Discover Blanki: Herbal Traditions and Cycle Route No. 5

Blanki is known for products made from local herbs, especially nettles. Its herbal traditions are reflected in the work of the “Babki Zielarki” association and in activities at the herb festival. The red cycle route No. 5 also passes through Blanki. For planning your trip, these offer two distinct points of interest: herbal traditions centered around the association and festival, and a cycling route with a specific sequence of places and an approximate total distance. Nettles connect local products with festival dishes.

Herbal Traditions and Association Activities

The informal “Babki Zielarki” club was founded in 2011 and transformed into an association of the same name in early 2015. The two dates mark different steps: the initially informal club was later followed by the association. The village community hall is a central venue for local activities. Members often hold presentations and tastings there. In workshops, they tell visitors, including those on study visits, about their interests and products. Presentations and tastings at the hall offer a different experience from the workshops, where association members share their interests and products. If you plan to attend a workshop, confirm the arrangements in advance.

Herb Festival: Food and Hands-On Activities

At the ninth edition of the herb festival in Blanki, guests sampled regional dishes prepared with herbs. The stalls offered, among other things, traditional nettle soup, pancakes with lentils and nettles, baked goods, and herbal syrups. There were also hands-on activities: children made their own tea blends and learned the rules for gathering and drying herbs. In workshops, adults prepared their own herbal salt blends for food and cosmetics and learned about the properties of the plants used. At the eighth edition, guests could also take part in a workshop on making herbal soaps. The editions therefore also differed in their hands-on activities: the ninth combined tastings with tea blends and herbal salt, while the eighth offered the soap-making workshop. If you want to travel for the festival, confirm the date in advance.

Cycling Through Blanki

Red cycle route No. 5 passes through Kłębowo, Jarandowo, and Kochanówka before reaching Blanki. Blanki is at kilometer 19.4 of the route from Lidzbark Warmiński; from there, the route continues to Lake Symsar and then back to Lidzbark Warmiński. The well-marked leisure route runs south of the town as a circular route and is about 30 kilometers long. The two distance figures refer to different things: 19.4 kilometers marks Blanki’s position along the route from Lidzbark Warmiński, while about 30 kilometers is the approximate total length of the circular route. Check current route conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Długołęka, Orneta, Lidzbark Warm, Suryty, Klebowo, Kochanówka, Wielochowo.

Return to the main travel overview: Lidzbarski.