Day 78: Kalvarija to Goldap

September 17, 2024

Into Poland and onto the Green Velo Route

The policewoman is out of the car as we ride up and asks: “Where are you from? Do you have passports?” Rachel gets the passports out of her handlebar bag and she looks at them. “Welcome to Poland,” the policeman on the passenger side of the police car says through the window. We have cycled about 2kms from the border and then continue on. We drop down into the first town in Poland, Rutka Tartak.

It is a chilly early morning as we leave Kalvarija. There is a fog over the horizon. Today we will gain an hour when we cross the border. The road is great even without a shoulder but with little traffic. After days of cycling when we took so few pictures, today is a picture perfect day so be forewarned.

We reach the section that we knew to be unpaved, though it is unclear for how many kilometers. In the end, the unpaved section is only about four kilometers, a lot less than RWGPS indicated. It’s always a relief for us to reach pavement again, our tires are 37mm and can handle gravel, or packed sand, but the corrugations shake us up pretty bad. We ride by farms with the cows being herded in to be milked. There is beautiful lighting on the hills. After about 20kms we reach the border of Poland.

Not far away from the crossing, we crest a hill and see a police car in the distance. As we approach the policewoman is out of the car, we show her our passports and we are on our way. In Rutka Tartak, there is a bank with an ATM. On this trip it’s the first that we’ve had to use to exchange money. Prior to leaving home Patrick had Swedish and Norwegian money, and plenty of Euros. Poland’s money though is the Zloty with an exchange rate of about 4 Zloty per dollar.

We continue to go through farmland but we are seeing many more farm houses than in Lithuania. Another 20km just after Bolcie we are on the Green Velo route and a bike path up to the area where a monument marks the meeting of borders of Lithuania, Poland and Kaliningrad (Russia). We take a break here and walk to the monument that marks the exact spot.

There is a sign that explains of the four quadrants around the little obelisk you can only legally access the two parts in Poland and one in Lithuania. The fourth quadrant is Russian Federation and cannot be accessed since there is no official border crossing. It is also not allowed to take photos in and off the Russian part. The whole explanation is moot though, since the monument has been wrapped in razor wire. Several surveillance cameras keep an eye on things. Wonder who is watching us from where.

A bike path on the Green Velo Route on the hill.

Welcome to Kaliningrad. Although I think the Poles put up the fence and razor wire to keep refugees out that Russia was flying up and herding across the border.

Before the razor wire you were allowed to walk around three quarters of the monument. The red-white fencing kept you out of Russia.

The part of the Green Velo route we are doing in the northern section

We will be on and off the Green Velo route throughout the day, off when the route does a big oxbow we stay on the road and staying on taking advantage of the occasional bike path that is offered. The road we are on is narrow, winding with trees planted on both sides of it. There is little traffic on it. We have more climbs than we’ve seen in the Baltic States, some pretty steep, but always short.

Costco Salted Mixed Nuts Patrick has carried from the beginning....and almost gone

We find this little shop off the road and stop for ice cream

German and Russian military cemetery from the first World War.

"These brave men fell in the fight over East Prussia's border."

With the time change we reach Goldap at about two o’clock. We shop before getting to our hotel, then haul the baggage up to our third floor room. Just like last night, lots of steps. The bikes though get to stay in a locked garage box just around the corner from the hotel.

We are right on a large city square / park with a big fountain in the middle. The fountain and pool form a yin and yang design. There is a well-reviewed restaurant where we go for dinner. We both try the “American Burger”. It is huge and pretty good.

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Today's ride: 81 km (50 miles)
Total: 3,960 km (2,459 miles)

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