The PTTK Green Forest Trail leads from Parczew through the Parczew Forests to the village of Białka by Lake Białe. According to the town of Parczew, its length is 29 km; our track is shorter, about 22 km, because it lacks a few sections. The route is linear, a green stripe between two white ones. This is one long day or two leisurely ones with an overnight stay by the lake; most of the way consists of flat forest roads without noticeable ascents.
Through Sowin and Makoszka
Parczew is an ancient royal town: from 1386 to 1611, the Jagiellonian Trail passed through it, along which kings traveled from Kraków to Lithuania. From the bus station, the trail goes along the streets of Parczew to a field road called Ostrów Highway here, and enters the forest via Sowin and Plebania Wola. Makoszka is an ancient forest royal village where beekeepers, foresters, and those who burned ash and potash lived. According to legend, the name comes from the beekeeper Makosz, who settled near the sources of the Konotopa River. During the occupation, there was a German forest guard post here that treated locals cruelly. The former forester's lodge estate now operates as a guesthouse with an equestrian center.
Parczew Forests
The Parczew Forests massif covers about 136 km² between the Wieprz – Krzna Canal and the Tyśmienica River. Pine forests predominate, with alder swamps, hornbeam oak groves, ash-alder forests, heaths, and remnants of peat bogs also found. The former swamps still have folk names — Rude Bagno, Hryc tract, Cygański Kąt, Ohoża. The forest is recognized as an important bird area: the black stork, white-tailed eagle, lesser spotted eagle, and European honey buzzard nest here. The trail passes through the «Parczew Forests» reserve and past the Ohoża tract. During World War II, partisan detachments operated in these forests, and fierce battles took place here in July 1944.
Białka and Lake Białe
The final point is Białka, a summer village by Lake Białe, which has an area of about 32 hectares and a depth of over 18 meters. In summer, recreation centers, campsites, and tent sites operate here, and private minibuses run from Lublin in season. The village also remembers the war: on December 7, 1942, a German punitive expedition shot 96 men here for helping partisans.
How to get there and what to consider
This is Poland: Ukrainian citizens need a foreign passport. Buses run to Parczew from Lublin. Returning from Białka is easiest in summer when minibuses to Lublin run; off-season, transport is sparse, so check the schedule in advance. There are no shops or wells in the forest, bring water with you. The season is from May to September; ticks and mosquitoes are common. Near Białka runs the blue Włodawa – Urszulin trail, so the hike can be extended to Sosnowica and Polesie National Park.