The Slow Cyclist

Lower Silesia, bordering both Germany and Czechia, combines captivating landscapes, spectacular churches and a fascinating blend of cultures that reflect its rich history. There are secrets and stories to be discovered in these forests and mountains. It's one not to rush.

Located right in the centre of Europe, Lower Silesia brings together the traditions, history and culinary tastes of its various occupiers over centuries, from Czechs to Austrians, Prussians to Germans. The area has an abundance of churches, palaces and beautiful old towns peppered through its lush landscapes.

Highlights

• Enjoy the freedom to pedal along tracks and meadows and on quiet country roads in this picturesque and peaceful corner of Poland
• Discover castles, palaces, monasteries and churches in an eclectic array of architectural styles, testament to the region’s rich history.
• Sample dishes made with local ingredients, a culmination of flavours from the many groups that have lived in the region. Think hearty soups, dumplings and freshly baked sourdough.
• Meet local guides and artisans who are passionate and knowledgeable about the place they call home.

We know the region like few others and will share the hospitality of local homes, visit remote UNESCO villages and fortified churches, sleep in beautiful traditional houses and witness a rural way of life that has changed little for centuries. You will cross remote meadows and high pastures and weave your way along cart tracks and through ancient oak and beech forests. Above all, you will have the opportunity to move at your own pace through a land of exceptional cultural and natural beauty. Autumn is a magical time to be in Transylvania, as the fruit ripens and local people begin harvesting fruit to make palinka, wine and all manner of cakes. The colours are truly splendid.

Quiet tarmac roads wind between enchanting mountain villages which, with their cobbled streets and charming squares, could have leapt straight out of a Victorian fairytale. Between Fragades and Papigo you will weave your way alongside magnificent gorges, through rich forests and across high pastures where seminomadic shepherds graze large flocks of sheep. On the way you will walk up ancient mule tracks, swim in waterfalls and crystal clear rivers, visit monasteries, and marvel at gracefully arched bridges. In the evenings you will enjoy wonderful hospitality in traditional guesthouses, where you will discover a culture and way of life that has remained unchanged for centuries. Summer is a magical time to be in the region – plenty of wild swimming!

Rwanda has cast aside the tragedy of its recent past and embarked upon a remarkable journey of recovery. Still, few visitors do more than trek into the jungle to spend time with its famed mountain gorillas; but there is much more to explore in this staggeringly beautiful country.

It was while living in Rwanda that our Founder Oli first dreamed up The Slow Cyclist, simply because he loved exploring it on his bike so much. And it is certainly a country best explored by electric bike and on foot; the land of a thousand hills is home to some of Africa’s most beguiling landscapes, from tea plantations to volcanic lakes, fertile plains to the mountains that rise on its border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Highlights

• Trek to see Rwanda’s most famous inhabitants, its mountain gorillas
• Experience remote corners of Rwanda that very few outsiders get to see
• The smiling local people you will encounter almost every minute of every day
• End your journey on the shores of Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s Great Lakes, overlooking Congo’s active volcano Mt. Nyiragongo.
• Extend your stay at one of the country’s growing collection of luxury safari or gorilla trekking lodges.
• Our customary attention to detail. You will never be better cared for on holiday.