Apparently, there’s no better place in Greater Poland for birdwatching than the Warta Landscape Park. As the name suggests, the park primarily encompasses the wide, floodplain valley of the Warta River, which attracts thousands of birds in spring and summer. It’s also one of the most popular sections of the Great Waterway Loop of Greater Poland. However, you don’t have to explore the park by kayak, you can also easily do it by bike or on foot. In the past, the marshy valley attracted not only birds but also the Cistercian monks seeking solitude, and it was they who built a magnificent abbey in Ląd.
Birds’ republic
Today’s landscape is the result of the traditional use of the valley, dependent on the river’s changing rhythm, with regular high-water stages creating seasonal inundations. Numerous oxbow lakes appear between meadows and reed beds. There are few human settlements, and those that exists are situated either on high riverbanks or elevated hills. The wet meadows provide a perfect habitat for hundreds of thousands of birds. The symbol of the Warta Landscape Park is the northern lapwing. Besides, you can spot storks in nearly every village.
Cistercians from Ląd
A unique place, slightly hidden among the Warta’s floodplains. This is precisely the kind of location sought by the Cistercians, who wished to fully dedicate themselves to their principle: ora et labora – pray and work.
Ląd Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Ląd. Its history dates back to the 12th century, when Duke Mieszko III the Old sponsored the monastery and endowed it generously. Between 1720 and 1730, the monks commissioned the renowned architect Pompeo Ferrari to carry out a thorough reconstruction. The monumental dome covering the monastic church in Ląd is mainly his work. The most valuable part of the abbey is the Oratory of St. James the Apostle, which dates back to earlier periods. The room features stunning polychrome paintings from 1370!
Kayaking on the Warta River
Regardless of the season, the best way to explore the park is from a kayak. Professionally prepared marinas are located in Ląd and Pyzdry, but kayaks can also be launched in Ciążeń and near Białobrzeg. The Warta River flows quite lazily along this section. You just have to watch out for sandbanks and the cable ferry in Ciążeń. Moreover, there are a lot of companies organizing kayaking trips along the river.
Pyzdry
This charming small town stretching along a high riverbank of the Warta hides a big history. Pyzdry was once one of the most important towns in Greater Poland. It even made history when the firearms were used for the first time in Polish lands, during the siege of the local castle. This and many other events are depicted on the largest mural in Greater Poland. In addition, you can discover more stories in the museum in Pyzdry, which also houses one of the few surviving Dutch-style windmills.
