Zduńska – Nature, Hiking Trails and Culture

The most important nature and tourism attraction in Zduńskowolski County is the Międzyrzecza Warty i Widawki Landscape Park, which covers the southern part of the county. There are three PTTK-marked trails in the county: two hiking trails and one cycling trail. These are joined by the Łódzki Szlak Konny, as well as museums and historic buildings in several places.

The landscape park protects the valleys of the Warta, Widawka, Grabia, Oleśnica, Nieciecz and Wierznica rivers. Its total area is 25,330 ha. The high banks reach up to 45 m; from there, you can enjoy wide views of the landscape and see ancient limestone formations. The wetlands provide breeding habitat for waterbirds. These landscape features make the park an important destination for travellers interested in river valleys, riverbank formations and bird habitats.

Woodlands are also part of the county’s natural landscape: the Wojsławice nature reserve is one of the region’s forest reserves. Near the destination, in the Strońsko area, a hiking trail runs for several kilometres along the edge of the deep Warta Valley. So, alongside the park’s expansive landscape, woodlands and valley edges offer nature experiences in their own right.

The red “Uroczyska i rezerwaty” hiking trail starts at Zduńska Wola railway station, passes through dense woodland and the “Wojsławice” and “Jabłecznik” nature reserves, and ends at Męcka Wola railway station. It is 16 km long. From Męcka Wola, you can return to Zduńska Wola on trains operated by Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna. The starting point is in Zduńska Wola. The route length, its course and the railway station at the end give you specific points to consider when planning this hike for the day.

The green “Wokół Zduńskiej Woli” hiking trail is 22 km long and connects Zduńska Wola, Zapolice, Strońsko, Beleń and Poręby. It differs from the red trail in both its length and the places named along the route. The blue “W środku Polski – ziemia znana i nieznana” cycling trail is 61 km long and offers a separate option for a bike ride. The distances alone do not tell you how long walking or cycling will take, but they can help you plan your day around the distance you want to cover.

The Łódzki Szlak Konny also runs through the county. The range of equestrian tourism activities available there includes individual or group riding for amateurs, carriage rides, rides in Western wagons, carriages or sleighs, more challenging riding in suitable landscapes, historical re-enactments and hippotherapy. The over-62-km-long Szlak św. Maksymiliana Kolbego passes through Zduńska Wola, which is described as the birthplace and baptismal place of the saint.

In Strońsko, the Church of St Ursula stands on the high bank of the Warta. The Romanesque architectural monument was built in the 13th century and later remodelled several times; it is considered one of the oldest religious buildings in central Poland. A semicircular stone tympanum of unknown origin is set into the vestibule. It depicts a basilisk devouring a grasshopper, surrounded by a braided ornament.

Wojsławice is home to a palace and manor complex described as a valuable monument. It includes an eclectic palace built by the Siemiątkowski family at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a brick Neoclassical manor house dating from the first half of the 19th century, and the remains of a brick fortified manor house from the 16th century. On an island in a small pond are also the remains of a brick knights’ castle built by the Wężyk family around the middle of the 16th century. Preserved features include remains of the walls of two rooms in the southern part and remnants of a tower.

The Regional Chamber in Wojsławice holds more than 5,000 exhibits related to folklore and folk traditions from Zduńskowolski County and the Sieradz region. In Zduńska Wola Karsznice, the Skansen Lokomotyw includes an Izba Historii with documents on the activities of Zakład Taboru Kolejowego and a model of the Karsznice railway settlement. The exhibition at the Muzeum – Dom Urodzenia św. Maksymiliana Marii Kolbego covers the stages of Father Kolbe’s life and work, his journey from Zduńska Wola through Poland and the world to sainthood, and his martyrdom in the starvation bunker at KL Auschwitz. By prior arrangement, the Muzeum Historii Miasta Zduńska Wola offers access to a regional library, museum lessons and guided tours of the city and its surroundings.

When choosing a hotel, you can first consider whether you mainly want to spend your stay hiking, enjoying nature or visiting cultural sites. If you are planning a longer hike, the red trail offers a route with named nature reserves and a railway station at the end; if you are looking for cultural sites, you can explore the different places and their distinct themes.

To compare other destinations, you can also explore Łask, Łęczycki, Skierniewice, Tomaszowski, Radomsko, Poddębice and Kutno.

How long is the “Uroczyska i rezerwaty” hiking trail?

The red hiking trail is 16 km long and ends at Męcka Wola railway station.

Which marked routes are available for hikers and cyclists?

There are three PTTK-marked trails in the county: two hiking trails and one cycling trail. The green hiking trail is 22 km long, and the blue cycling trail is 61 km long.

Can you return by train from the end of the red hiking trail?

From Męcka Wola, you can return to Zduńska Wola on trains operated by Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna.

For the main travel overview: Lodz.