In Polańczyk (Podkarpackie Voivodeship), a pedestrian and bicycle footbridge will be built over one of the bays of Lake Solińskie. It will be about 240 meters long and its shape will resemble a sailing ship. The authorities of the commune hope that the new attraction will attract more tourists to the commune.
– Lake Solińskie has a huge tourist potential, which we try to make the best use of – tells us the head of the Solina commune, Adam Piątkowski.
The idea of building a pedestrian and bicycle footbridge connecting both shores of the bay is not new. In 2017, the commune, together with the voivodship board, commissioned the Podkarpackie Biuro Planowania Przestrzennego from Rzeszów to prepare a “Concept for sports and recreation development of the areas on Lake Solińskie in Polańczyk”, which included the construction of a footbridge.
A footbridge will connect the two shores of the bay
The footbridge will be built in Polańczyk and will connect the so-called Patelnia with the health resort near the amphitheater at Zdrojowa Street. ‘Now, to get from one side of the bay to the other by land, you have to cover almost three kilometers. The footbridge will be less than 240 meters – explains the mayor and emphasizes that shortening the distance between the two shores of the bay is not the only goal of this investment. The footbridge is to be another tourist attraction in the commune. We want it to blend in with the landscape. It is to take the form of a sailing ship with two masts and a partially glazed bottom. Perhaps we will use the effect of “breaking glass” popular in other countries – says the mayor.
The footbridge is to connect the two shores of Lake Solina Commune Office in Solina
At night it will shine, during the day it will be a viewpoint
The footbridge is to be less than 240 meters long and 3.5 meters wide. There will be walking and cycling routes on it. In the middle there are observation decks and a glazed platform in the shape of a circle. The structure will be built several meters above the water level, so that sailboats can pass under it. It will be colored illuminated at night. During the day, you will be able to admire the panorama of Lake Solina and the local green hills from the platform, several meters high. – Our commune stands for tourism, and without attractions there is no tourism, which is why we have been investing in its development for years, and the footbridge is one of our ideas to diversify the stay in our commune for guests – the mayor tells us.
In the Solina commune, a company has already been selected to develop the construction design of the footbridge. It will be built on the basis of a functional and utility design from 2017. After obtaining approvals for the construction, the commune will announce a tender for the contractor of the investment. – The company has twelve months to develop the documentation, perhaps it will be finalized sooner. We want the construction of the footbridge to start next year – the mayor of Piatkowski tells us.
The investment will cost several million zlotys. The commune will implement it together with the local government of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, and it wants to raise money for the construction from EU projects. – We know that there are funds for the development of tourism, so we are confident about financing – admits the mayor. And he emphasizes that investing in tourism pays off for everyone, because not only the local government, but also the residents earn money from it. – New jobs are being created, which are hard to find in our region. Hoteliers and restaurateurs make money. If we want to compete with other centers, we must create an attractive offer for the client. We focused on tourism and the number of tourists visiting us every year shows that we have chosen the right direction – concludes our interlocutor.
In the coming years, the commune plans to launch the second line of the gondola lift, build a water park and places for canoeists and campers. The commune also wants to use geothermal waters in its area and create thermal baths.
A footbridge in the shape of a sail will be built over one of the bays of Lake SolińskieCommune Office in Solina
The largest artificial reservoir in Poland
Lake Solińskie, situated among the picturesque hills, attracts tourists from all over Poland in the summer season, lovers of sailing and water sports, but also anglers and sunbathers. It is an artificial reservoir, which was created as a result of damming up the waters of the San and Solinka rivers. The construction of the dam in Solina started in 1961 and lasted seven years. It is the largest facility of this type in Poland. The reservoir has an area of about 22 square kilometers and the largest capacity in Poland, which is 472 million cubic meters. The lake has a very developed coastline of more than 160 kilometers. The maximum depth of the reservoir is 60 meters.
In 2022, the readers of the Travelist Magazine recognized Lake Solina as the most beautiful in Poland.
Main photo source: Commune Office in Solina