Lubusz Nordic Walking Trails – In the land of water and natural peculiarities – Gorzów, Kłodawa and the surroundings

Parks and Gardens M. Gorzów BLUE TRAIL

Route: Chrobrego Street by the bridge over the Kłodawka River – Siemiradzki Park – Odrodzenia Polski Avenue – Kopernika Park – Walczaka Street
Route type: scenic
Difficulty level: easy
Walking time: 1.5h (4 km)
Attractions: Beautiful city parks, in some places with the shape of a dense forest. In Kopernika Park remains of a German cemetery.

Ernest Hensler Monument

At the beginning of route at the crossroads of Łokietka and Chrobrego streets there is a monument of a painter standing by his easel. It is a monument of Ernest Henseler, a well-known painter from Gorzów, who lived from 1852 to 1940. He was born in Wieprzyce and died in Berlin, but he loved landscapes on the Warta River, for which he often came back here. His paintings can be found in numerous world galleries. The closest one is in Dekert Museum in Gorzów.

Henryk Siemiradzki Park

It is located in the centre of Gorzów Wielkopolski, on the hills surrounding the old town. It has an area of 9.6 ha. Thanks to the terrain diversity, it is one of the most beautiful green areas in the city. There is an amphitheatre in which artistic events are organized. It was created in 1869-1908 thanks to the activities of the City Beautification Society. Before the war, it was called Quilitzpark after the banker Friedrich Qulitz, who allocated both the land and the funds for the park. The park has retained its typical forest character with the predominance of old deciduous trees. The trees grow in a considerable compactness, which has lost the habit of park trees. The dominant species is the common maple. Sycamores, field maples, elm, robinia acacia and lime trees have a significant share in the tree stand.

Zacisze Park

Before the war it was called Schonfliespark after its founder, professor of mathematics, Arthur Moritz Schönflies. It was built on the site of former gardens and vineyards. It was extremely popular among walkers who liked climbing the hills, and in winter – among sledders. At the beginning of the 1980s, during the construction of Renaissance Avenue, the toboggan run and a large glade built in the interwar period disappeared. The area of over ten hectares was significantly depleted. Some trees were also cut down. On one of the hills called "Kozacza Góra," there is a viewing point in the form of an ornamental gazebo, which offers a wonderful view of the city panorama. The viewing pavilion was founded by Emil Benjamin, a Berliner from Landsberg. The building is openwork. Its domed roof is supported by six thick Doric columns. The hill has been called "kosakenberg" since time immemorial and it may be a memory of the visit of the Cossacks in 1627 during the 30-year war, who tried to conquer Gorzów. The park has a typical forest character. The road network is and in fact has always been minimal, mainly due to the strongly undulating terrain. Zacisze Park is connected to Siemiradzki Park.

Nicolaus Copernicus Park

It is located in the northern part of Gorzów Wielkopolski, established on the site of the former cemetery by Stilon’s employees in 1973 as part of a social project. The German Evangelical cemetery was established and consecrated in 1831. The cemetery was expanded many times and in 1935 it covered the area of 17.93 ha, which is the size of today’s Copernicus Park. The oldest part of the cemetery was located near today’s fountain. Near the current intersection of Walczaka and Pomorska streets there was a part for the distinguished. Within over 100 years many prominent citizens of Landsberg were buried in the Evangelical cemetery, among others Leopold Bornitz (1853), Karl Teike (1922), Max Bahr (1930). The Nürnberg and Paucksch families were buried here. During the First World War, the cemetery had a separate section for the fallen German and Russian soldiers. In 1940 there was a separate section for soldiers killed in the Second World War. In 1945 victims of Soviet repressions against Germans were buried in mass graves. The cemetery was formally used between 1946 and 1947, but it was finally closed down in March 1961 by a decision of the then minister of communal services. What remains of the former cemetery is a chapel. A stone gravestone of the Vollmar family has been preserved to this day in the northern part of the park. In the southern part, near the Evangelical church, a lapidarium was created, in which the remains of tombstones found during the exhumation carried out in 2006 were placed. In the park you can come across squirrels. The decoration of the park is a fountain, there is also a traffic town.

Wieprzyckie Hills BLUE TRAIL

Route: Loop starting and finishing at the bicycle path starting at Dobra Street
Route type: scenic
Difficulty level: easy
Walking time: 0.5h (2 km)
Attractions: The trail runs through the varied terrain of the Wieprzyckie Park. A highlight is the nearby Gorzowskie Murawy Reserve.

Wieprzyce

Wieprzyce is a village of medieval Slavic origin known as Weperzow. Founded on an oval plan, it was first mentioned in documents in 1325 as the property of Gorzow townsmen. Thanks to its location on the Warta River it was also a fishing village. Before the war it was known as Wepritz and had its own port on the Warta River. The Holy Trinity Church existed already in 1325, burnt during the 30-year war, rebuilt, burnt again in 1765, rebuilt in 1833 in classicistic style. The village was divided in 1972. Wieprzyce Górne became a district of Gorzów Wielkopolski, while Dolne became a village in Bogdaniec commune.

Ernest Henseler

Wieprzyce is the birthplace of painter Ernst Henseler (1852-1940). He painted genre scenes from Wieprzyce, Jeżyce, Niwica, Jenin, and Bogdaniec. While working on them, he also made many excellent sketches. He remained faithful to realism in his art to the end of his life, perfectly using colour and light. He did not search for means of expression to create new art. Compositions painted in the open air, or finished in the studio, always retain the freshness and depth of their experience. His paintings are in the collections of museums, among others: in Deutsches Historisches Museum, Nationalgalerie and Stadtmuseum in Berlin and also in Jan Dekert Lubuski Museum in Gorzów Wielkopolski. In 2004, after the liquidation of the forgotten tomb of the artist’s family in the Berlin cemetery in Zehlendorf, a modest monumental tombstone made of red granite was brought to Gorzów Wielkopolski and placed in a square by the Holy Trinity Parish Church in Wieprzyce.

Gorzowskie Murawy

"Gorzowskie Murawy" is an area of 79 ha located in Wieprzyce. This nature reserve was established in 2006 in order to preserve xerothermic plant communities. The grassland complex is one of the most valuable natural objects of its kind in western Poland. The richness of plant species and the state of preservation of plant communities make this area extremely attractive in terms of nature. The dominant grasses are tussock grasses such as: Stipa capillata, hard fescue, and timothy Brehmer’s grass. Apart from the grasses, there are also species of thermophilous dicotyledonous plants such as: Salvia pratensis, Potentilla, Campanula sibirica, and Dianthus arenarius.

Czechówek Park GREEN TRAIL

Route: Railway viaduct at Warszawska Street – park paths – Warszawska Street
Route type: scenic
Difficulty level: easy
Walking time: 0.5 h (2 km)
Attractions: The trail runs through varied terrain of the park. The attraction is the charming places, ravines, springs, streams

Czechowek Park

Established in 1927 as Goldeckwäldchen, located on the eastern outskirts of the town, at the exit of Warszawska Street to Santok, area 34.30 ha. There are numerous springs, ravines with steep slopes and an elongated glade – the former Zaręczyn Meadow. The glade is surrounded by deciduous forest on one side and coniferous forest on the other. The park is decorated with two picturesque ponds and its area is crossed by a small, cascading Złoty Potok. In the 1930s, at the eastern end of park, a Forest Inn was built – a place for meetings over beer and cards. A typical forest park, it is often visited by forest animals such as wild boars and roe deer. In 1932 at its southern end a megalithic tomb from 4.000 years ago with the remains of 17 people was discovered. In the tomb were found axes, chisels, two tusks of a wild pig, amber ornaments and a clay cup. The tomb has been partially reconstructed and is now located in the dendrological garden of the Dekert Museum in Warszawska Street.

Czechów

Czechów (Zechow) has a medieval origin. Its name was supposed to come from Czech warriors supporting Duke Mieszko I during his fights for the mouth of the Warta River to the Odra River. The German version of name – Zechow – according to German historians, was supposed to be derived from the Slavic "cec," meaning woman’s breasts, and symbolizing the fertility of land. The first document concerning the village was issued by Władysław Odonic, the Duke of Greater Poland, when he granted Zechow to the Templar Knights Order in 1238. From the Middle Ages to the 18th century the inhabitants dealt with fishing and only to a small extent with agriculture. In return for the right to catch fish they were obliged to sell them on the landsberg market. The preserved settlement from the 10th century, located 400 m north-east of the village, confirms the ancient history of Czechów.

Around Wełmińskie Lakes BLUE TRAIL

Route: Route around two Wełmińskie lakes. Beginning and end at road 22 near Zdroisk
Route type: scenic and nature
Difficulty level: easy
Walking time: 1h (4 km)
Attractions: Lakes located in a postglacial basin, surrounded by beautiful forest. In Zdroisk there is a tradition of smelting

Not much is known about the history of this village. The Wełmino Duże Lake, also called Police Lake, is located by the national road No. 22 Gorzów Wielkopolski – Gdańsk, between the villages of Zdroisko and Wełmin. The water surface is 24 ha, maximum depth 19 m, length of the shoreline 2325 m. The lake is located in a deep post-glacial trough. In the north-western part of this lake is a recreation centre of the Voivodeship Police Headquarters. There is a guarded bathing site, pier, refreshment stand and parking lot. The shores have moderate to fairly steep slopes. The rushes are narrow and loose. It is formed by common reed, water club and sedges. The lake is rich in fish, dominated by bream, perch, roach, bleak, sometimes you can catch eel, pike or carp.

Lake Wełmino Male

The lake has a water surface of 8 ha and is about 700 m long. On the south side, there is a wild, picturesque beach, a favourite place for walkers and cyclists. It is characterized by a steep and sloping shore. Interesting is the information confirmed by divers, that this body of water has two bottoms. The first one is a thick blanket of water plants, the second (real) is under it. The dominant fish are perch, tench, bream, accompanied by pike, roach and silver bream.

Wika Inn

In Wełmice there is "Wika" Inn. Wika is a diminutive of Wiktoria, which is our little victory. The Inn is a family business and offers dishes of Polish cuisine. The pride of this Inn is a beer garden among the pines. With the hosts you can communicate in English, German, Russian. There is free wireless internet and satellite TV. The company cooperates with the "Mam marzenie" Foundation, which makes dreams come true for children suffering from life-threatening diseases.

Zdroisko

Zdroisko (German: Zanzthal) is located by the road from Gorzów Wielkopolski to Strzelce Krajeńskie. The small Santoczna River, a tributary of the Noteć River, flows through the town. In 1767-1870 there was a steel mill "Zanzthal" producing metal sheets, rods, iron bars, tools, nails and needles. The raw material needed for production was imported from Witnica, Krosno, the Harz Mountains and from Russia via Szczecin. A commemorative stone, pieces of melted iron, a bar and a lock of the front door have remained until today. Another ironworks founded in 1782, also by order of Frederick II, produced artillery ammunition for 3-6-12 pounder cannons. It especially flourished during the period of Prussia’s struggle with Napoleon.

Santoczna

The river is located in the northwestern part of Poland. Its length is 32 km. It is a tributary of the Pełcza River, which also measures 32 km. This small river had an important role in the development of this area. As Zanze (Santoczna) it gave the name to several villages which later formed the rural community of Zanzhausen (Santoczno), Zanzthal (Zdroisko), Zanzmühle, Zanzhammer (Sącznik). The first settlement in this small area was a mill called Stollenmühle, moved by the waters of the Santoczna River. The Santoczna flows through the areas of the Myśliborski and Strzelce-Drezdenko counties. It flows into the Pełcza River near Górki Noteckie.

Buki Zdroiskie

The nature reserve was established by order of the Minister of Forestry and Wood Industry in 1982. It was created to protect a fragment of natural mixed forest, with a large share of Pomeranian beech with characteristic herbaceous vegetation, occurring at the limit of its range, on the slopes of a picturesque gorge along the Santoczna River. The total area of this reserve is 75.57 ha. It is located in a beautiful forest landscape of the Santoczna River valley – not deformed, natural, meandering with numerous meanders with characteristic terraces. The area is a continuous strip on both sides of the river with a total length of about 5 km and width of 50 to 370 m. Reserve stretches between the villages of Zdroisko and Górki Noteckie. In the reserve dominate stands of older classes, aged over 50 years, and many single specimens reach 200 years. These are multi-aged stands, with the participation of beech, oak, hornbeam, elm, pine and spruce and other admixture species, usually with a rich undergrowth of the above-mentioned trees and hazel, birch, cherry and buckthorn.

Mironickie Loops BLUE, RED, GREEN TRAIL

Route: Two loops start and end in Santock before the Asylum, the third in Mironice
Route type: scenic and historical
Difficulty level: easy
Walking time: blue 2.5h (8.5 km), red 1.5h (6 km), green 1.5h (6 km)
Attractions: The tradition of Mironice dates back to the times of the Cistercians. Already then the surrounding streams were dammed up and lakes were created. Santoczno also has interesting smelting traditions.

Santoczno

Santoczno (Zanzhausen) is a village located at the end of a narrow, postglacial trough of Mrowinko Lake, in a place where the Santoczno (Zanze) River flows out. Santoczno was first mentioned in the 16th century in the inventory of the Mironice estate, where it was stated that ‘salmon fishing on the Santoczna River belongs to the Elector’. In the census of 1685 there is already a mention of the mill on the Santoczna River (Zanzmuhle).

Metallurgy

Between 1765 and 1767 by order of king Frederick II the Great, an ironworks (Eisenwerk) was built in place of mill. After the ironworks was opened, the settlement on the Santoczna River increased. The village was planned on a regular square plan with a central square. Production and storage buildings were located on the river side, in the northern and southern parts, and two-storey timbered houses for the ironworks employees were built on the eastern side. Especially during the Napoleonic wars, the smelter produced artillery splash shells, the so-called "kartacze.” Apart from that, equipment for gun crews was manufactured, as well as articles necessary on a farm, such as shovels, pickaxes, axes and saws. In 1785 some parts for the first German steam machine (Feuermaschine) were made in the forge in Santocany. The machine was built in Mansweld and put into operation on 23.08.1786. In 1856, the forge was sold and the new owners manufactured agricultural machines. The plant prospered until 1945, after which the smelter equipment was dismantled and taken away.

Church

The only thing the rapidly developing settlement lacked was a church. In 1767 one of the warehouses located on the southern side of market square was turned into a church. The first entry in the parish book was recorded in 1771. In 1782 an annex with a staircase leading to empora and attic was added. Today it houses a historical chamber, where souvenirs of the former inhabitants are gathered. At that time the church was enriched with authorities. In 1818-1819 a tower of timber framing was added to the north-western elevation, covered with a tent roof and topped with a ball and cross. Two bells from a Berlin bell workshop were mounted in the tower. Both can still be heard today, because the tower’s construction, despite the renovation, does not allow for excessive exploitation. There are four clocks mounted on the tower, unfortunately they are non-functional today. Only the electronic mechanism strikes quarter hours, half hours and hours. Since 2000 a major renovation of the church is underway. Most of the work was done by the inhabitants of village. The church is very well maintained now. Young couples come here, even from Gorzów, to get married in this little church with a soul.

Interesting facts

To commemorate the history of Santoczno, in 2005 on the square in front of the church a stone with a cast of the first German steam engine model was placed. Near the bridge on Santoczno there is a small lapidarium made of tombstones from a German cemetery. During the Second World War the village was a place of concentration of the Second Polish Army.

Dobra Mironickie, Mironice

The Trail name Mironice Loops comes from the Mironice estate to which the Santoczno area belonged in the Middle Ages. This was due to the location of the monastery in Mironice on the Kłodawa River near Kłodawskie Lake. Margrave Waldemar in 1311 for 300 Brandenburg silver fines sold 12 lans in Kłodawa to the abbot of Kołbacki and the monks from Crevestorpe and confirmed the properties in Kłodawa, Santock, Chwalęcice, Małyszyn and Łupowo, with the right to hunt and fish, income from the salt brewery, ore mines, with the purpose of founding the abbey. In 19th century the Mironice estate became a property of von Bayer family, who built a complex of farm buildings and classicist manor house connected with the park in terms of composition. The building was erected in 1830 according to the project of an unknown architect and is a typical example of classical nobleman’s residence in the region.

Santoczno

Santoczno (Zanzhausen) is a village located at the end of a narrow, postglacial trough of Mrowinko Lake, in a place where the Santoczno (Zanze) River flows out. Santoczno was first mentioned in the 16th century in the inventory of the Mironice estate, where it was stated that ‘salmon fishing on the Santoczna River belongs to the Elector’. In the census of 1685 there is already a mention of the mill on the Santoczna River (Zanzmuhle).

Metallurgy

Between 1765 and 1767 by order of king Frederick II the Great, an ironworks (Eisenwerk) was built in place of mill. After the ironworks was opened, the settlement on the Santoczna River increased. The village was planned on a regular square plan with a central square. Production and storage buildings were located on the river side, in the northern and southern parts, and two-storey timbered houses for the ironworks employees were built on the eastern side. Especially during the Napoleonic wars, the smelter produced artillery splash shells, the so-called "kartacze.” Apart from that, equipment for gun crews was manufactured, as well as articles necessary on a farm, such as shovels, pickaxes, axes and saws. In 1785 some parts for the first German steam machine (Feuermaschine) were made in the forge in Santocany. The machine was built in Mansweld and put into operation on 23.08.1786. In 1856, the forge was sold and the new owners manufactured agricultural machines. The plant prospered until 1945, after which the smelter equipment was dismantled and taken away.

Church

The only thing the rapidly developing settlement lacked was a church. In 1767 one of the warehouses located on the southern side of market square was turned into a church. The first entry in the parish book was recorded in 1771. In 1782 an annex with a staircase leading to empora and attic was added. Today it houses a historical chamber, where souvenirs of the former inhabitants are gathered. At that time the church was enriched with authorities. In 1818-1819 a tower of timber framing was added to the north-western elevation, covered with a tent roof and topped with a ball and cross. Two bells from a Berlin bell workshop were mounted in the tower. Both can still be heard today, because the tower’s construction, despite the renovation, does not allow for excessive exploitation. There are four clocks mounted on the tower, unfortunately they are non-functional today. Only the electronic mechanism strikes quarter hours, half hours and hours. Since 2000 a major renovation of the church is underway. Most of the work was done by the inhabitants of village. The church is very well maintained now. Young couples come here, even from Gorzów, to get married in this little church with a soul.

Interesting facts

To commemorate the history of Santoczno, in 2005 on the square in front of the church a stone with a cast of the first German steam engine model was placed. Near the bridge on Santoczno there is a small lapidarium made of tombstones from a German cemetery. During the Second World War the village was a place of concentration of the Second Polish Army.

Dobra Mironickie, Mironice

The Trail name Mironice Loops comes from the Mironice estate to which the Santoczno area belonged in the Middle Ages. This was due to the location of the monastery in Mironice on the Kłodawa River near Kłodawskie Lake. Margrave Waldemar in 1311 for 300 Brandenburg silver fines sold 12 lans in Kłodawa to the abbot of Kołbacki and the monks from Crevestorpe and confirmed the properties in Kłodawa, Santock, Chwalęcice, Małyszyn and Łupowo, with the right to hunt and fish, income from the salt brewery, ore mines, with the purpose of founding the abbey. In 19th century the Mironice estate became a property of von Bayer family, who built a complex of farm buildings and classicist manor house connected with the park in terms of composition. The building was erected in 1830 according to the project of an unknown architect and is a typical example of classical nobleman’s residence in the region.

Three Lakes Trail BLUE, RED TRAIL

Route: Beginning and end of both loops by Road 22. The red trail is an extension of the yellow trail
Route type: scenic and natural
Difficulty level: easy
Walking time: blue 1.5h (6 km), blue + red 2.5h (8.5 km)
Attractions: The trail runs through the Barlinecko-Gorzowski Landscape Park and near the Gorzów OOSiR. In the summer, it can be reached by MZK bus.

Nierzym Lake

The lake with an area of 18.8 ha is located west of the village of Zdroisko in the Barlinecko-Gorzowski Landscape Park. It is 7.5 m deep and about 900 m long. It has no inflows or outflows. The shores of this lake have moderate or gentle slopes. The bottom in the north-eastern part is muddy, and around the other shores it is sandy. The shores are overgrown with pine forests. Beech, birch, oak, spruce, rowanberry, hornbeam, alder, aspen and wild black cherry can also be found here. Rushes cover 90% of the shoreline. It consists of: Cladium mariscus, reed bulrush, lesser bulrush, common bulrush and sedges. Waterweed is scarce here. The dominant fish species are: roach, bream, perch, there are also the silver bream, rudd, bleak, tench, pike and carp. There is a bathing site and a recreation centre by the lake. In summer you can get there by bus.

Barlinecko-Gorzowski Landscape Park

The Park named "Barlinecko-Gorzowski Landscape Park" was created in 1991. It constitutes a fragment of a large forest complex of primeval nature – the Barlinecka Forest (also called the Gorzowska Forest). The Landscape Park is located mainly in the Gorzów Plain mesoregion, with only a small northern part in the Myśliborsk Lakeland mesoregion. Its landscape and natural values include mainly forests, lakes and meandering watercourses in the form of rivers and numerous streams preserved in their natural state. The area of park stretches on a sand plain formed by waters flowing from the melting glacier. The sand surface is not flat, it is crossed by rift channels and depressions. The lakes are connected with rivers, forming picturesque sequences of flow lakes. They are connected by the Santoczna, Przyłężek, Pełcz and other watercourses. These rivers, with their naturalness and purity of water, give specific and charming beauty to the area of the Barlinecko-Gorzowski Landscape Park.

Flora and Fauna of the Park

The flora of this park includes a total of 639 species of ferns and flowering plants as well as 138 species of lichens, including 41 species considered to be nationally extinct. In the area rich in various habitats there is a very rich fauna of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Among the vertebrates, birds, fish and game mammals were the best identified. Of the 142 species of birds found in the park, 105 nest in the park, while others were observed at different times. The following rare species are under species protection: white-tailed eagle, osprey, lesser spotted eagle, red kite, black kite, owl, black stork, crane, goldeneye, kingfisher, woodpeckers and others.

Around Lubie Lake (7 km)

Route: Lipy – around Lubie Lake – Lipy
Route type: scenic and natural
Difficulty level: easy
Walking time: 2h (7 km)
Attractions: The educational station in Lipy is an attraction. Trail runs through a varied natural and landscape area.

Surroundings of Zdroisko

The surroundings of Zdroisko abound in lakes, rivers, smaller and larger bodies of water, as well as swamps and marshes. Most of the lakes are located close to each other on the course of the Santoczna River, which flows through Zdroisko.

The largest of them is Lubie Lake, also called: Lipy Duże. The water surface is about 80 ha, the maximum depth is 8.9 and the length of shoreline is 5.8 km. The Lubie Lake is a nice channel lake completely surrounded by forests. It is possible to camp there, which is why it is frequently visited by the inhabitants of Gorzów and the neighboring towns during the summer season. By the lake there is a camping site with a bathing beach and pier. The lake has a water connection from which you can swim to Mrowinko Lake and Chłop Lake. It is also possible to make a very nice trip through Mrowinko and Santoczno lakes to Zdroisko. The Lubie Lake is well known to fishermen for its large specimens of mirror carp.

Lipy (Lübesee)

A forest settlement with a forester’s lodge on the southern edge of Lubieszewko Lake. After the war it was the seat of the Forest District and now it is the seat of the Ecological Education Station. An excellent place for hiking and fishing trips to Lubie, Mrowinko and Mrowinko Małe lakes and the Santoczna stream. The village administratively includes Lubociesz – a forest settlement on the north-western edge of the Lubie Lake. Before the war there was the seat of Forest District and forestry, now there is a holiday resort of the former "Stilon.” At present it is a holiday resort of the former "Stilon.” It is inhabited by 73 people altogether.

Education Station

In Lipy there is a Forest Education Station. It is also the seat of local office of the Barlinecko-Gorzowski Landscape Park and the "Ujście Warty" Landscape Park. The Forest Education Station is surrounded by lakes, forests, meadows and peat bogs of the Barlinecko-Gorzowski Landscape Park. The station has a spacious, roofed shelter with a fireplace for frying sausages, where you can also see a permanent exhibition of illegal poaching tools. Lessons take place on an agreed date. During the spring and autumn seasons, due to very high interest, reservations are required at least two weeks in advance. On site, during education, participants use various types of equipment such as: magnifying glasses, binoculars, microscopes. They learn to recognize plants and animals. Interesting facts about the Barlinecko-Gorzowski Landscape Park are presented on hanging maps and banners, and numerous photographs can be viewed during a multimedia projection.