Zwoleń is a place believed to come from the beauty of the Polish literary language and the history of the old Polish hospitality. There are many souvenirs and places left of Jan Kochanowski although the old talking linden is not there any longer. It was in Kochanowski’s poem that the tree was allowed to talk. Zwoleń and its surroundings are fantastic places not only for contact with cultural heritage. Here you can go hiking and cycling, as well as you can visit nature reserves and even practice water sports.
From Neanderthal to Renaissance master
Zwoleń, situated at the intersection of roads no 79 Warsaw – Sandomierz and no 12 Radom – Lublin has a rich past. It was granted city rights almost 600 years ago by Władysław Jagiełło, but the history of the settlement in this area is much older and is ….over 65 000 years old! This was demonstrated by archaeologist research, the result of which can be found in the exhibition on the market square in Zwoleń. Bone remains of ancient animals found by scientists include the mammoth and the flint tools of the Neanderthals are one of the oldest traces of human presence in today’s Poland.
The oldest historic building in Zwoleń is the parish church of Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On the northern side of the church, there is the Kochanowski Chapel with a crypt in which the remains of Jan of Czarnolas and his family are buried.
In the vicinity of the church, the Regional Center was established at the Jan Kochanowski Necropolis with the Regional Museum. One of its most interesting exhibits is the chalice of Hieronim Kochanowski offered to the Brotherhood of the Rosary and the reliquary with the relics of the Holy Cross Tree.
The trail of Jan Kochanowski
In order to reach the most important places associated with the father of the Polish literature from Zwoleń, you can set off in two directions: south to his birthplace or north – east, straight to Czarnolas.Jan Kochanowski was born in 1530 in Sycyna, that can be reached by road no 79 driving from Zwoleń towards Sandomierz. Archaeologists have unveiled the foundations of the 14th century manor in a former Sicilian park. It was identified as the family seat of the Kochanowski family, and soon afterwards the park was renovated and a picturesque pond was taken care of, the most famous place associated with the master Jan is Czarnolas, where the poet spent the last years of his life. His mansion burned down a long time ago, and a neo-Gothic chapel was built on the remains of the building. The Jabłonowski manor, built in the 19th century, houses the Jan Kochanowski Museum with a permanent exhibition devoted to the life and work of the author of „Threnody”. From the chapel, also used for exhibition purposes, you can walk along the linden avenue to the place where the most famous leafy lyrical subject in Poland grew. Today, in the place of the linden tree, there is a flat stone, and the legend says that whoever sits on it, will be endowed with poetic inspiration.
Natural idyll and active recreation
A large part of the vicinity of Zwoleń is protected landscapes and nature reserve. They include, among others, Zwoleńka River Valley with a valuable fauna and flora refuge, as well as a historic park complex in Strykowice Górne, a palace and garden complex in Jasieniec Solecki or the Miodne forest reserve inhabited by such animal species as the black stork or beaver. In Ługi Helenowskie, you can see elks and cranes. There are also sports and recreational areas that make perfect conditions for enthusiasts of active recreation. At the Agricultural and Technical School, a new sports and recreation complex with a training pitch for playing football, a four – track track, a ball throw, long jump and high jump stand and an outdoor gym was commissioned on November 15, 2019. There are also tennis courts operating in Chopina Street. In the sports and leisure complex located in Zalew Reservoir, you can use water equipment rental and accommodation facilities – bungalows and a campsite. The center is open from May to September.
In Zwoleń
Church of Exaltation of the Holy Cross with the Kochanowski Chapel and the Regional Center at the Jan Kochanowski Necropolis
30 Card. Stefan Wyszyński Street
Monument to Jan Kochanowski with Ursula, sculptured by Władysław Jania
The square of the Public High School of Jan Kochanowski
Sports and Leisure Complex by the lagoon, with bungalows and a campsite
5 Sportowa Street
In Sycyn
The Landscape park with the remains of the Kochanowski manor
In Czarnolas
The Jan Kochanowski Museum
