The best traffic-free bike rides in Панкі

Holy Mount Grabarka is the most important Orthodox center in Poland, located in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, near Siemiatycze. It is a pilgrimage site known as the "Hill of Crosses" because for centuries the faithful have brought votive crosses here, symbolizing prayers and thanksgiving. The complex includes the Saints Martha and Mary Monastery and three Orthodox churches.

A beautiful and magical place. It's impossible to describe, it must be seen.

The water tower in Nurzec-Stacja is an interesting monument of railway technology, built around 1906 at the local station. It used to play a key role in supplying water to steam locomotives. In recent years, thanks to EU funds, it has undergone a thorough renovation, which allowed it to preserve its unique riveted water tank - this decision was made at the will of the conservator of monuments. The building is on the Register of Monuments and is one of the characteristic points of the town. It is an interesting destination for a short stop during a bicycle trip around Nurzec-Stacja.

Before organizing your route, be sure to check the ferry times and ticket prices: https://podlasie.siematycze.pl/83-siematycze-przeprawa-promowa-mielnik-zabuze It's worth having cash with you.

The market square in Mielnik, after revitalization in 2023, has gained a completely new character, a fountain in the central part, zones for play and relaxation, interesting elements of the so-called small architecture.

The chapel is open type, accessible to all those in need. The source of water is a traditional artesian well, the water is very good without aftertaste, cold even in the middle of a hot day, ideal for filling bottles.

The Roman Catholic Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Tokary is located in the north-western part of the village on the eastern side of the road to Klukowicze and Wilanów. Initially, the seat of the parish was the nearby village of Wilanowo, where there was a church, which was closed and demolished after the January Uprising. In 1919, the parish was renovated, this time with the center in Tokary. In 1922, the old Wilanów church was brought to Tokary, from which a presbytery was built. A chapel was organized in it for celebrating Holy Mass. The current wooden church was built in 1935 according to the design of the architect Wincenty Wdowiszewski in the so-called national style inspired by the Zakopane style. It is the only such building in the Polish province. The church is wooden in a log construction, oriented, on the plan of a Latin cross. During World War II, the temple survived, although the village was divided by the state border. In the years 1992-1998 the church underwent a thorough renovation. In the years 1998-2012 a new fence, granite stairs and works inside the temple were made. The church contains paintings of: St. Anthony from the beginning of the 19th century, the Holy Trinity from the second half of the 18th century and St. John the Evangelist from the turn of the 19th/20th century.

The Orthodox Church of the Icon of Our Lady of All Sorrows Joy in Koterka is located in a remote area surrounded by forest, approx. 1.5 km south of the village centre. An interesting story is connected with the construction of the church. According to it, on 19 May 1852, a woman appeared to a resident of these areas - Eufrozyna Iwaszczuk - ordering a prayer of atonement. In 1855, when an epidemic of plague air broke out, the Mother of God ordered Eufrozyna that the priest and the parishioners should pray for God's mercy. After this event, the parish priest - Szymon Budziłowicz decided to erect a cross at the site of the apparition. The area quickly became a popular place spontaneously visited by pilgrims, who miraculously experienced healing there. Later, a spring appeared in the place of the cross, and with it pilgrimages and further healings. In 1906, permission was obtained to build the church. On July 29, 1912, the church was consecrated. During its construction, many healings occurred. During World War I, the bells were removed from the church, which were taken down by the Germans, and the entire clergy were evacuated to Russia. During this period, the entire fence was also destroyed, as well as liturgical vestments, banners and candlesticks. A new fence was erected in 1925, while three new bells were acquired in 1931. The church is a building built on a cross plan, with a narrower chancel closed on three sides and two rectangular sacristies. The church is oriented, has a single-space interior layout divided into three parts. Next to the church there is a well over a spring in the form of a hexagonal arbor. Renovation and conservation works were carried out in 1996. In the summer of 2012, the church in Koterka celebrated the important ceremony of the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the church. The jubilee was celebrated with great pomp by the parishioners, but also by the inhabitants of the entire Mielnik commune and the surrounding area. On this occasion, a polychrome was also made inside the church, designed and executed by Jarosław Wiszenko. To this day, the church and the miraculous icon located in it are a place of pilgrimage for Orthodox believers.