Discover Sorau: Cultural History and Nature in the Żary Municipality

Churches, collections and historic buildings

The Izba Dziedzictwa Kulturowego (Cultural Heritage Chamber) was established in Bieniów in 2009. Its exhibits relate to the history of the villagers who settled there after the Second World War. This gives local history a tangible connection to the people who shaped the village after the war.

The churches in the municipality vary in age and appearance. Mirostowice Dolne is home to a 13th-century Gothic church. Mirostowice Górne has a Gothic church with a gate and stone wall dating from the 16th century. In Sieniawa Żarska, there is a 14th-century Gothic church and a rectory from 1737; in Miłowice, a 14th-century Gothic church is joined by an eclectic-style palace from 1916. A 13th-century Gothic stone church has been preserved in Drożków. These dates and centuries show just how far back the building history of these places reaches.

The ruin of the Gothic church in Złotnik preserves distinctive architectural details, including richly studded entrance doors, a two-bay rib vault, remnants of polychrome decoration and vault corbels shaped like faces. In the same village, the village head’s house was opened to visitors for the first time in 2018 as part of the European Heritage Days. At the time, its interiors housed a collection of historic architectural ceramics and an exhibition of historical photographs by the Society for the Care of the Past.

The palace in Włostów also brings together several building phases. The ruin dates back to a building erected at the end of the 15th or beginning of the 16th century, originally designed for defence. In 1803, it underwent extensive remodelling in the Neoclassical style. This sequence highlights the difference between its original character and its later transformation.

Forest trails, river scenery and the park at Włostów

A walk along the Dolina Szyszyny trail takes about two hours and covers 2.3 kilometres. The nature and forest trail runs beside a river whose course is shaped by deep ravines. In Żary County, the marked nature and educational trail leads through the forest to an old mill on the Szyszyna. Along the way, visitors can also observe moisture-loving vegetation and amphibians. Near Biedrzychowice, the trail passes an early medieval hillfort dating from the 8th century.

Zielony Las offers a different kind of scenery, with abundant vegetation, varied terrain and three viewing towers. Two tourist trails, a Euroregional cycle route and the Zielony Las nature and forest trail cross the woodland. The signposted red Wielka Pętla Łużycka cycle route heads towards the Lusatian Neisse (Nysa Łużycka). The walking routes offer further guidance: a 23-kilometre black trail runs from Żagań to Żary and passes through the Żary Municipality; a green walking trail connects Żary and Gubin, while a red one connects Żary and Łęknica.

At Włostów, a landscape park complements the woodland and trails. It covers 10.5 hectares and includes a water system with four ponds and canals. E. Petzold designed the park in 1864 on behalf of the Tülff family, who owned the estate at the time. The trees that have survived include a sycamore maple with three-lobed leaves, an unusually lobed English oak and a distinctive lime tree formed from two trees that have grown together. The natural monument Kamień Diabelski is also located near Grabik.

Further afield: Żary County

Forests cover more than half of Żary County, which is also home to four nature reserves. The wider region’s cultural heritage includes Muskau Park, a landscape park from the first half of the 19th century and an outstanding example of European garden art from that period. It extends across Łęknica in Poland and Bad Muskau in Germany. The two parts are connected by the Double Bridge and the English Bridge.

For a trip focused more on scenery, consider a walk along the Szyszyna, the trails in Zielony Las and the park with its ponds and distinctive trees. You can then choose where to stay based on the experiences you want to prioritise.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Chlebice, Dluzek, Żary, Lubsko, Brzostowa, Dobrzyń, Łęknica, Sieniawa Żarska, Lipinki Łużyckie, Czaple.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lubusz.