Cycling Through Poland, 2026 – Part 4

Back to the Poland trip overview

On the penultimate day, I rode from Tiegenhof along the Tuja towards the coast. Not far from Tiegenhof, right beside the river, there is a Vorlauben house that now houses the Gospoda Mały Holender restaurant. A Mennonite cemetery with old gravestones lies next to it.

The pumping station was also interesting. It pumps water out of the lowlands so it can flow into the sea. Unlike the North Sea, the Baltic has very little tidal movement, so at low tide the water cannot drain away by itself. Our ancestors reclaimed the land in the Vistula–Nogat Delta using a system of canals and pumping stations. Windmills used to do this work; today it is done by electric pumps.

Along the coast, I rode on a beautiful cycle path across the Vistula Spit to Krynica Morska (Kahlberg). The spit consists of sand dunes, and the cycle path offers a fine view of the Baltic Sea. It was the highlight of the whole trip and a wonderful experience.

On the last day before heading home, I rode a short distance to Gdańsk (Danzig). I planned to spend the night there and take the train home the next day. I arrived in Gdańsk around midday. I was glad that I had only a short ride that day and could check into an air-conditioned hotel room. There was a heatwave at the time, with temperatures reaching 35°C. In the late afternoon and evening, I explored Gdańsk's beautifully restored old town.

After spending the night in Gdańsk, I took a train operated by Polish Railways back to Berlin the next morning. After a short visit to the city, I boarded the train to Bielefeld and headed home.

Photos for Part 4

Cycle path along the banks of the Tuja – Żelichowo

Information board at the Mennonite cemetery – Żelichowo

Vorlauben house with a restaurant – Żelichowo

The historic Gospoda Mały Holender Vorlauben house – Żelichowo

Old gravestones among the greenery – Żelichowo

Historic gravestone in the Mennonite cemetery – Żelichowo

Information board about the history of the Mennonite cemetery – Żelichowo

Weathered gravestone in the grass – Żelichowo

Historic gravestones in the cemetery – Żelichowo

Ornate gravestones among old trees – Żelichowo

Typical concrete slab road through the lowlands near Stobiec

Village street with traditional houses – Tujsk

Pumping station and canals draining the lowlands – Tujsk

Drawbridge over the waterway in Rybina – Rybina

Drainage ditch between the fields – Groszkowo

Old farmstead in the countryside – Sztutowo (Stutthof)

Expansive meadow landscape in the Żuławy – Sztutowo (Stutthof)

Road bridge over the river – Sztutowo (Stutthof)

Waterway and bridge in Sztutowo – Sztutowo (Stutthof)

Czterech Pancernych Bridge – Sztutowo (Stutthof)

Fishing boats in the harbour at Kąty Rybackie – Kąty Rybackie (Bodenwinkel)

Forest track through the coastal pines near Kąty Rybackie (Bodenwinkel)

The canal across the Vistula Spit lets ships avoid Russian territory – Kąty Rybackie (Bodenwinkel)

Sand dunes and beach near the canal entrance – Kąty Rybackie (Bodenwinkel)

View from the canal bridge – Kąty Rybackie (Bodenwinkel)

Cycle path on the Vistula Spit near Kąty Rybackie (Bodenwinkel)

Cycle path along the dunes near Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

Forest and dune landscape on the Vistula Spit – Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

View of the Baltic beach through the pines – Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

Cycle path through the coastal forest along the Baltic – Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

Cycle path between the pine forest and the Baltic beach – Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

White sandy beach on the Baltic Sea – Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

Sandy track through the coastal forest – Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

View of the Baltic through the pines – Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

Holiday cottages among the pines in Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

Historic wooden villa in the seaside resort – Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

Street lined with holiday cottages in the seaside resort – Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

Street scene in the centre of the seaside resort – Krynica Morska (Kahlberg)

Historic Vorlauben house among the fields – Żuławki (Fürstenwerder)

Farmstead with traditional buildings in the Żuławy – Żuławki (Fürstenwerder)

On the Vistula dike near Mikoszewo (Nickelswalde)

Ferry across the Vistula near Mikoszewo (Nickelswalde)

View across the water – Mikoszewo (Nickelswalde)

Rest area in the pine forest near Mikoszewo (Nickelswalde)

Cycle path near Mikoszewo (Nickelswalde)

View of the Motława from Most Krowi – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Historic houses at the Green Gate and along the Motława – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Long Market with a view of the Town Hall tower – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Neptune's Fountain in front of Artus Court on the Long Market – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Historic façade on Piwna Street – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Museum ship Sołdek on the Motława – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Museum ship Sołdek on the Long Embankment – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Granary Island and riverside houses on the Motława – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Footbridge to Granary Island – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Historic gabled houses on the Long Market in Gdańsk (Danzig)

Neptune's Fountain on the Long Market – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Polish dumplings (pierogi), similar to those found in Ukrainian and Russian cuisine – Gdańsk (Danzig)

Evening in a lane in Gdańsk's Old Town (Danzig)

The Spree and government district, with a view of the Reichstag Building, Berlin