Blue hiking trail
The route of the trail:
Bydgoszcz (0.0 km) - Samociążek School (34.2 km) - Sokole Kuźnica (57.2 km) - Piła (70.2 km) - “Piekło” Świt camp site (75.4 km) –the Rudzki Bridge (78.2 km) - Gołąbek camp site (86.4 km) - Woziwoda (94.6 km) - Rytel (111.2 km) – the Mylof Dam (115.9 km) - Męcikał (123.2 km) - Drzewicz PKS (132.4 km) - the Łąckie Lake (133.1 km) - Swornegacie (140 km) - Stara Piła (146 km) - Małe Swornegacie (153.9 km) - Konarzyny PKS (161.8 km). The blue trail of the Brda River starts in Bydgoszcz (0.0 km). Then it leads through Samociążek (34.2 km), Sokole Kuźnica (57.2 km) reaching Piła (70.2 km). Subsequently, it goes through a range called “Piekiełko”(Little Hell) near Tuchola. The trail goes through a camp site in the locality of Świt (75.4 km), the Rudzki Bridge (78.2 km) reaching the camp site in Gołąbek (86.4 km). Then the trail goes to Woziwoda Forestry Management, where the Environmental and Forest Education Center is located (94.6 km). Subsequently, it goes through the localities of: Rytel (111.2 km) and Mylof (115.9 km) leading to Męcikał (123.2 km). We enter the Zaborski Landscape Park. In Męcikał we cross the Kashub Trail under the name of Julian Rydzkowski and we cross the bridge on the Brda River. We tour along the river and subsequently along lakes: the Kosobudno and Dybrzk Lakes. We cross the boundary of the “Bory Tucholskie” National Park and following a forest road we reach Drzewicz (132.4 km). It is worth to pay attention to magnificent spruces – natural monuments growing along the bank of the Dybrzk Lake.
Drzewicz Drzewicz is crossed by bicycle trails: blue, black and green trail and at the PKS stop a black “Liason” hiking trail starts leading to the Seven Lakes Stream. Then we go along the lakes: the Łąckie and Witoczno Lakes as well as along the Brda River reaching the village of Swornegacie (140.0 km).
Swornegacie this is the name of a picturesque Zaborska Land village, located between the Brda River and the Zbrzyca River as well as the Witoczno Lake and the Karsińskie Lake, the village arouses many emotions. From historical and etymological perspectives the name of the village shall be Swornegace. The story is that some witty cartographer changed the name for Swornegacie and as it got duplicated for numerous times such name appeared in official documents. Contemporary inhabitants of the Zaborska Land call the village simply Swory. The name of Swornegace is derived from two Kashub words. Swora refers to a braid plaited from pine roots, utilized by local inhabitants to fortify – “gacenie” – of river banks. The history of the village located among rivers, lakes and forests refers also to the history of the church. The first wooded church dedicated to St. John the Baptist was established in the Augustans times. A subsequent temple was constructed already under the regime of Teutonic Knights in 1333, dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. Bartholomew Apostle. In 1617 the church became a subsidiary of the parish in Konarzyny. The wooden temple was destroyed in 1695 by a fire. Soon after the tragedy, the construction of the new church was started in 1700. It was constructed by brothers Michael and Jacob the Lorentz from the Western Pomerania. The church was constructed from wood, with log wall construction placed on a stone foundation. Presbytery together with the main alter was directed to the east. St, Barbara was the patron of the church and she was particularly worshipped by fishermen. In 1900 the parish was restored comprising of: Małe Swornegace, Wączos, Kokoszka, Zanie, Zbrzyca and Płęsno. The active approach of priest Franciszek Drapiewski resulted in the construction, in years 1912 – 1916, of the current neo-baroque – modern church dedicated to Saint Barbara. The church was constructed according to the design of Fritz Kunst from Cologne and it adds an eminent beauty to the Kashub landscape. Władysław, brother of Priest Franciszek Drapiewski undoubtedly exerted the influence on the decoration of the interior of the new, brick church. He is the author of an admirable secession polychrome. On 22nd October 1916 the consecration of the new temple took place and the first mess was served. Since that time until the beginning of the eighties liturgical celebrations occasionally took place in the old, wooden church. In 1980 Bishops’ Curia handed over the monument to the Kashub Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie. After four years, that is on 4th July 1984 the consecration of the church transferred to the area of the Wdzydze Museum was conducted. It is worth to visit the website of www.swornegacie.pl. From Swornegacie, a blue trail of the Brda River leads to the south along the eastern bank of the Karsińskie Lake. We pass Owink and we re-enter the area of the “Bory Tucholskie” National Park. By the Piła Road we reach the Płęsno Lake (146.0 km). at that point our trail crosses with the Kashub trail under the name of Julian Rydzkowski and the green trail of “the Seven Lakes Stream”. Before the bridge we turn right to the west. Passing on the left hand side the Skrzynka Lake we reach an asphalt road in the locality of Małe Swornegacie. Małe Swornegacie as a forest and summer settlement was reported in II half of XVIII century, being picturesquely located between the Charzykowskie Lake and the Długie and Karsińskie Lakes. It was referred to in medieval Augustans documents under the name of Zwierzyniec. It constitutes a perfect starting base for hiking as well as bicycle trips around the Charzykowskie and Karsińskie Lakes. On an asphalt road in Małe Swornegacie we turn right. We go to the west. We cross the bridge (153.9 km) and on the left hand side we see the Charzykowskie Lake, whereas, on the right hand side we see the Brda River which flows into the Długie Lake. We go further and we encounter the yellow trail under the name of Józef Bruski and we turn left. The route leads by a forest road along the Brda River. We reach an asphalt road. We cross the river and we part wit the yellow trail. Hiking further we reach Konarzyny (161.8 km), where our route ends.
Konarzyny the Municipal Office of Konarzyny 89-607 Konarzyny ul. Szkolna 7, Tel: (059) 83 310
11 e-mail: ug@konarzyny.pl www.konarzyny.pl. The first reports were the name of Konarzyny appears date back to 1275 and they refer to detaching the estate of the Augustans monastery. Until the time of the annexation of Pomerania by the Teutonic Order, that land belonged to the Szczytno castellany. The Szczytno castle town was located on the island on the Szczytno Lake near Przechlewo. The Teutonic Knights annexed Konarzyny to the established Człuchów kompuria. Under the Peace of Toruń Treaty the land was incorporated back to Poland in 1466. From 1772 to 1920 Konarzyny were under the Prussian partition. In spite of 150-year period of the annexation as well as attempts of Germanization the local population maintained the Polish identity, language and national traditions. In the interwar period Konarzyny was a cross-border village.