Miłków

• The “Miłków” History and Nature Trail is three kilometres long and runs through the grounds of the former village.
• Woodland, plants and beaver-flooded areas now grow on former house, barn and farmstead sites.
• The historical heritage includes a sandstone cross and gravestones made of Bruśnie limestone in the cemetery.
• The residents of the former village were resettled to Bessarabia in 1941.
• Since 2000, an annual church indulgence service has been held in Miłków, attended by people from Miłków who travel from across Poland.

The trail is three kilometres long and runs through the grounds of the former village. Its name itself points to two perspectives: history and nature. For your visit, it offers a way to understand Miłków not just as a point on the map, but as a landscape with a history of settlement. The route has a defined length, so you can plan it as a distinct part of your trip.

The village no longer exists. Woodland now grows on the former house, barn and farmstead sites; there are also beaver-flooded areas and plants. The present-day landscape and the former use of the grounds belong to different layers of time at the same place. If you are mainly interested in nature, the woodland and flooded areas are characteristic features here. If you are looking for local history, you can view the trail in the context of the former village.

A sandstone cross in Miłków probably dates from the early 20th century and was restored in 2024.

The historic cemetery also preserves traces of the former village community: its material evidence includes gravestones made of Bruśnie limestone. Together with the cross and the History and Nature Trail, the cemetery offers a historical perspective on Miłków. These three elements are distinct: the trail crosses the grounds of the former village, the cross is a restored stone marker, and the gravestones preserve the memory of the former community in a different material form.

The residents of the former village of Miłków were resettled to Bessarabia in 1941. This historical detail provides a specific point of reference for the history of the place. Since 2000, an annual church indulgence service has been held in Miłków, attended by people from Miłków who travel from across Poland. The resettlement and the service belong to different periods in the place’s history: the first account describes an event in 1941, while the second describes a religious tradition that began in 2000 and takes place every year.

Miłków may be of particular interest when choosing a destination if you would like to explore a former village, its material traces and the present-day landscape. This gives it a different character from a visit focused mainly on a surviving town centre.

If you would like to read more profiles of localities, you can find information here about Świdnica, Gmina Lubaczów, Basznia Dolna and Narol.

How long is the History and Nature Trail?

The “Miłków” trail is three kilometres long and runs through the grounds of the former village.

What happened to the residents of the former village in 1941?

The residents were resettled to Bessarabia in 1941.

What historical evidence can be found in Miłków?

The historical heritage includes a sandstone cross, probably dating from the early 20th century and restored in 2024, and gravestones made of Bruśnie limestone in the historic cemetery.

For the broader travel overview: Lubaczów.