Poland · Bieszczady · Premium route guide
Great Bieszczady Loop
Poland's wild corner: Solina lake and the Bieszczady ring.
The classic Bieszczady loop from Lesko via Solina lake and the high road through Ustrzyki Gorne, Wetlina and Cisna. Built from our own track, staying inside Poland.
- Distance
- 166.8 km
- Peak elevation
- 870 m
- Elevation gain
- 1,805 m
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Poland · Subcarpathia
- Loop
- 100% paved
The route
A loop from Lesko to the Solina dam and Polanczyk, east to Ustrzyki Dolne, south to Ustrzyki Gorne, west on the high road through Wetlina and Cisna, then north via Baligrod back to Lesko.
Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route, how to load this into your GPS
What you are downloading is a GPX track, a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It is not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zumo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner, new trip from track) if you want turn by turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive, it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it does not re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour, Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these do not read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line, pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~318 m at the base to 870 m at the top, 1,805 m of total climbing across the route.
Our track is 167 km with about 1,805 m of climbing, about 4 to 5 hours of riding. It is 167 km, inside your 140 to 180 km target. The track stays in Poland and does not cross the Ukrainian border.
Why ride it
Empty mountain roads, open grass ridges, the Solina reservoir and some of the most remote villages in Poland.
Hazards
Patchy surfaces, potholes and frost damage, logging trucks, and wildlife such as deer, boar and the occasional bear.
Fuel
Fuel in Lesko, Ustrzyki Dolne and Cisna. Fuel is sparse on the southern part of the loop.
Best months and difficulty
May to October. Difficulty: moderate.
What to see along the way
- Lesko - Start and finish.
- Solina dam - The dam on Lake Solina.
- Polanczyk - Lakeside resort.
- Ustrzyki Dolne - Town and fuel stop.
- Ustrzyki Gorne - Remote village under the high ridges.
- Wetlina - Mountain village on the high road.
- Cisna - Village and fuel.
- Baligrod - Village on the way back north.
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Great Bieszczady Loop
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Lesko / Ustrzyki Dolne - change it if you're basing elsewhere.
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