Smoldzino can be explored through a range of themes: longer cycling and hiking routes, the five-kilometre Rowokół nature trail, and museums and historic buildings. When planning, it helps to consider the different route profiles: some descriptions give a distance, while the nature trail also has an approximate walking time and an ascent to the observation tower.
Cycling and hiking routes with different profiles
The “Złote Piaski” cycling route is about 25 kilometres long, forms part of the international R-10 route, and starts and ends in Smoldzino. It passes through Łokciowe and Smołdziński Las. Near Przybynin, the route offers a view of the moving dunes. Starting and ending in the same place, as well as the viewpoint specifically located near Przybynin, give this cycling route its distinctive profile.
At 39 kilometres, the southern yellow hiking trail covers a different distance. It runs from Łeba Żarnowska via Gać, Izbica and Kluki to Smoldzino, along the Rowokół hill and onward to Gardna Wielka. Compared with “Złote Piaski,” it is longer and designated as a hiking trail rather than a cycling route; the two routes can therefore be distinguished by their length and activity.
Exploring Rowokół on foot and the connection to the National Park
The “Rowokół” nature trail is five kilometres long; the walking time is about two and a half to three hours. This time includes a group’s ascent to the observation tower. The trail begins in the square in front of the Słowiński National Park Directorate building and runs along Lipowa and Kościuszki streets through Smoldzino. It then follows the Łupawa and passes through forest communities to the summit of Rowokół and its observation tower.
The Słowiński National Park Directorate is located at Bohaterów Warszawy 1A. A six-kilometre black connecting trail links Smoldzino with the National Park. It is described as a connection between the town and the park, while the Rowokół trail is also characterised by its approximate walking time, its route along the river and its destination at the observation tower. The two routes therefore offer different guidance when choosing a trail.
Natural History Museum: four themed areas
The Natural History Museum of Słowiński National Park in Smoldzino presents the natural environment of the park’s main ecosystems. Its exhibition covers the areas of beach, dunes, lakes and forests. These themes offer nature enthusiasts several clearly defined areas of focus, from the coastal landscape to the woodland. The museum has been housed in its current building since 1974.
The museum also has an audiovisual classroom for small-group events, multimedia lectures and nature-film screenings. The exhibition and classroom thus offer different ways to engage with the National Park’s natural environment: the exhibition organises its content by landscape type, while the room is intended for events and screenings.
Church and the history of technology
The Church of the Holy Trinity in Smoldzino was built in 1632 and founded by Duchess Anna de Croy, a daughter of Duke Bogislaw XIII. Its Early Baroque altar features richly carved decoration. The figures depicted include Duchess Anna and her son Ernest Bogislaw, shown as a twelve-year-old boy. The church’s history, its founder and the altar’s depiction offer different points of historical interest.
The Smołdzino hydroelectric power station on the Łupawa is also part of the town’s history: it was built in 1935 near the river’s mouth at Lake Gardno. It is also part of the Hydrotechnical Monuments Trail in the Pomeranian Voivodeship and one of five hydroelectric power stations on the Łupawa. These two designations link the structure both to a regional cultural trail and to the river along which the power stations are located.
Discover more destinations: Retowo, Starnice, Bydlino, Łokciowe, Słupsk, Rowy, Ustka, Witkowo
For the overview of the wider region: Słupsk.
