The most amazing continent to live and explore

It has become my annual habit to do a bikepacking ride across Europe. I would like to share with you a couple of reflections from my most recent ride from Venice-Treviso airport to Wrocław, Poland, that I completed a few days ago.

This time, I managed to complete the entire route without any problems, and in rather favorable weather. The ride was full of spontaneity. Just a few weeks earlier, I wasn’t sure I’d even embark on any long-distance cycling tour. This year, I was supposed to ride a shorter distance through the Alps with my wife. However, our youngest child protested that he didn’t want to be without both parents for another week of vacation and therefore didn’t want to go to another summer camp. Oh well. We have to be happy that the children want to be with us and miss us. We respected that. After all, this won’t last forever. Someday, Jaś, like our older children, will have his own life and visit his parents less often. However, my wife encouraged me not to give up on another solo ride, and I’m glad I listened to her.

For me, such an experience is incredibly rich. This richness includes the value of sightseeing, learning about the cultures of the countries and regions I traverse, tasting local food and drinks, and experiencing the changing landscapes with multiple senses. The changing scents, whether on the Alpe Adria route or after entering Carinthia, Styria, Lower Austria, Moravia, or the Opawskie Mountains, are indescribable. An apitherapy session in a cottage built over a large beehive at my last overnight stay in Włóczykijówka, Poland, will remain in my memory for a long time. The evening buzz of bees, the warmth and fragrance emanating from the hive… an intoxicating experience.

You can’t experience all of that from behind a car window. However, the greatest value of all these experiences are the people I meet along the way. Many of these meetings were anonymous, sometimes longer conversations, like an evening with Jacek, a Polish beekeeper and selected the- farmer-of-the-year in Austria, or a shared ride and conversation with Mike from Leipzig about servicing Boeing aircraft for DHL. Virtual meetings with you via WhatsApp, or with people following my rides on Strava or YouTube, were also valuable.

Europe hasn’t had a good press lately. The ongoing war in Ukraine, problems with migration and innovation, falling birth rates in many countries… Despite all these real problems, I can’t imagine a better place to live. Where in the world are there such beautiful landscapes, often with bike paths running through them? Where is the food tastier and healthier? Where are so many people of all ages cycling in a similar way? Where are there so many beautiful and well-maintained places, where environmental concerns, waste separation, life balance, and not to mention the vast cultural heritage?

Such a slow journey also allows me to see that despite our different cultures, languages, historical experiences, and various stereotypes, more unites us than divides us. Often, a single gesture, a word, a smile, a question is enough to break down the barriers of openness and fear that lie within many of us. It’s all there is to it, or is it!?

Spontaneity and trust make this experience even more enjoyable. How many times has my rather expensive bike been left unsecured? How many times have I not known until almost the evening where I’d be staying for the night, or whether I’d find a place to eat? Bicycle tires, which many cyclists habitually pump up daily and then carefully check the pressure, I pumped up once on the course in eight days! Is it possible? Yes it is. If I wanted to plan everything, have full control, etc., such a ride would become a torture for me.

It’s easier to navigate through life with a „light load.”

I thank God that I have the strength, desire, and curiosity to still get off the couch and into the unknown. Thank you for all your support!

Total ride summary

Distance: 1059 km
Moving time: 44g55m38s
Avg. speed: 23,6 km/h
Top speed: 73,4 km/h
Elevation gain: 8694 m
Calories burnt: 38 098

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Below is the summary of my daily blogs and vlogs I preapred along the way. Enjoy it!

Day 1 – Treviso – Ragogna

112km, 815m elevation gain

The first day of my trip is behind me. The flight from Wrocław to Venice-Treviso arrived very smoothly, even 15 minutes early. Unpacking and folding my bike went just as smoothly, so I was leaving the airport for my first overnight stay near Ragogna around 2:00 PM. My route bypassed the old center of Treviso, but I decided to explore this beautiful city by bike. It was worth it. Interestingly, tiramisu comes from Treviso. For the first 40km, I rode in heavy traffic. However, in Italy, I don’t feel any discomfort because of this. Drivers are very careful overtaking cyclists here. In this respect, Italy, along with Spain, is my favorite country for safe cycling. For the first 15km, I noticed my front wheel was wobbling. At first, I thought it was due to bumps in the road. But it lasted 15km! It turned out that the front tire was sitting unevenly on the rim. Fortunately, after waiting until after siesta, a nearby bike shop helped me fix the problem.

That wasn’t the only kindness I received today. After about 80 km, I stopped for a bite to eat. Truth be told, I’d been looking for a bar, a restaurant, anything since the 60th kilometer. But that’s not easy in Italy—especially during siesta time. There’s no equivalent of Żabka here, and gas stations rarely have shops or bars. After a long search, I spotted a bakery called Forno Alzetta in Montereale Valcelina. I wasn’t looking for sweet or dry bread, but the lovely lady, probably the owner, decided to treat me like a mother treats her hungry son. She sliced open a large roll and suggested filling it with fantastic Tyrolean prosciutto cotto. I suggested adding a little olive oil to this improvised sandwich. The lady initially said they ate it more dry here, but in the same sentence, she upped the ante by suggesting some mayonnaise with it. It turned out delicious! Seeing my satisfaction, she suggested coffee and a cornetto with cream. I bought a few other things there, but the lady suggested the coffee and dessert to be on the house – a company that has been in business for 104 years. No wonder, considering how they treat their customers.

From the 40th kilometer onward, the ride was a real pleasure. The Alps approached me on my left, as evidenced not only by their sight but also by the Alpine smell. Every now and then, I passed charming towns and ripening vineyards. This mixture of Alps and vineyards is dizzying, in a good way. From the cyclist’s perspective, it’s a particularly extraordinary experience. After reaching my accommodation, I luckily discovered that they also had a good restaurant, where I’m writing this. Tomorrow I’ll be entering the Alps, and the next overnight stay will probably be somewhere in Austria. Speaking of accommodations, I plan them very spontaneously, depending on the conditions on the route, etc. This kind of riding allows me to relax more, rather than rushing to get somewhere at a specific time. To be continued …

Day 2: Ragogna (IT) – Maltschach (A)

147 km, 1429 m elevation gain

Today started with a sunny morning and a wonderful breakfast at my accommodation. It doesn’t take much to feel well-welcomed. Delicious food, a smile from the waitress with whom I chatted about the Asian languages she was studying, the owner’s help in offering his garage to store my bike safely…

Despite the pleasant weather, I had a feeling I might get caught in the rain today, maybe even a thunderstorm, as confirmed by the weather maps on Windy. It’s a pilot habit of mine, which also comes in handy when planning a bike ride. The first kilometer after leaving the hotel was a steep climb of about 14%. It didn’t take me long to warm up. Fortunately, a light alpine breeze appeared, which somewhat tempered the rising humidity.

After about 20 kilometers, I entered a very popular section of the Alpe Adria cycling route, the entire route to Salzburg I’d ridden last year. Zbigniew Wodecki happened to be playing in my Spotify playlist my favorite song, „Lubię wracać tam, gdzie byłem już” (I Like to Return Where I’ve Been Already). Coincidence? Unlike most cyclists, I was riding north and mostly uphill. More cyclists immediately appeared, including families with teenagers. I don’t know if they were riding a shorte section or the entire route from Salzburg to Grado, but it looked impressive.

After reaching Tarvisio, which I passed this time like an express train, the Austrian border quickly appeared. After crossing the border, the temperature on this side of the mountains must have risen by 5-6 degrees. Heavy clouds were lurking on the horizon, which gave me additional motivation not to make long stops. From Villach, I took a new route towards Klagenfurt, passing the beautiful Lake Ossiacher See along the way, where I ate dinner. In Austria, you have to remember to eat no later than 7:00 PM, as many restaurants close around 8:00 PM. It’s the exact opposite here than in Spain, for example.

The last part of my today’s ride was similar to the first kilometer of today’s route. A steep climb to the charming village of Maltschach. A lovely welcome card, written in Polish, awaited me at the guesthouse along with the keys. It’s clear that the owner, with whom I corresponded today in German, also values hospitality and is prepared for Polish tourists. Fortunately, I arrived safely and unaffected by the storms.

To be continued…

Day 3 Maltschach – St. Lorenzen bei Knittelfeld (A)

138,5 km, 1388 m elevation gain

Today’s route was completely new to me. But before I talk about it, let’s first talk about the delicious breakfast I was served on the terrace of the guesthouse where I stayed overnight. What a sight! See for yourself in the video, which will soon be available on my YouTube channel called Viator. And then there’s that view! How do I get on with the ride? But adventure calls, and as long as everything goes well—the weather’s good, my legs are strong, and my bike is in good working order—I simply have to go.

Today’s route was a mixed bag. Some side roads, some heavy traffic. Drivers here are also quite cautious, with the exception of truck drivers. I can already see them in my mirror and on my Varia bike radar, so I know they’ll be overtaking me very closely. In such moments, I often ride on the shoulder, which isn’t really there. I understand these drivers a bit, as driving in Austria is either downhill or downhill. So if a giant like that gets stuck uphill behind me, sometimes pushing 600 watts, it’ll have a hard time getting up enough power to overtake me before an oncoming vehicle approaches. I try to help drivers in these situations by frequently giving them signals when it’s safe to overtake. Overall, I didn’t encounter any dangerous situations on the road for 400 km. My prayers and those of my loved ones are probably helping.

Today’s new section brought a few surprises. One of them was a long ride through the valley along the Mur river. The scenery was breathtaking. I also spotted the Red Bull Formula 1 track along my route. To see it, I had to deviate a bit. Although the track was closed to visitors, I managed to see it from the back by cycling behind it through some forrested area. Returning to the Mur river, which accompanied me until the very end of my ride today, it turns out that it is highly prized among avid anglers. Catches of a fish called „huchen” are particularly prized. This is a large freshwater fish from the salmonid family that originally inhabited the Danube basin. A license for private fishing can cost €1,000! For those interested, the fishing season begins in October. There’s no shortage of takers.

At the end of the day, another surprise awaited me. After eating dinner at my current guesthouse and starting to write this piece, a man appeared at the restaurant looking for a waiter to serve him. It turned out he was Polish and had been living in that very spot in Austria for many years, being one of the largest producers of high-quality honey. When Jacek suggested we grab a drink with two of his companions, I obliged. We spent three hours talking about various interesting and sometimes profound topics. It was a very pleasant meeting, and I have a feeling this relationship has a chance of lasting. Interestingly, Jacek was named Farmer of the Year in Austria a few years ago. I feel he represents graeat Polish values and characteristics well here. I was a little concerned about the scale of honey adulteration around the world (China, Ukraine), selling it for a fraction of the price of real honey. In any case, it was worth broadening my horizons, sharing some of my own, and feeling like I was participating in an authentic conversation between people listening to each other.

Day 4: St. Lorenzen bei Knittelfeld – Wiener Neustad

156,5 km, 973 m elevation gain

This morning greeted me with sunshine again, even though the large puddles meant it had rained heavily overnight. I checked the weather map on Windy, as I do every day, and indeed, there was one storm area that had already moved far north, and another one slowly moving towards me from somewhere over Slovenia from the south. As if I lacked sufficient motivation to ride, and ride efficiently, I had this extra incentive – not to get caught in bad weather. The route first followed the scenic R2 cycle route along the aforementioned Mur River, and then for a long time on the R5 trail through the Murztal. I was determined to avoid getting caught in a storm on my way to the famous Semmering Pass (a weekend retreat for Viennese). Being in the mountains during a storm is not a pleasant experience.

Driving through Austria, it’s hard to decide which region or city is more beautiful. Coming from the south, I first encountered the rolling Corinthia. Then Styria, with a similar landscape and perhaps more picturesque towns. Finally, descending from the Semmering Pass (around 1,000 meters above sea level), I descended into Lower Austria, which also offers plenty.

These Maypoles (Maibaum) are stunning, still standing here and there, though many disappear during local harvest festivals. Placing these temporary trees, with their distinctive shape and decorations, is said to bring prosperity and fertility to the locals.

Today I rode a bit more than usual. I somehow picked up such speed descending from Semmering that it was hard to stop. If it weren’t for the fact that I still had to eat before the restaurants closed, hand-wash the clothes I wore that day (I have two sets of bib shorts and three sets of jersey – but I like to have a spare – it’s a pilot’s habit), edit a video, write a summary of the day, etc., I could have just kept going. The equipment is working perfectly. Krzysiek, my mechanic, adjusted everything properly. Tomorrow, I’ll be driving through Vienna and probably overnighting somewhere in another country.

Day 5: Wiener Neustad (A) – Hevlin (Cz)

130,5 km, 932 m elevation gain

Although I tolerate occasional solitude and isolation well, after a while I start to miss human contact. This travel blog is partly an attempt to engage in a dialogue with you, which some of you are engaging in, for which I thank you. I feel your company strongly along the way. I couldn’t complain about the lack of company on the road today. It started with a pleasant conversation with two families from Poland over breakfast at the hotel where we were staying in Wiener Neustadt. Like me, they were also heading to Poland, with the only difference being that they were probably already sound asleep in their homes, and I’d still have a bit of pedaling to do. After setting off on my journey, after about 15 km, I met Mike, a cyclist from Leipzig, Germany, who was finishing his several-day tour of Austria in Vienna today. Despite the age difference, it was clear from our conversation that we shared many values. It also turned out that he works as a mechanic and services Boeing aircraft for DHL, so it was interesting for me given my passion for aviation. These 40 km to Vienna flew by like a flash.

Vienna itself… well, there’s no denying it’s a beautiful city. While eating delicious ramen, I met another large family from Poland, this time going to a wedding in Vienna. Unfortunately, they didn’t invite me to join, but I ended up at another party that day anyway.

Leaving Vienna, I was captivated by the bike paths and the traffic of cyclists riding along the Danube, which flows north to south here, not in the opposite direction like most rivers in Poland. Cycling along this beautiful river, I observed the sky, which began to cloud over from many directions. I still had to climb Buschberg over the mountain range on the Czech border, which promised that the weather would worsen there. And so it did. Well, I finally got caught by the rain that had been following me for 3 days.

Before crossing the Leiser Berge, however, I was in for a surprise. You could say it was a kind of déjà vu. In the town of Großrußbach, I stumbled upon a huge firefighter festival, or rather, local uniformed services, running blue lights (Blaulichttag). I felt as if they were waiting for me. It reminded me of last year, when I stumbled upon a similar event in Austria, near Villach, while cycling from Croatia. And for dessert, I met Florian, who was incredibly open and spoke excellent English. Finally, he surprised me with his knowledge of the story of Wojtek the bear, alluding to my name. I recommend Googling this story for those unfamiliar with it.

After such experiences, the last two hours of riding in the rain and gathering darkness weren’t particularly pleasant. This allowed me to recover from all the day’s excitement. The Czech Republic welcomed me with good food in a pub, my second beer of the day, and a rather unfriendly guesthouse owner, who, for example, wanted me to keep my bike outside in the pouring rain all night. Besides, there are many details in this guesthouse that could easily be resolved differently, but the lady seems to have lost her passion for it or never really had it. Well, I was a bit spoiled by the previous accommodations, although the price for a night in a mid-range guesthouse is similar to the previous ones. I hope tomorrow the weather clears up a bit and I can find something open along the way to rehydrate and eat. I had this problem recently while driving through the Czech Republic’s provincial countryside.

Day 6: Hevlin – Pustimer

110 km, 898 m elevation gain.

On Sunday, as God commanded, it’s time to rest from work, so I rode a little less and slower today and finished early to have time for other things. After entering the Czech Republic yesterday and a less-than-pleasant start, today had a few more positives. First, I wanted to appreciate the relatively good signage and network of local bike paths. Admittedly, some of them are in so-so condition, but as a cyclist, you can feel welcome here. Of the infrastructure available, I think I like the food the most, and of course, the beer, which I usually hardly drink. In the Czech Republic, however, you drink it like water. As for other beverages I swapped Red Bull Cola for a Czech cola called Kofola. It’s quite good.

The biggest surprise of the day, however, were the vast expanses of vineyards I passed throughout the entire day of riding through the Moravian region. You can see that the branches are already bending under the weight of the grapes, and the harvest is just around the corner.

I was also surprised that, just like in Austria, they were putting up Maypoles here too, and that they were still standing here and there.

My homeland is getting closer. If all goes well, tomorrow’s final overnight stay will be on the Polish side. The weather wasn’t great today. Tomorrow’s supposed to be better, but the route will be very demanding. Today I met a group of Poles at a rest area on the highway near Brno. They even looked after my bike when I went to order something from KFC. It’s clear that AmRest, the company I worked for for many years, maintains the high standards of its restaurants in the Czech Republic as well. Some of this group of Poles were returning to Wrocław. I was so tempted to unload some of my luggage and let them take the extra weight back to Poland. A lighter bike would have been easier but this might be an illegal form of doping.

Day 7: Pustimer (Cz) – Jarnołtówek (Pl)

137,5 km, 1757 m elevation gain.

What a beautiful day! The weather was perfect for riding, and there was even a slight wind in my favor. The only thing left to overcome were those mountains, and that was only in the last 50 km of the route, the worst part of the entire ride. The goal, however, was clear: to reach, to drag, to crawl to the Polish border.

My slight worries proved unnecessary. My leg felt strong today, and not even my butt hurt. That last bit is the only thing that bothers me a bit on long rides day after day. And this despite having a super comfortable saddle, using my trusty cream, and cycling clothing. But you can’t fool physics. I’m 189 cm tall and weigh 85 kg, and already about 40 hours in the saddle leaves some swelling. After all, that’s about 216,000 crank revolutions made so far! When covering long distances, mental fitness is even more important than good physical condition.

From my experience of completing long distances, whether in an Ironman or on a bike, it’s best to mentally break it down into smaller chunks. Thinking about how much longer I have left can be quite draining. It’s like those children who, during a long ride, ask their parents „how much longer.” Before I left the Czech Republic today, it gave me the best of everything. Beautiful cities, delicious food, breathtaking landscapes, and… Kofola cola. Entering Poland after a challenging mountain hike, I met some Poles from Prudnik on bikes in the Czech Republic. They were amazed by my bike and my achievement. And finally, that moment of emotion arrived. (…) March, Dąbrowski march, from Italian soil to Poland… I don’t think I’ve ever been closer to those words taken from the Polish anthem… For my last night, I stayed in a charming place in Poland, more about that in my tomorrow’s final post from the trip.