Discover Brzeziny: Town History and Landscapes

Brzeziny can be discovered from two perspectives: in the town, the market square, churches and town park shape the scene; at county level, river valleys, protected landscapes and trails add to the picture. This allows you to consider town history and nature as distinct elements of your trip.

Town history and churches in Brzeziny

The market square, now Plac Jana Pawła II, has a medieval layout. Brzeziny flourished during the Renaissance in the 16th century. The cloth-making trade and brewing contributed to this; so did its location on an important trade route from Wielkopolska and Kujawy to Kraków and Rus. Records for 1565 mention 460 craftspeople and 30 tavern keepers. In the second half of the century, with more than 300 master clothmakers, Brzeziny was the largest and best-known cloth-production center in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. These figures shed light on different aspects of this development: the variety of trades and the outstanding importance of cloth-making.

The Muzeum Regionalne w Brzezinach is housed in a neo-Gothic palace. The exhibition “Zaginione miasto” draws on the legend of historic Brzeziny as “Little Kraków.” The town’s churches also represent different periods. The Gothic parish church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was built in the 14th century in the oldest part of town; the Lasocki Chapel, dating from the 14th or 15th century, is associated with it. The Church of St. Anne dates from 1719, and its sacristy from the 18th century. Józef Lasocki, the town’s owner at the time, had the Baroque Church of the Holy Spirit built in 1750. The Church of St. Francis of Assisi dates from the early 18th century.

Town park and landscapes in Brzeziński County

Brzeziny’s town park was established after 1945 along ul. Piłsudskiego. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Lasocki family’s English garden stood on this site. The park also includes a glacial town pond that formed around 10,000 years ago. The island in the pond was probably built up. This site therefore brings together more recent town development, an older garden history and a landscape history that reaches much further back.

At county level, protected areas and river valleys shape the landscape. Legally protected areas and objects cover 55 percent of Brzeziński County. Wzniesienia Łódzkie Landscape Park encompasses the western part of the county, including the town of Brzeziny and the municipalities of Brzeziny and Dmosin. The Mroga and Mrożyca river valleys are among the county’s landscape features.

The Mroga and Mrożyca Protected Landscape Area encompasses the municipalities of Brzeziny, Dmosin and Rogów. The Górna Mrożyca Nature and Landscape Complex extends across Brzeziny Municipality; the Dolina Mrogi Complex encompasses the municipalities of Dmosin, Brzeziny and Rogów. The Buczyna Janinowska Natura 2000 site (PLH100017) also includes Brzeziny Municipality. The names refer to different protected areas in the county, including woodland and river landscapes.

Hiking and cycling routes

On the green hiking trail in Wzniesienia Łódzkie Landscape Park, you can follow a connecting path to Brzeziny before crossing a river. Another route idea is a cycling trail of about 69 kilometers: it passes through Brzeziny, Paprotnia, Las Wiączyński, Byszewy, Skoszewy, Las Janinowski and Polik, then returns to Brzeziny. The two descriptions differ considerably in their course: on the hiking route, the turnoff to Brzeziny is the landmark, while the cycling trail forms a longer loop through several named places.

Other routes connect places in the wider region. The leisure trail “Muzeum w przestrzeni – wielokulturowe korzenie regionu łódzkiego” runs from Stare Koluszki via Rochna and Tworzyjanki to Brzeziny. The Dolina Mrogi hiking trail follows the Mroga River from Gałkówek Kolonia to Dmosin Drugi. Check the current condition of your chosen route before setting out.

Cultural sites in the wider region

Cultural and historical destinations can also be found outside the town, in the wider region. In Nagawki, in Dmosin Municipality, the Żywy Skansen – Centrum Folkloru Polskiego houses a wooden cottage from the second half of the 19th century. The Rogowska Kolej Dojazdowa is a narrow-gauge railway dating from 1914. Together with the museum and churches in Brzeziny, these offer travelers a range of options to consider when planning a visit focused on historic buildings, town history or regional culture.

Discover more destinations: Przecław, Witkowice, Brzeziny, Dmosin, Zalesie, Nowostawy Dolne, Łowicz, Zduńska.

Go to the main travel overview: Lodz.