Why the Augustow Canal Should Be Your Next Active Tourism Destination? You’ll find out soon 🙂
CHKABI – active water tourism trail
Taking its name from the Czarna Chańcza River, the Augustow Canal and the Biebrza River.
The CHaKABi area has unique natural values and cultural assets which predestinate the development of tourism, in particular water tourism, cycling and recreation (by the water, in the forest, in the countryside),
ecotourism, nature tourism, agritourism and rural tourism, adventure tourism and historical tourism, cultural heritage and culinary tourism.
The Augustow district is located in the northern part of the partnership area. Here tree trails come together: Czarna Hańcza (connects with the Augustow Canal), Augustow Canal and Biebrza. Czarna Hańcza and Biebrza have a kayaking route, on the Augustow Canal is a navigable route. The district covers a network of other tourist trails (including the August Velo bicycle trail, the Forest hiking trail Augustowska, the Horse Trail of the Augustow Forest, Biebrza Horse Trail).
Forests and wooded areas cover approximately 47% of the district area, lakes (which there are 55) and rivers about 3.5%. There are parts of both parks in the county national parks (Biebrza National Park and Wigry National Park) and ten nature reserves. The flagship attraction is the Augustow Canal, connecting the water systems of Niemno and the Vistula river. Augustow, a royal city, was named after its founder, Zygmunt August. It is also a town with the status of a health resort. The Augustow Canal Museum is located here.
Source: https://chakabi.pl/
Papal Trail
The over -100-kilometre trail was marked out to commemorate the visit of the Holy Father John Paul II on June 9, 1999, in the Augustów Land.
The trail starts in Wigry and then leads along Czarna Hańcza and the Augustów Canal to Augustów. Karol Wojtyła used to kayak along the same waterway in his youth.
Currently, along the route of the „Papal Trail,” there are also walking, cycling and horse trails, but this road can also be covered by car. The road includes historic sacral buildings: the Marian Sanctuary in Studzieniczna, the wooden church of St. Magdalena in Miklaszówka with the image of the patron saint covered with a copy of the Jasna Góra painting in the altar, and the Post-CamaldoleseWigry Monastery Complex with the Papal Apartments transformed into the Museum of John Paul II, and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Augustów, which the Polish Pope gave the status of a Minor Basilica.
Source: https://www.polska.travel/
