Zduńska: River Valleys, Hiking Trails and Regional History

The Międzyrzecza Warty i Widawki Landscape Park is the main nature- and tourism-related attraction of Zduńska Wola County and covers its southern part. River valleys, riverbanks and wetlands give the nature experience a clear focus.

River Valleys and Wetlands

The park protects the valleys of the Warta, Widawka, Grabia, Oleśnica, Nieciecz and Wierznica rivers. Its total area is 25,330 hectares. In places, the riverbanks rise up to 45 metres. They offer sweeping views across the landscape, while also revealing ancient limestone formations. The wetlands provide breeding habitat for waterbirds and offer a different focus from the elevated viewpoints.

Wojsławice also offers a connection with nature: the Wojsławice Nature Reserve is one of the forest nature reserves in Zduńska Wola County. Near the destination, a hiking trail runs for several kilometres along the edge of the deep Warta Valley in the Strońsko area. Alongside protected river and woodland landscapes, visitors can therefore choose trails with a variety of scenic impressions.

Marked Trails and Distances

There are three PTTK-marked routes in the county: two hiking trails and one cycling route. The red “Uroczyska i rezerwaty” hiking trail runs from Zduńska Wola railway station through extensive forest complexes and the “Wojsławice” and “Jabłecznik” nature reserves to Męcka Wola railway station. It is 16 kilometres long. The green “Wokół Zduńskiej Woli” hiking trail is 22 kilometres long and connects Zduńska Wola, Zapolice, Strońsko, Beleń and Poręby. If you are choosing between these two hiking trails by distance, the green route is the six-kilometre-longer option.

The red trail ends at Męcka Wola railway station; from there, you can return to Zduńska Wola by train with Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna. Check the timetable before your trip. The blue “W środku Polski – ziemia znana i nieznana” route is described as a 61-kilometre cycling trail. The Łódzki Szlak Konny also passes through Zduńska Wola County. Possible forms of equestrian tourism include individual or group riding for amateurs, horse-drawn and Western wagon rides, carriage or sleigh rides, more challenging riding in suitable landscapes, historical reenactments and hippotherapy. Not every activity is available at every point along the trail, and individual operators’ offerings may change.

Romanesque Architecture and Historic Sites

The Church of St Ursula in Strońsko is a Romanesque architectural monument dating from the 13th century. It stands on the high bank of the Warta and is considered one of the oldest religious buildings in central Poland. Built as a Romanesque church in the 13th century, it was subsequently remodelled several times. A distinctive architectural detail can be found in the porch: a semicircular stone tympanum of unknown origin is set into it. It depicts a basilisk devouring a grasshopper, framed by interlace ornament.

Wojsławice is home to a castle and manor complex described as a valuable monument. It includes an eclectic castle built by the Siemiątkowski family at the turn of the 20th century, a brick Neoclassical manor house from the first half of the 19th century, and the remains of a fortified brick manor house from the 16th century. Also in Wojsławice, on an island in a small pond, are the remains of a knights’ castle built of brick by the Wężyk family around the middle of the 16th century. The surviving remains include walls of two rooms in the southern part and relics of a tower. As access conditions may change, check them before visiting.

Museums and Regional Memorabilia

The Muzeum – Dom Urodzenia św. Maksymiliana Marii Kolbego in Zduńska Wola devotes its exhibition to the life and work of Father Kolbe: his journey from Zduńska Wola through Poland and the world to sainthood and his martyrdom in the starvation bunker at KL Auschwitz. The more than 62-kilometre Szlak św. Maksymiliana Kolbego also passes through Zduńska Wola; the city is described as the saint’s birthplace and place of baptism.

The Muzeum Historii Miasta Zduńska Wola offers access to a regional library, museum classes and guided tours of the city and its surroundings by prior arrangement. Plan to book in advance. The collection at the Izba Regionalna in Wojsławice includes more than 5,000 exhibits relating to folklore and folk traditions from Zduńska Wola County and the Sieradz region. The Izba Historii at the Skansen Lokomotyw in Zduńska Wola Karsznice displays documents relating to the activities of the Zakład Taboru Kolejowego and a model of the Karsznice railway settlement.

Discover more destinations: Zduńska Wola, Pabianicki, Rawski, Skierniewice, Łowicz, Zgierz, Radomsko, Wieluń.

For the main travel overview: Lodz.