Region 3
Southern Podlasie: hills from which you can see three lands, and a river that for centuries was both a border and a road.
On Grabarka the crosses stand so thick that the hill looks like a forest without leaves. There are thousands of them, from wooden ones several metres tall to little ones tied with a ribbon. Each was brought by someone with an intention: for the sick, for the dead, in thanksgiving. On the August night before the Feast of the Transfiguration, pilgrims with candles walk here from every corner of Podlasie. A few dozen kilometres on, the Bug spreads wide between chalk slopes, and in Drohiczyn the former capital of Podlasie looks down at the river from its high escarpment.
Bielsk Podlaski, approx. 15 km from us, is a good place to begin. The town hall on the market square houses a museum, and Orthodox churches and Catholic churches have stood side by side here for centuries. Further south begins the land of the Bug: Mielnik, with its chalk quarry and the ruins of a Gothic church on Castle Hill, and Drohiczyn, with its cathedral and a view that is hard to forget.
To the west, in Ciechanowiec, waits one of the most interesting open-air village museums in Poland. In the park stand cottages, windmills and manor houses, and inside are gathered the tools and machines that several generations of farmers worked with.
On Grabarka nobody asks where you come from. They only ask whether you have brought a cross.
From Klejniki to Bielsk Podlaski it is approx. 15 km, to Grabarka approx. 70 km, to Drohiczyn approx. 75 km. This region is a full day by car.
From May to October. For Grabarka the most important day is 19 August, the Feast of the Transfiguration. There are crowds then, so for a quiet visit choose another day.
One day for the driving route, two days for the Bug kayak trip.
Grabarka is an active place of worship. Modest dress is expected, and women usually cover their heads. The Bug above Niemirów is a border river. Start your trips at Niemirów or lower down, and carry an ID document.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Route lines are based on OSM data; on the ground, follow the trail markings.
★★★ worth a special trip · ★★ worth a detour · ★ worth a look
The most important Orthodox shrine in Poland: a hill with a church, a convent and thousands of crosses brought by pilgrims. At the foot of the hill is a spring whose water is credited with healing power.
Dress modestly; women should cover their heads. In mid-August the great pilgrimage takes place.
An old royal town with a late-Baroque 18th-century town hall on the market square, which houses a museum. In the centre, Orthodox and Catholic churches stand side by side, a trace of many centuries of neighbourliness.
Look in on the market square on market day. That is when the town is liveliest.
A small town on hills above the Bug. At the foot of Castle Hill stand the ruins of a Gothic church, and nearby a chalk mine lays bare white slopes.
Climb Castle Hill for sunset over the Bug.
The former capital of Podlasie, today a small town with a cathedral and monasteries. From Castle Hill opens one of the loveliest views of the Bug valley.
The trip from Niemirów ends here. After the kayaks, climb the hill and look at where you have paddled from. Around here, try zaguby, a local dish on Poland's list of traditional products.
A great village museum in the park of a former palace complex. Cottages, windmills, a manor house and collections of farm equipment.
Plan at least half a day. Check the seasonal hours before you go.
A village on the Bug, at the place where the river stops being a border. Here the trips downriver to Mielnik and Drohiczyn begin.
Book kayaks and transport in advance with the local rental companies.
A driving route south: a royal town, the Holy Mountain and the two loveliest views of the Bug.
196 kmfull day, approx. 3.5 hrs of drivingeasyTwo days on one of the last wild rivers of Europe. Sandy beaches, escarpments and a night near Mielnik.
39 km2 days (approx. 39 km)moderateThe main celebrations are on 18–19 August, for the Feast of the Transfiguration according to the Julian calendar.
Yes. The popular stretch is Niemirów–Drohiczyn, approx. 39 km, usually over two days with a night near Mielnik. The river is wide and calm, but it has eddies and shallows.
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Every route in this guide starts within an hour of our house. After a day out, a tiled stove, a kitchen with a wood-fired range and silence are waiting for you.