Easy hikes and walks around Rospuda

The bridges in Stańczyki, often called the "Aqueducts of the Romincka Forest," are among the highest railway bridges in Poland – 180 meters long and reaching a height of 36.5 meters. Built between 1912 and 1918 in a style reminiscent of Roman aqueducts, they were intended to be part of a major railway line, but the line operated only as a local route until 1945. Today, the tracks no longer exist, and the impressive structures have become a tourist attraction and a bungee jumping site. Situated on the Błędzianka River and surrounded by picturesque scenery, they are a destination for bicycle tours and a good place to rest. Admission to the bridges is charged, but the view and history of the site are definitely worth a visit.

The observation tower in Stańczyki is an interesting point on the Green Velo Eastern Cycling Trail. The wooden and steel structure is 20 meters high, and from the platform at a height of 15 meters you can admire the railway bridges in Stańczyki, the Błędzianka Valley and nearby lakes. The tower is accessible all year round and is located right next to an asphalt road, so you can easily get there by bike.

On the left there is a road that leads to the viaduct in Kiepojcie

The tower is right on the road to the railway viaducts in Stańczyki. The tower offers a beautiful view of the area. From here you can see the bridges (viaducts) in Stańczyki and the lakes Dobellus Duży and Dobellus Mały.

An elaborately crafted figurine on the gravel road to the bridges in Kiepojecie.

Many people have heard about the bridges in Stańczyki and just as many have seen them. However, much less has been said about the bridges in Kiepojcie. The tour is completely free. Access via a gravel road. There is a small bay on site so you can turn around. A few hundred meters west of the viaduct there is a pair of twin railway bridges over the Bludzia River. The viaducts are very similar to the famous bridges in Stańczyki. The northern spans are made of brick and concrete, the southern bridge is unfinished. The line, originally planned as a local single-track line, was to be expanded in 1917-18 into a double-track main line connecting Chojnice through East Prussia to Vilnius. The bridge with red brick arches was completed before the outbreak of World War I, while the twin concrete bridge was built in 1918 and due to the approaching end of World War I, the construction of the embankments leading to it was not completed in time. On the western bank of the river, under the bridges, a road has been preserved, the embankment of which was reinforced with the roots of trees planted for this purpose and marked with stones. https://mazury.info.pl/atrakcje/kiepojcie/index.html

Driving along the road from Żytkiejmy towards Dubenninki, where the bike path ends, turn right and you will reach the first bridge. Kiepojcie lies in the central-southern part of the Dubeninki commune, on the Bludzia River and the northern edge of Lake Przerośl, on the Dubeninki - Żytkiejmy road. The name of the village was both old and current and is of Lithuanian origin. Near the village there is a railway viaduct on the inactive Botkuny - Żytkiejmy line, as well as an evangelical cemetery. https://mazury.info.pl/atrakcje/kiepojcie/index.html

Some of the highest bridges in Poland are located in Stańczyki. They are impressive monuments, monuments of construction technology. They were designed over the Błędzianka River, the valley of which in Stańczyki reaches a depth of 65 m in places. Years ago, the Northern Bridges, also known as the Romincka Forest Bridges, were a section of the Gołdap - Żytkiejmy railway line, providing a unique viewing terrace for travelers (it is also worth visiting Piękna Góra in Gołdap - a viewing point on the Romincka Forest). Their form resembles the Roman aqueducts built in ancient times, which is why they are popularly referred to as the Romincka Forest Aqueducts. They were probably designed in 1905 by Italian architects. The two five-span bridges made of reinforced concrete are 200 m long and 5.7 m wide (each). The radii of the arches are 15 m, and the distance between the pillars is 30 m. From the level of the Błędzianka River to the top of the arch, we have 31.5 m. Preparations for the construction of the bridges began in 1910. In the years 1912-1914, the northern structure was built, and in the years 1923-1926, the southern bridge was built. https://atrakcje.mazury.pl/mosty-stanczyki/ Price list 2024: standard ticket PLN 10, concession PLN 7. Parking is free.