Ostrów Wielkopolski

The architecture of Ostrów Wielkopolski comes mainly from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the most interesting features is the neo-Romanesque, neo-Barogue and Secession houses; the timber-walled former Evangelical church from 1978 (now the Church of Our Lady, Queen of Poland); the secondary school, more than 150 years old, on the street “ulica Gimnazjalna”; and the synagogue, which combines features of a Moorish style with Renaissance motifs. Neo-Renaissance elements can be found in the Ostrów Town Hall of 1828. In a number of Ostrów buildings valuable stained glass has been preserved. One of the most important monuments of Ostrów is undoubtedly the Old Cemetery on the square “Plac Bankowy”. This is one of the oldest cemeteries in Poland ( older than Powązki in Warsaw or the Rakowiecki Cementery in Kraków). Here are buried many famous people from Wielkopolska, among others, the Reverend Augustyn Szamarzewski, patron of Polish businesses in the Prussian partition Jan Kompałła, who inspired the founding of the Polish Catholic grammar school (one of the first in Wielkopolska); and the distinguished writer Gustaw Bojanowski. Ostrów Wielkopolski is also an important cultural center. Events are held here on a regional, national and international scale. The town is noted for its festivals concerts: the competition for foreign music students with the Antoni H. Radziwiłł Prize the Chopin festival, a cycle of summer Sunday concerts of Romantic music; the international Festival “Chopin in the Colors of Autumn. Very interesting exhibitions are also held by the District Gallery of Contemporary Art, the Public Library and the Municipal Museum. These institutions invite leading Polish artists, writers and poets to Ostrów.

The Gallery of Contemporary Art in Ostrów, opened in 1983, performs an important role in the cultural life of the district. Since 1991 it has acted as the district cultural center. It seeks to make contemporary fine arts better known through the organization of exhibitions, meetings with artists, art education. One of the most important events are “EGERIA”, the biennial exhibitions of Polish art; “Artistic animations”, a series of meetings with secondary school pupils; “Drawing School” a preparatory course for entrance examinations to the Academy of Fine Arts.

Ostrów is known not only for its strong cultural traditions: its sportsmen also boast many successes. Men’s basketball is extraordinary popular. The Stal Ostrów team is one of the best in the country, and league matches attract thousands of fans to the stands. The Ostrovia basketball and handball teams also score many successes. At the Stal Ostrów Sports Club the section for boys’ basketball, weight-lifting and athletics all show good results.

Speedway competitions are very popular among the inhabitants of the Ostrów District and sportsmen from the speedway club “Iskra” participate in League II meetings.

Not only professional sport flourishes in Ostrów: there is widespread interest in the various amateur leagues. The most popular among the young people is the Ostrów Basketball League, in existence for more than a dozen years and comprising 29 teams, not only from the territory of the District, but also from Pleszew, Konin, Kalisz, and Krotoszyn. The games of the Indoor Amateur Football League arouse intense excitement. The league has existed for 10 years and comprises 19 teams, including teams from Kalisz and Ostrzeszów.

Pupils from the primary, middle and secondary schools throughout the whole district have also achieved distinction in sport at the regional and national level. The local government authorities are concerned with the development of a sports infrastructure to serve not only the children and young people but also the adult inhabitants of the region. Those who enjoy physical activity have at their disposal modern sports centers with bodybuilding gymnasia, sports fields, tennis courts, an open-air swimming pool and two indoor pools. The holiday and sports center “Piaski-Szczygliczka” offers recreation in the fresh air and provides for the residents of the town and its surroundings overnight accommodation, a campsite and the loan of water-sports equipment.

Skalmierzyce

The first mention of Skalmierzyce appeared in 1357 in the region of Kazimierz Wielki ( the Great ). The village of Skarbimierze was then already in existence. This name was many times modified in the course of the centuries until in 1827 it received its present form. For more than a hundred years, from 1815 to 1918, Skalmierzyce was o borderline settlement dividing two great powers, Russia and Prussia. The monumental railway station is a relic from historical period. The neo-Gothic building of the border station was built 1904-09 on the design of the architect Herman. It is one of the finest examples of railway station architecture in Poland. The local register of historic buildings comprises 261 items, including residential buildings, mansions, churches, chapels and presbyteries. The best known buildings include the former Custom House from the middle of the 19th century, the post office and the primary school on the street “ulica Kaliska”.

The most attractive features for tourists in the environs of Nowe Skalmierzyce include the park at Śmiłów and Boczków, established in the 19th century; the palace at Kotowieck, built in 1842; and the 19th mansions at Mączniki, Węgry, Chotów and Miedzianów. At Śliwniki near Skalmierzyce can be found the ruins of the neo-Gothic palace of the Niemojewski family. These ruins are a favorite place for outdoor painters and photographers.

Noteworthy among the churches in the area are those of St. Catherine in Skalmierzyce, of St. Bartholomew the Apostle in Biskupice Ołoboczne (1927), of All Saints in Doroszewo (1783), of St. Nicholas in Gostyczyn, of the Birth of Our Lady in Ociąż.

Odolanów

In the locality of Odolanów, in the environs of the village of Gliśnica, lies an archaeological site, a burial-place from pre-Lusatian culture (the 2nd bronze age) of about 1600 BC. In Odolanów itself buildings worth visiting include the late Baroque church of St.Martin from 1794 and the wooden church of St.Barbara with its shingle roof, built in 1784.

The regional museum and public library are situated in the building of the local arts centre. The centre offers a rich cultural programme and also organises many regular outdoor events. Among the most interesting are annual Days of Odolanów, which bring together many thousands of spectators from the region, the country and even from abroad. The local group “Kapela znad Baryczy” sing the traditional songs of the town. This kind of music provides an excellent record of the everyday history of the town, the region and the country. The songs of the group describe the realities of economic and political life, of sport and culture. Members of the group appear in many radio and television programmes and give concerts in Poland and abroad. “Kapela znad Baryczy” is the official music group for the prestigious sporting event, the Tour de Pologne.

Odolanów has good sports and recreational facilities: a swimming pool, sports ground, foot-ball stadium, modern sports hall and an anglers’ centre KRIO. At Huta can be found a beautifully situated riding centre , together with hotel and restaurant. In Odolanów accommodation is available at the hotel “Nad Kurochem”, which has 54 beds, and restaurant “Nadbaryczna” is noted for its tasty cuisine.

Raszków

The first mention of Raszków comes from the 13th century. In 1293 the name of the place was recorded for the first time in the Kościan book of records , the “Księga Grodzka”. Raszków received town rights in 1444. It is, however, relatively poor in historical buildings and monuments. The 19th century town hall is situated in the market square and next to it stands a monument to the Wielkopolska Uprising ( Pomnik Powstańców Wielkopolskich ).

In the southern part of the town we can see the neo-Gothic church of the Holy Cross (Podwyższenie Krzyża Świętego). Inside can be found a wooden carving of the crucification of Christ, a picture of Our Lady of Częstochowa, and in the vestibule a wooden cross from the 19th century. The northern part of this locality is rich in beautiful forest, among the finest in Poland.

Ostrów Wielkopolski

The surroundings of Ostrów constitute so-called “green lungs” for the inhabitants of the town and provide excellent terrain for hiking and cycling, especially in the environs of Wysocko Wielkie and Sadów. The past history of these areas can be seen in the archaeological sites from the Roman period, in the mansions and in the places with with their parks. The palace of the Lipski family in Lewków is one of the most interesting historic buildings. It was built in the 18th century in the Classicist style. It houses the museum of palace interiors, in which we may admire the former possessions of a distinguished family; the splendid polychromes of Antoni Smuglewicz, furniture of great value, crystal and Meissen porcelain. Behind the palace extends the English-style landscaped park from the end of the 18th century with its varied stands of trees, lake and island. One of the most interesting historic buildings in Sobótka is the neo-Renaissance/Secession palace of the Steigler family from 1898-99, covered with wild vine and set in a beautiful park. In Górzno there is an impressive neo-Classicist palace from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Ostrów has also a well – developed center for tourism and recreation. Overnight accommodation is provided, for example by the “Delphi” holiday center in Wysocko Wielkie and the “Augusto” guest-house in Górzno. For those who desire a more active form of recreation we recommend the horse-riding in Wtórek, which not only provides instruction in horse-riding but also organises interesting competitions and contest, or the airfield at Michałków, where the Ostrów “Aeroklub” holds courses in gliding, parachuting, flying and model making, and organises tourist flights over the town and its surroundings. At this airfield are held, among other events, the European championships in glider acrobatics, which bring together the best performers of this spectacular and beautiful sport.

In the Ostrów area the local Olympics club holds events and meetings with leading sportsmen, trainers and sports activists. The club also seeks to popularize the Olympic idea by organising sports events and festivals for children, young people and adults, both for professionals and for people of more modest, non-Olympic abilities.

One of the largest artistic events in the Ostrów locality is the amateur arts festival “PATAGO”, in which participate pupils from all the educational centres in the area. The festival presents the most diverse art forms, from folk and modern dance to exhibitions of art and theatrical, vocal and instrumental performances.

Przygodzice

The recreational facilities of the area are enhanced by its attractive location, thick forest rich flora and many ponds and pools. The area of Przygodzice ponds is regarded as one of the most important sites in Poland for the protection of birds. More than 250 species of water birds appear there and many of them have chosen to nest on the Przygodzice waters. The area is further distinguished by the number of rare species of insects and plants to be found there. In 1996 the country park “Dolina Baryczy” was opened, covering 87 000 hectares of which 4000 hectares fall within the Przygodzice area.

Specially marked trails are provided for hikers. One of these is the so-called trail of the historic Antonin oaks. The Antonin oaks hold second place in Europe as regards their size. They are considered to be more than 400 years old, with a circumference of over 700 centimetres and a height of over 30 meters.

The architectural gem of the region is the larch-wood palace, Pałac Myśliwski, built by Count Antoni Radziwiłł between 1822 and 1824. To this palace Frederick Chopin came to relax and compose. It is now a meeting-place for lovers of Chopin’s music, not only from Poland but also from whole world. Neglected and in a state of decay, the palace was rescued thanks to the personal intervention of Jerzy Waldorff, and many piano and chamber concerts are held there. Every year the prestigious international festival “Chopin in the Colours of Autumn” is held here in memory of this great composer and his music. Performers have the use of a Steinway piano of the highest quality, donated by Wincenty Broniwój-Orliński. It is the gift of a Polish patriot, an act of homage to the nation and state, given on the 150th anniversary of the death of Frederick Chopin. The inscription on the memorial plate affixed to the piano reads: “In the jubilee year of the great Pole Frederick Chopin, with reverence and love for Polish nation, this instrument is offered to Wielkopolska by Wincenty Broniwój-Orliński, officer of Armia Krajowa (the under-ground army), participant of the Wielkopolska Uprising and former delegate of the government of the Polish Republic to Germany. Hamburg, 1999.”

Antonin is well-known holiday centre. Holidaymakers come here not only from the Ostrów district but also from Lower Silesia.

Sieroszewice

The beautiful forest, rich in undergrowth, in the Sieroszewice locality is very popular with those who live in the area and attracts many visitors from nearby Grabów, Ostrów and Kalisz.

Two nature reserves, “Majówka” and “Niwa”, were opened to preserve areas of mixed forest. Within the boundaries of the locality several specially preserved avenues of trees can be seen: lime trees in Sieroszewice, birch in Masanów and oak in Raduchów. The finest local examples of architecture include the late Gothic church in Ołobok and the remains of the Cistercian convent dating from the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. Particularly noteworthy are the decoration of the prioress’s stall, the choir and musicians’ stalls, and the fine Romanesque-Gothic crucifix from the middle of 13th century. In Ołobok there is also a small wooden church from the 16th century. In Rososzyce can be seen a Classicist church dating from 1818 and an Eclectic palace from 1875, surrounded by a park. The wooden cross in Kania, sculpted by Paweł Bryliński and erected in 1859, will be of interest to every tourist. Similar crosses may be found in many other places in the Ostrów district. They are not only of great historic value, but also bear witness to the skill of the sculptor. In the Sieroszewice locality the regional song and dance group “Ołobok” has flourished for more than 40 years. The group maintains the old traditions, the ceremonies, songs and dances of the region.

Sośnie

The locality of Sośnie is particularly attractive for nature lovers, walkers and those who like to be physically active.

The forest together with the country park “Dolina Baryczy” is a great attraction for those who love the countryside. The Sośnie locality directly borders on the Milicz ponds and is thus inviting for bird-lovers and anglers. Many rare species of water birds appear here, and a special attraction is the chance to see the white eagle. Tourist can be accommodated at the hostel “Biały Daniel” in the Moja Wola settlement. There is also a campsite for visitors and tasty, healthy food can be obtained.