Poland cycling vacation VeloDunajec route

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

This self-guided cycling vacation in the Ma?opolska region of southern Poland covering almost 200km in a week on the VeloDinajec Route is, by its very nature, slow and sustainable, with guests cycling 22-58km per day, enabling them to explore the territory in a way that produces zero carbon emissions - by bike. We also offer e-bikes on this tour, encouraging people who aren't experienced cyclists to travel the eco way, making sustainable tourism even more accessible.

To contribute to lower carbon footprint, we offer advice for our guests coming from a different part of Poland who might like to travel to and from the start and end point of this vacation by train or bus as an alternative to flying.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Guests have the opportunity to explore and discover Tatra National Park, established in 1954 to protect the area’s forests, mountain pine scrub and alpine grasslands. The park is home to important wildlife such as the Tatra chamois and marmot, as well as more than 450 species of mountain plants. About half of those are not found anywhere else in Poland.

Along the route, guests also experience the beautiful Dunajec River Gorge, featured on UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in Poland. The gorge is a place of environmental and geological interest, with little human impact on the environment.


Our tour team reminds guests to always practise Leave No Trace throughout their vacation. Routes on this vacation have been waymarked and are regularly maintained; an important measure taken in order to prevent people from straying from the intended routes, therefore reducing any damage to the immediate surroundings of the trails. Many of the routes used in this tour have been either developed (or existing trails selected) in collaboration with local authorities and local communities.

As part of our commitment to responsible tourism, we have an in-house expert, who shares tips and advice with our guests in trip notes, blogs and newsletters. For example, on how to practise responsible cycling with regards to the environment and wildlife, giving tips on environmental charities they can support and practising responsible wildlife watching.

With regards to drinking water, we ask guests to bring refillable water bottles and a reusable shopping bags to avoid single-use plastic during their trip. We also ask guests to take any packaging away with them on their daily hikes and be mindful of not dropping litter.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of small, locally-owned hotels. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, good local food or commitment to responsible tourism.

Only breakfast is included on this cycling vacation and so we encourage our guests to buy lunches and snacks in local shops, and we recommend local dinner spots en route, or the accommodation provider can provide dinner if requested, thus keeping tourism spend local.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

All of our partners in Poland live locally and play an important role in contributing to the local economy. At home, we have a strict policy to pay all our own employees and team members a living wage and fair wage, with vacation entitlement. In the hiring process, we prioritise experience, qualifications and passion, emphasising that race, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality are not factors of consideration. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace based on skills and expertise. We also endeavour to support any guests with visible and non-visible disabilities or any special requirements, when possible.