Kościan: Landscapes, trails and historic sites

A prominent landmark for nature and trail experiences in Kościan is the General Dezydery Chłapowski Landscape Park. Established in 1992, it covers 17,323.21 hectares; part of the park lies in Kościan County. Cycling and educational trails open up a variety of routes and combine nature experiences with places whose history spans several centuries.

Cycling and hiking trails in the Landscape Park

The “Trees with a History, Birds of the Present” educational cycling trail is 28.5 kilometres long and has seven stops. It starts and ends in Racot and passes through Darnowo, Wyskoć, Rogaczewo Małe and Rogaczewo Wielkie, Rąbiń, Turew, Stary Gołębin and Spytkówki. The ecological educational trail also has seven stops, but is shorter at 12 kilometres: it runs from Rogaczewo Małe through Rogaczewo Wielkie and Rąbiń to Turew. The two routes can therefore be distinguished by their length and course, without the distances indicating anything about walking time.

The park can also be explored through other trail connections: a section of the Greater Poland Way of St James passes through it, and the “Travelling with Mr Tadeusz” hiking trail follows its route. In Kościan County, the Kościan branch of PTTK maintains a map of the hiking trails it looks after. There are also marked trails maintained by other organisations, including the Ziemiański Cycling Trail. Trail conditions and markings may change; check the details for your chosen route before setting out.

Palaces, churches and a chapel

In Racot, the palace, park and estate complex was established in the late 18th century and during the second half of the 19th century. In 1921, the palace became the summer residence of the Presidents of the Republic of Poland. In Turew, a Baroque residence was remodelled in the Neo-Gothic style in the first half of the 19th century. The histories of both buildings give the park landscape a historical dimension that differs from the routes and stops along the educational trails.

Several churches also bring the different eras to life. The historic wooden Church of the Assumption of Mary in Stary Gołębin dates from the second half of the 17th century. The wooden Church of St Michael the Archangel in Błociszewo dates to 1736. In Lubiń, St Leonard’s began as a small Romanesque church in the early 13th century; it was remodelled in the Gothic style between 1549 and 1556. There is also a larch-wood chapel in the Zakopane style in Rąbiński Forest. It was built in the early 20th century in memory of a fatal hunting accident. The dates provide a concrete comparison between Romanesque, Gothic and later architectural forms, without requiring any one building to stand for them all.

Kościan and Cichowo: green spaces and water

In Kościan, the water tower now serves as a climbing wall and astronomical observatory. There is also a 15-hectare park with numerous walking paths. Several kayak landing stages are located along the Kościan Canal. Kościan thus brings together a range of activities: exercise and stargazing at the water tower, walks in the park and landing stages along the canal.

Cichowo has a supervised bathing beach with a designated swimming area for children. It operates seasonally, and details may change; check the latest information before visiting. This makes it quite different from the landscape park’s trails and cultural attractions.

Discover more destinations: Śmigiel, Kościan, Jarogniewice, Lubiń, Racot, Czempiń, Gryżyna, Gorzyczki, Cichowo.

See the broader travel overview: Greater Poland.