Short characteristics

This loop has some outstanding landscape and tourist values. It leads across beautiful and hilly area and is not particularly difficult but ramps up to 10% (15% trips) plus quite rough dirt roads classify it as a light MTB. We suggest starting counter clockwise. Car parks at the Ksiaz and Cisy Castles will be excellent starting points. The Cisy Castle one is definitely more intimate.

Ksiaz Castle – Cisy Castle

You start by the car park on the entrance to the Ksiaz Castle. The track starts with a long dynamic descent to Pelcznica. There is a really beautiful stretch along the stream of the same name. In the village you turn back and an asphalt road takes you up to the Czarny Potok (Black Stream) Valley and later through the forest until you get to the Cisy Castle.

Cisy Castle – view point

You start in the forest not on a dirt road that is challenging after the rain. From the Szuwarowy Pond the track gets comfortable for a long time. To finish the ride you cycle across the fields with a short but quite solid uphill section to the ‘dune’. At the top it is worth taking a short ‘beauty’ break.

View point – Ksiaz Castle

At the beginning you ride on a rough field road. Then there is a very interesting but hard to navigate stretch on the outskirts of Szawienko followed by a calm section up to the castle. The view point at the end is a must (unless you have started with it).

Cisy Castle

It is one of the many Piast defensive facilities that you can find in Lower Silesia. It probably comes from the 13th century and, like all other constructions of its kind, has a very twisted history. Currently, the ruin in a steep forest area is secured (i.e. protected) and moving on narrow paths, you get to see the remains of a large castle. It seems a bit similar to the Bolczow castle but there are no impressive rocks or views. Instead, it is rather mysterious a bit like in the films where in the forgotten jungle you discover some Inca structures. You can get there by bike but you have to start by leaning hard on the chin, otherwise you will run out of momentum at the initial steepness.

Old comments!

The signs are at times quite dense but then really scarce and there may be some errors (maybe due to the new marking of distances). However, the track is very interesting, even excellent. Its strongest points are the Ksiaz Castle, close to the Cisy Castle and wonderful landscapes (view over the Trojgarb Mountain near Struga). The elevation gain is 340m over 18km, so it is a MTB.