Gokart Extreme Pilski Tor Kartingowy

The first venue of its kind in Piła, Gokart Extreme runs 380 metres of fully covered track, open whatever the weather throws at you. The layout mixes straights with technical sequences, enough to satisfy both the casual driver and the one chasing a lap record. This is combustion karting: the karts are powered by Honda GX200 and GX120 engines, with the growl and the feel that many associate with proper competition racing.

You can drive solo from 1.40 metres tall. Smaller children are not left out, as a two-seater kart carries a passenger from the age of three alongside an adult. A driver card, bought once, unlocks the track and, as a useful bonus, around a dozen other circuits in the Polish network. Balaclavas and protective gloves are available at reception, and the My Laps timing system measures every lap to the thousandth of a second, ideal for settling who was really quickest.

Piła, in northern Greater Poland, makes a pleasant stop around the karting. The birthplace of the scholar Stanisław Staszic offers parks, riverside walks along the Gwda and lakes that draw crowds in summer. Further north lies the Wałcz lake district, a haven for swimming, cycling and forest walks, about an hour and a half from Poznań.