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A few words about the Carp Valley
The Carp Valley covers the area of a historical carp husbandry center, famous since the Middle Ages. Fishing ponds are spread on hundreds of hectares in the valleys of Vistula, Skawa and Wieprzówka. The biggest of the fishing ponds is Pilava situated in Przeręb complex.
The project was set up by three communities: Zator, Pzeciszów and Spytkowice. Three other, namely Brzeżnica, Polanka and Osiek joined the project in order to work up a common program of development. These six communities from the south of the Vistula Valley and from Karpackie Uphills decided to promote this beautiful piece of land together. "The Carp Valley" is the program containing several inter-related activities aimed at working up a coherent tourist offer based on available natural recourses.
Why bikes?
Why bikes? Because the European cycle route R4 from Vienna to Odessa and GREENWAY run through the Oświęcim Basin. Located at an altitude of 230m, it has a rather flat surface but is surrounded with prominences - the Tęczyn Hills in the north-east, which are over 350m high and the Beskid Mountains in the south. You will be able to admire the view of the latter when riding in the Wilamowice Foothills. The Pszczyna Plain is another area within the boundaries of the Oświęcim Basin that adds to the generally flat character of the tectonic low of north Sub-Carpathia.
The bottom of the valley is situated at an altitude of 230m. 70% of the area is rather flat and the most proper equipment in such a case is a trekking bike. Narrower tyres are not a problem since most trails follow either rather smooth asphalt roads or well-ridden metalled roads. Altitude differences do not exceed 150m, but the further to the south, the higher the terrain prominences are (around 360m). There, when you go downhill, you may reach a speed of 40 km/h. The below-described trails are supposed to link the most attractive spots of the Oświęcim Basin with a network of cycling connections. At the same time, the trails are part of the cross-European cycle routes - EuroVelo R4 and GREENWAYS.
Wildlife paths
The first and foremost attraction of the Zator Region is the variety of local landscapes. This small area comprises: the Skawa Valley with a submontane river and stretches of riparian forest, water-filled disused gravel pits with rush vegetation and the rolling terrain of the Bachowice Hills covered with beech wood. Historic towns and villages, like Zator, Graboszyce or Grodzisko, are other assets of the place.
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