Маzovia Weekend tourism

МаzoviaWeekend tourism

FOR TRAVELLERS

Discover the beauty of Mazovien nature and architecture

Turystyka_Weekendowa_2009.indd 1 2010-03-20 14:45:16

Content: Małgorzata Bochenek

Cover design and graphics: PANCZAKIEWICZ ART.DESIGN / Paweł Panczakiewicz www.panczakiewicz.pl

Editing: www.pracownialogos.com.pl

Publisher: Mazowieckie Voivodeship03-719 Warsaw, ul. Jagiellońska 26tel. (+22) 5979-100, fax: (+22) 5979-290e-mail: [email protected]

Print:

Publication fully funded by the Local-government of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship

All rights reserved. No part of this publication

can be reproduced without the Publisher’s

written consent.

ISBN 978-83-62082-18-6Warsaw 2010


In the land of religious cult and splendid past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

The Szydłowieccy family invites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Kurpie – respect for old traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Among the ghosts and residents of the castle in Ciechanów . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

In a fortress and the towns over the Vistula River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Searching for Poland’s roots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Recreation spots over the Bug River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

In the Kozienice Forest and following in the footsteps of Jan Kochanowski . . 54

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In the land of blooming apple trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

In a small town and in the country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Strolling about the Kampinos Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Sanctuaries, palaces and manor houses – Sochaczew surroundings . . . 76

Chopin’s Mazovia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Over the Liwiec River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Radom rambles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

In Pułtusk over the Narew River . . . . 102

Siedlce and its surroundings . . . . . . . . . 110

Contents


7

T he aim of this guide is to present the most beautiful places in the Mazow-

ieckie Voivodeship. We present its famous historic monuments as well as

those which are hardly known, its rich culture and beautiful nature. In Mazovia,

one can admire ruins of medieval castles, once inhabited by the Mazovia dukes,

and churches from di% erent epochs, including those which are characteristic for

this part of Poland, namely, Gothic-style churches (the School of Cracow). The

monuments in Płock are amongst the most valuable ones in Poland. All those

who become acquainted with Pułtusk’s charm will surely return there.

Numerous exhibits gathered in regional museums tell the story of

these lands. Folk traditions are cultivated in open-air ethnographic

museums. Marvellous exhibits from the Art Nouveau epoch can

be seen in the Museum in Płock. Everyone will retain a fond

memory of the doctor’s surgery presented in the Muzeum

Małego Miasta (Museum of a Small Town) in Bieżuń. Enthu-

siasts of narrow gauge railways will * nd a true paradise in

Sochaczew. Another treasure of Mazovia is its marvellous

nature. Kampinoski Park Narodowy (Kampinos Land-

scape Park), which is situated in the immediate vicinity

of the capital of Poland, is an international phenom-

enon. The famous Mazovia plains with their weeping

willows and wild rivers also have their charm.

MAZOWIECKIE VOIVODESHIPArea – 35.500 km2

Population – 5, 2 mln

Capital of the voivodeship – Warsaw

Major towns – Radom, Płock, Siedlce, Ciechanów, Ostrołęka

Poviats – 37

Cities with poviat rights - 5

Gminas – 309

Forest area (in thousands ha) – 779, 3

Legally protected areas (in % of the total area) – 29, 6

Number of tourists visiting Mazovia each year – c. 5 mln.

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISM

INTRODUCTION


8

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN THE LAND OF RELIGIOUS CULT AND SPLENDID PAST

IN THE LAND OF RELIGIOUS CULT AND SPLENDID PAST

GÓRA KALWARIA AND CZERSK

Góra Kalwaria and Czersk are situ-

ated about 40 km to the south

of Warsaw. In order to get here you

have to take route No. 79 to San-

domierz. For a start, it is worth mak-

ing a stop in Góra Kalwaria. The town

plan is very unusual. It was built in

the Baroque style and has a Latin

cross plan. Kalwaryjska and Rynek

streets form the longer arm of the

cross while Dominikańska and Pi-

jarska streets form the shorter arm.

At the ends of each arm, there were

three monasteries – similarly to the

spatial plan of Jerusalem – that sym-

bolised the gates to the Holy City. In

the axes cross point a chapel called

the Pilate’s House was erected; today,

it is the Church under the Invocation

of the Exaltation of the Cross. The

chapel was erected in 1680 and re-

constructed in 1791. Below the altar,

there is a crypt with the body of Bish-

op Stefan Wierzbowski, the founder

of the city. On the opposite side of

the square, there is the town hall and,

next to the bus stop, a 19th century

covered market and shambles.

At ul. ks. Sajny, there is the present

parish Church under the Invocation

of the Immaculate Conception of the

Blessed Virgin Mary. In the past, the

church belonged to the Bernardines

(Friars Minor of the Observance). It

was built in 1755-1759 in the Ba-

roque style according to Jakub Fon-

tana’s project. Its interior is both Ba-

roque and Rococo. Its beautiful ambo

and St. Valerian’s crypt (made of black

marble) certainly attracts attention.

In the chapel, on the right, a paint-

ing depicting Our Lady of the Moun-

tains can be found, also referred to as

Our Kind Lady of Consolation, which

was painted in the second half of the

17th century and is famous for mira-

cles. The founder of the church and

the monastery – Franciszek Bieliński

– is buried in the vaults. The court-

yard has been separated from the

street with cast-iron fencing with

a gate over which – on pillars – four

stone sculptures of Francis of Assisi,

Anthony of Padua, John of Capist-

rano and Bernard of Siena have been

placed. Next to the church, there are

Baroque monastery buildings from

1755. Opposite the church, one can

see the former palace of Bishop Wi-

erzbowski from the second half of the

17th century. Today, the City Archives

are located there.


9

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN THE LAND

OF RELIGIOUS CULT AND SPLENDID PAST

We reach the Baroque chapel of St.

Anthony of Padua by going down ul.

św. Antoniego which can be found

behind the parish church and leads to

the Vistula River. In the Neo-Baroque

altar, from 1903, one can see a Ba-

roque sculpture of St. Anthony and the

Saint’s reliquary in the shape of a hand

dating back to the 18th century.

At the entrance to the town from

Warsaw, you may notice the former

College of Piarists, funded in 1675 by

Bishop Wierzbowski. From the chapel,

we reach it going down ul. ks. Sajny.

At Plac Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego

(Marshal Józef Piłduski Square) we can

see a bust of Piłsudski which was re-

constructed in 1989. The obelisk was

funded by the horse artillery crews of

the Polish Army and unveiled on Au-

gust 3rd, 1931 to commemorate the

event of decorating horse artillerists

with the Cross of Virtuti Military by

Marshal Józef Piłsudski for the 1920

war. It was destroyed upon the re-

quest of the City Committee of the

Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR)

and the Chairman of the National

City Council. Then, we continue walk-

ing along ul. ks. Sajny which later on

changes into ul. Szpitalna. Today, in

the former College of Piarists, a Social

Welfare Centre is situated.

Once again we head towards the

city centre, this time going down ul.

Pijarska. At ul. Pijarska 5 and 10/12

a synagogue and zaddik’s manor

house were located. Only the cast-

iron pillars have survived to our times.

In the 19th century, one of the most

important centres of the Polish Hasids

was created in Kalwaria. In 1859 Ic-


10


chaak Meir Alter, the founder of the

whole zaddik dynasty that attracted

pilgrims from Poland and Europe, set-

tled here. Even a narrow gauge rail-

way started to operate here at the

end of the 19th century in order to en-

able the pilgrims to travel to Warsaw.

The zaddik was the co-owner of the

narrow gauge railway. Before World

War II, the manor house of the zad-

dik Abraham Mordechaj Alter, a depu-

ty to the Seym (the lower chamber of

the Polish parliament) and a senator,

was one of the most powerful Jewish

religion centres in Poland. At the be-

ginning of the occupation, Alter man-

aged to leave for Jerusalem, where he

died in 1948. In the backyard, at ul. Pi-

jarska (number 10), there is a brick

prayer house from the beginning

of the 20th century which nowadays

functions as a centre of religious stud-

ies of the Alter family. Next to the cen-

tre, there is a mid-19th century former

manor house of the zaddik who

founded the dynasty. Near the Cath-

olic cemetery, at ul. Zakalwaryjska,

we will * nd a Jewish cemetery with

a few preserved gravestones and re-

cently built ohel that is a brick build-

ing where the zaddik’s body rests. We

will reach it following ul. Piłsudskiego,

Kalwaryjska and Zakalwaryjska.

Let’s go back to the town hall and

follow the green trail to the Recto-

ral Church under the Invocation of

Divine Providence in Marianki, dat-

ing back to 1674 and located outside

the town; it was one of the elements

of Kalwaria, so-called Cenacle (Wiec-

zernik). The Marians take care of the

church. The original structure was re-


11



structured to a great extent. Inside the

church, one can * nd the sarcophagus

of the founder of the Marians – Father

Stanisław Papczyński. In the surround-

ing park, the Way of the Cross consist-

ing of * fteen carved chapels has been

outlined.

We continue to follow the green trail

that leads us among orchards, along

the historical Wielki Gościniec (Major

Road), through the valley of the Vistu-

la River. Having travelled 8 km from the

church, we reach the castle in Czersk,

which was our lodestar all the time.

Car owners can easily get here by

car. Driving along route No. 79 to-

wards Sandomierz, turn left right af-

ter Góra Kalwaria and a petrol station.

After a short drive, you will see Czersk

with its picturesque ruins. Park the car

in the market square.

In order to reach the castle, we go

through the church area. The church

was built in 1805-06, its tower in 1868,

but its current Neo-Baroque shape is

the result of restructuring work that

took place in 1900. The interior design

of the church dates back to the * rst

half of the 19th century.

We move to the castle area through

a stone bridge built in 1762 by Fran-

ciszek Bieliński. The castle is open to

visitors from Monday to Sunday, from

8 am to 8 pm. A castle guide as well as

other publications can be purchased

in the ticket o> ce.

The ruins are really impressive and

the view from here shows the beau-

ty of the Mazovia region. Today, the

ruins are the only trace of the former

splendour of the town. Czersk be-

came the most important political


12


and religious centre of the south-

ern Mazovia in the mid-13th centu-

ry. The capital of archdeaconry was

transferred here from Grójec before

1252, the town became the seat of

the castellan and later on the capi-

tal of the independent Księstwo Cz-

erskie (Duchy of Czersk). Its collapse,

which began in the 15th century, was

caused by a whim of nature: the Vis-

tula River changed its course and

moved away from Czersk, decreasing

the town’s commercial and defensive

significance. Czersk lost its municipal

rights in 1869.

The castle was the seat of the Ma-

zovia dukes. Having gone through its

gate, we can stop for a moment at

the chart describing the history of the

structure. Its square tower and two

cylindrical keeps have survived until

today. It’s worth climbing the top to

admire the Gothic walls, narrow win-

dows and the view over the valley of

the Vistula River.

The castle has a rich history. The

construction work aimed at replacing

the wooden structure with a stone

castle started in the 14th century.

Most probably, the work stretched

on till the 15th century. The southern

keep is said to have been a prison

in which Konrad Mazowiecki (Con-

rad of Mazovia) kept Henryk Brodaty

(Henry the Bearded) and the sever-

al year old Bolesław (Boleslaus), later

named Wstydliwy (the Bashful). Af-

ter incorporating Księstwo Czerskie

(Duchy of Czersk) into the Crown in

1526, the castle became royal proper-

ty. Its last restructuring took place in

the 16th century. Queen Bona Sforza,

who lived in the castle for some time,

founded vineyards and gardens in its

neighbourhood.

But that’s ancient history! The castle

was blown up by the Swedes. A part

of a Swedish division defeated on April

7th, 1656 in Warka hid here and burned

the town and plundered the castle af-

ter a three-day stay. Several years lat-

er Cossacks and Rakoczy’s army com-

pleted the task. In 1904 the ruins be-

came the property of the Society for

the Preservation of Historical Monu-

ments and several years later restora-

tion works were conducted.

Today, in the castle courtyard, tour-

ists organise picnics and admire the

traces of the former splendour of

the Mazovia dukes. Di% erent events

take place here, for example, “Ogro-

dy królowej Bony” (Queen Bona’s Gar-

dens). The events abound in legends

and mysterious stories; about the

lights twinkling at the foot of the cas-

tle or the treasure hidden in a long

dungeon.

Having visited the castle and decid-

ed not to take part in a picnic, we can

have dinner in a local restaurant, café,

go to a shop or a bar serving spit-roast

chicken.

Forti* ed with a good lunch, we

can set o% to the bank of the Vistula

River, whose whims deprived Czersk


13



of its former splendour. We follow an

old route among * elds and orchards,

along the river valley. The winding

route will lead us to the spot. Walking

on concrete slabs, we can approach

the main river course and admire an-

glers’ trophies. It is worth to sit over the

river and relish the sounds of nature.

One can also stroll along the river em-

bankment.

Practical information

• Warsaw – Góra Kalwaria – Czersk – journey to the Vistula River:

total 50 km. Total length of the route – 100 km.

• Visit to Góra Kalwaria – 3 hours, the castle in Czersk – 1 hour,

a stroll from Góra Kalwaria to Czersk c. 3 hours, a stroll along

the embankment of the Vistula River 1.5 hours.

Accommodation:

• Ośrodek Turystyczno-Gastronomiczny “Brzanka” (Tourist and

Catering Centre “Brzanka”), al. Wyzwolenia 1, Góra Kalwaria,

tel. 605 765 587, 501 772 625

• Hotel i bar Nad Wisłą, al. Wyzwolenia 1, Góra Kalwaria,

tel. (22) 727 16 29

• Euro-Motel, Solec 157, Taniocha, (22) 727 50 49

• Euro-Motel 2, ul. Rybie 4, Góra Kalwaria, tel. (22) 727 49 91

• Agro-tourist farms

Catering:

• Pizzeria Omega, Góra Kalwaria, ul. Dominikańska 32,

tel. (22) 717 85 03

• Restauracja Złoty Róg (Złoty Róg Restaurant), Góra Kalwaria,

ul. Wojska Polskiego 37, tel. (22) 727 41 36


14

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMTHE SZYDŁOWIECCY FAMILY INVITES

THE SZYDŁOWIECCY FAMILY INVITES

SZYDŁOWIEC – CHLEWISKA – OROŃSKO

I t is a trip that will lead us to the

southern end of the voivodeship.

It’s about 130 km from Warsaw to

Szydłowiec. We have to take route No.

7 towards Cracow.

Szydłowiec is situated on the edge

of Równina Radomska (the Radom

Plain), almost at the very foot of Góry

Świętokrzyskie (Świętokrzyskie Moun-

tains), between Radom and Kielce. To-

day, it is a small town with a rich histo-

ry and beautiful monuments.

The town is rightly praised by

tourists. It is good to start visiting

Szydłowiec from Rynek Wielki (Large

Market Square). The * rst thing that

sticks out is the beautiful town hall. It

belongs to the most valuable monu-

ments of the late Renaissance secular

architecture in Poland. The town hall

was the seat of the municipal author-

ities as well as the place where cere-

monial assemblies of the council and

common people took place. Today, it

is also the seat of the local authorities.

Its six-storey tower with a pseudo-

Renaissance dome and a clock as well

as its nice high attic and four turrets

springing up from round buttresses

in the corners are noteworthy. In the

vaults, there is a cafe called Piwnica

Szydłowiecka. It’s worth going around

the building. In front of the frontage of

the town hall, there is a historic whip-

ping post. It dates from the * rst half of

the 17th century and is decorated with

masks with metal handles. The con-

struction of the town hall ended in

1626 when Szydłowiec belonged to

the Radziwiłłowie family. They weren’t

the only famous family connected

with the history of the town.

At the beginning of the 13th century

the Odrowążowie family, who later on

changed their name into Szydłowieccy,

chose this place to be its seat. To the

south of the market square, on a gen-

tle hill, there is the late-Gothic stone

church of St. Zygmunt, funded by the

Szydłowieccy family. Its construc-

tion ended between 1509 and 1525.

For a short period of time, the temple

functioned as a Calvinist congregation;

this period is connected with Mikołaj

“The Black” Radziwiłł. The soaring roofs

of the church and buttresses with sun-

dials deserve attention In spite of nu-

merous transformations in the 18th

century, the church retains a great deal

of its authentic elements: freestone

window dressings and furnishings.

In the nave, there is an unusual larch


15

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMTHE SZYDŁOWIECCY

FAMILY INVITES

ceiling with a colourful polychrome,

depicting Saint Zygmunt The King.

A square chapel with stellar vault and

the coat of arms of the Odrowążowie

family was added to the eastern side

of the nave from the south. The walls

of the church are covered with a Ren-

aissance polychrome. The main late

Renaissance altar was created in 1618-

1627. It is richly carved and painted. It

belongs to the most valuable historic

monuments of this type in this part of

Poland. Mikołaj Szydłowiecki’s grave-

stone can be found in the chancel. It

was made of red Hungarian marble in

the 14th century. It’s also worth seeing

the Gothic stone baptismal font and

the late-Gothic polyptych in the chan-

cel, made in 1507-1510. The preserved

early-Renaissance co% er ceiling * lled

with painted rosettes, situated under

the choir gallery, is very interesting.

The gravestone of Mikołaj Radziwiłł

and his wife Maria dates back to 1805

and depicts a woman leaning on an

urn. One of the church’s curiosities

are the inscriptions carved in the out-

er wall of the chancel and the south-

ern wall of the nave. These inscrip-

tions and drawings include names,

surnames and dates coming from the

16th and 17th centuries.

To the north-west of the market

square, which is on the opposite site

of the church, there is a Gothic-Ren-

aissance castle surrounded by a moat.

It was built on an arti* cial island (be-

tween 1470 and 1530) by Mikołaj

Szydłowiecki, the castellan of San-

domierz and the Great Crown Treasur-

er. Mikołaj’s brother – Krzysztof – was

the Great Crown Chancellor and the

castellan of Cracow; he steered for-

eign policy at the times of Zygmunt I

Stary (Zygmunt I The Old). He fought

with Queen Bona Sforza and initiated

breaking o% the truce with Albrecht

Hohenzollern, which led to the subju-

gation of Prussia.

At that time, the castle’s splendour

equalled the splendour of other noble

seats. It was a high two-storey stone

building, rectangular in plan. The

ground oor and the * rst oor con-

sisted of three chambers each, where-

as the second oor was devoted to

a banquet hall. The interiors were fur-

nished with rich portals made of lo-

cal stone, polychrome co% er ceilings,

stoves made of colourful tiles and dec-

orative ooring. The road to the gate

tower led across a permanent bridge

or a drawbridge.

Due to the marriage of Elżbieta –

the daughter of Krzysztof Szydłowiecki

– and Mikołaj “The Black” Radziwiłł, the

castle became the property of the

Radziwiłłowie family and remained its

property until 1802. It was extended all

the time. In the 19th century, it fell into

ruin; the castle was reconstructed only

after World War II.

Today, the castle is the seat of Muz-

eum Ludowych Instrumentów Muzy-

cznych (Museum of Folk Musical In-

struments). It possesses 2000 exhib-


16



17


FAMILY INVITES

its. The instruments were made by

folk artists. The permanent exhibition

presents 300 exhibits. Among them,

one can see the simplest instru-

ments that can be made by everyone

(small leaves, bark, straw whistles and

plumes) as well as very complex in-

struments: violin, concertina and bag-

pipe. The exhibition is divided into

two parts. The * rst one presents folk

bands from di% erent parts of Poland,

while the other one particular instru-

ments. The museum has a rich collec-

tion of concertinas of di% erent types,

a broad collection of dulcimers, vio-

lins, clay instruments, pipes and * fes.

Apart from the instruments which are

still used nowadays, one can see a re-

construction of historic examples. It

is possible to hear the sound of par-

ticular instruments when visiting the

museum.

In the summer season, in the town’s

area, Ośrodek Rekreacyjny “Zalew” (“Zal-

ew” Recreation Centre), o% ering water

sports equipment, is open to guests. To

reach it, follow the route running be-

hind the church. There are three quar-

ries in the territory of Szydłowiec that

have been abandoned for many years.

Pikiel and Podkowiński are situated in

the south-western part of the town,

whereas the third, called Na Polankach,

in the south-eastern part of the town.

Podkowiński has been entered into the

list of historic monuments of material

culture. Currently, the quarries are par-

tially * lled with water.

Now, we have to go back to the

castle’s surroundings and from there

follow route No. 727 to Chlewiska (10

km). It is the oldest town in the po-

viat of Szydłowiec. Chlewiska is said

to have come into existence in 1121.

Their * rst owner was Piotr Dunin from

Skrzyczno. In 1121 he built a church

and in 1135 the western part of the

castle. The next owners of Chlewiska

were Odrowążowie who later on took

the name Chlewiccy. They extended

the local church and built the eastern

part of the castle. Mikołaj Chlewicki,

who lived in the 17th century, was the

commander of King Jan Kazimierz’s

(John Casimir’s) escort in the period

of the “Swedish Dulge” in 1655 (during

his expedition to Silesia). In the second

half of the 18th century Chlewiska be-

came the property of the Podkańscy

family. In 1801 the town became the

property of Stanisław Sołtyk, a depu-

ty in the Four Years’ Sejm, one of the

founders of Towarzystwo Przyjaciół

Nauk (the Society of Friends of Arts

and Sciences) and his son Roman,

a general, a participant of Napoleon’s

Campaigns and the November Up-

rising. In 1811-1825, a sheet mill and

a nail plant were created in Chlewis-

ka. In 1831 Stanisław Sołtyk’s and Ro-

man Sołtyk’s belongings were con-

* scated due to their participation in

the November Uprising. In 1895-1912

Chlewiska belonged to Count Ludwik

Plater and his sons. During World War

II, Major Henryk “Hubal” Dobrzański’s


18


troop was stationed in the territory of

gmina Chlewiska.

Let’s go to the parish church which

has retained its Gothic shape in spite

of the fact that it has been restruc-

tured many times. It was erected on

a hill so it can be seen from the road.

The current building was built in

1511-1512 on the frameworks of the

previous one. It’s worth focusing at-

tention on the numerous elements of

the late-Gothic stonework – portals

and keystones decorated with coats

of arms. Inside, interesting epitaphs

and gravestones from the 15th – 17th

century can be seen.

Then, we shall follow route No.

727 to a palace called Manor House,

where a leisure and recreation centre

is situated. The palace is construct-

ed of two wings forming a right an-

gle. There is a plate on one of the

walls, commemorating the restruc-

turing work (in 1605) carried out by

Wawrzyniec Odrowąż-Chlewicki. The

palace stands on an arti* cial hill. It is

surrounded by a landscape park. One

can ride a horse here or rent a bicycle.

Typical dishes of the Polish cuisine are

served in the restaurant.

Muzeum Techniki (Museum of

Technology) in Warsaw has its seat in

Chlewiska. We reach it going down

the street that runs directly opposite

the entrance to the palace complex.

It is an iron smelting plant. Inside the

plant, there is a blast furnace complex

built by Francuskie Towarzystwo Met-

alurgiczne (French Metallurgy Society)

in 1882 – 1892, consisting of a large

furnace (it used to produce 13 tons of

crude iron a day), three ore * res and

a machine-shop. The furnace operat-

ed until 1940. A guide describes the

functioning of the whole complex.

Let’s ascend the tower, where the wa-

ter tank is situated and where we have

a superb view over the surrounding

area. We can see a lagoon with excep-

tionally clear water that ows down

Góry Świętokrzyskie (Świętokrzyskie

Mountains).

From Chlewiska we go back to

route (No. 727) to Szydłowiec and

then route No. 7 to Warsaw. We stop in

Orońsko, where the famous Centrum

Rzeźby Współczesnej (Centre of Mod-

ern Sculpture) is situated. Orońsko’s

cultural traditions date back to the

1830s, when Franciszek Ksawery Chris-

tani, the general manager of Dyrekc-

ja Dróg i Mostów Królestwa Polskiego

(Directorate of Roads and Bridges of

the Polish Kingdom), purchased the

property. He wrote numerous publi-

cations, collected antique books and

manuscripts as well as domestic bird

and animal specimens; he was also

in possession of a rich collection of

minerals. Christiani wanted the farm

to become a countryside residence

with a landscape park and a Greek

temple-style chapel. He partially suc-

ceeded; his work was continued by

his heirs, his wife and his daughter.

At the times of Amelia Pruszakowa


19


FAMILY INVITES

(daughter) numerous musical events

took place here. The countryside

residence played host to many art-

ists, especially painters. Józef Brandt,

a friend of Amelia’s son Aleksander,

visited the place. Later, he married

Helena, his friend’s widow, and set-

tled in Orońsko. Brandt was the lead-

er of the circle of Munich-based art-

ists. Nevertheless, he spent the sum-

mer months in Orońsko, where he

was accompanied by his students

and friends. These summer meetings

were called Wolna Akademia Orońska

(Free Academy of Orońsko).

The last squire of the property

was Andrzej Daszewski, the paint-

er’s grandson. Germans displaced his

family in 1942, taking over the admin-

istration of the property. Thus, a pe-

riod of gradual devastation of build-

ings and park began. The artistic tra-

dition came back to Orońsko only

in the mid-1960s. The idea came up


20


in Sekcja Rzeźby Zarządu Głównego

Związku Polskich Artystów Plas-

tyków – ZPAP (Sculpture Section of

the Main Board of the Association of

Polish Artists and Designers – ZPAP)

and its main premise was to restore

and popularise Polish sculpture. In

1965 a national sculpture plein-air

workshop took place in the region of

Kielce. It ended with a post-workshop

exhibition in the park of Orońsko. The

exhibition aroused great interest and

became a germ of the idea of creat-

ing a permanent sculpture centre in

Orońsko. A year later, the palace and

park complex was handed over to the

Main Board of ZPAP. In 1981 a state in-

stitution named Muzeum – Centrum

Rzeźby Polskiej w Orońsku (Museum –

Centre of Polish Sculpture in Orońsko)

was created, which changed its name

into Centrum Rzeźby Polskiej (Centre

of Polish Sculpture) after another re-

organisation in 1985. Today, it serves

practically the whole sculpture envi-

ronment – it is an international sculp-

ture centre, united in the Res Artis

network.

The collection contains 946 ex-

hibits. The biggest group constitute

sculptures, structures and installa-

tions, but there are also drawings,

paintings and artistic fabrics. They can

be seen in Galeria Główna (Main Gal-

lery), which is situated in a modern

building, and in the galleries locat-

ed in the park: Kaplica and Oranżeria,

and a small Wozownia. In the terri-

tory of the centre, one can also * nd

the palace of Józef Brandt with a per-

manent exhibition of the 19th centu-

ry manor house interiors. Sculptures

may be also admired in the old land-

scape park.


21


FAMILY INVITES


• Warsaw – Szydłowiec – Chlewiska: 140 km.

Total length of the route: 280 km.

• Visit to Szydłowiec – 3 hours, Muzeum Instrumentów Ludowych

(Museum of Folk Musical Instruments) – 1 hour, Chlewiska,

Manor House – 2 hours, Muzeum Hutnictwa

(Museum of Metallurgy) – 1 hour, Orońsko – 2,5 hours

Accommodation:

• www.eholiday.pl

• Szkolne Schronisko Młodzieżowe “Skałka” (School Youth Hostel “Skałka”),

ul. Kościuszki 39 a, Szydłowiec, tel. (48) 617 43 11, 505 499 154,

schronisko.szydł[email protected], schronisko.szydł[email protected]

• Zajazd O’key (O’key Roadhouse), Barak near Szydłowiec, tel. (48) 617 49 58

• Hotel Oleńka, Barak 1A k. Szydłowca, tel. (48) 617 49 59

• Hotel Iguś, ul. Kościuszki 263, Szydłowiec, tel. (48) 617 45 51

• Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy “Mexicana” (“Mexicana” Leisure Centre),

Chlewiska, tel. 604 439 743

• Pałac Odrowążów “Manor House” (Palace of Odrowążowie

“Manor House”), ul. Czachowskiego 56, Chlewiska, tel. 607 195 366,

www.manorhouse.pl, reception: tel. (48) 628 70 61,

Marketing and Group Reservation Department: tel. (48) 682 12 21

• Motel Billy, Dobrut 20 a, Orońsko, tel. (48) 618 41 87, 618 48 49

• Hotel Centrum Rzeźby Polskiej (Polish Sculpture Centre Hotel),

“Dom Rzeźbiarza”, ul. Topolowa 1, Orońsko, tel. (48) 618 40 27

• Agro-tourist farm J. and D. Grabowscy, Koszorów 49, Chlewiska,

tel. 694 545 929

• Other agro-tourist farms

Catering:

• Kawiarnia Piwnica Szydłowiecka (Piwnica Szydłowiecka Cafe),

Rynek Wielki 1, Szydłowiec, tel. (48) 617 02 24,

http://piwnicaszydlowiecka.abc.pl, entered into Złota Księga

Gastronomii Polskiej (Golden Book of Polish Gastronomy)

• Pizzeria Nova, ul. Wschodnia 41, Szydłowiec, (48) 617 58 30

• LECHMAR – restaurant, motel in a petrol station, ul. Kościuszki 263,

Szydłowiec, tel. (48) 617 44 93

• Kawiarnia Dom Rzeźbiarza (Dom Rzeźbiarza Cafe),

Centrum Rzeźby Polskiej, ul. Topolowa 1, Orońsko, tel. (48) 618 40 27

• Restauracja Primagor (Primagor Restaurant), ul. Spółdzielcza 2 c,

Szydłowiec, www.primagor.eu, tel. (48) 617 45 60, 602 301 236

• Karczma Starowiejska (Starowiejska Tavern), ul. Starowiejska 2,

Orońsko, tel. 693 423 360

• Motel Iguś (as above)

• Motel Oleńka (as above)

• Motel Billy (as above)

• Zajazd O’key (as above)

• Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy „Mexicana” (as above)

• Pałac Odrowążów „Manor House” (as above)


22

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMKURPIE – RESPECT FOR OLD TRADITIONS

KURPIE – RESPECT FOR OLD TRADITIONS

OSTROŁĘKA – KADZIDŁO – ŁYSE

– CZARNIA – MYSZYNIEC

T he poviat of Ostrołęka with its

vivid Kurpie culture is situated

in the most north-eastern part of

the Mazowieckie Voivodeship. The

name of the culture comes from

the 18th century when “the people

from the forest” started to be called

Kurp, which refers to the bast clogs

they wore. The area is famous for

a large number of forests. The region

abounds in rivers, the main one in

this part of Poland being the Narew

River. From the beginning of state-

hood, this area was the property of

the Mazovia dukes and later on of the

Polish kings.

The Kurpie culture developed due

to economic reasons. The poor qual-

ity of soil made it impossible for the

people to live from agriculture. Nu-

merous crafts and countryside hand-

icraft became an additional source

of income. Carpentry, woodworking,

wattling, weaving and amber work-

ing developed in the Kurpie region.

Goods connected with regional ob-

servances have been manufactured

until these days. Paper cuttings, bou-

quets for decorating houses, Christ-

mas tree toys, painted eggs and East-

er palms are widely known.

Some folk customs are presented

during folk events, taking place in par-

ticular gminas. It is worth coming to

the town of Czarnia on the * rst Sun-

day of June. The show “Na łowy”(“Let’s

Go Hunting”), presenting the old

hunting customs, takes place here. On

the third Sunday of June, in Kadzidło,

one can participate in “Wesele Kurpio-

wskie” (“The Kurpie Wedding”). It is the

most popular event, organised across

the whole territory of the town. The

tourists are authentic wedding guests.

In turn, in September, during Niedzie-

la Kadzidlańska (Kadzidło Sunday),

tourists can get acquainted with old

farm activities, participate in a review

of dancing and singing bands as well

as in a folk art sale. The oldest and the

most popular event is the “Palma Kur-

piowska” (“Kurpie Palm”) contest. In

Łyse, on Palm Sunday, there is a col-

ourful procession with palms around

the wooden church. A regular ele-

ment of the holiday is the contest for

the most beautiful palm. On the last

Sunday of August, in a clearing in Za-

wodzie, near Myszyniec, the so-called

Kurpie honey harvest, referring to the

end of bee-keepers’ work, can be ob-

served.


23

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMKURPIE – RESPECT

FOR OLD TRADITIONS

Let’s start our visit to the Kurpie re-

gion in Ostrołęka. It is situated about

100 km from Warsaw. To get here, we

have to take route No. 61 towards Au-

gustów. It’s best to come here on May

26th because that is when the Battle

of Ostrołęka that happened in 1831

is re-staged. Troops of historical and

uniformed groups take part in the

event. One may get acquainted with

di% erent scenes from life in a military

camp: cooking fare over a bon* re or

casting lead bullets. Many foreigners

interested in taking part in the battle

come to Ostrołęka at this time of the

year. The battle proceeds according

to a speci* c scenario.

The most precious historical mon-

uments in the town itself are the Ba-

roque church and post-Bernardine

monastery, erected in the 17th century.

The complex includes a courtyard sur-

rounded by cloisters. Inside the church

one can admire the Baroque main al-

tar with classical elements, eight side

altars and polychromes dating back to

the 18th century that depict the mira-

cles and life of Saint Anthony of Padua

– the patron saint of the temple. The

second church is situated closer to the

river and was funded in 1399 by duke

Janusz I Starszy (Janusz I the Elder). It

obtained its current Baroque appear-

ance in the 18th century. The Gothic el-

ements have survived only in the pres-

bytery.

It is nice to take a walk along ul.

Bartosza Głowackiego, which today

serves as a town promenade. Stroll-

ing along this street, one can get

to Plac Gen. Józefa Bema (General

Józef Bem Square). A monument to

the general was erected in its very

centre. Due to the charge of the

light horse artillery under his com-

mand, the general did not allow a fi-

nal defeat of the army during the

above mentioned Battle of Ostrołęka

– the biggest battle of the Novem-

ber Uprising. Another monument in

the square that attracts attention is

the classical town hall. On the op-

posite side, there is Muzeum Kurpi-

owskie (Kurpie Museum), which is

worth visiting. The museum devotes

one chamber to the Kurpie culture.

The chamber is filled with elements

of the Kurpie outfit, mainly from the

White Forest. As we may learn, the

original outfits are no longer worn

because they are really heavy. Apart

from the outfits, the exhibition also

presents clay pots and paper cut-

tings characteristic for this region.

In the next room we can admire

paintings. Then, we move to the

study of Wiktor Gomulicki, who was

born in Ostrołęka. The study contains

the writer’s desk, several letters and

books. In another room we can see

a model of the Battle of Ostrołęka.

We move from the town to Kadzidło

village. To get there, we have to take

route No. 53 towards Szczytno. At the

exit from Ostrołęka one can see the

open-air museum Zagroda Kurpio-


24


wska (Kurpie Homestead). The mu-

seum comprises a peasants’ cottage,

a barn with a coach house, a wood-

shed and a granary. The buildings are

equipped with objects of daily use.

The wooden house is a typical Kurpie

house, built in the 19th century from

solid beams. An entrance hall with

a clay oor and household appli-

ances such as a trough for pig dress-

ing, honey centrifuge and a wash-

board leads inside the house. There

is a corner full of sacred paintings in

the big chamber. A bench, painted

chest and a bed stand by the wall,

a shelf for plates and mugs hangs on

the wall. The most surprising thing is

a wooden baby walker. There is also

a kitchen and a bread oven in the

big chamber. In the corner annex,

where the older generation used to

live, a weaving workshop has been

organised. There is another kitchen

with a hearth in the small chamber.

The interior of the cottage is deco-

rated with paper cuttings and ow-

ers. It is a thatched house. It is worth

paying attention to the decorative

cornice above the windows, charac-

teristic for the Kurpie building tradi-

tion. Inside the granary we may * nd

household and agricultural imple-

ments as well as containers for storing

various products. In the barn we may

see both the vehicles which used to

be utilised in the Kurpie region and

the agricultural machines and equip-

ment. A well with a sweep and log

hives complement the homestead.

At the entrance, there is a cottage

that ful* ls administrative functions

and an round riding track next to it.


25

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMKURPIE – RESPECT

FOR OLD TRADITIONS

Numerous workshops and museum

lessons with the participation of folk

artists as well as bon* re events dur-

ing which traditional Kurpie dishes

are served are organised in the open-

air museum.

Having left the open-air museum,

we have to go to the centre of the vil-

lage to see the Neo-Baroque church.

Inside the church, there are stoups

made of real, gigantic Adriatic shells.

Now, let us visit Czarnia. We take

route No. 53 to Myszyniec and then

No. 614 which we have to leave to

get to Czarnia. Czarnia is famous for

its nature reserve of the same name.

In order to reach it, follow the green

signs near the church. At first the

road leads among fields, then next

to an impressive forester’s lodge and

finally through a forest. The reserve

protects a spruce and pine forest. Its

characteristic feature are pines used

as hives for wild bees, found no-

where else.

On leaving Czarnia and heading

east, at the road in Brzozowy Kąt, we

can see a wooden sculpture dating

back to the beginning of the 20th cen-

tury and depicting Saint John Nepo-

mucene. Our aim is Myszyniec, a town

over the Rozoga River and a commer-

cial and cultural centre of the Kurpie

land. The early days of the settlement

date back to the 17th century; it came

into existence in a place that joins

Mazovia with Prussia as a mission-

ary post of the Jesuits. The Jesuits left

behind themselves a brick gate – bell

tower from the second half of the 18th

century, but also of the late-Gothic

nature to some extent. It is situated

next to the Neo-Gothic church dat-

ing back to the beginning of the 20th

century. Inside the church you can

see two altars from the beginning of

the 18th century and Baroque sculp-

tures. Two iron collars are * xed at the

entrance. They used to be a form of

public punishment, especially for

women who violated the moral prin-

ciples of that time.

Another village which is worth vis-

iting is called Łyse. In order to get

there from Myszyniec, we take route

No. 645 towards Nowogród and

Łomża. Łyse is famous across Poland

for the previously mentioned East-

er palms. The town existed as early

as the 18th century. Of great impor-

tance was the discovery in 1808 of

amber deposits that were exploited

for many years. It’s worth focusing

attention on the traditional wood-

en cottages, arranged, according to

a local tradition, with their tops di-

rected towards the road. The Kurpie-

style wooden church (from 1882) is

also very interesting. It is the work of

the local masters. It has been deco-

rated with folk mural paintings. At

the route Rudne – Łyse, we may * nd

a hundred-year old column shrine

with the * gure of Saint Florian.

We go back to Warsaw through

Myszyniec and Ostrołęka.


26



• Warsaw – Ostrołęka – Kadzidło – Myszyniec – Czarnia

– Łyse: 160 km. Total length of the route: 320 km.

• Visit to Ostrołęka – 2 hours, Museum – 1 hour,

Museum in Kadzidło – 1 hour, Czarnia, a walk – 3 hours,

Myszyniec – 1 hour, Łyse – 1 hour.

Accommodation:

• Hotel Energetyk, ul. I Armii WP 30, Ostrołęka,

tel.(29)766 24 48, 766 26 06

• Inter Hotel, ul. Partyzantów 1, Ostrołęka,

tel.(29) 769 10 12, 764 05 70, www.interhotel.pl

• Hotel Relaks, ul. Szpitalna 15, Ostrołęka, tel.(29) 760 44 40

• Hotel MOSiR, ul. Witosa 1, Ostrołęka,

tel.(29) 760 68 89, 769 68 68, 760 69 45

• “Deptuła” guest rooms at a petrol station, ul. Trasa Mazurska 56,

Kadzidło, tel. (29) 761 81 86 extension 23


Catering:

• “Marco Polo” Italian restaurant, ul. Prądzyńskiego 4,

Ostrołęka, tel. (29) 764 65 33

• Restauracja Zabytkowa (Zabytkowa Restaurant),

ul. Głowackiego 42, Ostrołęka, tel. (29) 764 49 28

• Restaurant in Inter Hotel (as above)

• Restauracja “Hopla” (“Hopla” Restaurant), Myszyniec (as above)

• Lelis; zajazd Borowik (Borowik Roadhouse), Łodziska 1,

tel. (29) 760 52 31


27

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMAMONG THE GHOSTS

AND RESIDENTS OF THE CASTLE IN CIECHANÓW

AMONG THE GHOSTS AND RESIDENTS OF THE CASTLE

IN CIECHANÓW

GOŁOTCZYZNA – CIECHANÓW

– OPINIOGÓRA – KRASNE

W e shall start our trip from Muz-

eum Pozytywizmu (Museum

of Positivism) in Gołotczyzna. We take

the Gdańsk route E-77 from Warsaw

and turn right after Płońsk onto route

No. 50; Gołotczyzna constitutes al-

most the suburbs of Ciechanów.

It is very di> cult to * nd Muzeum

Pozytywizmu (Museum of Positivism)

in Gołotczyzna. The * rst signpost is

located in the village itself. Howev-

er, once we get there, we will have

a great time, mainly admiring peo-

ple’s past eagerness to do communi-

ty service. Aleksander Świętochowski

lived and worked in Gołotczyzna.

A museum situated in the villa called

“Krzewnia” is devoted to him. The ex-

hibits that can be seen there used to

be stored by the writer’s wife Maria.

We may see the study, library, din-

ing room and hall in which the res-

idents’ life went on as well as the

kitchen and the room of the hostess.

Świętochowski spent here 27 years. In

front of “Krzewnia”, there is a monu-

ment to Świętochowski, funded in

connection with the 30th anniversary

of the writer’s death.

One more building can be found in

the park. It stores all the mementoes

of Aleksandra Bąkowska, the founder

of the household school for village

girls. In 1912 an agricultural school

for boys was created by the Bąkowska

and Świętochowski foundation. The

school stopped running its activ-

ity during World War I and after the

war its founders handed over the

school buildings to the state which

organised education. Świętochowski

created in the village Spółdzielnia

Spożywców “Wiara” (“Wiara” Common

Cooperative of Consumers).

From Gołotczyzna we go to

Ciechanów. It is di> cult to * nd the

castle in Ciechanów. One has to drive

straight to the city centre until you

see a town hall on the right. In or-

der to get to the castle, we must turn

right after the town hall. Across from

the castle, on the left side of the road,

there is a small parking bay where we

can leave our car.

The castle does not overlook the

town. It was built on marshes, in one

of the bends of the Łydynia River. To-

day we can admire its beautiful keeps,


28

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMAMONG THE GHOSTS AND RESIDENTS OF THE CASTLE IN CIECHANÓW

where the district museum is current-

ly situated.

The castle is open from Tuesday to

Sunday, except for holidays. We visit

two keeps, ascending and descend-

ing steep stairs.

We may hear the voices of those

once imprisoned in the dungeon

when passing the drawbridge and

going through the gate. According

to legend, the ghost of an unhappy

castellan’s wife whom the castellan

had beheaded, suspecting her of in-

* delity, strolls over the castle. And all

this because of jewels and a magpie.

The castellan used to buy his wife ex-

pensive rings. When the * rst ring dis-

appeared, he became slightly upset,

when the second ring disappeared,

he was convinced that his wife was

betraying him, selling the jewels

and giving the ducats to one of the

courtiers. When the third ring disap-

peared, the castellan had her behead-

ed. Right after the execution, the serv-

ants found the jewels in a bird’s nest.

On hearing this, the castellan jumped

out of the tower. Until these days

some people claim to hear the foot-

steps and cry of the castellan’s wife,

searching for her jewels.

The building was created in the

14th and 15th centuries and caused

a lot of problems to its builders. For

safety reasons, it was erected on

marshy ground. As a result of back-

water, which formed during the con-

struction work, water got under the

building and it became damp. That’s

when the entrance gate was moved

to its current position and the conse-

quent storeys were built.

The * rst resident of the castle was

the Mazovia duke Janusz Starszy (Ja-

nusz the Elder). The historians who

deal with Mazovia highlight his con-

tribution to the development of this

land. Duke Janusz was a long-lived

person; he was over 80 years old

when he died in Czersk. Perhaps it

was the active lifestyle, full of travel,

that gave him strength and resist-

ance. He used to rule the duchy by

himself. Thus, he constantly travelled

across his property, stopping in Nowe

Miasto, Ciechanów, Liw, Warsaw and

Czersk. Whenever the duke’s court

appeared in town, it was immediate-

ly full of life. The duke and his retinue

used to stay in castles.

Ciechanów is situated on the north-

ern edge of Mazovia. Thus, in the Mid-

dle Ages, it was exposed to the raids of

the Prussians, Yotvingians, Lithuanians

and Teutonic Knights. That’s where the

idea of building a stone forti* ed cas-

tle comes from. Having entered the

courtyard, we can see the ruins of the

residential part of the castle as well as

two preserved cylindrical towers. The

main architect was Niklos, once an ap-

prentice to the Teutonic Knights. Thus,

the resemblance between the castle

and Zakon Szpitala Najświętszej Marii

Panny (Order of the Teutonic Knights

of St. Mary’s Hospital) should not sur-


29




30


prise anyone. Especially the rhombus

decoration of the external elevation

that can be noticed on the right side

of the tower deserves attention.

In 1472 or 1473 the town and the

castle were destroyed by fire. Nev-

ertheless, reconstruction work was

carried out immediately. The recon-

structed castle started to be called

the Mazovia Wawel. Its second hey-

day coincides with the times of

Queen Bona. It was after the extinc-

tion of the Mazovia dukes and incor-

poration of Mazovia into the Crown.

Ciechanów became a part of Bona’s

inheritance on the death of her hus-

band. The Queen stayed here for 10

years, adding the building its Ren-

aissance character. She lived in Wiel-

ki Dom (Great House), the ruins of

which can still be admired today. It

is possible to distinguish the parti-

tion walls. The most impressive was

the first floor; bedrooms, the castle

chapel and the treasury were situat-

ed on the second floor.

The court of law was located in

the eastern tower while the jail in

the western basement. The upper

storeys were devoted to the castle

arsenal. Today, both towers are open

to visitors. However, one should re-

member to come in proper shoes

because the stairs are narrow and

steep. Armours, sabres and other

accessories connected with the art

of war have been gathered in small

rooms on the mezzanine floors. The

military items found during archae-

ological surveys are very interesting:

arrowheads, a battleaxe and swords

from the 14th and 15th centuries. In

the second tower, there are some

very interesting etchings and pho-

tographs, depicting the history of

the castle. Moreover, there are also

photographs from the 1960s, when

the town was affected by a flood and

the whole castle was surrounded by

water.

Unfortunately, when Queen Bona

left the castle, its history was the

history of its collapse. Due to the

change in combat methods, it lost

its defensive function. It is said that

in 1647 Maria Ludwika Gonzaga, the

wife of Władysław IV (Ladislaus IV),

stayed in the castle for the night.

However, she did not survive until

morning: some say due to rats and

others due to ghosts.

The castle was destroyed by the

Swedes twice. The * rst time during

the so-called Swedish Deluge in 1657

and the second time during the Great

Northern War in 1708. In 1920 the cas-

tle su% ered damage during an artil-

lery battle with the Bolshevik troops.

In turn, during World War II, the selec-

tion of the Polish and Jewish popu-

lation took place in the castle court-

yard. Archaeological surveys and res-

toration works were carried out in

Ciechanów only after the war.

In the very centre of the town, not

far from the castle, there is a classical


31



town hall which is the seat of the lo-

cal authorities.

We walk ul. Warszawska to Fars-

ka Góra (Farska Mountain). It is here

that the old fortified settlement was

situated. There is a park at the foot

of the mountain and an interesting

parish church. It retained its Gothic

character in spite of devastation and

reconstruction. Naturally, it is the

Mazovia Gothic style. The interior’s

furnishings come from the 20th cen-

tury. Stanisław Szczurzyński’s Renais-

sance gravestone can be found here

as well.

There is a post-Augustinian church

on the opposite side of the street. The

main altar comes from the end of the

18th century and is Baroque in style.

The same concerns the ambo and the

baptismal font. The commemorative

photograph of priest Popiełuszko de-

serves special attention.

When visiting this part of Poland,

it’s worth popping into Muzeum

Szlachty Mazowieckiej (Museum

of the Mazovia Nobility). Upstairs,

there is a room full of miniature ob-

jects of daily use (coming from Maz-

ovia villages of the 19th and 20th cen-

turies). Seeing these objects is great

fun, especially for children. Further-

more, there is a room of stuffed ani-

mals that can be seen in the neigh-

bourhood.

We can also admire the works of

the masters from Ciechanów. The

archaeological part of the exhibi-

tion is located downstairs. Especial-

ly, the medieval jewellery deserves

attention.

From Ciechanów we drive along

route No. 60 towards Maków Ma-

zowiecki and pull off this route to

Opinogóra.

An extraordinary Neo-Gothic castle

can be seen in the distance among

the * elds of Mazovia. It is Opinogóra

– a wedding gift Zygmunt Krasiński

received from his father. Eliza Bran-

icka wasn’t the poet’s chosen one.

He agreed to marry her after much

persuasion from Wincenty Krasiński.

Probably, the ailing poet wasn’t hap-

py in this charming castle.

Today, it is the seat of Muzeum

Romantyzmu (Museum of Romanti-

cism). Right at the entrance, we can

admire the genealogical tree of the

Krasińscy family (unfortunately, the

poet isn’t presented on the tree). Al-

though the castle looks truly impres-

sive from the outside, in fact it is very

small. Visitors can explore only a few

rooms. One of them is a small living

room from Krasiński’s times with nu-

merous portraits of the poet and his

closest relatives. Visitors may be sur-

prised on seeing two * gures sitting

in the living room and wearing out-

* ts from the 19th century. When one

looks closer, it turns out that these are

mannequins. The museum does not

possess many exhibits.

The exhibits from the times of Na-

poleon are also worth seeing. They


32


are supposed to be reminders of

General Wincenty Krasiński’s partici-

pation in the Napoleon’s campaign

for which he was granted – together

with a Countship – Opinogóra; the es-

tate remained his property when he

became a tsar’s servant.

The castle is surrounded by a vast

park, where a stone table can be no-

ticed; the poet is said to have sat at

this table. Right next to the table,

lovers sit on a bench; which is said

to bring good luck. In 1989 the only

monument to Zygmunt Krasiński

was erected in the park. Next to the

former manor outbuilding, we can

see a light cavalryman’s house, gar-

dener’s house and a stone cross,

commemorating the death of the

Mazovia Duke Bolesław IV (Boleslaus

IV), erected in Opinogóra 400 years

later by Wincenty Krasiński.

Opinogóra used to belong to the

Mazovia dukes. A wooden forti* ed


33



settlement used to stand on the

place of today’s castle. According to

the legend, Bolesław IV (Boleslaus IV)

died after a lone hunting trip; he was

attacked by a wild boar and the inju-

ries turned out to be fatal.

Park avenues lead us to a church

and a cemetery. In the church, there is

the tomb of Maria Krasińska from the

Radziwiłłowie family, the poet’s moth-

er. In the presbytery a gravestone of

the poet’s sons – Władysław and Zyg-

munt – was placed . In the vaults, we

may see the sepulchral crypts of the

Krasińscy family, among others the

crypt of the poet.

Just behind the church we can * nd

a cemetery where the bard liked to

come. Some of Napoleon’s soldiers,

whom the poet knew, and governess

Helena de la Haye are buried here.

She is the person who links Krasiński

with the philosopher August Ciesz-

kowski. Helena de la Haye brought

up the two boys when they were

children. During Cieszkowski’s stay

in Opinogóra, they both visited her

grave. The memory of these visits can

be found in the rich correspondence

of the two thinkers.

Opinogóra is not a place of

Krasiński’s happiest memories. He

lived here after the wedding with

the unwanted Eliza Branicka, long-

ing for his beloved Del* na Potocka.

With time the relations between the

spouses normalised, but the poet did

not stop seeing Potocka.

After the poet’s death, his descend-

ants inherited Opinogóra. The last en-

tailer was Edward Krasiński who died

in Dachau in 1940. The ravages of war

did not spare Opinogóra. The castle

was damaged by the German artil-

lery during World War I and survived

the interwar period half-ruined. It was

reconstructed after World War II and

Muzeum Romantyzmu (Museum of

Romanticism) was arranged in its in-

teriors in 1961.

Following in the Krasińcy’s foot-

steps we land in Krasne, that is the

town of origin of the Krasińscy family

and the place with which it was con-

nected for seven centuries. The par-

ish church dates back to 1575. It was

built in the late-Renaissance style. In-

side we can see marvellous grave-

stones of the Krasińscy family. Jan

Kazimierz Krasiński’s gravestone and

the gravestones of his two wives, in

particular, are worth seeking out. The

gravestone of the two wives of Jan

Dobrogost Krasiński (from the turn

of the 17th and 18th centuries), made

of silver and gilded sheet, is also in-

teresting. The walls of the church are

graced with murals from 1747.

The remains of the park are ne-

glected. The palace of Krasińscy used

to stand here once, but it was de-

stroyed by the Nazis. They built a villa

on its place, which was blown up be-

fore the end of the war. A community

centre is situated in the water tower.

Behind the gate there is a stud.


34



• Warsaw – Gołotczyzna – Ciechanów – Opinogóra – Krasne: 130 km.


• Visit to Gołotczyzna – 2 hours, Ciechanów – 1 hour,

castle in Ciechanów – 1 hour, Muzeum Szlachty Mazowieckiej

(Museum of the Mazovia Nobility) – 1 hour, Opinogóra – 1,5 hour,

Krasne – 1,5 hour

Accommodation:

• Hotel Olimpijski, ul. 17 Stycznia 60, Ciechanów,

tel. (23) 672 20 12, 672 20 13

• Hotel Zacisze, ul. Mikołajczyka 8 a, Ciechanów, tel. (23) 672 20 46

• Hotel Baron, ul. Śląska 11, Ciechanów, tel. (23) 672 82 86

• Pensjonat Hubertus (Hubertus Boarding House),

ul. Zielona Ścieżka 4, Ciechanów, tel.(23) 673 58 57

• Zajazd Zagłoba (Zagłoba Roadhouse), ul. Niechodzka 6,

Ciechanów, tel. (23) 672 25 42, 695 589 119

• Zajazd Panderoza (Panderoza Roadhouse), Pęchcin 40 a,

Ciechanów, tel. (23) 672 81 37, 600 367 254, also: Gospodarstwo

Rolne Koni Wierzchowych (Saddle Horse Farm) (tel. 600 367 225)

• Hotel Polonia, ul. Warszawska 34, Ciechanów, tel. (23) 672 34 59

• Stadnina Koni „Krasne”(“Krasne” Stud), ul. Mickiewicza 36, Krasne,

tel. (23) 671 00 85

• Restauracja Parkowa (Parkowa Restaurant) – o% ers accommodation,

ul. Krasińskiego 5, Opinogóra Górna, tel. (23) 671 72 31


Catering:

• Restaurant in Hotel Olimpijski (as above)

• Restaurant in Hotel Zacisze (as above)

• Zajazd Zagłoba (as above)

• Zajazd Panderoza (as above)

• Restauracja Panorama (Panorama Restaurant), ul. Powstańców

Wielkopolskich 2 a, Ciechanów, tel. (23) 673 25 41

• Restauracja Parkowa (as above)


35

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN A FORTRESS

AND THE TOWNS OVER THE VISTULA RIVER

IN A FORTRESS AND TOWNS OVER THE VISTULA RIVER

NOWY DWÓR MAZOWIECKI

– TWIERDZA MODLIN (MODLIN FORTRESS)

– ZAKROCZYM – CZERWIŃSK – WYSZOGRÓD

N owy Dwór Mazowiecki is an un-

tapped base for those Warsaw’s

inhabitants yearning for water and na-

ture. It is easy to reach, just pull o% the

Gdańsk route No. 7. Passing Modlin on

the right, we go across a bridge over

the Narew river and turn left right af-

ter the bridge. We reach a small market

square where we can park our car.

It’s worth driving into the very town

in order to see the empire-style church,

quite unusual for Poland. It is close to

the market square and was consecrat-

ed in 1792. The church has one nave

and a ceiling lined with cane. There are

three altars in which we can see paint-

ings from the epoch of Stanisław Au-

gust Poniatowski.

The church is situated right on the

street; in order to admire its beauty,

one has to cross the street and enter

a small park.

The settlement of Nowy Dwór was

granted municipal rights in 1474 by

the Mazovian duke Siemowit III. For

almost six centuries the town was

private property. Under Russian rule

(1830) Nowy Dwór became a state city.

The expansion of the Modlin Fortress,

as well as building the railway and the

bridges across the Narew River and

Vistula River, contributed to its recov-

ery. For centuries the town su% ered

from oods. It was destroyed during

the battles that took place in Septem-

ber 1939.

If we want to visit at least some part

of the Modlin Fortress by ourselves,

we need to go to the gate and then

straight along the Narew River. The for-

tress was built on the initiative of Na-

poleon in 1806-1812, but the * rst for-

ti* cations were constructed in Modlin

by the Swedes in 1655. When Napo-

leon su% ered a defeat in 1812 and the

Warsaw Duchy ceased to exist, the

construction work was suspended.

During the November Uprising Poles

took over the fortress, but it was re-

captured by the Russians in 1831.

That’s when the period of its develop-

ment and modernisation started. The

Russians extended Napoleon’s ring

and built the second external forti* -

cation. Later on, they created the third

circuit that is the forts situated several

kilometres in front of the fortress and

ringing the citadel. Till 1918 the for-


36

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN A FORTRESS AND THE TOWNS OVER THE VISTULA RIVER

tress was called Nowogeorgiewsk. The

structures from that period have sur-

vived until today. The fortress always

played a key role in defending Warsaw.

The Russians defended themselves

here from the attacks of the Germans

during World War I. We learn from the

information board that the * rst naval

port of the Vistula otilla of the Sec-

ond Republic of Poland was opened

here on December 23rd, 1918. In Au-

gust 1920 its soldiers defended the Vis-

tula and the Bug-Narew crossing and

transported the wounded on the am-

bulance ship “Łokietek”. In September

1939 Polish soldiers repulsed the Nazi

attacks for * fteen days. General Thom-

mée surrendered the fortress only af-

ter the collapse of Warsaw.

We go along the bank of a river

that comes out from behind some

trees. On the opposite side we can see

a strange old building. It is a granary

from the 19th century, or to be more


37



exact its ruins, located at the junction

of the Vistula River and the Narew Riv-

er. It was built in the Neo-Renaissance

style. We reach a beauty spot. On our

way we learn that in order to enter the

current garrison we need to obtain

a pass on the opposite side, in Modlin

and ask for a guide.

We visit Reduta Napoleona (Napo-

leon’s Redoubt) that is the ruins of an

artillery tower, square in plan and built

in 1811-1812 according to Napoleon’s

instructions.

Baszta św. Michała (St. Michael’s

Keep) was built of brick. It was con-

structed in the 19th century, is circular

in plan and has an inner courtyard.

The Garrison club dates back to

the turn of the 19th and the 20th cen-

turies. Its exterior has Neo-Gothic fea-

tures whereas its interiors are eclec-

tic in style. One of its most interesting

rooms is the ballroom with a poly-

chrome full of plant-like motifs and

stucco decorations. In the concert

room the moulding is on the walls

and ceiling.

Wieża Tatarska (Tartar Tower) is

a part of the barrack building whose

length is over 2 km. From here we have

a superb view over the panorama of

Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki. Towarzystwo

Przyjaciół Twierdzy Modlin (Society of

Friends of the Modlin Fortress) has had

its seat here since 2001.

From Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki

we drive to the opposite side of the

Gdańsk route. We take route No. 62

towards Płock and turn to Zakroc-

zym. It is one of the oldest settle-

ments in Mazovia. The beginnings of

the town are connected with the set-

tlement that existed here in the Mid-

dle Ages and protected the Vistula

River crossing and ford.In 1374 Za-

kroczym became the capital of Ziemia

Zakroczymska (Zakroczym Land) and

continued to ful* l this function un-

til the 3rd partition of Poland.The set-

tlement was the centre of numerous

meetings.The town was burnt by the

Swedes and it has been di> cult for it

to regain its former glory since then.

The years 1709-1712 are marked by

a depopulation of Zakroczym caused

by bubonic plague.The period of the

Warsaw Duchy saw the construction

of forti* cations, which, together with

the Modlin Fortress, were supposed to

be a signi* cant strategic point. During

the November Uprising the town or-

ganised rebel troops.Then, when the

tsarist army took over Warsaw once

again, Zakroczym was the place where

the Sejm and the government debat-

ed. The town posted troops also dur-

ing the January Uprising (1863).

We head towards the market

square. On the opposite side, slightly

to the right, there is a parish church

under the invocation of the Exaltation

of the Cross. It looks rather unique.

It was built in a rare style: late Goth-

ic (the School of Cracow). The church

was rebuilt, hence its Renaissance attic

and Baroque keeps. St. Barbara’s chap-


38



39



el, with an altar from the turn of the

14th and 15th centuries, has survived in

good condition. Swedish bullet holes

can be noticed in its walls (northern

and southern). The church burnt down

during the war and its current shape is

the result of reconstruction work car-

ried out in 1949.

In the market we will * nd an inter-

esting monument – the so-called Lan-

tern in honour of the insurgents from

1831 and 1863 and those killed in ac-

tion in 1939-1945.

On the road leading toward Płock,

there is a Capuchin church dating

back to the 18th century.

A stroll along the Vistula bank is

a must. Two nature reserves are locat-

ed here: Wyspy Smoszewskie and Wik-

liny Wiślane. We continue driving route

No. 62 towards Płock. This time we

turn towards Czerwińsk. Soldiers head-

ing for Grunwald with Jagiełło crossed

the river here and joined Witold’s (Vy-

tautas’s) army coming from Lithuania

on July 2nd. We go past a church and

a monastery.

The church, despite numerous al-

terations, has retained its Romanesque

character. Two majestic towers rise up

against the background of the sky.

The beginnings of Czerwińsk date

back to the old times of the Polish na-

tion and country. The oldest records

date from 1065. The bull of Hadrian

VI from 1155, on the other hand, con-

tains information about the existence

in Czerwińsk of a church under the in-

vocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

and a monastery of regular canons at

that time. Due to numerous donations

from Polish dukes and kings Czerwińsk

became the most impressive and the

richest centre of political, economic

and cultural life in Mazovia. Konrad II

Mazowiecki (Conrad II of Mazovia) was

buried in the local church.

Meetings, trials and even open-

air sejms took place in Czerwińsk.

In 1422 Władysław (Ladislaus), the

duke of Płock, and Bolesław (Bole-

slaus), the duke of Czersk, debated

here over unifying legislation for the

whole territory of Mazovia. Earlier, in

1410 Władysław Jagiełło (Ladislaus

Jagiello) built a bridge of boats near

Czerwińsk, got his army across the riv-

er and joined Witold’s (Vytautas’s) reg-

iments on their way to Grunwald. On

his way back, Jagiełło left a basinet in

the church in Czerwińsk as a votive of-

fering. Jagiełło and Witold (Vytautas)

came to Czerwińsk in 1422 and 1430

to take part in sejms. The privileges

of Czerwińsk and the reintroduced

Statut Wiślicki Kazmierza Wielkiego

(Wislicki Statute of Casimir the Great)

come from this period. King Jan Kaz-

imierz (John Casimir) was a frequent

visitor in Czerwińsk. After the Battle

of Beresteczko, he hung the captured

banners at the main altar.

The monastery had a defensive

function from its very beginnings. It

repulsed the attacks of the Pomerani-

ans, Prussians, Lithuanians, Yotvingians


40


and Teutonic Knights. It was the attack

of the Swedes in 1655-1660 that de-

stroyed and ravaged the town to the

extent that it wasn’t able to regain its

former glory. After the collapse of the

Republic of Poland the tsarist govern-

ment dissolved the order of regular

canons. The monastery was robbed

of its valuable book collection and the

helmet of Władysław Jagiełło (Ladis-

laus Jagiello). In 1923 the monastery

and the church were handed over to

Zgromadzenie Salezjańskie (Salesian

Congregation).

When we drive up and make a steep

climb, we will see an architecturally di-

versi* ed structure which points to the

colourful and changing history of this

place. The church was built from reg-

ular * eld granite blocks. Before asking

a guide to show us around the mon-

astery and the museum of the Sale-

sian fathers, it’s worth entering the

church. In the very vestibule we will

notice a beautiful Romanesque por-

tal discovered only in 1910. The portal

contains two smooth columns which,

according to the local legend, were

used by Jagiełło’s knights to sharpen

their swords. In the nave – located

from the northern side – we descend

to the chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows.

The level of the oor in this chapel cor-

responds to the level of the oor in the

primary church. A church treasury was

organised here in the 16th century. We

can admire Gothic murals painted on

the northern wall of the nave. Even lat-

er, namely in 1951, murals dating back

to the 13th century were unveiled in

the southern nave in the Cruci* xion

Chapel. It is the largest set of Roman-

esque murals in Poland. They are the

work of a local artist.

In the southern nave we may also

* nd paintings and epitaphs as well as

a partially unveiled Romanesque col-

umn made of granite boulders. On

both sides of the main altar there are

stalls from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The elements that deserve special at-

tention are the votive o% erings (silver

hammered plates of di% erent sizes)

placed over the stalls and at the altar.

The wooden main altar was brought

from Cracow (over the Vistula River) in

1630. In the middle, there is a painting

depicting Our Lady of Czerwińsk which

was declared miraculous in 1648.

Now we can go to the monastery

and ask a guide to show us around

the museum. The Salesians do mis-

sionary work across the world and

the museum presents the souvenirs

of their journeys. The collections are

grouped and every region has its own

display cases. Apart from spears, hats

and animal skins, you can see all sorts

of ornaments. Following our guide,

we move between di% erent regions

of the world and admire the objects

characteristic to them.

It is worth entering the Goth-

ic chapel situated in the monastery.

The element that sticks out is its stel-

lar and net vault at the altar, covered


41



with murals dating back to the 16th

century. We will * nd here a painting

depicting Our Lady of Ostrobrama.

Having left the chapel, we need to

turn right in order to get to the par-

ish museum presenting a collection

of sculptures, paintings, metal casts,

ferrules, fabrics and books.

Having gone outside, it’s worth

walking around the building. From

the side of the Vistula River we have

a superb view over the river and the

surroundings. Steep stairs lead us to

the church. The oldest part of the

monastery was on the right. On the

left we can see the * gure of Christ.

According to local tradition, it was

here that a church service was cel-

ebrated on July 2nd, 1410. The * rst

mentions of the Kampinos Forest can

be found in the writings of Długosz

who gives an account of Jagiełło’s

preparations for the war with the Teu-

tonic Knights and the organisation of

the very expedition. He talks about

the choice of the way for the ban-

ners of Małopolska (Little Poland) and

Wielkopolska (Great Poland) from So-

chaczew, through the western edge

of the Forest, Plecewice, Konary to

Śladów, where the crossing over the

Vistula River to Czerwińsk took place.

The 15th century bell – from the ab-

bot’s bell tower – was turned by the

Germans into cannons during the last

war. We enter a cemetery through the

abbot’s gate. Finally, we may once

again stop in front of the church and

ponder upon its old times and then

descend the stairs, walk several hun-

dreds of meters and reach the Vistu-

la River. We go through a small mar-

ket square where the life of the towns’

inhabitants is ourishing. We continue

straight on and reach the place where

the local amphitheatre is situated. If

we want to eat something, we should

do this right after pulling o% the road

towards Płock. Czerwińsk itself is small

and not interested in tourism. We go

back to the Płock road and head to-

wards another old settlement over the

Vistula River – Wyszogród. It was in its

heyday in the times of the Jagiellon-

owie family when it was an important

trade centre on the Vistula River.

A late-Baroque parish church from

1773-1786 is situated here. The interior

décor is mainly Baroque (from the 17th

and 18th centuries). Next to the church

there is a late-Baroque gate dating

back to the 18th century and a presby-

tery dating back to the * rst half of the

19th century.

The Franciscan church was built in

the Gothic style in 1408, the chapel

dates back to 1510 and the Baroque

nave to 1661-1675 – the interior dé-

cor – mainly Baroque (from the 17th

and 18th centuries). Next to the church

there is a Baroque monastery building

dating back to 1684.

One has to go to the steep bank of

the Vistula River to see the castle moun-

tain; an early-medieval settlement was

situated here. At the beginning of the


42


13th century Conrad of Mazovia built

the * rst castle here. In the reign of Kaz-

imierz Wielki (Casimir the Great) a brick

castle was erected in place of the wood-

en one. It was demolished by the Prus-

sians in 1789. The second settlement on

the bank of the Vistula River is located 2

km to the west.

The longest wooden bridge in Eu-

rope, over the Vistula River and the

Bzura River, partially burnt in 1990, was

dismantled in 1999.

We can go back on the opposite

side of the Vistula River along the

beautiful route No. 575 running over

the river.


• Warsaw – Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki – Zakroczym – Czerwińsk

– Wyszogród: 85 km.


• Visit to Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki – 1 hour,

Modlin – 3 hours, Zakroczym – 1,5 hour,

Czerwińsk – 2,5 hours, Wyszogród – 1 hour.

Accommodation:

• Modlin, Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy “Silurus” (“Silurus” Leisure Centre)

– seasonal ul. Mieszka I 6 a, (22) 775 59 01

• Internat Narew (Narew Boarding House), ul. Sportowa 76,

Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, tel. (22) 775 77 71

• Hotel Bartnik, ul. Bohaterów Modlina 39, Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki,

tel. (22) 775 83 02

• „Jaworowy Dwór”, Trębki Nowe 100 a, Zakroczym,

www.jaworowydwor.pl, tel. (22) 785 22 97

• Agro-tourist farm, T. K. Cupryś, Trębki Nowe 99, Zakroczym,

tel. (22) 785 20 27

Catering:

• Restauracja Metro Pizza (Metro Pizza Restaurant), ul. Byłych

Więźniów Twierdzy Zakroczym 41 (at the Statoil petrol station),

contact tel. (22) 785 24 46

• Agro-tourist farm, T. K. Cupryś, Trębki Nowe 99, Zakroczym,

tel. (22) 785 20 27


43




44

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMSEARCHING FOR POLAND’S ROOTS

SEARCHING FOR POLAND’S ROOTS

PŁOCK – ŁĄCK – JEZIORO LUCIEŃSKIE (LUCIEŃ LAKE)

– BRUDZEŃSKI PARK KRAJOBRAZOWY (BRUDZEŃ

LANDSCAPE PARK) – ROKICIE

P łock – one of the oldest towns in

Poland – is situated in the west-

ern part of the Mazowieckie Voivode-

ship, over the Vistula River, about 120

km from Warsaw. At * rst one has to

drive route No. 7 towards Gdańsk

and then turn onto route No. 62 to

Płock. Władysław Herman (Ladislaus

Herman) resided here in the 11th and

12th centuries. Superb monuments

have survived in the town till today.

The two towers of a Renaissance ca-

thedral can be seen from a distance.

In 1530, after a * re, the older build-

ing was razed to its foundations and

a new structure was erected in its

place. The extraordinary bronze doors

in the vestibule attract attention. Un-

fortunately, it is only a copy of the Ro-

manesque Drzwi Płockie (Doorway of

Płock) from 1154. In order to see the

authentic doors we would have to go

to Sobór Mądrości (Holy Wisdom So-

bor) in Veliky Novgorod. In the cathe-

dral it is worth paying attention to Ka-

plica Królewska (Royal Chapel) where

the sarcophaguses of Władysław Her-

man (Ladislaus Herman) and Bolesław

Krzywousty (Boleslaus the Wry-

mouthed) are placed. The chapel is

plunged into darkness, but one can

turn on the light. Next to the switch

there is a collection box. Inside the

chapel there are other gravestones

and epitaphs dating back to the 16th

– 20th centuries.

On the opposite side of the street,

in the former Benedictine abbey,

Muzeum Mazowieckie (Mazovian Mu-

seum) has its seat. Apart from a sec-

tion presenting the history of Płock,

the Museum possesses an interesting

collection of Art Nouveau. The interi-

ors have been arranged in such a way

that they present ats in a bourgeois

stone house. This is complemented

by the * nite details characteristic for

the style, for instance, chandeliers or

curtains. The walls are full of paintings

depicting the outstanding artists of

the epoch: Teodor Axentowicz, Józef

Meho% er, Stanisław Wyspiański and

others. The museum also presents

sculpture that is the work of Wacław

Szymanowski – the creator of Cho-

pin’s monument in Łazienki Park,

Konstanty Laszczka and Xawery Dun-

ikowski. In the tailor’s room we can


45

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMSEARCHING

FOR POLAND’S ROOTS

see out* ts that were considered fash-

ionable at that time.

In the other rooms we can admire

a collection of functional art from the

turn of the centuries. The art deco

style came into existence in the peri-

od between the two world wars. The

museum possesses exhibits created

in this style.

On the opposite side of the ca-

thedral, in an edi* ce built in 1903

especially for this purpose, Muzeum

Diecezjalne (Diocesan Museum) has

its seat. Its most valuable exhibit is

Biblia Płocka (Bible of Płock) from the

12th century; it is in a display case in

the middle of the room, next to other

manuscripts. The museum is a place

where historical relics from the whole

diocese of Płock have been gathered.

The most valuable sculptures are: two

Piety Drobińskie (Drobin Pietàs) dat-

ing back to 1430 and 1440 and Chrys-

tus Frasobliwy (Sorrowful Christ) from

Długosiodło (dating back to the be-

ginning of the 16th century). Visitors

will be surely be interested in “kon-

tusz sashes” and elements of gold

smithery.

Having left the museum, it’s worth

looking around and strolling among

the trees along the park avenues.

When we reach the very end of the

park, we have a breathtaking view.

For we are on an escarpment which

is several dozen meters high. At the

bottom one can see the Vistula Riv-

er and the town’s surroundings. This

escarpment is the famous Tumskie

Wzgórze (Tumskie Hill). Here used to

be the centre of the pagan cult and

later on a wooden forti* ed settle-

ment founded by Mieszko I. All the

buildings we have visited so far bear

traces of this former glory.

After a moment of reverie over

the rich history of Płock we move on

to look for its traces. We have to go

back to Plac Narutowicza (Narutowicz

Square). It is the oldest market square

in the town, although its buildings

date back mainly to the second half of

the 19th century. The tourist informa-

tion centre is situated in the building

which used to serve as a guardroom.

Here one can obtain for free a plan of

a walk across the town – with all the

places worth visiting marked and de-

scribed and with tourist trails around

Płock.

The square used to be called

Rynek Kanoniczny (Canonical Market

Square) from the buildings of the pre-

vious canons’ houses. The * rst build-

ing (Gothic, from the end of the 15th

century) used to function as a ca-

nonical residence until 1867 and has

been the seat of Towarzystwo Nau-

kowe Płockie (The Scienti* c Society

of Płock) since 1908. The second can-

ons’ house was erected in the 1820s

and has been the seat of the bishops

of Płock since 1878.

We walk ul. Grodzka, full of 19th cen-

tury stone houses, towards the Old

Market. For many years it had a com-


46



47



mercial, administrative and juridical

function. It was also the centre of so-

cial life. A modern fountain and the

town hall attract our attention. The

central part of the town hall dates

back to 1824-1827. The tower with

a clock was built later. It’s worth paying

attention to several stone houses. The

one at the corner of ul. Grodzka comes

from the 18th century. Dom Anioła

Stróża (House of the Guardian Angel)

is famous because Sister Faustina Kow-

alska, canonized in 2000, experienced

her * rst revelation here. The building

at ul. Stary Rynek 8 is the former Ho-

tel Berliński (Berlin Hotel). Today Dom

Darmstadt (Darmstadt House) is here.

Not far from the Old Market we will

* nd a Parish Church under the Invo-

cation of Saint Bartholomew. It was

built in the Gothic style and rebuilt

in the Baroque style. The late-Gothic

facade of the temple attracts atten-

tion. Inside we admire a Baroque altar

transferred from the closed abbatial

church in Płock.

We reach the edge of the escarp-

ment once again. We see the remains

of forti* cations and the granaries char-

acteristic for the towns situated over

the Vistula River. A branch of Muzeum

Mazowieckie (Mazovian Museum) with

an interesting exhibition of folk sculp-

tures is located in one of them.

Płock is also famous for one of the

oldest schools in Poland. Liceum im.

Marszałka Stanisława Małachowskiego

(Marshal Stanisław Małachowski High

School) is situated in a building erect-

ed by the Jesuits in the 17th century.

A Gothic tower adjoins the build-

ing. In the vaults it is worth visiting

the remains of the Romanesque and

Gothic foundations of the former St.

Michael’s Collegiate Church. Histori-

cal documents indicate that a school

existed at a collegiate church from

the 12th century.

Płock was a very old seat of the

Jewish society, which lived here from

the * rst half of the 13th century. The

Jewish district, which was turned into

a ghetto during the Nazi occupation,

was located between the Old Market,

ul. Bielska and the forti* cations. In

1941 the Germans transported from

here ten thousand people to exter-

mination camps and demolished the

central part of the district. Mała Syna-

goga (Small Synagogue) survived the

occupation, was bought by the town

authorities and serves as a gallery.

At ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego a Mari-

avite monastery and cathedral com-

plex can be seen. It was built in the

Neo-Gothic style. It is the main tem-

ple of the Old Catholic Mariavite

Church. The grave of its founder – Fe-

liksa Maria Kozłowska – is situated in

the church vaults.

Children will surely be pleased to

visit the zoo located over the Vistula

River. It is worth seeing its collection of

reptiles and amphibians, which is the

biggest in Poland. Then one can go to

the river bank.


48


From Płock we set off on a trip

to the nearby lakes – the region of

Gostynińsko-Włocławski Park Krajo-

brazowy (Gostynińsko-Włocławski

Landscape Park). We need to cross

the Vistula River and drive route No.

60 towards Gostynin. Łąck is situated

12 km from the town. It is a tourist re-

sort over Jezioro Łąckie (Łąck Lake)

which is famous for Państwowe Sta-

do Ogierów (National Stallion De-

pot). In 1923 the former estate of

the Furhmanowie family was turned

into a stud. The prides of the stud are

pure-blooded English sports horses.

Horse riding holidays and recreation

events are organised here.

Gostynińsko-Włocławski Park Kra-

jobrazowy (Gostynińsko-Włocławski

Landscape Park) is one of the biggest

parks in Poland. It protects a postgla-

cial landscape with numerous chan-

nel lakes, hills and dunes covered

with forest. The resorts over Jezioro

Lucieńskie (Lucień Lake) are famous

leisure spots. It’s worth taking the

route running along the Vistula River

on the way back to Płock.

Having crossed the bridge in Płock,

we go to Brudzeński Park Krajobra-

zowy (Brudzeń Landscape Park). It

covers the valley of the lower reach-

es of the Skrwa Prawa River together

with the adjacent forest complexes.

The landscape here is exceptionally

picturesque, the river meanders in

deep ravines. One can see badgers,

beavers, otters and numerous spe-

cies of rare birds. Canoeing is organ-

ised here.

Being on this side of the Vistula

River, we have to go to the town of

Rokicie (20 km from Płock), where on

a high bank of the Vistula River we will

* nd a brick Church under the Invoca-

tion of Saint Peter and Paul. It is con-

sidered exceptional due to the fact

that it was built in the 13th century in

the late-Romanesque style and it is

one of the oldest and best preserved

buildings in Mazovia. The main altar

dates back to the 18th century.


• Warsaw – Płock – Łąck – Rokicie – Brudzeński Park Krajobrazowy

(Brudzeń Landscape Park): 150 km. Total length of the route: 300 km.

• Visit to Płock – 2 hours, Muzeum Diecezjalne (Diocesan Museum) – 1 hour,

Muzeum Mazowieckie (Mazovian Museum) – 1,5 hour, Łąck – 1 hour,

Rokicie – 1 hour, Brudzeński Park Krajobrazowy (Brudzeń Landscape Park)

– 3 hours.


49



Accommodation:

• Hotel Orbis Petropol, al. Jachowicza 49, Płock, tel. (24) 262 44 51

• Hotel Petrochemia, ul.3 Maja 33, Płock, tel. (24) 365 60 01

• Hotel Płock, al. Jachowicza 38, Plock, tel. (24) 262 93 93

• Hotel Starzyński, ul. Piekarska 1, Płock, tel. (24) 262 40 61

• Hotel Martus, ul. Lubuska 15, Płock, tel. (24) 264 83 10

• Zajazd Rybaki (Rybaki Roadhouse), Płock, ul. Mostowa 5/7, tel. (24) 264 56 58

• “Dom Darmstadt”, Stary Rynek 8, Płock, tel. (24) 367 19 22

• “Gościniec Płock”, al. Jachowicza 8 a, Płock, tel. (24) 264 74 97

• Hotel Dębowa Góra, Nowe Rumunki, gm. Łąck, tel. (24) 384 21 00

• Hotel Rusałka, ul. Płocka 14, Grabina, gm. Łąck, tel. (69) 678 58 21

• Hotel Na Rozdrożu, ul. Warszawska 1, Łąck, tel. (24) 267 73 98

• “Biały Dworek” Stada Ogierów, Łąck, ul. Płocka 12, tel. (24) 262 98 97

• Motel Biały Dom, Grabina 28/1, Łąck, tel. (24) 264 40 28

• Guest rooms, Stado Ogierów, ul. Amazonki 3, Łąck, tel. (24) 262 98 97

• Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy Zacisze (Zacisze Leisure Centre), Koszelówka, Łąck,

tel. (24) 277 14 61

• Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy Zacisze BIS (Zacisze BIS Leisure Centre), Koszelówka,

Łąck, tel. (24) 277 25 28, 277 10 81

• Agro-tourist farm “Jagoda”, G. Konarska, Łaźniewek 10, gm. Błonie,

tel. (22) 725 23 55

• Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy “Stanica Wodna Zgierskiego Klubu Sportów

Wodnych” (“Stanica Wodna Zgierskiego Klubu Sportów Wodnych”

Leisure Centre), ul. Kasztanowa 1, Nowy Dunin, tel. 603 314 577,

in summer 695 605 910

• Ośrodek Wypoczynkowo-Konferencyjny “Lucień” (“Lucień” Leisure and

Conference Centre), Miałkówek 3, gm. Gostynin, tel. (24) 235 16 80

• Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy Kancelarii Prezydenta (Leisure Centre of the

Chancellery of the President), Lucień 82, tel. (24) 235 16 55

• Ośrodek Rekreacyjno-Szkoleniowy (Recreation and Training Centre),

Cierszewo 8, Brudzeń Duży, tel. (24) 260 94 65

• Hotel, Bar Nad Skrwą, Brudzeń Duży 110, gm. Brudzeń Duży, tel. (24) 260 40 95

• Agro-tourist farms and numerous seasonal leisure centres

Catering:

• Restauracja “Art-Deco” (“Art Deco” Restaurant), Stary Rynek 17, Płock,

tel. (24) 268 57 51

• Bar Miś, ul. Miodowa 8, Płock, tel. (24) 263 18 11

• Restaurant in “Petrochemia” Hotel, address as above, tel. (24) 365 60 02

• EURO-BUD “Retro” Usługi gastronomiczne (EURO-BUD “Retro”

Catering Services), ul. Kwiatka 31/33 lok. 2, Płock, tel. (24) 264 43 28

• Pizzeria Corner, ul. Kolegialna 39, Płock, (24) 262 69 74

• Pizzeria Corner, ul. Kwiatka 27, Płock, (24) 262 74 90

• Pizzeria Killer, ul. Grodzka 3, Płock, (24) 268 81 25

• Pizzeria Napoli, ul. Armii Krajowej 14, Płock, (24) 266 89 74

• Pizzeria Roma, ul. Grodzka 13, Płock, tel. (24) 268 38 60

• Bar in Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy Zacisze (Zacisze Leisure Centre),

Koszelówka, Łąck, tel. (24) 277 14 61

• Restaurant in Hotel Rusałka (as above)

• Motel Biały Dom (as above)

• Restaurant in the “Młynarzówna” building in the Centre in Cierszewo

(as above)


50

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMRECREATION SPOTS OVER THE BUG RIVER

RECREATION SPOTS OVER THE BUG RIVER

KAMIEŃCZYK – WYSZKÓW – BROK – ZUZELA

W e start our trip from Kamień-

czyk. We drive route No. 8 to-

wards Białystok. Before reaching the

bridge in Wyszków, we have to turn

onto route No. 62 towards Sokołów

Podlaski. Then we have to turn left

to Kamieńczyk. We reach the cen-

tre of the town, which seems to be

very friendly. It used to be an im-

portant forti* ed town and used to

be called Kamieniec Mazowiecki.

Dukes who went hunting to Puszc-

za Kamieniecka (Kamieniec Forest)

stayed here. Kamieńczyk lost its mu-

nicipal rights in 1869. The trace of its

long history is the preserved medie-

val urban plan with streets radiating

from the market square. Also some

wooden buildings have partially sur-

vived. The church, in its characteristic

style (present in many towns of Ma-

zovia), was designed by Józef Pius

Dziekański. The market square is the

tourist trail junction. We follow the

yellow signs to the very river.

This tourist trail was designed for

quick-witted tourists equipped with

a map. But be careful, the map does

not o% er an accurate marking of the

trails. The vast area over the Bug River

is very nice and one can have a nice

time here. We reach the road. On the

opposite side of the road we may

see the Liwiec River. The river bank is

sandy and full of people. Holiday cot-

tages spread along the bank.

We go to Wyszków, which seems

to be a gigantic junction. The city

has been always situated on a trade

route. It was granted municipal rights

in 1502. Wyszków was in its heyday in

the 16th and 17th centuries. The Swed-

ish wars stopped the development of

the town and both World Wars con-

tributed to its signi* cant devasta-

tion.

The Church of Saint Giles rises up

over the city. A tunnel was build un-

der the busy road and the needs of

the disabled were taken into consid-

eration and ramps were built next

to the stairs. The church was built in

1793 in the classical style. A paint-

ing depicting Our Lady (in a silver

icon-cover) from the second half of

the 17th century graces the wall of

the side altar in the southern chap-

el. The following persons awaited in

the vicarage the victory of the invad-

ers during the Polish-Soviet war: Fe-

liks Dzierżyński, Feliks Kon and Julian

Marchlewski.


51

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMRECREATION SPOTS

OVER THE BUG RIVER

The obelisk of the Vasa family

stands at ul. 3 Maja, next to a park. It

was erected after 1655 (probably due

to Jan Kazimierz’s – John Casimir’s do-

nation) to commemorate the death

of Karol Ferdynand Waza (Charles Fer-

dinad Vasa) in Wyszków. A sheaf – the

emblem of the Vasa family – is on the

base of the obelisk.

From Wyszków we drive 32 km

along route No. 8 towards Białystok

and then turn right onto route No.

694 to Brok. Today it is a small town

over the Bug River. The local parish

church was built in 1560 by Giovan-

ni Battista the Venetian in the Gothic-

Renaissance style. Inside there is a val-

uable Renaissance polychrome.

Not much has been left of the

bishop’s palace. It used to be the

summer residence of the bishops of

Płock. It was build at a fork of the Bug

River and its tributary – the Turka riv-

er. It was constructed in 1617-1624

for Bishop Henryk Firlej. The palace

was supposed to be a Renaissance

villa. Its state has been deteriorating

since the Swedish invasion. In fact,

nothing has been left to this day.

Brok has changed its character. It is

becoming a holiday resort. Numer-

ous holiday cottages that function

only during the season prove that. It

is possible to reach the river bank in

several places, but a walk along the

bank is difficult due to the lack of an

appropriate path. A road leads us

from the square with a monument

dedicated to Józef Piłsudski to the lo-

cal bathing beach. The sandy shore

and calm river encourage the spend-

ing of time here or to have a swim.

The local forests are a pleasant walk-

ing area.

Then we take route No. 694

through Małkinia Górna to Zuzela,

where Muzeum Lat Dziecięcych Pry-

masa Tysiąclecia Stefana Wyszyń-

skiego (Museum of Childhood of

the Primate of the Millennium Ste-

fan Wyszyński) is seated. We need to

reach the church. The museum is on

the opposite side of the street. We

need to ask non-habited nuns living

next to the museum to open it and

show us the exhibits. In the museum

we may see a classroom from the pri-

mate’s school period. It is equipped

with desks, inkwells, a map of Rus-

sia, a portrait of the tsar and his wife.

A nun tells us about education un-

der Russian rule and about Stefan

Wyszyński who turns out not to be

such a polite child. Numerous photo-

graphs of the Wyszyńscy family and

the primate during his visit to Zuzela

have been placed in display cases.

The Wyszyńscy family lived in Zuze-

la when Stefan was born. He was bap-

tised in the local church, which, un-

fortunately, has not survived. Only the

baptismal font has been preserved. It

can be seen in the church on the op-

posite side of the street. Stefan’s fa-

ther was an organist. The future pri-

mate had * ve brothers and sisters,


52

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMRECREATION SPOTS OVER THE BUG RIVER

but the two youngest died in child-

hood. His mother died just after the

move from Zuzela, shortly after giv-

ing birth.

In the next room we can see a kitch-

en full of objects characteristic for the

beginning of the 20th century. There is a

sideboard decorated with crêpe paper

cuttings, a churn, a steam iron, a cradle

and a lot of other objects of daily use.

In the living room we notice a har-

monium, an altar and numerous

paintings. The family attached enor-

mous signi* cance to the paintings

depicting Our Lady of Częstochowa

and Our Lady of Ostrobrama. The pri-

mate’s father used to make pilgrim-

ages to Częstochowa, whereas his

mother to Vilnius.

Having put our names in the guest

book and left a donation towards the

up keep of the museum, we head for

the church. It was built in the Neo-

Gothic style and seriously damaged

during World War II. Inside the church

we will * nd an old wooden baptis-

mal font and a painting depicting

Our Lady in the side altar. Both ob-

jects were transferred from the former

wooden church.

Outside, it’s worth paying atten-

tion to the bell tower, with three bells,

and a chapel modelled on the cave

in Lourdes.


53

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMRECREATION SPOTS

OVER THE BUG RIVER


• Warsaw – Kamieńczyk – Wyszków – Brok – Zuzela: 110 km.


• Kamieńczyk – 2 hours, Wyszków – 1 hour, Brok – 1,5 hour,

Zuzela – 1 hour.

Accommodation:

• Ośrodek Wypoczynkowo-Wczasowy “Meliorant” (“Meliorant”

Leisure and Holiday Centre), ul. Brzostowa 52, Brok,

tel. (29) 745 70 25

• Ośrodek Szkoleniowo-Wypoczynkowy “Rzemieślnik” (“Rzemieślnik”

Training and Leisure Centre), ul. Brzostowa 28, Brok,

tel. (29) 745 70 39

• Dom Wczasowy “Nadrzecze” (“Nadrzecze” Holiday Resort), K. Jóźwik,

ul. Brzostowa 5, Brok, www.nadrzecze.pl, tel. (29) 745 7011

• Zajazd Pod Sosnami (Pod Sosnami Roadhouse), ul. Nurska 23,

Małkinia Górna, tel. (29) 745 55 65


• Other: www.brok.pl

Catering:

• Catering Bar Kufelek, ul. Parkingowa 1, Brok, tel. (29) 745 75 22

• Zajazd Kormoran (Kormoran Roadhouse), ul. Szosowa 2, Brok,

tel. (29) 745 75 68

• Other: www.brok.pl


54

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN THE KOZIENICE FOREST AND FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JAN KOCHANOWSKI

IN THE KOZIENICE FOREST AND FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS

OF JAN KOCHANOWSKI

KOZIENICE – AUGUSTÓW – CZARNOLAS

– ZWOLEŃ – GARBATKA LETNISKO

K ozienice is situated about 80

km to the south of Warsaw. To

get there, we have to take route No.

79 towards Sandomierz. At the en-

trance from Warsaw we will see the

industrial district of the town with

the famous power plant. The town

is surrounded by Puszcza Kozienicka

(Kozienice Forest).

The beginnings of Kozienice date

back to the Middle Ages. In 1409, on

the king’s request, a wooden pontoon

bridge of boats was built near Kozien-

ice. It was later oated to Czerwińsk,

where in 1410 it served the royal army

and tabor during their crossing over

the Vistula River (prior to the Battle of

Grunwald with the Teutonic Knights).

In 1409-1410 great hunting trips that

were to provide the royal army going

to the war with the Teutonic Knights

with food took place in the forest sur-

rounding Kozienice.

In 1429 Władysław Jagiełło (Ladis-

laus Jagiello) o> cially included Kozien-

ice into the royal administration. It was

a royal hunting estate that became the

direct reason for the creation of the

town. In November 1466 King Kazimi-

erz Jagiellończyk (Casimir Jagiellon),

eeing a plague, took shelter with

his family in Kozienice. On January 1st,

1467 Zygmunt Stary (Sigismund the

Elder) was born here. In 1537 a mon-

ument was put up to commemorate

this event. We can admire it still to-

day. It is situated to the right from the

entrance to the park surrounding the

former palace. The monument was

renovated and a plate containing the

translation of a Latin poem placed on

the monument, and information that

it is the oldest monument in Poland

has been added.

From the beginning of Stanisław

August Poniatowski’s rule Kozienice

were taken into special care. In 1776-

1791 the palace complex was erect-

ed anew. The palace, together with

the guest outbuilding and later the

kitchen outbuilding, was reminiscent

of Baroque solutions, but the decora-

tive design of the structure had classi-

cal features.

Industry started to develop in

Kozienice in the 1780s – a rolling mill,

copper forging shop and a * rearms

plant came into existence.


55

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN THE KOZIENICE FOREST AND FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS

OF JAN KOCHANOWSKI

Today the former palace is the

most interesting element; the town

authorities have their seat here. After

the November Uprising the builder

of the Dęblin fortress – general Iwan

Dehn – lived in the palace. He had it

adjusted to the needs of his own fam-

ily. The * nal shape of the palace dates

back to 1896-1900. Only the left out-

building survived the Luftwa% e air

raids in September 1939. Today it is

the seat of Muzeum Regionalne (Re-

gional Museum). The palace was re-

constructed in the 1950s. An elec-

tronic tourist information centre is lo-

cated here. There is a swimming pool

in the shape of a quatrefoil in front of

the palace.

In Muzeum Regionalne (Regional

Museum) we may see old beehives

and objects reminiscent of bee-keep-

ing traditions and the former profes-

sions of the locals. The interior decor is

more like that in an open-air museum,

which is quite unusual for a palace.

The buildings are surrounded by

a landscape park. The following ele-

ments have been preserved: avenues,

stairs in front of the palace’s garden

façade, two stone plinths from the

18th century and – at the entrance

– the above mentioned obelisk com-

memorating the birth of Zygmunt

Stary (Sigismund the Elder).

Kozienice are a good place for a trip

with children. Across from the palace,

there is Ogród Jordanowski (Jordan

Garden) together with a playground,

including a Tartan basketball court.

Those who like sport won’t be dis-

appointed because they will * nd in

Kozienice a swimming pool, a stud,


56


a lake and numerous tourist trails in

Puszcza Kozienicka (Kozienice Forest).

Augustów is a perfect place for

a walk through the forest. From

Kozienice we take route No. 737 to-

wards Radom. Izba Dydaktyczno-Muz-

ealna Puszczy Kozienickiej (Kozienice

Forest Didactic and Museum Cen-

tre) is seated in Augustów. It com-

prises a botanical garden, an exhibi-

tion of tools used for forest work and

a carriage of a narrow-gauge railway.

To the left of the museum buildings

we will * nd signs characteristic of the

black trail. We will go along this trail to

the Źródło Królewskie (Royal Spring)

reserve. We have to travel 4,8 km, one

way. At * rst we walk among * elds and

then the trail turns into the forest. In

the territory of Kozienicki Park Krajo-

brazowy (Kozienice Landscape Park)

218 species of birds have been report-

ed, including very rare lesser spotted

eagles, black storks, cranes and Euro-

pean rollers. Most probably we will

only have a chance to see a hare run-

ning across the path. Our trail (after

the walk through the forest) runs to-

wards a wide forest tract; we need

to be careful as cars often drive this

tract. It can be also an alternative for

those less active: one just has to turn

into the forest from the route towards

Radom and follow the guidepost for

Czerwona Leśniczówka (Red Forest-

er’s Lodge). We reach a clearing with

the forester’s lodge. There are bench-

es and tables so we can have a meal.

That’s where the educational path

“Królewskie Źródło” (“Royal Spring”)

begins. The name comes from a na-

ture reserve in whose surroundings

crystal springs owed many centuries

ago. According to the local tradition,

the very Władysław Jagiełło (Ladis-

laus Jagiello) used to drink from these

springs. The path is 3 km long. The for-

ester’s lodge is its starting point. There

used to be the house of a level cross-

ing attendant of the former narrow-

gauge railway here. We come across

the * rst information board devot-

ed to the railway that used to oper-

ate here in 1915-1989. We will come

across eleven such boards on the

whole trail. We admire the natural for-

est, then, from a bridge, the turn of the

Zagożdżanka River, next we descend

the wooden steps to the river, exam-

ine beaver lodges and * nally reach

the Królewskie Źródło (Royal Spring)

reserve. We go back to the car park or

to Augustów.

Our next target is Muzeum Jana

Kochanowskiego (Jan Kochanowski

Museum) in Czarnolas. We drive back

towards Kozienice and turn at the

roundabout before the town onto

route No. 79 towards Sandomierz.

This exceptionally picturesque route

leads through Puszcza Kozienicka

(Kozienice Forest). We make a turn

in Policzna. We will * nd there a sign

showing the way to Czarnolas and

to the museum which is visited by

crowds of tourists. No wonder. Even


57


OF JAN KOCHANOWSKI

though the museum does not pos-

sess any valuable exhibits from Ko-

chanowski’s times and it is not the

real poet’s manor, it is pleasantly ar-

ranged. In six rooms it displays dif-

ferent phases of Kochanowski’s life

and the poems referring to these pe-

riods. The walls of particular rooms

are graced with quotations from Ko-

chanowski’s poems. Every room has

its own headword: “Kształtowanie”

(“Formation”), “Renesansowy mani-

fest poety” (“The Poet’s Renaissance

Manifesto”), “Poeta Czarnoleski”(“The

Poet from Czarnolas”), “Poeta i oby-

watel” (“A Poet and a Citizen”), “Pis-

arz przy pracy” (“The Poet at Work”),

“Poeta nieśmiertelny” (“The Immortal

Poet”). The only historical monument

connected with Kochanowski are iron

doors. The manor which is the seat of

the museum was built at the begin-

ning of the 19th century and has noth-

ing to do with Kochanowski’s house.

Kochanowski’s house is considered to

have been located in the place where

a chapel stands today. In the park sur-

rounding the museum we may * nd

an obelisk with Urszulka’s symbolic

sarcophagus; the famous linden used

to grow here.

A monument to the poet was put

up in front of the museum. One may

have an impression that Kochanowski

has come out of the manor to wel-

come his guests.

In the museum we can buy souve-

nirs connected with the poet and his

poems. Another souvenir shop is next

to the car park.

In order to remain in Kochanowski’s

circle, we move to Zwoleń. We need

to cross the road to Sandomierz.

We see another monument to Ko-

chanowski in the market square in

Zwoleń. We have to cross the main

road and then go straight towards

the church. On our way we go past

a monument devoted to the sol-

diers of the Home Army (AK). At ul.

Kościelna we will * nd another monu-

ment to Kochanowski, this time hold-

ing Urszulka in his arms.

The Church under the Invocation

of the Holy Cross was built in stag-

es. The presbytery was created be-

fore 1570 and the nave before 1585.

Circa 1610, due to a donation giv-

en by Adam Kochanowski (a judge

from the Lublin land), the so-called

Kochanowscy chapel was built and

in 1620-1630 the Owadowscy chap-

el came into existence. In the 1920s

two naves and a tower were added. In

1979 a * re destroyed part of the inte-

rior which was later reconstructed.

The Kochanowscy chapel is square

in plan and topped with an octago-

nal dome with a lantern. Inside, on the

wall, there is a low relief depicting the

poet wearing an Italian out* t. In the

past the members of the Kochanowscy

family were buried in this chapel. After

a ood, the remains were transferred to

the cemetery, then under the oor of

a mortuary and * nally in 1984 – on the


58


occasion of the 450th anniversary of the

poet’s birth – the remains of the Koch-

anowscy family were once again buried

in the vaults of the chapel.

From Zwoleń we go back to War-

saw. On our way back we stop in Gar-

batka Letnisko. Holiday cottages were

built on the lots leased from Dyrekcja

Lasów Państwowych (Directorate of

State Forests) in the interwar period.

The outbreak of the war made it im-

possible to register Garbatka as a spa

resort. Currently, the holiday tradi-

tions of the settlement begin to re-

vive. A leisure centre with a bathing

beach is situated here.


59


OF JAN KOCHANOWSKI


• Warsaw – Kozienice – Czarnolas – Zwoleń

– Garbatka Letnisko: 120 km. Total length of the route: 240 km.

• Kozienice – 1,5 hour, Czarnolas – 1,5 hour, Zwoleń – 1 hour,

a stroll across the forest – 4 hours, Garbatka Letnisko – 1 hour.

Accommodation:

• Pensjonat, Ośrodek Rekreacyjny KCKRiS (KCKRiS Boarding House,

Recreation Centre), ul. Boh. Studzianek 30, Kozienice,

tel. (48) 614 67 26, 614 60 91

• Hotel Energetyk, ul. Warszawska 20, Kozienice, tel. (48) 614 32 11

• Hotel Leśny, Świerże Górne near a power plant, tel. (48) 614 10 64

• PTTK branch – information about accommodation, al. 1 Maja 5,

Kozienice, tel. (48) 614 26 94

• Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy “Polanka” (“Polanka” Leisure Centre),

Garbatka Letnisko, tel. (48) 621 02 37,

www.mojagarbatka.pl/sites/data/kwatery.html


Catering:

• Restauracja Jowita (Jowita Restaurant),

ul. Warszawska 20, Kozienice, tel. (48) 614 23 13

• Bar Pod Sosną, ul. Boh. Studzianek, Kozienice, tel. (48) 614 66 23

• Restauracja Brawo (Brawo Restaurant),

ul. Batalionów Chłopskich 45, Kozienice, tel. (48) 614 21 31

• Pizzeria Pizza Planet, ul. Warszawska 29/7, Kozienice,

tel. (48) 382 01 31

• Café Paradise, ul. Warszawska 36, Kozienice, tel.: contact

telephone in Jowita Restaurant (as above)

• Cafe Bar Mors, ul. Legionów 4, Kozienice, tel. (48) 611 72 22

• Restauracja Karczma U Chłopa (Karczma u Chłopa Restaurant),

ul. Kochanowskiego 4, Garbatka Letnisko, tel. (48) 621 00 58

• “Zajazd przy Gościńcu”, ul. Zwoleńska 17, Garbatka Letnisko,

tel. (48) 621 02 84

• Catering bar in “Polanka” Leisure Centre, Garbatka Letnisko

(as above)


60

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN THE LAND OF BLOOMING APPLE TREES

IN THE LAND OF BLOOMING APPLE TREES

WARKA – PETRYKOZY – LEWICZYN – MAŁA WIEŚ

W arka is situated about 40 km

to the south of Warsaw. It’s

easiest to get here driving route No.

79, towards Sandomierz, and then No.

731. In spring one travels among pic-

turesque blooming apple trees. This is

the largest fruit region in Europe.

We start our trip by visiting Warka.

The history of the town dates back

to the Middle Ages. As early as 1321

the Duke of Czersk and Mazovia Tro-

jden con* rmed the earlier granted

municipal rights. Warka owes its de-

velopment to its convenient location

over the Pilica River. The end of the

town’s development coincides with

the Swedish Deluge (1655). Indeed,

Stefan Czarnecki crushed the Swedes,

but Warka was completely destroyed.

The next period of its growth started

in the 19th century.

Today it is worth visiting the local

churches. The Baroque post-Francis-

can church dates back to the 17th cen-

tury. The ashes of the dukes of Mazovia

are located in the vaults. The building

of the former monastery was turned

into a vicarage and ats. The Baroque

Church under the Invocation of Saint

Nicolas, built in the 17th century, was

a witness to the turbulent history of

the town. Reconstructed several times,

it has lost its primary character. Inside

it’s worth noting the main altar, dat-

ing back to 1610, built in the late-Ren-

aissance style. The baptismal font and

the sandstone stoup from the 17th-18th

centuries are also interesting.

The classical town hall, built in

1821, is another interesting historical

structure.

The next stage of our trip shall

be the museum devoted to Kazimi-

erz Pułaski. It is situated in a manor

house in Winiary which was Pułaski’s

family house.

The exhibition presents the life of

Kazimierz Pułaski. It shows episodes

of the Confederacy of Bar, the gen-

eral’s life in America ending heroi-

cally during the Battle of Savannah,

as well as paintings by Chełmoński

and Brandt. The subsequent parts

of the exhibition have been devot-

ed to Polish-American relationships.

One of the rooms is connected with

the American experience of Tadeusz

Kościuszko whereas other present the

fate of Helena Modrzejewska, Hen-

ryk Sienkiewicz and other Poles who

spent some part of their lives on the

other side of the ocean.


61

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN THE LAND OF BLOOMING

APPLE TREES

Piotr Wysocki, one of the heroes

of the November night, was born

and lived in Warka. During the Jan-

uary Uprising, Colonel Władysław

Kononowicz’s partisan group fought

in the neighbourhood. The colonel,

caught by the Russians, was execut-

ed together with his adjutants on

the common land over the Pilica Riv-

er. A mound commemorates the he-

roic fight and death of the soldiers.

A functioning brewery links the

past and the present Warka. War-

ka beer was famous not only in Po-

land, but also far outside its borders.

One can often hear the story about

Pope Clement VIII, who lived in the

16th century and who as a papal nun-

cio in Poland was a great enthusiast

of the beer from Warka. When the

pope fell ill, he sighed: “Piva di Varka.”

Those gathered at his bed thought

that the Pope was mentioning the

name of some saint and started to

repeat: “Saint Piva of Varka – pray for

us.” When the pope heard that, he

started to laugh due to which the

ulcer causing the illness burst. The

Pope recovered.

Having done the sightseeing, it’s

time for a walk. The Warka surround-

ings and the whole poviat of Grójec

are a good place for walking tours

and canoeing. It’s worth paddling

a canoe along the river, starting the

trip in the riverside hostel in Warka.

The ravines near Stara Warka covered

with blackthorns and wild roses are

exceptionally picturesque. The Pilica

River, washing a steep embankment,

flows in meanders and lets us admire

the landscape of the nearby Puszcza

Kozienicka (Kozienice Forest).

A trip along the picturesque bank

of the Pilica River is an alternative for

those who don’t like using canoes.

From Warka it’s worth going to Pet-

rykozy. The famous actor Wojciech

Siemion created Wiejska Galeria Sztu-

ki (Rural Art Gallery) in a local manor

house.

Our next stop is Lewiczyn. Sank-

tuarium Matki Bożej Pocieszycielki

Strapionych (Sanctuary of Our Lady

Comforter of the Afflicted) with a mi-

raculous painting is situated here.

The church keeps “Księga cudów

i łask za przyczyną wizerunku Matki

Bożej w kościele w Lewiczynie uc-

zynionych” (“Book of Miracles and

Graces Made in the Church in Lewic-

zyn by the Image of Our Lady”) that

contains descriptions of miraculous

physical and mental recoveries. The

current temple was erected at the

beginning of the 17th century. The

sanctuary was so famous that Zyg-

munt Waza (Sigismund Vasa) himself

offered a monstrance for the church

and Jan III Sobieski (John III Sobieski)

handed over a decorative chasuble

from a vizier’s tent after the Battle

of Vienna; it was here that Tadeusz

Kościuszko, in 1794, worked out the

plans for defending the capital. The

18th-century image of Madonna was


62

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN THE LAND OF BLOOMING APPLE TREES

supposed to be – according to the

oldest tradition – one of 13 paint-

ings created by Luke the Evangelist

himself.

It’s also worth visiting Mała Wieś;

a palace complex, built in 1783-

1786, is situated there. The palace,

primarily built for the voivode Bazyli

Halicki, has changed its owner sev-

eral times. The hero from Samosier-

ra – Kozietulski – spent here the last

years of his life. Finally, after World

War II the owner of the structure be-

came Instytut Ziemniaka (Potato In-

stitute) and later on MSZ and URM.

Today the palace belongs to the

Chancellery of the Prime Minister.

Nevertheless, it is also open to ordi-

nary visitors.

If we are lucky, we will also have

a chance to travel by the former rail-

way. Wąskotorowa Grójecka Kolej

Dojazdowa (Grójec Local Narrow

Gauge Railway) was entered into the


63

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN THE LAND OF BLOOMING

APPLE TREES

register of historical monuments.

Tourists can travel along the follow-

ing route: Piaseczno – Grójec – Mała

Wieś – Mogielnica – Nowe Miasto.

The total length of the railway line

is 72 km.


• Warsaw – Warka – Petrykozy – Lewiczyn – Mała Wieś: 100 km.


• Visit to Warka – 2 hours, a stroll over the Pilica River – 3 hours,

Petrykozy – 1,5 hour, Lewiczyn – 1 hour, Mała Wieś – 1 hour.

Accommodation:

• Hotel Pułaski, ul. Warszawska 45, Warka, tel. (48) 667 24 21

• Zajazd na Winiarach (Roadhouse in Winiary), ul. Turystyczna 3, Warka,

tel. (48) 667 26 76, 667 50 43

• Pensjonat Sielanka (Sielanka Boarding House), ul. Łąkowa 1, Warka,

tel. (48) 666 16 00

• Pałac w Kociszewie, Centrum Konferencyjno-Dydaktyczne

z agroturystyką (Palace in Kociszew, Conference and Didactic Centre

with Agro-tourism), Kociszew near Grójec, www.kociszew.pl,

tel. (48) 664 23 29, 501 128 168

• “Biały Pałac Palczew”, Palczew – Parcela 19, near Warka,

tel. (48) 667 14 71, www.palacpalczew.pl,

Catering:

• Zajazd na Winiarach (Roadhouse in Winiary), Warka, (as above)

• Catering spot, ul. Polna 26, Warka, tel. (48) 667 38 40


64

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN A SMALL TOWN AND IN THE COUNTRY

IN A SMALL TOWN AND IN THE COUNTRY

BIEŻUŃ – SIERPC – DROBIN

B ieżuń and Sierpc are situated in

the north-western part of the

Mazowieckie Voivodeship. There are

a lot of forests and still not fully dis-

covered lakes. The area borders on

two voivodeships: Warmińsko-Maz-

urskie and Kujawsko-Pomorskie. It’s

worth coming here even to see two

unique museums.

From Warsaw to Bieżuń we drive

route No. 7 towards Gdańsk, then

route No. 10 to Bydgoszcz and fi-

nally route No. 561 to Żuromin. It’s

slightly over 100 km from the capital.

Bieżuń is a very old town. The earliest

mention of the town comes from an

incorporation act of 1406. For many

years it was private property. It be-

longed, among others, to the Great

Crown Chancellor Andrzej Zamoyski

who settled here in 1767. In 1776 the

Sejm entrusted Zamoyski with pre-

paring a code of judicial rights. He

worked on the code in Bieżuń. After

the second partition of Poland the

town belonged to, so-called, South-

ern Prussia. From that time it contin-

uously changed its owner and un-

derwent subsequent parcelling.

Today the main attraction is the local

museum. It is open for a very short peri-

od of time, on working days (except for

Mondays and post holiday days) from

10 am to 3 pm and on Saturdays and

Sundays from 11 am to 1 pm.

The museum is situated in a recon-

structed former hospital which was

funded by Konstancja Zamoyska at

the end of the 18th century. The mu-

seum displays exhibits showing the

life of a small town in the second half

of the 19th century. We start our visit

to the museum from a doctor’s sur-

gery. The authentic furniture comes

from Piotr Wincenty Głuszkiewicz’s

surgery. A couch and a gynaecolog-

ical chair from the interwar period

and a complete set of gynaecologi-

cal instruments attract our attention.

Interesting X-rays have been also pre-

served. Another noteworthy exhibit is

Antoni Wolski’s book of prescriptions

in which the doctor wrote down the

composition of drugs for particular ill-

nesses. Medical books can be found

in the library.

In another room we may see

a bedroom (from the turn of 1920s

and 1930s) with a set of furniture

and sanitary instruments. From the

bedroom we move to a living room-

drawing room.


65

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN A SMALL TOWN

AND IN THE COUNTRY

A very interesting exhibition

is located upstairs: “Bieżuń i jego

mieszkańcy w dawnych latach”

(“Bieżuń and Its Inhabitants in the

Past”). Old documents and photo-

graphs have been gathered here.

There are also souvenirs from na-

tional uprisings and all the fronts of

World War II. Before World War II the

Jews constituted 50% of the towns’

inhabitants. In the museum we may

see a Torah, candlesticks and other

Judaica. The museum staff presents

the exhibits in an interesting way,

vividly describing the old history of

the town and the history of some of

the exhibits.

Having left the museum, it’s worth

going to the old manor house.

A road running around the corner

of the museum building leads there.

A private owner started to redeco-

rate the manor house but the work

was stopped. We can still see the

marvellous mass of the palace, two

outbuildings and a park with moats.

Our second target – Muzeum Wsi

Mazowieckiej (Museum of the Ma-

zovian Countryside) – is located

right after Sierpc, at the route run-

ning towards Bydgoszcz. The drive

from Bieżuń will take us about half

an hour. We drive route No. 541

and then for a moment route No.

10 towards Bydgoszcz. The place

is well-marked, which is rare in Po-

land. The open-air museum covers

a large area. Whole homesteads as

well as particular buildings have

been transferred here. We can find

cottages belonging to the villag-

ers. Information boards acquaint


66


visitors with the material status of

the former owners, but it is easy to

distinguish between homesteads

belonging to rich hosts and those

belonging to poor villagers even

without reading them. In the open-

air museum there is also a former

school with a preserved teacher’s

flat. Unfortunately, we are not al-

lowed to enter the cottages. We ex-

plore their interior through plastic

doors. Next to the buildings we will

see fruit orchards, vegetable gar-

dens, flower gardens and farmland.

Animals are also bred here. Each

structure has it own carer who ea-

gerly talks about the old inhabit-

ants. Countryside complexes rep-

resent village types characteristic

for Mazovia, namely, a row village,

a hamlet and a roadside village.

The exhibitions organised in

the open-air museum change de-

pending on the season. In particu-


67

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN A SMALL TOWN

AND IN THE COUNTRY

lar months the interiors of the cot-

tages present everyday countryside

activities connected with the house

and the homestead: honey harvest-

ing and centrifuging, herb gather-

ing and drying, plaiting garlands for

the octave of Corpus Christi, Pen-

tecost, bread baking, and cottage

cheese production. Special exhibi-

tions are organised from Decem-

ber to February, when the Mazo-

via folk traditions connected with

Christmas customs are presented,

and from Palm Sunday till the end

of May, when ornaments and dec-

orations connected with Easter are

shown.

Various outdoor events take place

in the open-air museum. From May

1st till September 28th a cycle entitled

“Niedziela w skansenie” (“Sunday in

the Open-Air Museum”) is organised.

Within this cycle one can attend ex-

hibitions in 10 homesteads, listen to

a folk band, get acquainted with the

traditional folk craft and handicraft

(smithery, weaving, pottery, wat-

tling, embroidery and carving), take

a britzka cart or horse ride. Thematic

Sundays are also organised. The first

Sunday of August is harvest time.

Particular phases of traditional cere-

al processing are presented on this

day: scything, sheaving with a sick-

le, tying sheaves, taking into a barn,

threshing (with beaters or a petrol

engine thresher); one can also take

part in a bread sale or admire the

performances of folk bands from Po-

land and other countries.

In a separate part of the open-air

museum we may * nd the buildings in

which the movie “Ogniem i mieczem”

(“With Fire and Sword”) was shot.

On our way back we can take ad-

vantage of the spot prepared for

a bonfire, but it’s worth entering

the inn called Pohulanka. We can

choose between żurek (fermented

rye flour soup) and mushroom soup,

stuffed dumplings and an impressive

thick slice of bread with lard. We can

also take this delicious bread home.

A shop selling souvenirs and folk

art products is situated in the same

building as the inn.

Going back from the open-air

museum, it’s worth visiting Sierpc

itself. The town offers interesting

churches: a late-Gothic Benedictine

church, a Gothic parish church and

the Holy Ghost church. The trip to

Bieżuń and Sierpc can be combined

with a stay over a lake. Driving to-

wards Rypin from Sierpc we reach

the lake after several kilometres.

Also the route towards Bydgoszcz

will lead us to the lake.

In a parish church in Drobin –

a town we pass on our way to War-

saw – we will find beautiful grave-

stones of the Kryscy family, probably

made by the Italian sculptor Santi

Gucci.


68



• Warsaw – Bieżuń – Sierpc – Drobin: 150 km.


• Visit to Bieżuń – 1,5 hour, Sierpc – 1 hour,

open-air museum – 2 hours, Drobin – 1 hour.

Accommodation:

• Hotel Del* n, ul. Sucharskiego 2, Sierpc, tel. (24) 275 74 72

• Zajazd Maxim (Maxim Roadhouse), ul. Warszawska 1,

Borkowo Kościelne, gm. Sierpc, tel. (24) 275 63 95

• Motel U Wojciecha, ul. Sierpecka 3, Goleszyn, gm. Sierpc,

tel. (24) 276 11 28

• Zajazd “Kasztelan” (“Kasztelan” Roadhouse), Białasy 55, gm.

Szczutowo, at regional route No. 560, tel. (24) 275 61 63

• Zajazd Oaza (Oaza Roadhouse) J. M. Obczyńscy, Całownia 10 B,

Gójsk, gm. Szczutowo, at national route No. 10, tel. (24) 274 14 70

• Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy Mini-Relax (Mini-Relax Leisure Centre),

W. Gajowniczek, ul. Modrzewiowa 1, Słupia, gm. Szczutowo,

tel. 605 050 975

Catering:

• Restauracja Przystań (Przystań Restaurant), ul. Mławska 11,

ieżuń, tel. (23) 657 80 12

• Zajazd Kasztelan, Białasy, (as above)

• Zajazd Oaza, Całownia, (as above)


69

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMSTROLLING ABOUT

THE KAMPINOS FOREST

K ampinoski Park Narodowy

(Kampinos National Park), cre-

ated on January 16th, 1959, is located

just on the outskirts of the cosmo-

politan capital. It is the second big-

gest national park in Poland. Its mis-

sion is to protect complexes of inland

dunes, natural forest and marshy ar-

eas; the best preserved ones in Eu-

rope. Over three thousand species

of animals live in the territory of the

park. Among them elk, beaver, lynx,

lesser spotted eagles, black storks

and cranes. Numerous places of na-

tional remembrance from 1863, 1939

and 1944 are situated here. Puszcza

Kampinoska (Kampinos Forest) is lo-

cated to the north-west of Warsaw in

the Vistula River proglacial valley. The

landscape is dominated by dunes

and marshes. The area was shaped in

the postglacial period by water from

a melting glacier owing into the sea

through an 18-meter wide channel of

the Pravistula River. The sandy sand-

bars are today’s dunes, whereas the

old currents are today’s marshes. The

dunes are mainly covered by pine

forests whereas the marshes by al-

der and birch forests, lush grass and

meadows.

The animal world in the forest is

very rich. The park’s emblem depicts

an elk. Numerous anthills attract our

attention. In the marshy areas tourists

are tormented by mosquitoes, so you

should remember to take a repellent.

You should also watch your step in or-

der not to step on a viper.

We drive to Granica where we will

start our stroll across the forest trails.

From Warsaw we have to take route

No. 580 towards Sochaczew. Hav-

ing made about 40 km, we stop in

Kampinos in order to see a wooden

church. It is perfectly visible from the

route so no one should have any dif-

* culty in * nding it. It was built from

tight-ringed Kampinos pine trees in

1783. The facade resembles the brick

churches built in the Baroque-Classi-

cal style. A vicarage is on the opposite

side of the street. A huge historical oak

deserves attention. In the cemetery

we will * nd graves of insurgents from

1863 and soldiers from 1939. Next to

the church there is a Classical manor

house. In 1863 Zygmunt Padlewski’s

insurgent sta% worked here and dur-

ing the last war it served as the seat

of border guards because the bor-

der between the Reich and the Gen-

STROLLING ABOUT THE KAMPINOS FOREST

GRANICA – PUSZCZA KAMPINOSKA (KAMPINOS FOREST)


70

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMSTROLLING ABOUT THE KAMPINOS FOREST

eral-Government ran across Puszcza

Kampinoska (Kampinos Forest).

Having passed Kampinos, we

turn into Kampinoski Park Naro-

dowy (Kampinos National Park). We

reach a car park in Granica. The car

park is well-organised. There is a ca-

tering spot, a camping site, a play-

ground, a spot for making a bon-

fire, toilets and a kiosk selling tickets

and guides. There is also the possi-

bility to have a britzka ride through

the forest. The price is set on an in-

dividual basis. Next to the forest-

er’s lodge there is Muzeum Puszc-

zy Kampinoskiej (Museum of the

Kampinos Forest) which is one of

numerous structures in the territory

of Ośrodek Dydaktyczno-Muzealny

(Didactic and Museum Centre) – an

educational unit of Kampinoski Park

Narodowy (Kampinos National Park)

created in 1990.

The museum consists only of two

rooms, one of them showing the

plants that grow in the forest and

the second displaying the animal

world. Separate space is devoted

to historical events that took place

in the territory of the forest and ar-

ticles connected with these events,

mainly from the period of the Janu-

ary Uprising and World War II. Across

from the museum there is an open-

air exhibition presenting all the na-

tional parks in Poland. It’s worth re-

calling what parks exist in Poland.

In the neighbourhood one can see

an open-air museum presenting the

forest architecture – three historical

homesteads with thatched and shin-

gled cottages.

If we want to go for a longer walk,

we have to follow the yellow signs

for a while and then the blue and

green ones. We go past the “Granica”

strict protection area which was es-

tablished in 1936 and is considered

the oldest area of this kind in the

whole forest. It covers a part of the

southern dune stretch on the border

with the southern marshy stretch.

Pine forests with some oaks grow

here and in the marshy area we can

also come across hornbeams, dark

(black) birches and aspens. The un-

dergrowth is very lush and the for-

est floor varied. Species characteris-

tic for forests prevail. In the forest we

come across a grave of a soldier dat-

ing back to 1939. It reminds us of the

bloody events that happened in the

middle of September 1939 after the

Battle of Bzura when the Polish Army

withdrew to the east and the north

east. A part of the “Łódź” army un-

der General Thommée’s command

went through Puszcza Kampinoska

(Kampinos Forest) from Leszno and

Zaborów northwards – to Modlin. At

the same time Wielkopolska Bryg-

ada Kawalerii (Great Poland Caval-

ry Brigade) under General W. Abra-

ham’s command, together with the

remains of the “Poznań” army (Gener-

al W. Bortnowski) struggled – having


71


THE KAMPINOS FOREST

fought the Battle of Bzura – through

forests, sand and marshes eastwards

– to Warsaw. The enemy attacked

from the south north and ... the air.

The route runs along the edge of

the strict protection area. We reach

a former settlement called Narty;

today the walls of buildings are

equipped with plates with the in-

scription, Józefów; so one can think

that they have lost their way. We ar-

rive at a reserve established in 1940.

Currently, it is the “Nart” strict pro-

tection area. We can see here espe-

cially beautiful, lofty and straight

mast pines as well as oaks and horn-

beams. In May lilies of the valley give

o% a lovely scent and martagon lil-

ies add variety to the surroundings.

At the fork of the trails, we follow the

blue signs.

We reach the “Zamczysko” strict

protection area where we may see

a medieval settlement from the 13th


72


century. It’s worth coming closer to

see a high cylindrical hill surround-

ed by two stretches of embankments

and moats. We use wooden stairs to

reach the place where the settlement

used to be in the past. Today we can

only see the landscape changed by

the former moats. The settlement is

covered by over two hundred-year

old mixed forest. All the species of

trees and shrubs one could expect

to see in a forest can be found here.

A grave dating back to 1944 in which

the soldiers of the Home Army (AK)

are buried is located on the embank-

ment of the settlement.

During the occupation (1939-1944)

in the territory of Puszcza Kampinos-

ka (Kampinos Forest) numerous cen-

tres of the resistance movement were

created. Manoeuvres of the Warsaw

troops and cadet training took place

in the forest. Armed clashes hap-

pened quite often.

In the summer of 1944 the Home

Army (AK) troops of up to 1300 peo-

ple gathered in the eastern part of

Puszcza Kampinoska (Kampinos For-

est). With time their number exceed-

ed 2500 volunteers. Major “Szymon”

(Józef Krzyczkowski) took command.

On August 2nd a unit consisting of

about 1000 soldiers under his com-

mand was to take control of the air-

port in Bielany. The attack failed due

to the armament advantage of the

enemy. Later, the “Kampinos” troop

participated in insurgent * ghts in

Żoliborz, especially the bloody at-

tack on Dworzec Gdański (Gdańsk

Station). The remains of the troop

withdrew to the forests and con-

tinued the * ght near Sowia Wola,

Brzozówka, Pociecha, Sieraków and

Truskaw. The area between Wiersze,

Roztoka, Cybulice and Małocice be-

longed to the insurgents. This area,

free from the invader, started to be

called “Niepodległa Rzeczpospoli-

ta Kampinoska” (“Independent Re-

public of Kampinos”). At the end of

September, under pressure from nu-

merous enemy forces, the “Kampi-

nos” troop, led by Major “Okoń” (Al-

fons Kotowski) withdrew from Puszc-

za Kampinoska (Kampinos Forest) to


Mountains). A great majority of the

troop was broken up when crossing

the Błonie road and railway line in the

Battle of Jaktorów.

From the settlement we go to the

trail junction once again; this is the

same place we left in order to reach

Zamczysko. This time we follow the

red signs. The route leads through

marshy areas. After rain, one has to be

equipped with special shoes and in

spring and summer with a mosquito

repellent. A drier area is located near

Sosna Powstańców 1863 roku (Pine of

1863 Insurgents). It collapsed of old

age in 1984; not much is left of it, but it

is an important monument. It is situat-

ed in the outskirts of Górka. Tsarist sol-

diers used to hang survivors from the


73


THE KAMPINOS FOREST

insurgent troop which fought the Bat-

tle of Zaborów Leśny on this pine.

In the summer of 1863 Jarosław

Dąbrowski, imprisoned in Cytade-

la Warszawska (Warsaw Citadel), put

forward a plan to take control of the

fortress during Easter (according to

the old rite). The attack was to be

carried out by the insurgent troop

from Puszcza Kampinoska (Kampi-

nos Forest) under Walery Remiszews-

ki’s command. The insurgents came

right up to Warsaw, but the ene-

my – warned about the attack – in-

creased their vigilance, strengthened

their posts and Remiszewski was or-

dered to withdraw deep into the for-

est. The troop marched from Babice

through Lipków towards Truskaw to

the Zaborów forests. The tsarist army

followed in their footsteps. On April

24th near Gać Zaborowska (at present

Zaborów Leśny) a battle with the su-

perior strength enemy took place. 72

insurgents, including Walery Remisze-

wski, died in this battle. The bodies of

those who died in the battle were

buried in a common grave on top

of a dune, near a forester’s lodge (at

present “Zaborów Leśny” strict protec-

tion area). The remains of Remiszews-

ki’s troop were crushed in skirmishes

near Górka and Stara Dąbrowa. Survi-

vors wandered in the forest long af-

ter and when the Cossacks caught

them they were hung or shot with-

out trial. It was the pine in the out-

skirts of Górka that served as the gal-

lows. Graves kept appearing on the

roadside dunes and the locals buried

those who were killed in a cemetery

in Kampinos.

Next to the pine we can see crosses

and a shrine.There are also rain shel-

ters and benches. After a short break,

we go on our way.

At Sosna Powstańców (Pine of

1863 Insurgents) we change route

and this time follow the green signs –

at * rst walking along a road and then

a narrow path in the forest in order

to reach the road once again. Finally,

we reach the familiar “Nart” strict pro-

tection area.We continue walking the

route which is common for the green

and blue signs.Just before Granica we

change the route for the yellow one

and reach the car park.

If we decide to spend the night in

the forest, we may set off for another

trip from Granica the next day.

From the car park we turn left. On our

way we go past a military cemetery in

the shape of a stylized eagle consisting

of 800 graves of soldiers, including the

soldiers of 7. Pułk Strzelców Konnych

Wielkopolskich (the Seventh Mounted

Ri e Regiment of Great Poland) who

died on September 16th-17th, 1939.

The cemeteries in Babice, Borzęcin,

Kampinos, Kiełpin over the Vistula Riv-

er, Laski, Leszno, Pociecha, Wiersze, Wik-

torów and Zaborów conceal graves of

many thousands of soldiers who died

in the territory of Puszcza Kampinoska

(Kampinos Forest) during the Septem-


74


ber campaign, the occupation and the

Warsaw Uprising.

Beyond the cemetery the trails

go into two different directions;

we choose the one that goes west-

wards. At first two trails run togeth-

er: the blue one and the green one.

However, after several hundreds me-

tres they split. We follow the green

signs. At first it is also a walking path

and we can meet some more per-

sistent tourists, but after making

about 1 km it will empty. We go

towards the oak of insurgents. The

route leads through a mixed forest.

We can hear birds singing every-

where. We reach the oak on which

tsarist Cossacks used to hang the

participants of the January Upris-

ing. There is a residential building,

but no sign of a rain shelter men-

tioned in other guides.

Beyond the oak the route runs

on the edge of the forest. We see

a marvellous clearing covered with

clusters of solitary trees. These are

Bieliny Błota. It’s worth making a stop

for a while in order to admire the vast

space. The forests were cut down in

the second half of the 19th century.

After a short reflection we enter

the forest once again. It is proba-

bly the most beautiful section of the

route. The signs lead us through a di-

verse area, we go past some dunes.

Every now and then we have to de-

scend or ascend a hill. We reach our

target: Saint Theresa’s oak. The name

of the oak and the dune comes from

a shrine with the painting of Saint


75


THE KAMPINOS FOREST

Theresa that hangs on the tree. A rain

shelter and, unfortunately, a forest

track for cars and motorbikes can be

found here. After a short break we go

back the same way. The whole trip

lasts over three hours. The route is

12 km long.

Having arrived at the car park, we

can have a meal at the bar in order to

regenerate after the long march. The

food may not be elaborate, but after

such a walk even a French bread piz-

za, a pizza, French fries or a sausage

taste delicious.


• Warsaw – Kampinos: 50 km. Total length of the route: 100 km.

• Visit to the museum in Granica – 1 hour,

a stroll across the forest – 8 hours.

Accommodation:

• Kampinos, an agro-tourist farm, Krystyna Perkowska, ul. Dolna 8 a,

tel. (22) 725 02 64

• Kampinos, an agro-tourist farm, Halina & Jerzy Brzezińscy,

ul. Chopina 16, tel. (22) 725 03 73

• Other agro-tourist farms

Catering:

• Granica, a seasonal bar at the car park

• Bar Czyściec, ul. Chopina 17, Kampinos

• Kawiarnia Niebo (Niebo Cafe), ul. Chopina 11 a, Kampinos


76

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISM

SANCTUARIES, PALACES AND MANOR HOUSES

– SOCHACZEW SURROUNDINGS

PAPROTNIA – NIEPOKALANÓW – SZYMANÓW

– GUZÓW – SOCHACZEW – GIŻYCK

S anctuaries, palaces and manor

houses as well as old churches

and interesting museums await us in

the Sochaczew surroundings.

From Warsaw we take route No. 2

towards Poznań. Thus, unforgetta-

ble road experiences await us from

the very beginning. We make our

* rst stop in Paprotnia. We visit here

a former roadhouse and a black-

smith’s shop from the turn of the 19th

century. A restaurant is situated in the

building of the old blacksmith’s shop

and other buildings, including a mo-

tel with a swimming pool, stretch out

further.

In order to see Zajazd Napoleona

(Napoleon’s Roadhouse) we need to

pull o% the Poznań route and turn

onto the route that leads to Niepoka-

lanów. We continue travelling the

route in order to visit a Marian sanctu-

ary. There is also a museum devoted

to Saint Maximilian Kolbe. From the

road we can see a modernist church

that was * nished in 1954. Two mosa-

ics present the christening of Poland

and the martyrdom of Saint Maximil-

ian. Next to the church there is the

museum of Saint Maximilian Maria

Kolbe. It’s easy to get there because

there are signs everywhere showing

the way to particular buildings. Nu-

merous mementoes connected with

the Saint and depicting the history of

the monastery have been gathered

in the museum building. We will * nd

here many photographs and docu-

ments. It’s interesting to notice that

Saint Maximilian attached great signif-

icance to the press and publications.

Missionary mementoes of the monks

are gathered in a special room.

In the wooden chapel we can see

the cell where the saint used to live.

Its simplicity and modesty surprise us:

a metal bed, a bowl, a desk, a chair –

and that’s it.

In the territory of the sanctuary we

will * nd a bookshop selling the publi-

cations of the Franciscan Fathers; who

attach great signi* cance to the mass

media even nowadays. Telewizja Nie-

pokalanów (Niepokalanów Television)

is the best proof.

We continue driving the same

route and reach Szymanów. Sank-

tuarium Matki Boskiej Jazłowieckiej

SANCTUARIES, PALACES AND MANOR HOUSES – SOCHACZEW SURROUNDINGS


77

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMSANCTUARIES, PALACES AND MANOR HOUSES –

SOCHACZEW SURROUNDINGS

(Sanctuary of Our Lady of Jazłowiec)

can be found there. The Neo-Ren-

aissance palace and park, built in

1902 for Duke Konstanty Lubomir-

ski, belong to the Sisters of the Im-

maculate Conception. Even today

the nuns here run a girls’ school and

a boarding house. The co-founder of

the monastery – Mother Marcelina

Darowska – was declared blessed in

1996 by the Pope. The main seat of

the order was in Jazłowiec near Buc-

zacz, but the sisters had to escape

from there in 1945. They brought

with them the * gure of Our Lady of

Jazłowiec; which today can be found

in the main altar of the chapel added

to the palace. The outstandingly suc-

cessful combination of the old palace

with the modern chapel may surprise.

The interior strikes with a modernity

and at the same time an enormous

sense of style. A park and a trim gar-

den stretch around the buildings. Just

behind the wall, on the opposite side

of the street, we can see a Baroque

parish church built in 1667.

Our next target is Guzów. From

Szymanów we have to go towards

Bolimów and having reached route

No. 50 towards Żyrardów. Guzów vil-

lage is situated before Żyrardów. We


78

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMSANCTUARIES, PALACES AND MANOR HOUSES – SOCHACZEW SURROUNDINGS

can admire here an impressive palace

that resembles those over the Loire

River. It is not visible from the road be-

cause it is hidden behind a sugar fac-

tory. The * rst wooden manor house

was built here in 1599. In 1765 the

composer Michał Ogiński was born in

the local manor house. In 1797 the es-

tate was acquired by Feliks Łubieński,

the future minister of justice of the

Warsaw Duchy. In 1827 Łubieński es-

tablished a plant and in 1880 he had

the palace restructured according to

W. Hirschel’s design. The park was es-

tablished in 1894; at the same time

that the chapel was built. The present

shape of the palace dates back to

1895. Today only the chapel has been

reconstructed while the palace has

fallen into ruin.

We drive route No. 50 to Sochac-

zew where we can admire the ruins of

a castle and visit two museums.

Sochaczew is one of the oldest

towns of west Mazovia. It came into

existence as a trade settlement at

the junction of trade routes running

from the west to the east and from

the north to the south. The settle-

ment was an important forti* ed bas-

tion of Mazovia. In 1286 the attack of

the Lithuanian and Russian army was


79



repelled here. In 1377 Duke Siemow-

it III summoned a convention of the

dukes of Mazovia at the castle in So-

chaczew during which a new collec-

tion of laws for Mazovia was accepted

– the so-called “Statuty Mazowieckie”

(“Mazovia Statutes”) or “Statuty So-

chaczewskie” (“Sochaczew Statutes”).

In 1410 Sochaczew saw Jagiełło lead-

ing his army to Grunwald. The town

was in its heyday in the 15th and 16th

centuries. In 1563, 211 craftsmen

worked here. The town’s develop-

ment was hindered in the 17th cen-

tury, but its complete collapse coin-

cides with the Swedish Deluge. Till

the partitions it became a small trade

centre and a place where regional as-

semblies of nobility took place. That

is when the Jewish people started to

ood the town. The town and the cas-

tle were destroyed once again during

the Kościuszko Uprising (1794). Dur-

ing World War I, from December 1914

to July 1915, Sochaczew was a loca-

tion of * erce * ghting; the Russian-

German front line ran along the Bzu-

ra River and the Rawka River. In Sep-

tember 1939 it was the target of air

raids, and from September 13th to

September 16th saw * erce * ghting

again, a phase of the Battle of Bzura

taking place in the neighbourhood.

Having occupied the town, the Ger-

mans murdered all the Jews: one

forth of the inhabitants. The Home

Army (AK) “Skowronek” district head-

quarters, covering the whole poviat,

were based in Sochaczew. The sol-

diers fought in Puszcza Kampinoska

(Kampinos Forest) and in the Warsaw

Uprising.

In Muzeum Ziemi Sochaczewskiej

i Pola Bitwy nad Bzurą (Museum of

the Sochaczew Land and the Bzura

Battle* eld) we will * nd exhibits con-

nected with World War II, presented in

a permanent exhibition entitled “Pole

Bitwy 1939–1945” (“The Battle* eld

1939-1945”). We mainly see weap-

ons, equipment, uniforms and doc-

uments of the soldiers of the Polish

Army who fought over the Bzura Riv-

er in September 1939. There are also

documents and photographs show-

ing the history of Sochaczew and its

surroundings during the Nazi occu-

pation. In the courtyard we will * nd

an open-air museum presenting mili-

tary items and combat equipment of

the Polish Army. Temporary exhibi-

tions take place on the ground oor.

The museum is situated in the former

town hall.

Only the ruins of the castle which is

situated behind the park, on the op-

posite side of the street, have been

preserved. Erected in the times of

Duke Siemowit III in the 14th century

– in place of a former wooden settle-

ment – and destroyed during a raid

of the Lithuanian-Russian army, it was

the seat of the starostes of Sochaczew

since 1476. It was thoroughly recon-

structed before 1630 by the Staroste

Stanisław Radziejowski. Soon after it


80

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMSANCTUARIES, PALACES AND MANOR HOUSES – SOCHACZEW SURROUNDINGS

was destroyed by the Swedes. Re-

constructed in 1789-1790, it was de-

stroyed once again soon after dur-

ing the Kościuszko Uprising by the

Prussians. It has been deteriorating

since that time. The elements which

have been preserved are the walls of

the western elevation with window

openings, fragments of the south-

ern and eastern elevation and the re-

mains of partition walls. At the foot

of the castle hill, from the side of the

town, we will * nd an amphitheatre

with a bandstand.

The enthusiasts of narrow gauge

railway will surely spend a lot of time

in Muzeum Kolei Wąskotorowej (Mu-

seum of Narrow Gauge Railway). The

greatest collection of narrow gauge

vehicles in Poland, consisting of

more than one hundred steam en-

gines, locomotives, wagons and car-

riages is gathered here. The most in-

teresting exhibits are the so-called


81




• Warsaw – Paprotnia – Niepokalanów – Szymanów – Guzów

– Sochaczew: 75 km. Total length of the route: 150 km.

• Niepokalanów – 2 hours, Szymanów – 1 hour, Guzów – 1 hour,

Sochaczew (museums) – 3 hours,

a train trip to Tułowice – 5 hours.

Accommodation:

• Hotel Kuźnia Napoleońska, ul. Sochaczewska 5, Teresin near

Sochaczew, tel. (46) 861 52 71

• Dom Pielgrzyma (Pilgrim’s House), a monastery in Niepokalanów,

gm. Teresin, tel. (46) 861 37 01, 864 21 31

• Hotel Chopin, ul. Traugutta 21, Sochaczew, tel. (46) 862 59 99

• Internat Garnizonowy (Garrison Boarding House) – o% ers

accommodation, ul. Lotników 1, Sochaczew, tel. (46) 864 33 15

• Hotel Sonata, Chrzczany 34, Sochaczew, www.hotel.sonata.oit.pl,

tel. (46) 862 31 91, 861 96 23

Catering:

• Restaurant in Hotel Kuźnia Napoleońska (as above)

• Dom Pielgrzyma, a canteen, (as above)

• Restaurant in Hotel Chopin (as above)

• Restauracja Wiktoria (Wiktoria Restaurant), ul. Reymonta 16,


• Zajazd Jubilatka (Jubilatka Roadhouse), ul. O. Kolbego 38,

Paprotnia, gm. Teresin, tel. (46) 861 38 31

Piłsudski’s cart, a horse railway car-

riage, the “Warsaw” trolley, plat-

forms for transporting ammunition,

a military saloon car and the oldest

in Poland narrow gauge steam en-

gines dating back to 1882-1883. The

“Puszcza” train runs every Saturday

from June 7th to September 27th, ir-

respective of the weather and turn-

out. The event starts (at 9 am) from

visiting the museum, at 9:40 am the

train leaves for Wilcze Tułowskie,

where it arrives at 10:55 am. Until

12 am tourists have time for a walk

along the paths of Puszcza Kampi-

noska (Kampinos Forest). Then the

train leaves for Tułowice and reaches

the place after nine minutes. A bon-

fire lasts till 1:30 pm. The train leaves

Tułowice for Sochaczew at 1:34 pm

and arrives in Sochaczew at 2:40 pm.

There is a possibility to start the train

to order.

From Sochaczew we take route No.

577 towards Łąck and head for Giżyce.

We may see here a Gothic church dat-

ing back to 1440 and a palace from


The church was redecorated. An or-

phanage is situated in the palace.


82

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMCHOPIN’S MAZOVIA

CHOPIN’S MAZOVIA

ŻELAZOWA WOLA – BROCHÓW – SANNIKI

T hese places are connected with

Frederic Chopin’s childhood and

youth. It’s worth visiting them and sa-

vouring their atmosphere, which cor-

responds to the mood of the com-

poser’s music.

We start our trip from Żelazowa

Wola. To get there, we have to take

route No. 580 towards Sochaczew.

Muzeum Fryderyka Chopina (Freder-

ick Chopin Museum) is situated on the

outskirts of Sochaczew in Żelazowa

Wola. It is located in the former out-

building of the manor house belong-

ing to the Skarbkowie family, erected

at the beginning of the 19th century. It


83

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISM CHOPIN’S MAZOVIA

was here that on February 22nd, 1810

the famous composer was born. Luck-

ily, the outbuilding is the element of

the estate belonging to the Skarb-

kowie family that has been preserved.

Frederick’s father was a private tutor

of the count’s children. In Żelazowa

Wola he met his future wife Justyna

from the Krzyżanowscy family, a cous-

in of the Skarbkowie family. Chopin’s

family moved to Warsaw soon, but

the future composer used to spend

holidays in Żelazowa Wola. He visited

the village for the last time in 1830.

Four years later the Skarbkowie fam-

ily lost Żelazowa Wola. From that mo-

ment the estate changed its owner

many times. At the end of the 19th

century a social committee was es-

tablished in order to buy out the es-

tate from a private owner and open

a museum in its building. The out-

building was bought out in 1928. In

1930-1931 the destroyed building

was reconstructed and became the

seat of a museum.

There is not much to see in the

manor house. It consists of a few


84


rooms with rather poor furnishing. It

is only of sentimental and historical

signi* cance. We can see here stylish

furniture, copies of portraits depict-

ing the artist, facsimiles of scores and

documents. There are Polish, Russian,

German, French, English, Spanish and

Japanese inscriptions in all the rooms.

Chopin’s music makes the visit pleas-

ant. Chopin concerts, performed by

outstanding Polish and foreign pian-

ists, take place here.

The manor house is surrounded by

a nice park with rare species of trees

that were planted in 1933-1935. It is

very trim; a walk along the park av-

enues is pleasant, especially that we

can hear Chopin’s music resounding

from the speakers. Farther away birds

give their own concerts.

In a kiosk we can buy museum

guides, CDs and a guide to Ziemia So-

chaczewska (Sochaczew Land) and

a map of Warsaw’s surroundings. There

are also stands selling souvenirs, an ice-

cream shop, a bar and a restaurant.

Then we go to Brochów. At * rst we

have to struggle for a while because


85


* nding the correct way isn’t that easy.

Driving into Sochaczew, we need to

* nd route No. 705 running northwards

towards Śladów. In Brochów we may

see a very rare type of building – a for-

ti* ed church. It has three towers and

is surrounded by a wall with pentago-

nal bastions in the corners and embra-

sures. The Parish Church under the In-

vocation of Saint Roch and Saint John

the Baptist was built in 1551-1561 in

the Gothic-Renaissance style. It was

seriously damaged during World War I

and World War II. In 1806 Chopin’s par-

ents got married in this church and

on April 23rd, 1810 the composer was

baptized here.

Due to turbulent history, the his-

toric interior furnishings have not

been preserved. The only ornament

is the characteristic geometrical dec-

oration of the ceiling – with a motif

of a circle and a rectangle. There is

also a memorial plaque dedicated to

Chopin. In front of the church we will

notice a sculpture (from the 19th cen-

tury) of Saint Roch, the patron saint

of the temple.


86


It’s worth turning right behind

the church into a dirt road and then

left to the river in order to reach

the bridge across the Bzura River in

Witkowice. We can see the church

from the dirt road. In Witkowice we

will find a plate commemorating the

soldiers who died in the Battle of

Bzura in September 1939. A bicycle

trail runs among the meadows.

We will visit one more village con-

nected with Frederic Chopin – San-

niki – but * rst we will go to the Vis-

tula River. At * rst we take route No.

705 and head towards Tułowice and

then turn onto route No. 578 towards

Śladów, later the route leads us along

the river. Fauna nature reserves have

been established on this section

of the Vistula River: Kępa Rakow-

iecka, Kępa Antoninska and Wyspy

Zakrzewskie. The islands constitut-

ing the reserves are inhabited by

about 100 species of birds. You can

see here, among others, little ringed

plovers, terns (river terns, black terns

and common terns) and gulls (black-

headed gulls, common gulls and her-

ring gulls). It’s worth taking a pair of

binoculars and an ornithological at-

las. A walk along the embankment is

a great pleasure for a city dweller.

Our last target is Sanniki. We reach

the settlement driving route No. 575

through Iłów and Słubice. In San-

niki we can see the Frederic Cho-

pin palace and park complex with

a Neo-Classical palace, designed

by Władysław Marconi and built in

1910. Ośrodek Chopinowski (Cho-

pin Centre) is located in the palace

and concerts take place here. The


87



• Warsaw – Żelazowa Wola – Brochów – Sanniki: 85 km.


• Żelazowa Wola – 1, 5 hours, Brochów – 1 hour, Sanniki – 1 hour.

Accommodation:

• Hotel Chopin, ul. Traugutta 21, Sochaczew, tel. (46) 862 59 99

• Internat Garnizonowy (Garrison Boarding House) – o% ers

accommodation, ul. Lotników 1, Sochaczew, tel. (46) 864 33 15


Catering:

• Restauracja pod Wierzbami (Pod Wierzbami Restaurant),

Żelazowa Wola 14, gm. Sochaczew, tel. (46) 863 32 43

• Restaurant in Hotel Chopin (as above)

• Restauracja Wiktoria (Wiktoria Restaurant), ul. Reymonta 16,


interior was designed by the custo-

dian of the Warsaw Łazienki Park –

Marek Kwiatkowski. The collections

include souvenirs and publications

connected with Chopin. In order to

get inside you have to attend a con-

cert or call the Gmina Office in ad-

vance. The palace is surrounded by

a park of several hectares. In 1828,

the eighteen-year old Chopin spent

holidays in Sanniki with the Prusza-

kowie family – the then owners of

the estate. He composed here Ron-

do in C major. The young members

of the Pruszakowie family stayed in

touch with Chopin throughout their

lives.

Across from the palace we can see

a 19th century Church under the In-

vocation of the Holy Trinity. We end

our trip in Sanniki. The return to War-

saw lasts a bit more than an hour. It’s

best to return through Sochaczew

and then to take route No. 2.


88

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMOVER THE LIWIEC RIVER

OVER THE LIWIEC RIVER

SUCHA – WYSZKÓW – LIW

– WĘGRÓW – STARAWIEŚ

A beautiful green area stretches

to the east of Warsaw. We drive

together with TIR lorries route No. 2

towards Terespol and then route No.

697 towards Liw and turn right in

Grębkowo. We will visit an open-air

museum in Sucha. Its owner – Pro-

fessor Marek Kwiatkowski – has gath-

ered here historical wooden build-

ings. Reconstruction work of particu-

lar buildings is in progress. The * rst to

regain its former glory was the large

larch manor house of the Cieszkows-

cy family, erected in Sucha in 1743.

It is a Baroque one-storey building

with corner annexes from the side

of the entrance. In 1787 the manor

house hosted Stanisław August Po-

niatowski himself and in 1814 the

famous philosopher August Ciesz-

kowski was born here. The structure

has been completely renovated. In-

side we will see various Biedermeier

and eclectic furniture from the 19th

century, paintings and knick-knacks

from the epoch, evoking the atmos-

phere of a Polish gentry’s manor

house. A beautiful Dutch stove at-

tracts attention. There are two more

manor houses in the open air muse-

um. One of them, almost entirely ren-

ovated, can function as a conference

centre while the second one – of

a town-type, transferred from Siedlce

– requires renovation. Apart from the

manor houses, the open-air museum

presents also country cottages, an or-

ganist’s house, a vicarage, a mill and

an inn. We can look into the build-

ings through their windows. Old ob-

jects have been gathered inside.

It’s hard to get to the open-air mu-

seum in Sucha because there is no

signpost, but its buildings can be no-

ticed from the road.

Next we go to Wyszków over the

Liwiec River where the Parish Church

under the Invocation of the Exalta-

tion of the Cross, funded in 1788 by

a former owner of the town Aleksand-

er Maciej Ossolińki, the Great Sword-

Bearer of Lithuania, is situated. It is

a late-Baroque church. On its facade

you will notice a foundation plaque

and the emblem of the Ossolińscy

family – a battleaxe. The church was

built in such a way that it closes the

space. The interior was created in the

Baroque-Classical style. Brick roadside

shrines with the * gures of saints dat-

ing back to the 18th century are also

interesting.


89

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISM OVER THE LIWIEC RIVER

From Wyszków we go to Liw. It’s

hard to believe today that it used to be

the capital of the land of Liw. The old-

est mentions of Liw date back to 1279

and concern the Yotvingian attack on

the castle of Liw. Archaeological re-

search has shown that the former set-

tlement was located 5 km up the Liw-

iec River in the current Grodzisk. The

construction of the castle was started

– before 1429 – by Niklos on the ini-

tiative of the Mazovia duke Janusz I

Starszy (Janusz I the Elder). It was built

on an arti* cial island, among marshes

and the Liwiec River broads, on the

then border of the duchy. Since 1526

the castle belonged to Anna Mazow-

iecka, the last representative of the

Piast dynasty ruling Mazovia. She or-

dered the construction of the gate

tower and added height to the for-

ti* cations. Further development was

managed by Queen Bona who ruled

from 1536. The Swedish army de-

stroyed the building. The castle is not

visible from the road and the signpost

showing the way to it is placed right

at the turn so it can be noticed only

once you are already passed. Be care-

ful and turn into a dirt road. The castle

is in front of us. Only the gate tower,

basements and fragments of the for-


90



91


ti* cations have been left of this for-

ti* ed building (built in the 15th cen-

tury). It looks quite unusual because

the staroste of Liw Tadeusz Grabianka

added in 1782 to the ruins a Baroque

dwelling house which burnt down

around 1850. It was reconstructed in

1942-1944 by the invaders. E. Gram-

ss, a German staroste of the Sokołów

and Węgrów poviat, wanted to take

the ruins of the castle to pieces in or-

der to obtain brick necessary to build

the death camp in Treblinka. Otto

Warpechowski prevented it from hap-

pening by convincing the staroste of

the Teutonic origin of the castle and

in this way contributed to the recon-

struction work.

A museum-armoury is located

inside the castle. Its collections in-

clude Sarmatian portraits from the

17th and 18th centuries, military items

from the 15th-20th centuries and

paintings of battle scenes. The col-

lection of arms includes such exhib-

its as: firearms, pole arms and cold

steel; apart from that, a collection of

105 bayonets.

Knight’s tournaments taking place

in front of the castle have been pop-

ular recently. If we make it through

to midnight, we will see Żółta Dama

(Yellow Lady). It is a ghost of Ludwi-

ka Kuczyńska, unjustly accused of in-

fidelity and beheaded.

Visiting the castle, it’s worth going

to the nearby Liwiec River. It mean-

ders among the meadows. The only

surprising thing is the fact that the

pastures have wire fences.

There is four kilometres from Liw

to Węgrów. Węgrów was granted

municipal rights in 1441 by the duke

of Mazovia Bolesław IV (Boleslaus IV).

In 1444-1569 the town was situated

within the borders of Lithuania, after

1569 it was included into the Crown.

In 1593 the Radziwiłłowie family of

the Trąba clan included it into its es-

tate. Duke Bogusław, famous from

Henryk Sienkiewicz’s “Potop” (“The

Deluge”), developed here the weav-

ing industry by bringing clothiers

from Scotland. During the Swedish

attack the town was plundered and

burnt. In 1664 Węgrów was passed

into the hands of the Krasińscy fam-

ily. Later, it changed its owners many

times. On February 3rd, 1863 one of

the greatest battles of the January

Uprising was fought here.

We reach the Market Square. The

Baroque Basilica Minor under the In-

vocation of the Assumption of the

Blessed Virgin May and Saint Pe-

ter and Paul is located at the Market

Square. The temple was restructured

at the beginning of the 18th century,

probably according to the design by

Tylman from Gameren. Two Gothic

towers from the former church were

fully incorporated. Inside we will * nd

interesting murals by the Italian paint-

er Michelangelo Palloni.

If the Basilica is closed, it’s worth

going to the parish priest because


92


while the murals can be admired

through the glass doors, the fa-

mous Twardowski’s mirror and Sar-

matian portraits can be seen only

in the sacristy. According to legend,

the owner of the mirror was the wiz-

ard Twardowski himself. The magi-

cian conjured the * gure of Barbara

Radziwiłłówna in the mirror for Zyg-

munt August (Sigismund-Augustus)

and Napoleon Bonaparte saw his de-

feat in Moscow in it.

In Węgrów you can also visit a brick

post-Reformation church from 1693-

1715. It is a late-Baroque structure

built by Carlo Ceroni’s team. Inside

there are also Michelangelo Palloni’s

murals. The interior décor comes from

the 18th century. The temple is situat-

ed at ul. Kościuszki that diverges from

the Market Square.

We head for Starawieś. The set-

tlement has had different names: in

1473 – Jakimowicze and in the 18th

century – Krasny Dwór. It belonged

to the Radziwiłłowie, Krasińscy,

Świdzińscy, Ossolińscy and Jezierscy

families. In 1840 it was given to the

Russian Duke Sergiusz Golicyn to-

gether with the hand of Maria Jez-

ierska. In 1879 it became the proper-

ty of the Krasińscy family once again.

In 1912-1944 the estate belonged to

the Radziwiłłowie family.

The palace is located in the cen-

tre of the village. At first it was in the

Baroque style, surrounded by bas-

tion fortifications. Duke Golicyn had

it restructured in the English Neo-

Gothic style. The English-style park,

with an irregular layout of avenues,

romantic bridges, channels and two


93



• Warsaw – Sucha – Wyszków – Liw – Węgrów – Starawieś: 110 km.


• Open-air museum in Sucha – 1,5 hour, Wyszków – 1 hour,

Liw – 1 hour, Węgrów – 1,5 hour, Starawieś – 1 hour

Accommodation:

• Camping, ul. Żeromskiego 22, Węgrów, tel. (25) 792 26 68

• Hotel Krasnodębski, ul. Gdańska 80 in Węgrów, tel. (25) 792 27 27

• Internat Zespołu Szkół Ponadgimnazjalnych (Boarding House of

the Upper-Secondary School Complex) – seasonal,

ul. Bohaterów Warszawy 18, Węgrów, tel. (25) 792 44 24


Catering:

• Restaurant in Hotel Krasnodębski, Węgrów, (as above)

• Restauracja Kameralna (Kameralna Restaurant),

ul. Rzemieślnicza 1, Węgrów, tel. (25) 792 53 95

• Restaurant bar, ul. Mickiewicza 4, Węgrów, tel. (25) 792 02 02

• Pizzeria Zosia, ul. Rynkowa 4, Węgrów, tel. (25) 792 54 84

• Restauracja Liwia (Liwia Restaurant), ul. Nowomiejska 48, Liw,

tel. (25) 792 57 32

ponds also comes from this period.

Currently, it belongs to the National

Bank of Poland (NBP). Unfortunate-

ly, both the palace and the garden

can be seen only from behind the

fence.


94

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMRADOM RAMBLES

I łża is one of the oldest and the

most picturesque towns in Po-

land. It is situated in the valley of

the Iłżanka River, on the border of


Mountains) and Nizina Mazowiecka

(Mazovia Lowland). From Warsaw we

drive route No. 7 to Radom and then

route No. 9 towards Rzeszów.

The beginnings of colonization in

this area date back to the 11th centu-

ry BC. On the right bank of the Iłżanka

River remains of early medieval and

medieval settlements have been dis-

covered. A wooden and ground for-

ti* ed structure existed here in the

11th century. A settlement developed

around this structure and was grant-

ed municipal rights as Iłża in the * rst

half of the 13th century. This old town

was completely destroyed during

raids or gradually fell into ruin.

From the beginning of the 14th

century di% erent documents use the

name Iłża for a new settlement on

the left bank of the river. It had a rec-

tangular market square. The Parish

Church under the Invocation of the

Blessed Virgin Mary was located in

the north-western corner. The streets

ran perpendicularly to the market

square. The whole structure was sur-

rounded in the 1370s by town forti-

* cations with four gates. The town

walls were linked with the castle for-

ti* cations. The administrative centre

of Episcopal property was located in

the castle.

In the 14th and 15th centuries Iłża

continued its metallurgical traditions.

A blacksmith’s shop started to oper-

ate here after 1333. Several mills oper-

ated in the town, two annual fairs and

one weekly market were organized.

Pottery developed in the 16th centu-

ry. Iłża was also famous for brewing

quality beer.

In the 17th century – after the Swed-

ish Deluge – the collapse of the town

started. After a year of occupation,

the Swedes almost completely de-

stroyed it when retreating. The march

of subsequent armies and a plague

completed the task.

During the November Uprising, in

August 1831, a Polish-Russian battle

took place on the market square in

Iłża. The Polish army was successful,

but the town was destroyed. Fighting

in the market square also took place

during the January Uprising. Iłża was

deprived of municipal rights by the

tsarist authorities. It regained them

in 1926.

RADOM RAMBLES

IŁŻA – RADOM


95

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISM RADOM RAMBLES


96



97


We start our visit from the west-

ern castle tower. It is situated behind

the market square, near the route to

Rzeszów. We need to turn onto a dirt

road and stop at a car park near the

tower.

The castle is claimed to have been

built by the bishop of Cracow Jan Grot

c. 1340 in place of a former wooden

structure. The castle is triangular in

plan and has rounded corners. It was

of highly defensive function and until

the beginning of the 16th century its

walls were not linked with the town

forti* cations. It was developed twice:

in the third quarter of the 14th century

by Bishop Florian from Morsk and c.

1520 by Bishop Jan Konarski.

Circa 1560 Bishop Filip Padniews-

ki started to convert the castle into

a Renaissance forti* ed structure. After

the Swedish wars, the fortress was re-

constructed by Bishop Andrzej Trze-

bnicki. At the beginning of the 19th

century the Austrians established

a hospital here for a short period of

time and several years later the pre-

served fragments of the castle were

burnt out. Since that time the remains

of the structure have been a source of

building stone.

From the car park we move up-

wards. After several minutes we

reach a vast meadow. We have a walk

along a dirt road. We have a superb

view of the surroundings; we can see


Mountains). Now we go back and ap-

proach the ruins. We can ascend the

preserved tower. It’s worth making

the e% ort because from the tower

we can see the whole of Iłża together

with its surroundings.

Iłża has a historical town plan in

its oldest part which is most visible

in the market square surroundings.

A medieval town keep that functions

as a tower bell at the parish church

has survived until today.

The current church comes from the

middle of the 17th century. Inside it’s

worth paying attention to the stucco

ornaments and early-Baroque altar

from 1629. The marble side altar was

transferred from the Wawel cathedral.

The epitaphs date back to the 16th-18th

centuries.

Muzeum Regionalne (Regional

Museum) is in the historical building

of the former poorhouse – the Holy

Ghost Hospital (1754). A foundation

plaque with the Junosza emblem

(of Bishop Andrzej Kałuski) can be

seen at the entrance. The museum

has a rich collection of folk ceram-

ics. They are presented in a perma-

nent exhibition. The museum is one

of the organizers of the folk event

entitled Noc Kupały (Kupała Night).

A folk feast takes place then. Dur-

ing the feast, guests (ethnographers,

folk artists) talk about the Midsum-

mer Night’s traditions. There is also

a contest for the most beautiful gar-

land, performances of folk bands,

a bonfire and garland throwing.


98


From Iłża we take the same route

(No. 9) to Radom. In Radom we drive

according to the signposts indicating

the city centre.

The Slavic tribes came here at the

turn of the 8th century. However, the

city ourished only in the times of Kaz-

imierz Wielki (Casimir the Great). It was

then that the Church under the Invoca-

tion of Saint John the Baptist, the castle

– the seat of kings and starostes – and

the town hall were built. The town was

surrounded by forti* cations, a moat

and possessed a market square.

Radom is the place where in 1401

the declaration about the uni* cation

of Poland and Lithuania was adopted.

It was here that Czech emissaries of-

fered the crown to the older son of

King Kazimierz Jagiellończyk (Casimir

Jagiellon) – Władysław (Ladislaus). In

1489 the Grand Master of the Teuton-

ic Knights Johann von Tie% en paid

homage to the Polish king. In turn

in 1505 the constitution of the Ra-

dom sejm (nihil novi) and Statut Łaski

(Łaski Statute) were adopted here.

The Crown Treasury Tribunal debated

in Radom from 1613 to 1763.

The city was destroyed during the

Swedish Deluge. The Radom cas-

tle burnt down at that time. During

the annexation period the church

and the Bernadine monastery, where

councils of war and patriotic mani-

festations took place, were a very im-

portant conspiracy centre. At last, the

monastery was dissolved.

In the middle of the 19th century

Radom started to become an indus-

trial and commercial centre. Tanning,

food and the mineral industry our-

ished. Radom continued to develop

after World War I. It belonged to Cen-

tralny Okręg Przemysłowy (Central In-

dustrial District). In the latest history

of Poland Radom is famous for the

events of 1976.

In the valley of the Mleczna River we

will * nd the Piętrówka settlement – the

remains of a forti* ed settlement dat-

ing back to the second half of the 10th

century. It was surrounded by a moat

and most probably by a double ring of

wooden and ground forti* cations. Cur-

rently, the hill has a circumference of

135 meters around its base and rises up

about eight meters over the valley.

The oldest architectural monu-

ment in Radom is the Church of Saint

Wenceslaus which was funded by

Duke Leszek Biały (Leszek the White)

in 1216. After numerous alternations

it has been reconstructed recently. At

the rear of Muzeum im. Jacka Malcze-

wskiego (Jacek Malczewski Museum)

we may admire the remains of one of

the gates together with a fragment

of forti* cations from the times of

Kazimierz Wielki (Casimir the Great).

A vicarage of the Parish under the In-

vocation of Saint John the Baptist is

situated in the rooms of the former

royal castle. The thing that deserves

attention in the church is the Koch-

anowscy family chapel dating back


99


to the beginnings of the 17th centu-

ry, the painting “Ukrzyżowanie” (“Cru-

ci* xion”) from c. 1600, the baptismal

font from the 15th century and in the

nearby cemetery – the sculpture of St.

John Nepomucen.

Two Baroque stone houses attract

our attention in the Market Square:

Dom Gąski (Gąska’s House) and Dom

Esterki (Esterka’s House) – today the

seat of Muzeum Sztuki Współczesnej

(Museum of Contemporary Art). In the

Neo-Renaissance town hall designed

by H. Marconi, Archiwum Państwowe

(State Archive) is housed. On the op-

posite side of the market square – in

the 17th century former college of Pi-

arists and John Kanty’s Church – we

will * nd Muzeum im. Jacka Malcze-

wskiego (Jacek Malczewski Museum).

Apart from Malczewski’s paintings, it

presents archaeological and histori-

cal monuments from the territory of

Radom.

To the west of the Market Square

there is the church and monastery of

the Bernardine Fathers (Friars Minor

of the Observance). This late-Gothic

complex of buildings was erected in


It was developed in the 16th century.

In the Church under the Invocation

of Saint Catherine we can see carved

Passion scenes. Also co> n portraits,


100


epitaphs and gravestones from the

18th century attract our attention. At

the junction of ul. Malczewskiego

and ul. Reja there is a former Benedic-

tine monastery and church erected in

1619-1627. The historical stone hous-

es at ul. Żeromskiego dating back to

the 19th century are also worth men-

tioning. Many of them are decorated

with polychromes that were creat-

ed at the end of the 19th century or

at the beginning of the 20th century.

A great majority of paintings have the

form of mouldings and are situated

on the ceilings of stairwells. Usually,

they present an opening to heaven-

ly space.

The garrison church at Plac Kon-

stytucji 3 Maja (Constitution of May 3

Square) is a former converted Eastern

Orthodox Church dating back to 1902.

It’s also worth going to the

T. Kościuszko’s park. It is a natural fea-

ture of historic importance. You can

see here trees and shrubs from all over

the world. The Neo-Gothic cathedral

was built at the turn of the 19th cen-

tury.

In the suburbs, at the exit towards

Kielce, there is Muzeum Wsi Radom-

skiej (Museum of the Radom Coun-

tryside). It has a collection of build-

ings and rural homestead furnishings

typical for the region. Manor build-

ings, a church and rural homesteads

whose owners were of di% erent * nan-

cial status can be visited. A special ex-

hibition presents the process of creat-

ing the open-air museum. The hosts

of particular homesteads know many

interesting stories. They present the

stories of the true former inhabitants.


101



• Warsaw – Radom – Iłża: 120 km. Total length of the route: 240 km.

• Iłża – 1, 5 hour, Radom – 3 hours, Muzeum Wsi Radomskiej

(Museum of the Radom Countryside) – 1, 5 hour.

Accommodation:

• Hotel Gromada, ul. Bulwarowa 15, Radom, tel. (48) 330 85 86

• Hotel Gromada, ul. Narutowicza 9, Radom, tel. (48) 368 91 00

• Hotel Gryf, ul. Puławska 8, Radom, tel. (48) 365 54 05

• Hotel Asystencki Politechniki Radomskiej (University Junior Sta%

Hotel of the Technical University of Radom), ul. Akademicka 5,

Radom, tel. (48) 361 72 48

• Hotel OCSM, ul. Kraszewskiego 1/7, Radom,

tel. (48) 369 95 90, 369 95 95

• Hotel Glass, ul. Prażmowskiego 17, Radom, tel. (48) 340 25 85

• Hotel Iskra, ul. Planty 4, Radom, tel. (48) 363 87 45

• Hotel Kameralny, ul. Dobra 5, Radom, tel. (48) 330 80 45

• Hotel Poniatowski, ul. Poniatowskiego 4, Radom, tel. (48) 384 01 91

• Hotel Ustronie, ul. Jodłowa 3/11, Radom, tel. (48) 360 35 34

• Hotel Europejski, ul. Słowackiego 11, Radom,

www.hoteleuropejski.radom.pl, tel. (48) 340 00 21

• Hotel “Wsola”, ul. Warszawska 3, Wsola near Radom, gm. Jedlińsk,

tel. (48) 381 11 30

• Hotel Pod Różami, ul. Radomska 49, Jedlnia Letnisko,

www.pod-rozami.com.pl, tel. (48) 322 22 72, 501 044 752,

501 044 750

• Zajazd pod Lipami (Pod Lipami Roadhouse), Jedlnia Letnisko 5,

Antoniówka, tel. (48) 344 17 27

• Ośrodek Szkoleniowo-Wypoczynkowy (Training and Leisure Centre),

ul. Nadrzeczna 4, Jedlnia Letnisko, tel. (48) 322 11 86

• MOSiR cabins, ul. Orła Białego 3, Iłża, tel. (48) 616 23 40

• Motel Kajpaz at the petrol station of Ra* neria Gdańska,

ul. Radomska 1, Skaryszew, www.kajpaz.pl, tel. (48) 365 58 12

• Hotel TM, ul. Focha 12, Radom, tel. (48) 363 27 08

• Agro-tourist accommodation

Catering:

• Frascati Italian restaurant, ul. Mieszka I 1/7, Radom, tel. (48) 333 17 78

• Restauracja TM (TM Restaurant), ul. Focha 12, Radom,

tel. (48) 362 62 66

• Restauracja Balaton (Balaton Restaurant), ul. Focha 5, Radom,

tel. (48) 362 32 70

• Restauracja Donatello (Donatello Restaurant), ul. Moniuszki 24,

Radom, tel. (48) 340 03 05

• Pizzeria Venezia, ul. B. Chrobrego 42, Radom, tel. (48) 360 10 40

• Zajazd pod Lipami (Pod Lipami Roadhouse), Antoniówka, (as above)

• Restaurant in Hotel Pod Różami, Jedlnia Letnisko, (as above)

• Restauracja “Jubilatka” (“Jubilatka” Restaurant), ul. Słowackiego 3,

Skaryszew, tel. (48) 610 30 99

• Motel Kajpaz, Skaryszew, (as above)


102

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN PUŁTUSK OVER THE NAREW RIVER

IN PUŁTUSK OVER THE NAREW RIVER

PUŁTUSK

P ułtusk is a lovely town, full of

tradition and history and situ-

ated in a picturesque area. For many

centuries it was famous for educa-

tion. It educated research personnel

for the northern and eastern Poland.

Also today numerous schools, includ-

ing Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczna

(Pułtusk School of Humanities) are

based here. It gives the town a spe-

ci* c atmosphere.

In order to get to Pułtusk from War-

saw we take route No. 61 towards Au-

gustów and Suwałki. Having travelled

about 60 km, we reach our destination.

The route, though uncomfortable due

to heavy tra> c on a narrow road, runs

along Zalew Zagrzyński (Zegrzyński

Lake) and the Narew River bank due to

which it is exceptionally picturesque.

We are surprised to see so many hills

not far from Warsaw.

In order to get to the centre of

Pułtusk, we have to follow the sign-

posts indicating the way to the cas-

tle. This way we reach the market

square. We are amazed by its length

– circa 400 metres. The local guides

claim that we are in the longest mar-

ket square in Europe. We can park

our car behind the old town hall

tower. It will be safe here because

a police station is on the opposite

side of the street.

On a small hill, from the southern

side of the market square, we will

notice the castle, the town hall tow-

er with a museum in the middle and

a spectacular collegiate church clos-

ing the space on the other side. It’s

best to start from the museum. Head-

ing towards the tower, you need to

have comfortable shoes enabling you

to climb seven storeys of steep and

narrowing stairs.

On the upper storeys we can ad-

mire the impressive archaeological

excavations. All exhibits come from

Pułtusk. Photographs depicting the

archaeological excavation sites have

been displayed next to them. The ex-

hibits are in good condition due to

the humidity. A lake is situated four

metres under the surface of the mar-

ket square. Archaeologists have dug

through several layers of objects. They

include ceramics, wooden bowls and

other objects of daily use. The leather

poulaine boots attract particular at-

tention. The objects gathered in this

part of the museum come from the

13th-17th centuries.


103

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMIN PUŁTUSK OVER

THE NAREW RIVER

Climbing the upper storeys of the

tower is a considerable experience it-

self. It’s worth looking for the fantas-

tic wooden beams on the ceiling and

superb view from the small windows.

On the top storey you can admire the

surroundings through a telescope.

The tower was the seat of the town

authorities and was built around 1405.

Its founder was Bishop James from

Korzkiew, called Kurdwanowski. Apart

from administrative and judicial func-

tions, the tower also had a defensive

function. It was gradually made high-

er in the 15th and 16th centuries and

a new, more spacious and function-

al building was added on the east-

ern side. During the Swedish Deluge

and in the 18th century the town hall

was destroyed by * res. Then the build-

ing fell into ruin. The * re brigade were

housed in the building from 1880 to


104



105


THE NAREW RIVER


106


the beginning of the 20th century,

when it was dismantled. Luckily, the

tower was left untouched. Muzeum

Regionalne (Regional Museum) was

opened in the tower in 1964.

Having left the museum, we head

towards the castle. We go past Saint

Mary Magdalene’s Chapel. Archae-

ological research has shown that

a cemetery, primarily accompanied

by a wooden and later brick Renais-

sance temple, was situated here from

the 13th century to the 17th century.

The current church was funded by

Bishop Andrzej Krzycki, one of the

most outstanding diplomats connect-

ed with the court of Zygmunt Stary

(Sigismund the Elder). During World

War II the Germans used the church

as an ammunition, weaponry and mil-

itary items depot. During the * ghting

for the town (at the turn of 1944 and

1945) it was so seriously damaged that

it had to be reconstructed almost from

scratch. A gallery of temporary exhibi-

tions of Muzeum Regionalne (Region-

al Museum) was located here until the

beginning of the 1990s. Currently, it is

a sacred place.

Then we go for a walk along the

ood banks. The Narew River broads

look beautiful from here. We can see

the course of the river. On our way back

we go down to the river bank. There is

a beach here in summer. Anglers stand

patiently along the river bank.

The castle is located on an arti* -

cial hill. In the 12th and 13th century

a forti* ed settlement, or rather sev-

eral settlements established in the

same place after successive damage,

were situated here. The discovery of

rich relics (during the archaeologi-

cal research carried out in 1976-1985)

caused a sensation.

The oldest building was erected on

the hill from brick in the middle of the

15th century by Bishop Paweł Giżycki.

It was a rectangular dwelling house

and a tower. Bishop Andrzej Krzycki

furnished it in the spirit of the Ren-

aissance. During the Swedish Deluge

the castle was heavily damaged and

there was no possibility to rebuild it

for many years. Reconstruction work

went on till the 18th century. In 1812

the Napoleon authorities took over

the building and organised a hospital

in its interior. Even though it did not

su% er damage during World War I, it

was destroyed in 1919 by a * re caused

by careless roofers. In the interwar pe-

riod the reconstructed building was

the seat of numerous o> ces. After

the last war, since 1975, it has been

the seat of poviat authorities. Today

Dom Polonii (Polonia House) is locat-

ed here.

The castle is surrounded by a nice

park, tennis courts can be seen in the

distance. The park includes a chil-

dren’s playground, boat rental, a tav-

ern and stables. There is also a special

barbeque spot. In a small shop one

can buy regional souvenirs and maps

of the surrounding area.


107


THE NAREW RIVER

We head for the beautiful collegiate

church. It stands on the opposite side

of the square. It can be noticed that

di% erent architectural styles overlap

one another. The most distinct is the

in uence of the Renaissance and Ba-

roque styles.

The temple of a collegiate church

rank was established by Bishop Paweł

Giżycki. The construction work ended

in 1443. Bishop Andrzej Noskowski

built a sepulchral chapel on the ex-

tension of the southern side nave.

We can see its striking resemblance

to Kaplica Zygmuntowska (Sigismund

Chapel) in the Wawel Cathedral. In

1913 a part of the collegiate church’s

nave and presbytery burnt down. The

chapel was thoroughly overhauled in

the 19th century. During World War II

it was at * rst converted into a prison

and then into a warehouse for storing

post-Jewish property. It su% ered dam-

age during two subsequent oods in

1958 and 1979.

The pearl of the church is hidden

in its interior. These are its Renais-

sance murals. They look superb on

the ceiling above the altar. They were

painted over after the * re that took

place in the 16th century and because

of that they survived until now. The

collegiate church has uniform Ba-

roque furnishings. Numerous epi-

taphs and commemorative plaques

dating back to the 17th-19th centuries

have been set in the pillars between

the naves and the walls of the side

naves. If we want to see the interior of

the temple, we have to go to Pułtusk

on Sunday. It is closed on the other

days of the week because of numer-

ous thefts that nobody seems able

to control.

At ul. Piotra Skargi, next to the ca-

thedral, there is a secondary school

and behind it a post-Jesuit St. Peter

and Paul’s Church .

It’s worth visiting the rear of the

church in order to see fragments of

forti* cations. Permanent town forti-

* cations were erected at the begin-

ning of the 16th century. Bishop Erazm

Ciołek planned to surround the whole

town with a wall. The walls were con-

sidered useless in terms of defence

and dismantled during the annexa-

tion period by the Prussian and Rus-

sian authorities.

A charming St. Joseph’s Church is

located at ul. Daszyńskiego. It was

built in the 17th century, together with

the monastery of the Reformati. In

1803 the monastery was impounded

by the Prussian authorities. Currently,

it belongs to the Church.

If we want to see all the churches

in Pułtusku, we have to take the exit

road towards Suwałki and go to the

outskirts of the town. Right next to

a cemetery we will * nd the Church of

the Holy Cross.

Still farther, beyond the bounds of

Pułtusk, there is a forgotten mauso-

leum of the Soviet soldiers who died

at the turn of 1944 and 1945. It was


108



109


THE NAREW RIVER


• Warsaw – Pułtusk: 60 km. Total length of the route: 120 km.

• Visit to Pułtusk – 3 hours, museum – 1 hour,

a stroll across the White Forest – 3 hours.

Accommodation:

• Hotel Zalewski, ul. Jana Pawła II 19, Pułtusk, tel. (23) 692 05 23

• Hotel Baltazar, ul. Baltazara 41, Pułtusk, tel. (23) 692 04 75

• DOM POLONII W PUŁTUSKU (POLONIA HOUSE IN PUŁTUSK): Hotel,

Restaurants, Conference Centre (Dom Kresowy, ul. 3 Maja, Pułtusk;

Stanica Wodna and Kasztel, ul. Szkolna 11; Zamek Hotel,

ul. Szkolna 11), www.dompolonii.pultusk.pl,

tel. (23) 692 90 01, 692 90 45, 692 90 02,

[email protected]

• Wiatrak Hotel, Boby 16, Pułtusk, tel. (23) 691 08 06

Catering:

• Restaurant in Hotel Baltazar, Pułtusk, (as above)

• Restauracja Karmazynowa (Karmazynowa Restaurant),

DOM POLONII (POLONIA HOUSE), Pułtusk, (as above)

• Restauracja Pod Złotym Jeleniem (Pod Złotym Jeleniem

Restaurant), DOM POLONII (POLONIA HOUSE), Pułtusk, (as above)

• Restauracja Turkusowa (Turkusowa Restaurant), DOM POLONII

(POLONIA HOUSE), Pułtusk, (as above)

• Restauracja Złoty Smok (Złoty Smok Restaurant),

ul. Daszyńskiego 28, Pułtusk, tel. (23) 692 63 43

• Restaurant in Hotel Wiatrak, Pułtusk, (as above)

• Zajazd Kaskada (Kaskada Roadhouse), ul. Kościuszki 76, Pułtusk,

tel. (23) 692 60 38

built at great cost. There is a superb

view on the Narew River broads at

the back.

We go back to the market square

where three tourist trails begin.

All three run through a pedestrian

bridge. The green one turns left, to

the river, whereas the red and yel-

low ones lead us to the White Forest

where we can have a walk across the

forest. At first, we have to cross the

street; and then, walking past hous-

es, we reach the junction of the trails.

We can start our stroll from the red

trail and reach a nature reserve walk-

ing through the forest. From there

we can take the yellow trail and fol-

low it back to the town.


110

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMSIEDLCE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

SIEDLCE AND ITS SURROUNDING

TREBLINKA – STERDYŃ – JABŁONNA LACKA

– GRÓDEK – WIRÓW – KARCZEW – MORDY

– SIEDLCE – CHLEWISKA – MOKOBODY

F rom Warsaw we take route No. 2

towards Terespol, before Mińsk

Mazowiecki we turn onto route No. 50

towards Ostrów Mazowiecka, in Brok

we drive onto route No. 694 towards

Ciechanowiec and from Małkinia we

take a rather poor road to Treblinka.

The drive through a narrow railway

bridge may provoke strong emo-

tions.

Muzeum Walki i Męczeństwa (Mu-

seum of Fighting and Martyrdom) is

open from 9 am to 7 pm. Closer to the

car park we will * nd the former death

camp Treblinka II. It was built by the

Germans in the middle of 1942 near

the already existing forced-labour

camp. It was established as a part of

Reinhard Action whose aim was to

physically eliminate the Jewish popu-

lation. It covered 17 ha. The * rst trans-

port of prisoners arrived here on July

23rd, 1942. It consisted of Jews from

the Warsaw ghetto. People were killed

in gas chambers. On August 2nd, 1943

an armed rebellion broke out in the

death camp. The camp was partially

destroyed; it was closed down in No-

vember 1943. It is estimated that at

least 800 000 citizens of Poland, Aus-

tria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslova-

kia, France, Greece, Yugoslavia, Ger-

many and the Soviet Union died in

the camp.

One of them was Janusz Korczak.

In 1964 a Monument-Mausoleum

was unveiled at Treblinka. Near the

car park there is a pit from the former

railway track and a symbolic ramp in

place of the former * ctitious railway

station established in order to dull the

victims’ vigilance. There were notices,

a ticket window, a waiting room, a buf-

fet and even timetables. Next to the

ramp we may see granite pillars with

the names of countries whose citizens

died here. The most blatant element

is the impressive eight-metre monu-

ment with low-relief’s presenting the

victims’ terrible death. Behind the

monument there is a symbolic pile.

Around the pile we may see a sym-

bolic cemetery consisting of 17 thou-

sand rocks with names of the biggest

towns where the victims were born.

There is only one personal memorial

plaque: Janusz Korczak (Henryk Gold-

szmit) and Children.

Two kilometres farther we reach

the forced-labour camp Treblinka I.


111

MAZOVIA. WEEKEND TOURISMSIEDLCE

AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

It was established in the summer of

1941 at an existing gravel pit. At the

beginning it was the place where

farmers who did not deliver prod-

uct rations on time and people who

shirked forced labour were sent. Pris-

oners – apart from working in the

gravel pit – worked at clearing the

forest, building a bridge across the

Bug River and unloading carriages.

Their stay in the camp – connect-

ed with hunger and terror – usual-

ly ended with death. The camp was

closed down (in relation to the up-

coming front line) on July 23rd -24th,

1944. During its closedown a group

of 500 prisoners was shot. The build-

ings and fence were blown up. Near

the mass graves there is a monu-

ment (from rose sandstone) in the

form of a stone wall.

We drive along route No. 677 to

Kosów Lacki, then to Ceranów and

then route No. 63 towards Siedlce

to Sterdyń. We stop on a rectangu-

lar square. It is a market square with

a small green square where an obelisk

commemorating the 100th anniversa-

ry of returning land to peasants and

a monument devoted to the soldiers

of the Home Army (AK) are situated.

Next to the square we can see the

towers of the Baroque Parish Church

under the Invocation of St. Anna.

It was erected in 1779-1783 due to

a donation o% ered by the Ossolińscy

family. Its Baroque-Classical main al-

tar dates back to the end of the 18th

century. The ambo and baptismal

fonts from the 18th century are also of

historic value. Memorial and funerary

plaques of the Ossolińscy, Krasińscy


112


and Górscy families also deserve at-

tention.

Behind the church we will find

another hill where a superb pal-

ace and park complex is located. It

is a former 17th or 18th century Ba-

roque residence which was devel-

oped and converted at the begin-

ning of the 19th century for Stanisław

Ossoliński. An old restocked park

surrounds the palace complex. The

effect can be admired from behind

the gate (it is also possible to stay

for the night). From close up we can

admire a chapel standing opposite

the entrance gate. It was erected at

the turn of the 18th century and in-

cludes a beautiful sculpture of Saint

Florian.

From Sterdyń we drive route No.

63 towards Siedlce once again and

in Sabno turn to Jabłonna Lacka.

We will find here an interesting par-

ish church built in 1824-1834 in the

form of a Greek temple with a four-

column Ionic portico at the front.

The founder of the church was Lud-

wik Bieniewski, the owner of the es-

tate in Jabłonna.

From Jabłonna it is only 4 km to

Gródek. It is situated on the left side

of the Bug River, on a high escarp-


113



ment. For centuries Polish, Lithua-

nian and Russian influences clashed

here. Uniates prevailed. There was

a Uniate temple in Gródek. Just like

many others, it was converted into

a Roman-Catholic church in 1919.

We reach the church walking from

the centre of the village. We need

to turn right. It is a wooden church

(of framework construction) with

one nave and a tower. A tower bell

stands next to it.

Near the church we will find a lei-

sure centre offering holiday chalets.

Walking along the fence surround-

ing the leisure centre, we reach the

Bug River. The river looks really pic-

turesque. A walk along its bank is

a true pleasure.

In the neighbourhood of the next

settlement, Mołożew, the Wydma

Mołożewska (Mołożew Dune) nature

reserve is situated; it protects water

and wading birds.

Wirów is located just behind

Mołożew. We can see the authen-

tic building of the former Orthodox

monastery already from the road. It

was erected by the tsarist authorities

at the end of the 19th century in the

Byzantine style. The Orthodox sisters

used to organise various training

events for Polish youths; for exam-

ple, housekeeping workshops, cook-

ing workshops or sewing workshops.

They taught mathematics, read-

ing and writing in Russian. An Or-

thodox church and a vicarage were

built in the vicinity. Obviously, these

were propaganda activities aimed at

‘Russianisation’ of the Polish nation.

In 1918 the nuns moved deep into

Russia. The prioress of the monas-

tery was a distant relative of the Tsar

Nicholas II of Russia. The Polish au-

thorities organised a female college

for teachers led by Catholic nuns in

the monastery building. It existed

until 1928. Until 1957 a Children’s

Home was situated here. Currently,

the building is the seat of a child-

care centre for patients with mid-

level mental retardation.

We go to Korczew. Unfortunately,

from time to time we have to drive

along cobbled or dirt roads. The vil-

lage is as old as Drohiczyn. It has

changed its’ owner over the cen-

turies. In 1712 Wiktoryn Kuczyński

acquired Korczew. We visit a pal-

ace and park complex. The area

around the palace together with

the park amounted 35, 5 ha. A great

part of the park resembled a forest.

The palace was built in the Classi-

cal style. It is a 40-metre long one-

storey brick building. It is support-

ed by columns in the middle and

topped with a triangular facade. Re-

construction works, carried out by

the heiresses of the owners, are in

progress. Nevertheless, the build-

ing is open to visitors. Inside there

is a marvellous wooden entrance

hall. Upstairs, there is an exhibition

devoted to Cyprian Kamil Norwid.


114


Joanna Kuczyńska had friendly re-

lations with the poet. Downstairs,

in the banquet hall, a beautiful ceil-

ing attracts our attention. The pho-

tographs gathered here show the

history of the palace: from its pre-

war splendour, through the period

of devastation when a shop ware-

house was located in the ball room,

to the reconstruction period.

In the side room we may get ac-

quainted with the genealogical tree

of the Kuczyńscy family.

The palace used to consist of 50

rooms. They remember the times of

the Confederacy of the Bar when its

advocates under Leon Kuczyński’s

command gathered in them. All the

palace rooms were furnished in the

style of Louis XV. The palace and its

vast courtyard are surrounded by

a huge wall from the south and west.

It is a pleasure to have a walk

across the park surrounding the

palace. One can still see the pre-

served avenues. There is a magnifi-

cent view on the valley of the Bug

River from behind the trees. One can

follow the signposts in order to see

a stone from the pre-Christian times.

We can stay for the night in the pal-

ace keep.

From Korczew we take the route

towards Siedlce. In the late-Renais-

sance parish church in Knychówek

we may admire the 17th century side

altars, an ambo, a baptismal font,

a confessional and choir stalls.

We continue our trip and reach

Mordy. The main attraction of the

town is its 18th century Classical

palace. It’s worth paying attention

to the Baroque entrance gate that

leads to the palace. The building is

surrounded by a park dating back

to the 18th century with the remains

of former moats and embankments

and numerous species of coniferous

trees. Unfortunately, today it is fall-

ing into ruin and the estate can be

admired only from behind the wall.

We go to another Baroque parish

church from the beginning of the

18th century. From the beginning of

the 15th century Mordy belonged to

the Koszyccy family and in 1552 be-

came the property of the voivode of

Vilnius Mikołaj the Black Radziwił. He

made the town a strong Reforma-

tion centre in Podlassia. It was one

of the main centres of Arianism in

Poland. In 1553 a synod of pastors

from Podlassia and Lithuania took

place in Mordy.

Our next target is Siedlce. The

first mention of Siedlce dates back

to 1448. The town was granted mu-

nicipal rights in 1547 by Zygmunt

Stary (Sigismund the Elder). Siedlce

belonged to the Gniewoszowie fam-

ily who took the surname Siedleccy

in the middle of the 16th century. The

town was in its heyday in the sec-

ond half of the 17th century when

the Czartoryscy family was its own-

er. At the beginning of the 18th cen-


115



tury Izabela and Kazimierz Czartory-

scy funded a church and built a pal-

ace in Siedlce. The palace and the

church were converted by the het-

man’s wife, Aleksandra Ogińska. On

her initiative other buildings, includ-

ing the town hall, were erected in

the town. It is a building erected in

the late-Baroque and Classical style.

Currently, it is the seat of Muzeum

Okręgowe (District Museum) where

we can see rich collections depict-

ing the history and culture of West-

ern Podlassia.

On the eastern side of the town

hall you will notice a monument

to Tadeusz Kościuszko. He visited

Siedlce in September 1794. His first

visit was connected with a dinner at

Aleksandra Ogińska’s house during

which he met Julian Ursyn Niemce-

wicz. He stopped in Siedlce for the

second time on his way to Wiśniów

where he was heading in order to in-

spect General Sierakowski’s corps.

Having crossed ul. Floriańska,

we reach the Parish Church under

the Invocation of Saint Stanislaus

the Bishop. It is a Baroque-Classi-

cal building erected in 1740-1749.

Its consecration took place in 1753.

The new facade was built in 1793.

Its Classical main altar dates back

to the end of the 18th century. There

is a 17th century painting depicting

Our Lady and the Baby Jesus in the

main field of the altar. It’s also worth

looking for the paintings depicting

the Evangelists, hanging in the pres-

bytery. They come from the gallery

of the Ossolińscy family.

From the church we walk along ul.

Kościuszki. The former manor stables

and an outbuilding can be noticed

behind the crossroads. The palace of

the Ogińscy family is on the eastern

side. It is a Classical building. It was

in its heyday at the times of Aleksan-

dra Ogińska. The hetman’s wife invit-

ed poets and painters from all over

Poland to her house. She organised

festivities, trips and performances.

Today it is the seat of the town au-

thorities.

The palace is surrounded by

a landscape park established in

1776-1781. Additional buildings

were constructed in the park for July

20th, 1783 on the occasion of the vis-

it of Stanisław August Poniatowski.

Artificial islands were established on

the ponds. Currently, the park’s area

covers 14 ha, which means that it is

only half the size it was in its hey-

day.

After Siedlce we have to pull off

the road joining Warsaw and Ter-

espol. In Chlewiska (gmina Kotuń)

we will find a 19th century manor

house called “Reymontówka”, situat-

ed among forests and meadows. Au-

relia Reytanowa – the Noble prize-

winner’s widow – bought this manor

and palace complex in 1926. During

her rule Chlewiska were in their hey-

day. The eastern part of the manor


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house, the gardener’s house and

the entrance gate with a fence in

the style of the Podhale region were

built at that time. Currently, it is the

seat of Dom Pracy Twórczej (Artists’

Retreat). It organises plein-air work-

shops, artistic workshops and con-

ferences.

Then we go to Mokobody where

we will find an interesting church.

It was erected according to the

design that won the royal con-

test for the Temple of Divine Prov-

idence. The temple, by Jan Onufry

Ossoliński, was to have been built

in place of today’s Botanical Garden

(near Łazienki Park) as an ex-voto for

the adoption of the Constitution of

May 3rd. Jakub Kunicki, brought it to

Mokobody in 1793, decreased the

temple to a quarter of its original

size – in comparison to the prima-

ry undertaking – and started con-

struction work that lasted 25 years.

The temple is a Classical building,

harmonious in shape. It became

famous as a sanctuary due to the

17th century painting of Our Lady

of Budzieszyn, which can be seen

in the side chapel. The cult is con-

nected with the town of Budzieszyn

where, according to the legend,

Polish warriors were miraculously

rescued from the treacherous attack

of the Yotvingians. The sleeping war-

riors were woken by the light given

off by Our Lady with the Baby Jesus.

Even nowadays pilgrims who wish

to regain their health come to the

spring that gushes in Budzieszyn.


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• Warsaw – Treblinka – Sterdyń – Korczew – Siedlce: 170 km.


• Treblinka – 2 hours, Sterdyń – 1 hour, Gródek – 1 hour,

Korczew – 1 hour, Siedlce – 2,5 hours.

Accommodation:

• Ośrodek Sportu i Rekreacji (Sports and Recreation Centre),

Gródek, gm. Jabłonna Lacka, tel. (25) 781 40 10, 781 40 56

• Palace Keep in Korczew, reservation, tel. (25) 631 20 68

• Hotel Arche, ul. Brzeska 134, Siedlce, tel. (25) 644 04 33

• Hotel Hetman, ul. Warszawska 133, Siedlce, tel. (25) 644 30 00

• Dom Handlowy Janusz – Hotel – Restauracja (Janusz Department

Store – Hotel – Restaurant), ul. Pusta 15, Siedlce, tel. (25) 633 06 66

• Hotel Malutki, ul. Gałczyńskiego 4, Siedlce, tel. (25) 643 59 20

• Panorama Hotel, ul. Okrężna 25, Siedlce, tel. (25) 644 99 55

• Rooms for rent, Danuta Pawluk, ul. Morcinka 25, Siedlce,

tel. (25) 644 56 48

• Zespół Pałacowy Ossolińskich (Palace Complex of the Ossolińscy

Family), ul. Kościelna 43, Sterdyń, tel. (25) 781 09 50

Catering:

• Ośrodek Sportu i Rekreacji (Sports and Recreation Centre),

canteen, Gródek, (as above)

• Restauracja Signor Ca% ettano (Signor Ca% ettano Restaurant),

ul. Armii Krajowej 12, Siedlce, tel. (25) 644 68 16

• Restaurant in Hotel Hetman, Siedlce, (as above)


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A

Augustów 23, 54, 56-57, 102

B

Bieżuń 64-65, 67-68

Brochów 82, 85, 87

Brok 50-51, 53, 110

C

Chlewiska 14, 17-19, 21

Chlewiska koło Siedlec 110, 116

Ciechanów 27-28, 30-31, 34, 110

Czarnia 22, 25-26

Czarnolas 57, 59

Czersk 8, 11-13, 28

Czerwińsk 39-43, 54

D

Drobin 68

G

Garbatka Letnisko 58-59

Giżyce 77

Gołotczyzna 27, 34

Góra Kalwaria 11, 13

Granica 69-70, 74-75

Gródek 110, 117

Guzów 76-78, 81

I

Iłża 94, 96, 101

J

Jabłonna Lacka 110, 113, 117

K

Kadzidło 22, 24, 26

Kamieńczyk 50, 53

Kampinos 74, 75

Korczew 114, 117

Kozienice 54, 56, 59

Krasne 33-34

L

Lewiczyn 60-61, 63

Liw 28, 88-91, 93

Ł

Łąck 44, 48-49, 80

Łyse 22, 26

M

Mała Wieś 60, 63

Modlin 35, 37, 43, 71

Mokobody 110, 116

Mordy 110, 114-115

Myszyniec 22-23, 25-26

N

Niepokalanów 76, 81

Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki 35, 37, 43

O

Opinogóra 31-34

Orońsko 19-21

Ostrołęka 23-24, 26

P

Paprotnia 76, 81

Petrykozy 60-61, 63

Płock 37, 39, 42, 44-45, 47-49

Pułtusk 102, 105, 108-109

R

Radom 14, 56, 94, 97-98, 101

Rokicie 44, 48-49

S

Sanniki 86-87

Siedlce 110, 115-117

Sierpc 64-65, 67-68

Sochaczew 76, 78-81

Stara Wieś 88-93

Sterdyń 110-111, 113, 117

Sucha 88, 93

Szydłowiec 14-15, 17, 19, 21

Szymanów 76-77, 81

T

Treblinka 91, 110-111, 117

W

Warka 12, 60-61, 63

Węgrów 88, 91-93

Wirów 110, 113

Wyszków 50-51, 53

Wyszków nad Liwcem 88-89, 93

Wyszogród 35, 42-43

Z

Zakroczym 37, 39

Zawodzie 23

Zuzela 50-53

Zwoleń 57-59

Ż

Żelazowa Wola 82-83, 87

Index of places


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NOTES


Маzovia Weekend tourism

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Transcript of Маzovia Weekend tourism