Day 17
Stary Folwark to Augustow

Miles Cycled
Day                47
Total             428

This was going to be a long day. Green Velo did a big loop through the Augustow forest, almost to the border with Belarus and back. We knew this was a long stretch with no chance of supplies and a long way from habitation.  So we stopped at the little local shop (complete with plastic bison outside) and stocked up on snacks, then into the forest.

Almost immediately a herd of elk ran across the path in front of us, about 20 of them, followed by a huge stag – an exciting start to the day.  They were far too quick to photograph. The forest is a National Park and an area of primeval woodland. It was very quiet and peaceful, if a trifle slow, pedaling along the forest roads.

In the 1914-18 war the Eastern Front ran through here and there were many signs to mass graves, usually German in the woods,

In the 1939-45 war, the area was a centre of Polish Resistance to the German occupation.  Then when the Russians came, there was the Polish Home Army who tried to prevent the “sovietization” of their country by Stalin and his armies . At the end of the war the Augustow Roundup cleared the forest out and thousands were massacred by the Russians.  There was a large Church and memorial to those killed. We saw very many simple small memorials in the woods, marking the places where men had been killed fighting, or executed.

Eventually, just as we were beginning to feel it was one sandy track too many, we came out onto a tarmac road that led through a few settlements. It was faster going now. After 42 miles we found an open Bar for a stop and coffee and cake, then on down the lakeside to Augustow. We had a good apartment on the ground floor right off the main square. Augustow seemed a nice town with lots going on. It was mainly known for the canal that is here – originally to link the area to the Baltic, but never finished. today it joins the lakes around and is used for boat trips and kayaking.

Plastic bison outside the shop

Along the path through the forest, following the Hancza river

A memorial to some Polish men who died here

Morning coffee

Wooden church