Current EuroVelo 4/VeloMetroplis maps in PDF, edition 2024, available for download and printing (A4 format).

• files:  6. Tarnów and the surrounding area / 7. North-east Małopolska / 8. Ujście Jezuickie – Szczucin / 9. Between Ujście Solne and Ujście Jezuickie / 10. Niepołomice Forrest / 11. Kraków / 12. West of Kraków / 13. Zator and Carp Valley (Dolina Karpia) / 14. Oświęcim and the surrounding area 

We suggest starting the journey from the border with the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Here, you can comfortably reach the Wałki railway station by train. In this section, the route makes use of local roads with little traffic, as well as service roads next to the A4 motorway. Once you have entered Tarnów, we recommend stopping off for a while. You can find out how much the Małopolska heat pole and its immediate surroundings have to offer at the Tarnów Tourist Information Centre, which is a certified Bicycle Friendly Place.

Heading further west, after crossing the Dunajec river and reaching the area of the Bogumiłowice railway station, a rather long (25 km) section of the ride on the service roads of the A4 motorway will begin. The assumption when designing this route was to provide a simple, fast (asphalt) and comfortable (flat) Krakow-Tarnów cycling connection.
Contrary to appearances, the route is not monotonous, diverging from the motorway from time to time, running among small buildings and forest areas. For those looking for a more scenic (albeit longer) variant between Tarnów and Krakow, we recommend taking the VeloDunajec route northwards from Ostrow to Wietrzychowice, and then westwards along the Vistula Cycling Route.

After passing the Service Point in Mokrzyski, we leave the vicinity of the motorway and continue along local roads with little traffic as far as Bogucice. There, the route runs into the embankment of the Raba river for a couple of kilometres and a temporary gravel surface crunches under the tyres. With good visibility, we are able to see the first ranges of the Beskids from here. This brings us to a very characteristic point on the route, the footbridge over the Raba River in Mikluszowice. On the left bank of the river, the 9km-long gravel section of the VeloRaba route begins, following the crown of the embankment to Uścia Solne. There it connects with the Vistula Cycling Route. It is worth examining the map of the region closely, as it is possible to discover additional local cycling routes, e.g. the Trail of the Lower Drwinka or the Salina Cracoviensis, which can lead us to less frequented, but also beautiful places.
After passing through the buildings of Mikluszowice, we enter the Niepołomice Forest. Caution: there will be no route marking here, and there may also be difficulty with mobile phone coverage. But it is difficult to get lost, as this section of the VeloMetropolis route goes straight along the so-called Royal Route towards Zabierzów Bocheński (approx. 13 km).
The Forest is a special place, especially in hot weather, so it is worth spending more time here and getting to know its charming corners. To enjoy the area safely, you need a detailed map or a suitable navigation system.
Further kilometres of the VeloMetropolis route are already riding on public roads on the outskirts of the Forest and through the area of Wola Batorska. This is how we reach the Vistula embankment near Niepołomice and the Vistula Cycling Route (WTR). Further west, up to the border with the Silesian Voivodeship, the VeloMetropolis runs together with the WTR. You will find a description of this section in the chapter on the WTR route.