Żary County: Garden Art, Geopark and Cultural Heritage
Accommodation in Żary County
Żary County lies in the southwest of the Lubusz Voivodeship, on the Żary Plateau along the Polish-German border, which follows the Lusatian Neisse. Garden art, a geopark landscape, nature trails and historic sites give the region its varied character.
Muskau Park and the Łuk Mużakowa Geopark
Muskau Park is a landscape park dating from the first half of the 19th century and an outstanding example of European garden art from that period. It extends across Łęknica in Poland and Bad Muskau in Germany. The Double Bridge and the English Bridge connect the two parts of the park, making its cross-border extent tangible.
Since 2011, the Łuk Mużakowa Geopark has been part of European geopark networks supported by UNESCO. Its Polish section is protected by law as a landscape park. The UNESCO Geopark’s Cultural and Educational Centre is located in Łęknica, housed in a historic industrial building and serving as an information point.
Nature, routes and wildlife watching
The marked “Dawna Kopalnia Babina” walking and cycling route is four kilometres long and runs around Łęknica and Nowe Czaple. It is part of the Łuk Mużakowa Geopark. A longer option is the green walking and cycling trail between Żary and Gubin: it stretches for 76.5 kilometres and passes through the municipality of Brody. The two distances offer different options when planning an outing.
More than half of Żary County is covered by forests, and the county contains four nature reserves. In Łuk Mużakowa Landscape Park, 146 bird species have been recorded, including the bittern, osprey and white-tailed eagle. The forests, bodies of water and fish ponds in the municipality of Tuplice also offer opportunities to spot rare bird species, such as the black stork, white-tailed eagle and osprey.
In the Nad Młyńską Strugą Nature Reserve, the river water has a red and orange hue. The marked Dolina Szyszyny nature and educational trail leads through the forest to an old mill on the Szyszyna. Along the trail, you can observe moisture-loving vegetation and amphibians. Near Biedrzychowice there is also an early medieval hillfort dating from the 8th century. Nature watching and an archaeological connection meet along the same educational trail.
Archaeology, Baroque and railway history
Traces of the heritage of the Lusatian culture can be found in Żary County. Near Wicina lies an important archaeological site with a former prehistoric fortified settlement from the Hallstatt period, associated with the Lusatian culture.
The palace complex in Brody is one of the few preserved Baroque complexes in the Lubusz Voivodeship. The palace park was once laid out in the English and French styles; rare trees and shrubs grow beside a lake. In Tuplice, a historic railway line dating from 1858 and a station dating from 1871 recall different stages in the area’s railway history.
Discover more destinations: Tuplice, Brody, Zasieki, Sulęciński, Sorau, Strzelecko-Drezdenecki, Międzyrzecki, Świebodziński.
For the broader travel overview: Lubusz.
