Polkowice: Nature Trails and Cultural Heritage

Powiat Polkowicki, known in German as Polkwitz, combines protected landscapes with historic places and trails covering a range of themes. In Polkowice, Przemków, Grodowiec and Jakubów, different aspects take centre stage: wetlands and forests, regional trail themes, or buildings with a long history. If you are looking for a hotel in Polkowice, these highlights can provide a starting point for planning your trip.

Landscapes between forest and wetland

The Uroczysko Obiszów nature reserve protects a well-developed oak-hornbeam forest with a relatively rich and natural native flora. The Stawy Przemkowskie offer a different kind of natural landscape: they form an ornithological reserve in the landscape of Powiat Polkowicki. Przemkowski Landscape Park covers 22,338 hectares, with a further 15,467 hectares in its buffer zone. The Dalkowskie Hills are in Jakubów. These places give the Polkowice destination a range of landscapes, from protected woodland to a reserve in a water-rich landscape.

Trails with their own themes

The two trails differ both in length and in their nature themes. The 16-kilometre Stawy Przemkowskie Trail focuses on wetland ecosystems. The Ruchome Wydmy Śródlądowe Trail runs between Przemków and Wilkocin and is six kilometres long; its themes are forest ecosystems and a bat hibernaculum. Comparing the two trails is therefore not just a matter of their stated lengths, but also of their different nature themes.

The signposted nature and cultural heritage trail “Grodowiec” is 2.3 kilometres long and designated for walkers and cyclists. Together, the three trail descriptions cover different lengths and themes. Trail conditions and signage may change during a trip, so check the latest trail information beforehand. The Trasa Miedziana runs for about 9.5 kilometres through the municipality of Przemków and Przemkowski Landscape Park. As the project’s development status may change, check its current status when planning your trip.

Windmills and historic buildings

Of the many historic windmills in Polkowice, only one survives today; it stands on ul. Młyńska. The old town of Polkowice also has a distinctive history: it was rebuilt from the ground up and is described as Poland’s newest old town. The “Śladami historii Polkowic” educational trail starts at the market square, passes through the historic buildings of the old town and presents its most important surviving historic monuments. As the visitor programme may change, it is worth checking the latest information before planning a specific visit.

Grodowiec and Jakubów offer further examples of architectural history. The sanctuary in Grodowiec is an architectural complex dating from the 16th to the 19th century. The church in Jakubów is a Gothic building from the 14th century. In Polkowice, the old town’s reconstruction and the surviving windmill stand alongside buildings whose character reflects specific historical periods.

Local traditions and other attractions

The Wiatrak Polkowicki houses an exhibition on the history of Polkowice. The planned visitor experience includes self-guided visits, programmes for schools and cultural and educational activities for all age groups, including music, gatherings and astronomy. A local sweet speciality is Kószka polkowicka, also known as the “Polkowice beehive”. It recalls the thriving beekeeping industry in Polkowice around the turn of the 20th century.

The Aquapark in Polkowice includes pools and saunas, as well as a salt cave and a cryochamber. If you want to include these facilities as a definite part of your stay, check current visitor arrangements beforehand. Together with the nature trails and historic sites, they make it possible to plan a trip around specific places and interests in Powiat Polkowicki.

Discover more destinations: Czerńczyce, Buczyna, Chocianow, Stara Rzeka, Polkowice, Radwanice, Jeleniogórski, Zgorzelecki.

Go to the overview of the wider region: Lower Silesia.