Kempen: Culture, Nature and Hiking Trails

• Kępno is the only town in Kępno County; the Wrocław–Warszawa and Katowice–Poznań transport routes run through the town.
• The Kępno Land Museum features three exhibitions; admission is free.
• The Laski Arboretum covers just under seven hectares and contains more than 220 species, cultivars and forms of woody plants.
• The yellow-marked WK–193y hiking trail runs for 40.7 kilometres within the county.

At the Kępno Land Museum in Kępno, “Z historii Kępna” is part of the permanent exhibition. The first floor also features “Dziedzictwo Żydowskie w Kępnie” and “Kolory Potworowskiego.” Admission to the museum is free. The programme therefore includes both the town’s history and two other exhibition topics.

The churches also tell different parts of the story. St Martin’s Church in Kępno dates from 1685 and is one of the oldest brick churches in Kępno County. In Bralin, the former Protestant Church of St John the Evangelist was built in 1866–1867 on the site of an earlier Protestant school.

The wooden church “Na Pólku” near Bralin was built in 1711. In recognition of the outstanding restoration of its 18th-century wooden architecture, it received a medal from the Europa Nostra organisation on 25 February 1993. The church is also associated with Saint Hedwig of Silesia’s pilgrimage to Kraków in 1229. The dates refer to different events: 1229 to the pilgrimage, 1711 to the construction and 1993 to the award. Enzle bralińskie complement the historic sites as the remains of a fortified manor: a conical earthwork and traces of a moat have survived.

The Laski Arboretum is a dendrological garden, that is, a garden specialising in woody plants. Its origins date back to 1981. More than 220 species, cultivars and forms of ornamental and forest trees and shrubs grow across just under seven hectares. If you are interested in trees and the diversity of woody plants, you will find a different focus here than at the historic churches.

Other nature destinations stand out for their distinctive features. The Dęby Bralińskie natural monument consists of twelve oaks estimated to be 600 to 800 years old. The 12.27-hectare Natura 2000 site of Baranów is a special area of conservation for habitats with wet meadows near the southern edge of Kępno. In the Studnica Nature Reserve in Rychtal Municipality, spruce trees reach heights of up to 40 metres and diameters of more than 100 centimetres. Geomorphologically, the county lies within the Wysoczyzna Wieruszowska, a landscape with little relief.

The yellow-marked WK–193y hiking trail runs for 40.7 kilometres within Kępno County. Another hiking trail passes the Studnica Nature Reserve and the Laski Arboretum. The trails described here offer different planning reference points: a specific total length for WK–193y and two named nature destinations along the other trail.

The recreation centre in Mikorzyn has a swimming area and a playground; fishing is also one of the activities mentioned there. If you plan a visit, check the latest operating information before setting off. The playground, swimming area and fishing are specific offerings that you can each take into account when planning for your travel group.

Kępno is the only town in Kępno County. The important Wrocław–Warszawa and Katowice–Poznań transport routes run through the town. This provides a specific urban point of reference for getting oriented at your destination; the churches, nature areas and activities are separate topics to consider in your planning. You can then shape the rest of your choices around your travel itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Flatow, Samter, Wreschen, Kalisch and Colmar.

Which exhibitions does the Kępno Land Museum feature?

“Z historii Kępna” is part of the permanent exhibition. The museum also features “Dziedzictwo Żydowskie w Kępnie” and “Kolory Potworowskiego” on the first floor.

Is admission to the museum free?

Yes. Admission to the Kępno Land Museum is free.

What nature and leisure activities are available in Kępno County?

The destinations mentioned include the Laski Arboretum, the Dęby Bralińskie natural monument and the Studnica Nature Reserve. Mikorzyn has a swimming area and a playground; fishing is also one of the activities. Check the latest operating information before visiting Mikorzyn.

Go to the broader travel guide: Greater Poland.