The Sudetes
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Bóbr is the same word than Bober in German and Beaver in English, and for obvious reasons the name of one of the most beautiful rivers in Poland. Tributary of the Odra (Oder), Bóbr takes its source in the heights of the mountains of Karkonosze and Rudawy Janowickie.
The most spectacular section of the Bóbr river corresponds to the length on which it looses the most elevation, and partly located inside a canyon called Borowy Jar, and that starts just below the old medieval town of Jelenia Góra. Borowy Jar is featured with a renowned cyclotouring track. This track is a part of the long distance cyclotouring route along the Bóbr, designed to follow its flow as close as possible, every time the terrain allows it along the shore, or alternatively on forest tracks or neighbouring small roads. Borowy Jar is located in a splendid scenery of mountains, where the river jumps deeper and deeper from dams to waterfalls.
Getting there
Jelenia Góra is easy to reach by car from Wrocław or the A4 motorway. The city is larger than one can imagine having a glance at the map. Fortunately, the old centre isn't difficult to reach thanks to the bypass, and monitored car parks are found just a couple of meters away from the town's square, near the street Podwale (mind taking some coins). You can leave the car safe here, and have a stroll in the old centre before or after the ride without having to drive in between.
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Route
Not all of the Bóbr cyclotouring track is on asphalt, but the section in Borowy Jar, from Jelenia Góra to Siedlęcin is possible with a city bike or with a baby-trailer, as we did. Further down, the track is more suitable with a mountain bike; between Barcniek and Pokrzywnik, the section in the forest is even quite demanding and requires a bit of walking. Unfortunately the topography of the terrain doesn't allow a better alternative. From Pilchowice and the large reservoir, most of the route is again along roads, then suits road bikes.
Pilchowice and Nielestno are settlements on the shore of the river served by the railway line that links Jelenia Góra, so one can plan returning to the starting point by this mean of transport.
