Milicz – Ponds, Birdlife and Cycling Routes

Pałac Maltzanów was built from 1790 to 1798; the Church of St. Andrew Bobola was built from 1709 to 1714. In the Gmina Milicz, the “Dolina Baryczy” Landscape Park covers about 90% of the area. It has educational trails 5 to 9 km long, as well as marked cycling routes. The ruins of Milicz Castle are currently not accessible to visitors.

The neoclassical Pałac Maltzanów was designed by Karol G. Geissler. Its construction from 1790 to 1798 gives the building a clearly defined historical context. The park at Pałac Maltzanów is home to 80 species of shrubs and trees, and the Młynówka Milicka flows through it. A visit to the palace therefore brings both its architecture and the design of its surrounding park into focus.

The Church of St. Andrew Bobola is also part of the town’s architectural history: it was built between 1709 and 1714. The ruins of Milicz Castle, by contrast, are currently not accessible to visitors. The “Stara Rzeźnia” building houses a tourist information office, a conference and event hall, and workshop rooms.

The “Dolina Baryczy” Landscape Park covers about 90% of the area of the Gmina Milicz. A total of 277 bird species have been recorded in the park, including 169 breeding species.

Grabownica is a specific birdwatching site: the 13-metre-high observation tower allows ornithologists and tourists to watch birds and observe the surrounding landscape. The tower stands on the south bank of Grabownica Pond, the largest body of water in the Stawno complex. More than 100 great egrets regularly gather at the pond.

The educational trails vary in length and in the landscapes they cover. The 5 km “Ruda Sułowska” educational trail runs between ponds along dams lined with old oaks and explores the southern part of the Ruda Sułowska pond complex, which is part of the “Stawy Milickie” nature reserve. The 7 km “Wokół Stawu Grabownica” trail starts in the village of Grabownica, ends near the observation tower, and runs entirely through the “Stawy Milickie” nature reserve.

The 8 km “Milicz – Ostoja Konika Polskiego – Barycz” educational trail passes through the landscape typical of the Barycz Valley, with its ponds, meadows and forests. The 9 km “W krainie ptaków” nature trail runs through the Stawno complex. The stated distances help you compare the routes by length; their descriptions also show whether the focus is on ponds, dams, forests and meadows, or the Stawno pond complex.

There are also several named options for cycling trips. The 23 km cycle route along the former narrow-gauge railway runs from Gruszeczka via Sułów and Milicz to Grabownica. The railway operated from 1894; its last train ran on 14 September 1991. The blue “Szlak Stawów Milickich” cycle route is 28.7 km long and runs from Grabówka via Milicz and Grabownica to Czatkowice. A 10.1 km section of the black “W Dolinę Baryczy” cycle route also runs through the Gmina Milicz, from south of Niesułowice to east of Nowy Zamek. In total, there are more than 100 km of marked cycling routes within the municipality.

When looking for a hotel, you can choose your travel focus based on whether you mainly want to explore the historic buildings in Milicz or the routes and observation sites in the Gmina Milicz. For choosing a location, you can also visit the pages for Milicz and Łazy Wielkie. Other destinations to compare: Złotoryja, Oleśnica County, Lwówek Śląski, Dzierżoniów County, Kamienna Góra County, Wałbrzych County.

How long is the “Ruda Sułowska” educational trail?

The educational trail is 5 km long. It runs between ponds along dams lined with old oaks and through the southern part of the Ruda Sułowska pond complex.

Which places does the cycle route along the former narrow-gauge railway connect?

The 23 km cycle route runs from Gruszeczka via Sułów and Milicz to Grabownica. The narrow-gauge railway operated from 1894; its last train ran on 14 September 1991.

What can you observe from the observation tower in Grabownica?

The 13-metre-high observation tower allows visitors to watch birds and observe the surrounding landscape. It stands on the south bank of Grabownica Pond in the Stawno complex.

For the broader travel overview: Lower Silesia.