Świdnik: Landscapes and Cultural Heritage

A hiking route leads from Świdnik via Wierzchowiska, Kawęczyn and Bystrzejowice to Kozice Dolne. At about 20 kilometres long and taking three to four hours, it provides a specific framework for planning your hike.

Landscape and Nature

Świdnik County lies on the Lublin Upland and almost entirely within the Świdnik Plateau and the Giełczew Hills. The Giełczew River flows through a large part of the county. Its three main tributaries are the Radomirka, Sierotka and Giełczewka. The geomorphological features and river system thus both help define the county’s landscape.

In the north of Trawniki municipality are areas of the Nadwieprzański Landscape Park, including the valuable “Uroczysko Jezioro” floristic nature reserve. Many rare and protected plant and animal species are found there, including the European pond turtle. In Rybczewice municipality, the Krzczonowski Landscape Park covers nearly half the area because of its exceptionally valuable natural environment. These two facts illustrate different scales: a nature reserve in the north of Trawniki and a landscape park covering a large part of Rybczewice.

Buildings and History

The Gardzienice I palace and park complex dates from the early 17th century. It was later expanded and remodelled and is now the home of the Gardzienice Centre for Theatre Practices. In Piaski stand the late-Baroque and Neoclassical ruins of a Calvinist church, built between 1783 and 1835. In different ways, the two sites connect architectural history with their present-day or documented form.

The churches also offer insight into different periods of construction and furnishings. The late-Baroque parish church of St Stanislaus in Biskupice was built between 1712 and 1727 and retains Baroque and late-Baroque furnishings. The present-day Neo-Gothic church in Mełgiew was built between 1906 and 1910. It contains furnishings from the 18th-century church that preceded it. The church complex in Częstoborowice dates from the late 18th century and stands on a high embankment. It includes a Marian sanctuary dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, with Baroque furnishings and an image of Our Lady of Victory.

Manor house and park complexes display other historic forms. In Wierzchowiska, the complex includes a brick palace dating from around 1850 and remnants of a park laid out in the 19th century, with a pond. In Stryjno, the manor house and park date from the second half of the 18th century. The larger complex includes other buildings and is now associated with a primary school. Another distinctive site is the wooden “Grażyna” villa in Świdnik, built in 1914–1915.

Routes and Getting Around

The county has published cycling routes that pass through all its municipalities and are intended to introduce visitors to nature, cultural heritage, and historic and religious sites. Check current conditions when planning your trip. For a hike, the route from Świdnik to Kozice Dolne already comes with a stated timeframe: it is about 20 kilometres long and takes three to four hours.

For travel planning, note that Lublin Airport (Port Lotniczy Lublin) has been operating in Świdnik since 2012. Landscapes, historic sites, routes and the airport offer different starting points for planning a stay.

Discover more destinations: Piaski, Gardzienice Pierwsze, Janowice, Świdnik, Łuków, Opole County, Włodawa, Lublin County.

For the broader travel overview: Lublin.