Poland bottom up

One campervan, three-person crew, six weeks, almost 2,000 km. These were the initial assumptions for the 2014 holidays. Read for yourself what came out of it.

We travel in a Hyundai Trajet with a vestibule - which has been serving us: Anka, Marek and 4.5-year-old Kuba as a substitute for a camper for 2 years. We don't like sitting still, so we spend no more than 4 days in each city we visit. We explore everything we can nearby - by bike or by car and move on. We appreciate regional food (although we won't eat it all because we are vegetarian), small breweries and interesting people. Our routes are dictated mainly by life - friends we visit along the way, festivals we want to participate in or simply interesting places we find on the Internet. Before we saved up money for a real camper, we decided to visit Poland - we started in 2012 and, over the next holidays, we managed to achieve our goal, step by step. We will finish the last stage in 2015 in a camper. We've already seen a lot, but there are still many places left to discover - and for now it's only Poland :)

2014 marked our route between the Festival in Wolimierz, which we wanted to take part in, a visit to friends by the sea and a meeting with the team in Masuria in the next stage of the holidays. The end date and place are also strictly defined, because every year in July we sail from Ślesin to Kruszwica on a family cruise. We had to somehow create a route among these places and dates, and it worked out as you can see. We didn't manage to accomplish all the points in the end, but whatever we put off, we can't get away with :)

1. Kalisz - Bąkowo

The camping site in Bąków is proud of its many-time Mister Camping title - an award for the best camping site in Poland. This prosaic curiosity to see what the best one looks like led to our first stop on the route.

The campsite is beautifully situated, among a forest with a stream running through the area and carefully maintained greenery. It has separate places for campers - all of them occupied, so as you can see, it is very popular. Our van got a place at the very end, at the campsite, but we managed to get electricity there without any problems. In the middle of the field there are public shelters where you can feast, barbecue or wash dishes after a meal. In the same building there are showers and toilets as well as playgrounds (for younger and older children). The attraction turned out to be the swimming pool - available during opening hours for free to camping residents. The complex also has a breeding pond where you can go pedal boating or boating. Unfortunately, it was quite small, so we weren't tempted to spend time this way. We cooked our own meals, but there is a small bar/shop at the campsite where you can buy ice cream, drink beer or eat delicious homemade dumplings. There is also supposedly a nice restaurant nearby, but we didn't have a chance to check it out :)

We were stationed in Bąków for three days. We visited nearby Kluczbork. Unfortunately, despite recent revitalization, it did not have much to offer tourists with children. We were hoping that in a city that is famous for beekeeping, we would at least be able to buy some delicious honey... unfortunately, to no avail. Although the center is charming, it is overrun by cars, with few attractions or places to sit, eat or drink. We visited the beekeeping museum where you can see an interesting exhibition about beehives, wandered around the restored market square, and, a bit disappointed, we moved on.

Nearby Byczyna turned out to be much more interesting. This small town is the only town (apart from Paczków) in Poland where authentic medieval city walls have been preserved, unfortunately currently terribly neglected. Two huge towers guard the walls on both sides of Byczyna, and inside it is full of winding, charming streets. The city's atmosphere is still unique and one can only dream of what it could look like if it had more funds for investment. At the local exhibition, for a small fee, an enthusiast curator told us a bit about the history of the city and showed us an exhibition of antique sharpeners.

After visiting the cities, it was time for attractions for the youngest member of the team and we went to the town of Biskupice . A typically commercial building does not have much in common with the authentic appearance of a medieval castle, but it organizes numerous attractions for children, knights' camps and shows for organized groups. It's worth going there during one of the events, but we managed to see a lot of cool things and talk to the nice staff of this place. There is a shop/bar on site and you can buy some typical knightly souvenirs (wooden swords, shields, etc.)

Near the campsite in Bąków (15 minutes by bike through the forests) there is also a reservoir , opened in 2011. On site you can go to the beach, fish, or rent water equipment. During the season, there are also events on the beach - unfortunately, we didn't manage to attend any, because the day, although a holiday, was the middle of the week. Peace and quiet, practically no beachgoers. We ate pizza at a beach bar, replenished our fluids and returned to Bąków to continue getting ready.

The area around Kluczbork is a paradise for cyclists, full of scenic routes and bicycle trails (e.g. along the trail of historic churches), but we didn't have the opportunity to ride much this time. Maybe we'll come back someday to make up for lost money :)

2. Bąkowo - Świdnica

We chose Świdnica by accident. It was simply a convenient starting point for other cities we wanted to visit, and the website showed that they had a pretty decent campsite. On the way, we were supposed to visit Kościerzyce in the Stobrawska Forest, but in the end we flew straight to Świdnica. And very good - because Świdnica turned out to be a bull's eye!

On the way, we visited Opole , which turned out to be a beautiful city, full of people and activities. At KrakOFFska 36, we browsed the community commission, played music from a special music booth in the market square and watched local kids build a large cardboard maze on the market square. There are cafes, galleries, painting exhibitions and lots of interesting nooks and crannies around (e.g. the railway station, which was being renovated at that time). There would definitely be something to do there for a few days, but we continued on - to Świdnica.

The campsite is small but perfectly maintained, each camper has its own separate square surrounded by greenery and a bench for sitting. Sanitary facilities are clean and still smell new, fenced area, located on a moderately busy road. Next to OSiR, and therefore you could use the swimming pool for free during its opening hours, there was also a small bar with sweets on the premises. It was definitely the coolest campsite we visited this summer. It turned out that it was located about a 15-minute walk to the center, so trips to the city did not involve the need to move the car.

Świdnica welcomed us with a concert of the Analogs band (in the park - 5 minutes away from the campsite), which was a nice surprise for us, old punk rockers :) The city itself is charming, full of beautiful architectural details, smaller and larger cafes and restaurants in the market square where we liked to stop to rest for a while. A beautiful place with great potential, which I hope will be used wisely. We returned to the market square with pleasure several times during our stay in Świdnica.

Another surprise was the driving competition taking place in nearby Książ . We are somewhat interested in horse riding and we couldn't miss this opportunity. Even though we had planned to visit the castle and the stud farm, it turned out that we had to postpone it a few days earlier - it meant crowds of visitors, but it was still worth it. Beautiful carriages, the best competitors from around the world and an amazing spectacle in picturesque natural surroundings. Visiting the Stallion Herd and the castle was just the icing on the cake of this exciting day.

The Jedlina Zdrój health resort seemed to be an interesting option to visit, although we did not expect any special attractions there. A small, nice town, with a small pump room in the center. Just a quiet, peaceful holiday resort. And here's a surprise again - because the Czarodziejska Góra entertainment center has been opened in Jedlina and there are plenty of attractions for both adults and children: a toboggan run, climbing, a rope park and pontoon rides (also skiing in winter) are just some of what you can find in this beautifully located complex.

After two attempts (traffic jams due to the competition in Książ), we finally managed to reach Wałbrzych , which was currently undergoing revitalization. Among the excavations and renovations, the charm of this city could be seen. The fountain in the market square encouraged children especially to sit, we wandered around the city a bit, but nothing kept us there for long. We stocked up on fresh vegetables and fruit at a nearby gardener and returned to Świdnica for dinner.

3. Świdnica - Bystrzyca - Wolimierz

From Świdnica we headed towards Wolimierz, where the Alternative Communities Festival was to take place from July 17 to July 20, which we had planned with our friends. For now, however, we visited friends who welcomed us in their magical house in Bystrzyca.

The areas of the Bóbr valley hide many surprises, charming castles, breathtaking landscapes and buildings that we passed along the way. At this stage of the journey, we focused mainly on social attractions :) We did see Wleń and the beautiful ruins of the Lenno castle , but this was only a small fragment of what you can visit the surrounding area. We didn't want to leave because the hosts were wonderful and the place was amazing, but after three days it was time to move on.

On the way, we stopped in Gryfów Śląski, curious about the ruins of the castle visible from the road. It was Gryf Castle , the ruins of which are now owned by some Christian Foundation and serve as a House of Healing. Between the ruins of the castle there are buildings made of boards and makeshift altars, which gives the whole thing a slightly spooky atmosphere, but it is still something worth seeing, although you have to pay quite a lot for visiting it. You are given a map that allows you to imagine what the castle looked like in the past and you can practically walk alone through the amazing ruins of the once mighty stronghold.

On the same day, we entered Wolimierz for the Alternative Communities Festival. Stacja Wolimierz is a place gathering extraordinary people, full of music and good energy. For many years it has been the seat of the Klinika Lalek theater , whose amazing performances could be seen during the festival. In addition, a lot of diverse music, wonderful vegetarian food, workshops and meetings. Nearby there is also an alternative bar , Atelier Wolimierz, where a couple of older Asians served wonderful sushi and in the evening there were music events. The festival town, filled with a variety of music, practically does not sleep for three days, so it is definitely not a place for people who value peace and quiet. We were delighted, especially the child, who could fly around the entire area, very child-friendly, with impunity, and use the newly built playground with a real beach to his heart's content.

Despite the large facilities, well-functioning bars and food stands, the conditions were practically poor, which took its toll on us due to the record-breaking heat at that time. To cool down, we went in the morning to the Czech Republic, where near the town of Nove Mesto pod Smrkem there is a lake where we could improve our hygiene a bit. Near the lake there is a campsite, sanitary facilities, bars and the popular Singltrek pod Smrkem bicycle station, which is a unique attraction for mountain bike fans who ride with entire families along the route connecting the Czech Republic and Poland. After five days in Wolimierz, however, we missed the luxuries of civilization and rushed towards the sea to check off the next point of our holiday trip.

4. Wolimierz - Czaplinek - Karwieńskie Błota

After the charms of festival life, we wanted some luxuries. We were supposed to visit the area around Zielona Góra on the way, but in the end we were pressed for time and decided to go straight to Czaplinek, from where we were just a stone's throw to the sea.

The Drawtur campsite we visited was a typical large campsite with cottages, a marina, a canteen and lots of campers. There were large and well-maintained toilets adapted to the needs of campers and a bar overlooking the marina. Warm water and a charming beach encouraged swimming, and young surfers took their first steps (gliding?) on the water at the shore. There is also a diving school at the campsite, and you can rent bicycles and water equipment. The campsite is a bit too big for us, but we prefer smaller places, but we can definitely recommend it, although the prices were not low - it was the most expensive accommodation during our entire trip. Czaplinek itself, apart from the lake, unfortunately has little to offer. We visited the nearby Drahim Castle , which unfortunately did not make the best impression on us. Although the service was very nice and the idea of commercially developing the ruins is fine, the shoddy workmanship (e.g. plastic candles as candelabra) leaves much to be desired. The kid liked it because you can dress up and shoot with a bow and there were live rabbits, but we, the adults, were a bit disappointed with the indulgence of the whole thing. In the area, we were also interested in the Ceramic Settlement in Sikory, but despite our efforts, we failed to find it - we got lost in the forest and turned back, discouraged. Maybe someone will be lucky :)

After two nights in Czaplinek, we finally went to the seaside to meet friends in Karwieńskie Błota Drugie . Nearby Karwia is a real seaside resort with modern guesthouses, restaurants, fish fryers, waffles and inflatable toys at every step. However, we do not miss such a crowd of people, so we were relieved to discover that Karwieńskie Błota Drugie, probably due to regulations restricting development in this place, is after all wilder and less crowded. There are also restaurants (quite good ones at that), shops and beach bars, but much fewer and space is not difficult to find. The nearby forests encourage cycling trips, and among the forest trails we occasionally encountered wild campers.

The water in the sea is terribly cold this summer, so to take a swim one day we went to the nearby Żarnowieckie Lake . Warm water and picturesque surroundings meant that, despite the small beach space, the Lubkowo DPS swimming pool was heavily crowded with tourists. We also crouched down in the shade under a tree and enjoyed the perfect weather, although there were some difficulties. Modern toilets and changing rooms have been built at the swimming pool, but to use the toilet you have to buy two zloty coins (only such coins are accepted by the machine) and there is no possibility of changing money in the area. You won't find a shop or a chip shop here, so we recommend taking sandwiches or planning to come back for lunch.

On the plots in Karwieńskie Błota, where, thanks to the kindness of friends, we were camping, there was no electricity and no running drinking water. After a few happy days, we had to move further towards civilization to recharge the batteries and replenish the water shortage. We missed the big city, so after five days we set off towards Tricity, where the Dominican Fair was taking place.

6. Karwieńskie Błota - Sobieszewska Island

The Dominkański Fair was taking place in Gdańsk and we were afraid of the typical season crowding at all campsites. So we chose a campsite slightly away from the center - on Sobieszewska Island, about twenty kilometers from the Tricity.

A large campsite located in the forest, despite being very busy with regular visitors, still had a lot of free places where we could camp. There are plenty of houses, campers and tents at the campsite. There are also playgrounds and toilets, which, however, did not particularly encourage bathing. Fortunately, the beach is close and the water here is a bit warmer. Camping was pleasant, but all the joy of being outdoors was spoiled by the stench of burning garbage, which someone from the campsite staff passionately disposed of :/

We rode a giant Ferris wheel and tasted regional specialties of the Kashubian region. The wallet was also emptying at an alarming rate because every stall had something cool. Around noon, however, the crowd and, above all, the terrible heat were unbearable. We ate dinner at Green Way in Gdańsk and, full, we returned to the Island. The next day we left Gdynia - the port and the aquarium . The gift of Pomorza charmed the little one and we ourselves, as sailors, were delighted. The Gdynia Aquarium also turned out to be a hit - the system of early start of the trip also worked here, because we didn't spend so much time in the queue and quickly went inside to hide from the heat. The exhibitions and fish are wonderful, and you can also download a free application for your phone that will tell you everything about the exhibits you are viewing. We stroked cods, discovered the secrets of the bottom of the Baltic Sea and learned how long it takes for garbage thrown into the sea to decompose. However, the aquarium quickly filled with visitors and after a while the crowd became burdensome. Unfortunately, this is the charm of visiting this type of attractions in the season :)

Having visited what there was to see and unable to bear the smoke of burning garbage anymore, we headed towards Masuria, where another meeting with friends was waiting for us.

7. Wyspa Sobieszewska - Ostróda - Jabłonka - Kalisz, i.e. the finish

While waiting for the agreed day of the entire team's reunion, we decided to wander around Masuria. We planned to visit a few towns, but in the end we decided to go straight to Ostróda.

The campsite at OCSiR turned out to be a very nice place, so we stayed there longer. The campsite is small, grassy, surrounded by trees. There are separate accommodations for campers and tents, separated by low fences, with adapted, flat surfaces. Along with paying for the accommodation, we receive a card - a key to the sanitary facilities, which this time turned out to be first class - everything is new, clean and fragrant. Next to the building there are sinks and a covered cooking area. Although the campsite is located near OCSiR, the guard watches over everything only during working hours, so at night we are on our own - which didn't bother us. Even though there is a marina and a busy disco nearby, we had no problems. The music didn't disturb either, nor did the trains running on nearby tracks. However, this is definitely not a campsite for people who value peace, quiet and intimacy - from the nearby road the entire area is clearly visible and you can feel a bit like on a spotlight. We liked it, especially since we were the only residents most of the time. Some campers arrived during the weekend, but it was not a crowded place.

Ostróda itself, apart from the famous Festival, turned out to be a quiet and sleepy town. We quickly reached the city by bike from the campsite via the newly built promenade by the lake. Most of the attractions are also located there - restaurants, a marina and a wakeboard track, supposedly the longest in our country. We watched with interest the competitors' struggles on the boards and we felt like trying it ourselves someday. In the park, we were intrigued by the dragon murals, avant-garde painted garbage bins and sweater-clad city lamps. Despite the unfavorable weather, we also went on a boat cruise - unfortunately only on a nearby lake. The offer also includes cruises to Elbląg , with a ride on the famous slipways, and longer and shorter sightseeing cruises on the beautiful Masurian lakes, but unfortunately this involves a trip of several hours and our child is not an enthusiast of long cruises. Even this two-hour cruise, despite the opportunity to temporarily sit at the helm of the ship, turned out to be too long for him. There is a shop with drinks and sweets and toilets on the ship, but in the case of a longer cruise, we advise you to take something to eat.

Near Ostróda there is the Ethnographic Park in Olsztynek . A magical place that we decided to visit, encouraged by last year's visit to Dziekanowice. Old cottages from all over Poland, with carefully recreated interiors, farmsteads and equipment spread over a gigantic and extremely charming area are what we love the most. A church, an inn, an old school, mills and farmsteads, beautifully maintained greenery and farm animals (goats, chickens, geese, Polish horses) - you can visit there for the whole day and each cottage is charming with its originality. A perfect opportunity for a walk and practical learning about the former Polish settlement. Before entering the park, you can buy souvenirs, mostly original folk handicrafts, and eat in a beautiful inn serving truly Polish specialties. As a vegetarian, we didn't have a large selection of dishes there, but we drank a delicious dandelion drink and ate fresh salads straight from the garden. We recommend!

We had such a good time in Ostróda that we spent 4 nights there, which, apart from the planned stays with friends, was our longest stop. However, "zero hour" struck and we set off to meet the rest of the team from Kalisz. At Lake Omulew , in a rented farm, we camped together for a whole week, enjoying the clean lake... and the nearby distillery :) Jabłonka is a small town with a large number of summer houses and agritourism farms. There is a shop on site, you can rent floating equipment or eat at the Pheasant's restaurant (we didn't have a chance to try it, but the menu looked very appealing for meat eaters). Apart from the performances of the local club of country wives, which we managed to catch, there are not many attractions there - apart from the mentioned distillery, which will be appreciated not only by lovers of good drinks. Unusual spirits in beautifully decorated bottles have become our most valuable travel loot this summer. You can also visit the distillery for a fee, and the owners will tell you all the secrets of producing these interesting drinks.

Parties, sunbathing, swimming, bonfire and fun - after an intense week in Jabłonka, a bit tired, we all headed back to Kalisz. On the way, we visited the castle in Ciechanów , which is still being modernized. After waiting in line, we were quickly shown around the castle, i.e. to the tower and back, giving maybe two sentences about the castle itself (e.g. "there is a very nice view from here, but unfortunately you won't see much because the walls are quite high" and "there used to be dungeons here, but now there are none") So we looked at a small exhibition to cheer ourselves up and went home. My friends go back to work after the holidays, and we repack for another trip - this time by water :) Well, that's a story for another page.