Poznań and Warsaw. Ustronie Morskie lies east of town along the coast.

About the route

EuroVelo 10 circles the Baltic through nine countries. In Poland it is signed R10, and in the West Pomeranian region it is branded Velo Baltica – about 235 km of cycling infrastructure, according to the regional cycling portal. The Ustronie Morskie – Kołobrzeg – Dźwirzyno path was built with EU funds by the two Polish municipalities together with the German town of Barth, adding rest areas, viewpoints and beach access points.

The town's description of R10 within Kołobrzeg (29.4 km, rated easy) runs from Dźwirzyno in the west through the fishing port and Stefan Żeromski Park, then east toward Podczele and Ustronie Morskie. Highlights along the way:

• the fishing port, the Salt Redoubt and the marina,
• the pier and the Monument to Poland's Wedding to the Sea,
• the Stone Redoubt and Fredry Park,
• the Eastern Ecopark, where a boardwalk and viewpoints overlook the Solne Bagno salt marsh.

Tips for riding

• The route is flat. In town it partly uses streets and park alleys; east of the center it becomes a dedicated path of asphalt, paving or boardwalk.
• Start at the pier or the Stone Redoubt. In summer the town section is busy with pedestrians, and in Ustronie Morskie the regional portal recommends a summer detour via Wojska Polskiego Street, as the promenade is narrow.
• It is open and free all year. In autumn and winter it is wonderfully quiet, but expect strong sea winds, blown sand and possibly icy boardwalks.
• Bike rentals operate mainly in summer, so check availability before an off-season trip.

Lesser-known stops

The town's list of places along the route also includes a few easily missed sights: the German Lapidarium and the Jewish Lapidarium, which preserve gravestones of Kołobrzeg's former inhabitants, a hornbeam tunnel and Antoni Szarmach Park. Between the port and Podczele the path crosses the spa district, where sanatoriums treat guests with brine and therapeutic peat year-round – so the path stays lively even in winter. According to the town, the whole of EuroVelo 10 is almost 8,000 km long.

Is it worth it?

Yes – especially for families and casual riders, since there are no climbs and the beach is never far away. Keen cyclists can extend the ride west to Dźwirzyno on Lake Resko Przymorskie, where a boardwalk with a viewing deck crosses shifting dunes.