Green Cycling Trail / The Krasna valley by bike.

The journey through the Krasna valley enables us to be in close contact with nature. Cyclists will encounter habitats of birds, beaver lodges and an educational path.

A cycling trail marked in green starts in Sielpia. It mainly runs along asphalt roads characterised by moderate vehicle traffic. A standard bike is recommended, wide tyres are not required. The main attractions on the trail are the Museum of the Old Industrial Region in Sielpia and the „Upper Krasna” reserve of animate nature.

The beginning of the trail is at the holiday resort of Sielpia, close to ul. Spacerowa (Sielpia’s promenade). The resort is located amidst pine forests by the reservoir with a complex of recreation centres, camping houses and campsites. The Museum of the Old Industrial Region reminds all of metallurgical and industrial traditions of the locality.

From Sielpia we cycle along an asphalt road to Barak where we turn left into Miedzierza. Here we will see a neo-romanesque church, erected in the years 1903-1913, in place of the former wooden shrine, which was moved to the vilage of Radkowice. In the new building the equipment from the former wooden church was placed. It includes, primarily, the painting of the Mother of God with a Child from the XVIII c. (the main altar) and a baroque image of St. John the Baptist and a baroque bas-relief of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne from the XVII c. (the side altars), two baroque benches, the XVIIIc. crystal chandelier, a stone baptismal font from the XVII c.

Having left the church and by turning left along the asphalt road we head to Strażnica, and next to the village of Przyłogi. We keep on going and pass through the villages, such as: Kamienna Wola, Adamek, Komorów. We get to Krasna and by following the green signposts we turn right and cycle along an asphalt road, through the woods, to Serbinów. In the village we turn left. Having covered roughly a 3-kilometre leg we reach Rogowice. The road runs straight through the village. At the end of the village the asphalt road finishes and we need to turn right and after that left into a forest lane. This spot marks the end of the educational path of the „Upper Krasna” nature reserve. There’s also an information board referring to the yellow walking trail.

 „Upper Krasna” is a floral-ornithological nature reserve, with huge areas of precious vegetative congeries of: waters, reedbeds, pleat, meadows and forests and protected rare species of animals, primarily birds. In terms of its surface area, it is one of the biggest reserves in the Świętokrzyskie province and due to the presence of the rare, valuable and exctinction-endangered species of flora and fauna it has been included in the European ecological network called „Nature 2000”.

On the terrain of the reserve one can see, primarily, animals such as a moose, beaver, otter, many species of dragonflies, of butterflies ( from the lycaenidae family), beetles (Carabus coriaceus), amphibia, reptiles or birds (including corncrake, lesser spotted eagle, crane), numerous species of freshwater fish. In the river there is salso the habitat of the cyclostomi representative – Ukrainian brook lamprey. Amidst the plants one can find, from among others, drosera, marsh helleborine (a species of orchid), globeflower, Davall’s sedge and many more other species of plants typical of pleat bogs, meadows, pasturelands and isolated still water bodies.

In this part the route Rogowice – Szałas runs mainly along forest gravel roads with a hardened surface. In Szałas we cycle straight on and at the junction we turn left. We get to the end of the buildings and to the edge of the forest.  We turn right into a forest dirt road and then we turn left. In Krasna, just before the turning, we go past a monument dedicated to the soldiers fallen in the battles against the Hitlerites and to the residents murdered on 6 September 1939. Next, we turn right. Cycling along the asphalt road we pass through the villages like Mokra, Duraczów and Błotnica. It’s worth mentioning that in Duraczów and Błotnica the first water-powered smithies came to existence in the XVI c. Later, this terrain was included in the Old Polish Industrial Region.

The trail finishes at the holiday resort of Czarniecka Góra. At the end-XIX c. there was the fisrt spa established here where respiratory, alimentary and nervous illnesses were treated. The fastest development of the locality came in the 30s of the XX c. when it was visited by lots of guests from Poland and Europe. After the WWII Czarniecka Góra didn’t regain its prestige. At present, there is the Świętokrzyskie Rehablitation Centre fuinctioning here, offering medical services to treat mulfunctions of locomotive organs, the respiratory system and post-traumatic rehabilitation. Besides typical remedial procedures the centre also specialises in hippotherapy with the use of Hucul ponies. In addition, tourists visiting the place can take a rest by nearby reservoirs, including the ones highly attractive to anglers (Czarna, Janów, Stąporków).

The length of the Krasna valley route is 56 km.

The trail mainly runs along asphalt roads where there is moderate vehicle traffic.

The course of the trail: Sielpia Wielka – Barak – Miedzierza – Strażnica – Przyłogi – Kamienna Wola – Adamek – Komorów – Krasna – Serbinów – Rogowice – Długojów – Szałas – Luta – Krasna – Mokra – Duraczów – Błotnica – Czarniecka Góra