Brzeziny: Discover Clothmaking History and Nature

Brzeziny can be explored from two perspectives: the city’s history and architecture sit alongside landscapes and trails in Brzeziński County.

City History and Architecture

Brzeziny flourished in the 16th century. The clothmaking trade and brewing were major contributors; its location on a trade route from Wielkopolska and Kujawy to Kraków and Ruthenia was also important. In 1565, 460 artisans and 30 tavern keepers worked there. In the second half of the century, with more than 300 master clothmakers, Brzeziny was the largest and best-known cloth-production centre in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Several buildings in the city reflect different eras. The Gothic Parish Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was built in the oldest part of the city in the 14th century; the Lasocki Chapel dates from the 14th or 15th century. St Anne’s Church dates back to 1719, and its sacristy is from the 18th century. The Baroque Church of the Holy Spirit was built in 1750 by Józef Lasocki, the city’s owner at the time. The Church of St Francis of Assisi, from the early 18th century, is another landmark.

The city plan also tells a story: the market square, now Plac Jana Pawła II, has a medieval layout. The Muzeum Regionalne w Brzezinach is housed in a neo-Gothic palace. The exhibition “Zaginione miasto” explores the legend of historic Brzeziny as “Małym Krakowie”.

City Park and the County Landscape

Brzeziny City Park was established after 1945 along ul. Piłsudskiego. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Lasocki family’s English garden stood on this site. The park includes a city pond dating back around 10,000 years; its island is believed to be man-made. The city park thus brings together more recent urban history and a much older landscape history.

Brzeziński County provides the wider regional context: legally protected areas and sites cover 55 percent of its area. Łódź Hills Landscape Park encompasses the western part of the county, including the city of Brzeziny and the municipalities of Brzeziny and Dmosin. The river valleys of the Mroga and Mrożyca are also among the county’s scenic features. This information relates to the wider travel area.

Walking and Cycling Routes

On the green walking trail in Łódź Hills Landscape Park, you can follow a connecting path to Brzeziny before crossing a river. Further afield in the region, the Dolina Mrogi walking trail runs from Gałkówek Kolonia along the river to Dmosin Drugi. The recreational route “Muzeum w przestrzeni – wielokulturowe korzenie regionu łódzkiego” leads from Stare Koluszki via Rochna and Tworzyjanki to Brzeziny.

For a longer cycling trip, an approximately 69-kilometre route is described: it runs through Brzeziny, Paprotnia, Las Wiączyński, Byszewy, Skoszewy, Las Janinowski and Polik, before returning to Brzeziny. This offers a range of route types: a longer cycling loop, a walking trail along the Mroga and a route connecting several places. If you’re planning a specific trip, check current trail conditions beforehand.

Other Destinations in the Wider Region

The wider region is also home to individual cultural attractions. In Nagawki, in the municipality of Dmosin, Żywy Skansen – Centrum Folkloru Polskiego houses a wooden house from the second half of the 19th century. Jeżów is home to a Benedictine monastery complex dating from the 16th to the 20th century. Rogowska Kolej Dojazdowa is a narrow-gauge railway dating from 1914. These places and buildings complement the history of Brzeziny with other historical themes from the region.

If you’re planning a trip, it’s also worth checking current trail conditions.

Discover more destinations: Przecław, Witkowice, Brzeziny, Dmosin, Zalesie, Nowostawy Dolne, Radomsko, Tomaszowski.

View the main travel guide: Lodz.