Why this ride
On the way it passes Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek, Udava, Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Arch and back through Udava. It follows river valleys.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Wolosatka stream valley and Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Arch
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 187 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 02
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Bieszczady Loop
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 22 km this is Bieszczady Loop, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 22 km
- Named road
- Bieszczady Loop
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Wolosatka stream valley
The Wołosatka is a mountain stream in the far south-eastern corner of Poland, draining the slopes below Tarnica, at 1,346 metres the highest summit of the Polish Bieszczady. Its valley is part of Bieszczady National Park and of the World Heritage listing of primeval Carpathian beech forests: dark, mossy woods of beech and fir where dead trunks are left to fall and rot, and where bears, wolves, lynx and wildcats still move freely. Above the treeline the ridges open into the połoniny, high grass meadows that turn tawny in autumn and give the range its rolling, almost Scottish silhouette.
Read the complete Wolosatka stream valley write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Wolosatka stream valley is where the day begins. Next is Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek.
2. Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek
In the far southeastern corner of Poland, where the country meets Slovakia and Ukraine, the Bieszczady mountains rise in long, rounded ridges covered with beech forest. Above the tree line, the summits are open meadows called połoniny, and Połonina Wetlińska is one of the most beautiful, a long grassy ridge with views over endless forested hills. Smerek, a peak at its western end, rises to over twelve hundred metres. On the ridge, the Chatka Puchatka, Winnie the Pooh's hut, a small mountain refuge, has been a beloved stop for hikers for decades. The walk up from Wetlina or the Przełęcz Wyżna pass takes a couple of hours, and the view from the top, especially at sunset, is unforgettable.
Read the complete Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek comes up about 22 km into the recorded legs. Next is Udava.
3. Udava
Out where Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine meet, the eastern Carpathians fold into long, rounded ridges covered in beech forest so continuous that from a high point it looks like a green sea. Udava is one of the Slovak pieces of the UNESCO Primeval Beech Forests listing, protected within Poloniny National Park, the most easterly and least populated corner of the country. Here the forest has been left to its own rhythms for a very long time: giant trees, fallen trunks covered in fungi and moss, a dense understory of young growth wherever light breaks through. Wolves, lynx, brown bears and even European bison roam the area, and the dawn chorus in May is unforgettable.
Read the complete Udava write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 55 km into the recorded legs you reach Udava. Next is Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Arch.
4. Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Arch
The wooden church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Turzańsk stands on a gentle slope in the foothills of the Bieszczady mountains, in the far southeast of Poland, near the borders with Slovakia and Ukraine, with its onion domes rising above the trees. It was built in the early nineteenth century by the Lemko or Boyko communities, the Ruthenian highlanders who once lived in these mountains, and it is one of the wooden tserkvas of the Polish and Ukrainian Carpathian region listed by UNESCO in 2013. Inside, an iconostasis of painted icons separates the nave from the sanctuary, and the church is still used for Orthodox services.
Read the complete Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Arch write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Arch, about halfway. Next is back through Udava.
5. back through Udava
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Udava write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Udava sits at 115 km, about halfway. Next is back through Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek.
6. back through Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek comes up about 164 km into the recorded legs. Next is Wolosatka stream valley.
7. Wolosatka stream valley
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Wolosatka stream valley write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Wolosatka stream valley closes the day.
Leg by leg
Wolosatka stream valley to Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek
Wolosatka stream valley → Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek is 22 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek to Udava
Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek → Udava is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Udava to Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Arch
Udava → Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Arch is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Arch to back through Udava
Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Arch → back through Udava is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Udava to back through Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek
back through Udava → back through Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek to Wolosatka stream valley
back through Polonina Wetlinska and Smerek → Wolosatka stream valley is 22 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
More motorcycle rides nearby
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