The trip"s route leads to the Warta Landscape Park. Both the nature and architecture enthusiasts are going to find something of interest there.
Route: Pyzdry - Ciążeń - Ląd - Wrąbczynek - Pyzdry
Route length: c. 30 km
The trip starts in Pyzdry, a small town on an elevated bank of the Warta river. There is not much left from the rich past of the town, which in medieval times used to be one of the four main economic centres in Wielkopolska. Among the buildings that survived are the Gothic old parish church and the Post-Franciscian monastery complex with a church dedicated to the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, which now functions as a parish church. The Regional Museum is located in the monastery buildings. If the weather is nice, it can be interesting to cross the river and admire the beautiful panorama of the town.
We leave Pyzdry for Ciążeń, where the palace of the archbishops of Poznań is located. The local park offers a nice view of the Warta valley. On the way to Ląd we pass the exit to a river ferry crossing and the Saint John the Baptist"s Church.
Then, we go to Ląd, where we will stay for a while. It is best to start the sight-seeing from the Post-Cistercian monastery complex. It is a good idea to ask the Salesian seminary student at the gate for assistance. No trip to Ląd would be complete without seeing the interiors of the beautiful Gothic monastery. The Natural Education Centre of the Warta Landscape Park is located not far from the monastery, in an old manor house. There, one can find out about exploring the Park as well as acquire maps and other publications. Behind the manor house the remains of a medieval burgwall were reconstructed, where at the turn of June and July the Slavic Cistercian Culture Festival is organised.
To end the trip we suggest going back to the other bank of Warta in the direction of Zagórów. If we have the bird watching equipment, 2 km past the bridge we can turn left from the main road into a concrete road going over a flood bank. We will arrive at vast clearings and if we keep quiet and still we may be able to spot birds in their natural habitat. And in the village of Wrąbczynek one can find an inland dune. It is located on the right side of the road, behind the buildings (you can ask for detailed instructions at the Natural Education Centre in Ląd).
