Kartuzy: Collegiate Church, Museum and Lakeside Trails

When looking for a hotel in Kartuzy, it helps to first consider what you are most interested in: Gothic architecture, Kashubian museum culture, or trails by the water and in the forest. The town offers different points of interest that can be easily incorporated into your travel plans.

Collegiate Church and Music Festival

The collegiate church in Kartuzy is a Gothic sacred building from the 14th century and a testament to the work of the Carthusian Order. Its roof is Baroque and shaped like a coffin lid. This unusual form symbolizes the Order’s monastic way of life and the motto “memento mori.” Thus, Gothic architecture and a later roof design with a specific religious meaning stand side by side on the same building.

Music is also part of the local cultural offering: every summer, the Kartuzy Festival of Organ and Chamber Music takes place in the collegiate church. If you would like to include the festival in your trip, check the specific event dates in advance.

Kashubian Culture at the Museum

The Kashubian Museum displays its exhibits in eight exhibition rooms in the main building. These include objects from the working lives of local residents and works of Kashubian folk art. The themes therefore range from everyday life to regional forms of artistic expression.

Another part of the museum is the outbuilding, which was brought into use and comprehensively revitalized in 2019. It houses Bazyl’s forge and the exhibition “Kaszubska współczesność z korzeni wyrasta.” The main building and the outbuilding thus offer different points of focus: the exhibition rooms take center stage in one, while the forge and the named exhibition are featured in the other.

Promenade, Viewpoint and Trails

Promenada Asesora is a walking and cycling path along the shore of Jezioro Karczemne. It is connected to Ławka Asesora, which serves as a viewpoint over Kartuzy. A visit to cultural sites can therefore be complemented by a walk along the lakeshore; the promenade is designated as a cycle path for cyclists.

The green Nordic walking route around Kartuzy also starts and ends at Ławka Asesora. It runs entirely through the forest, along wide paved paths and across hilly terrain. This information can help you choose between a lakeside path and a route through a landscape shaped by forest and changes in elevation.

Another Nordic walking route is described under the wider destination of Karthaus: Route No. 1 covers 8.4 km and takes about two hours, running from Ławka Asesora via Kosy and Bilowo to Kartuzy. A municipal route description dated June 27, 2016, gives this distance and walking time; check the route details before setting out. Compared with the green route around Kartuzy, this route emphasizes an approximate time and distance and the named waypoints.

If you would rather cycle than walk, the wider destination of Karthaus also offers the Kartuska Nature Bike Route. It is just under 26 km long and marked in green. The Nordic walking routes and this cycling route therefore offer different ways to explore during your trip, without mixing up their route information.

Getting There and Finding Your Way

In the wider destination of Karthaus, Kartuzy has good rail connections with Trójmiasto. Check the current timetable for your specific travel date. The Tourist Information Center in Kartuzy is located near the collegiate church at ul. Klasztorna 1. If you need information or services there, check the current opening hours and services before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Kaliska, Borowo, Borucino, Załakowo, Przyjaźń, Widlino, Miechucino, Somonino.

View the wider travel overview: Karthaus.