Discover Sorau: trails, nature and history

For a stay in Sorau, nature, outdoor activities and architectural history offer different themes to explore. The municipality of Żary has both a walking trail and hiking and cycling routes with different itineraries; historic churches, a palace and a park add to the landscape. If you are looking for hotels in Sorau, you can use these themes to consider what to focus on when planning your trip.

Trails and landscape

A walk along the “Dolina Szyszyny” trail takes about two hours and covers 2.3 kilometres. The “Dolina Szyszyny” nature and forest educational trail runs alongside a river characterised by deep gorges. The “Dolina Szyszyny” area also contains the ruins of a historic mill and a dam dating from 1932. There is also a medieval hillfort, which is listed in the register of monuments.

Zielony Las in the municipality of Żary features abundant vegetation, varied terrain and three observation towers. Two tourist trails, a Euroregional cycling route and the “Zielony Las” nature and forest educational trail run through the area. The signposted red cycling route, “Wielka Pętla Łużycka,” leads towards the Lusatian Neisse.

The hiking trails can also be distinguished by the places they connect: a 23-kilometre black trail runs from Żagań to Żary and passes through the municipality of Żary. A green trail connects Żary and Gubin, while a red trail connects Żary and Łęknica. When planning, you can therefore consider either a single excursion with an approximate duration and distance or routes between named places.

Architectural history and parkland

The ruins of the palace in Włostów date back to the late 15th or early 16th century. The building, originally built for defence, was extensively remodelled in the Neoclassical style in 1803. The park in Włostów forms a separate part of the area's history: E. Petzold designed it in 1864 on behalf of the Tülff family, who owned the estate at the time. The park covers 10.5 hectares and includes a water system of four ponds and canals. The surviving trees include a sycamore maple with three-lobed leaves, an unusually lobed English oak and a distinctive lime tree formed from two trees that have grown together.

The ruins of the Gothic church in Złotnik retain richly studded entrance doors, a Gothic two-bay ribbed cross vault, remnants of polychrome decoration and vault corbels in the form of faces. While Włostów highlights the history of a palace originally built for defence and the design of its park, the surviving architectural features in Złotnik offer a glimpse of Gothic architecture.

Churches and local history

Lubanice is home to a 13th-century Gothic church associated with penitential crosses and a monument to Mikołaj Jakubica, creator of written Lower Sorbian. Sieniawa Żarska has a 14th-century Gothic church and a rectory dating from 1737. This allows different historical periods and architectural styles to be included in your trip plans.

The Izba Dziedzictwa Kulturowego in Bieniów offers another perspective on local history. It was established in 2009; its exhibits are connected with the history of the villagers who settled there after the Second World War. Thus, alongside churches and the park, the experiences of the post-war period are another theme in the municipality of Żary.

Discover more destinations: Lipinki Łużyckie, Lubsko, Brzostowa, Dobrzyń, Łęknica, Sieniawa Żarska, Chlebice, Dluzek, Żary, Czaple.

Back to the regional travel overview: Lubusz.