Starogard County: Discover Nature and Cultural Heritage

Landscapes and trails

The Tuchola Forest in Starogard County has numerous hiking, cycling and kayaking routes. The municipality of Osiek lies entirely within the protected area of the Tuchola Forest. If you enjoy spending time outdoors, you can therefore make the landscape and your preferred activity the focus when choosing a location. The routes cater to different ways of exploring a region: on foot, by bike or on the water.

The landscape in the municipality of Skarszewy is also shaped by rivers. The valleys of the Wierzyca and Wietcisa are protected landscape areas. The meandering Wietcisa is the Wierzyca’s largest tributary there. The Brzęczek Nature Reserve is a specific natural attraction: it covers 26 hectares of woodland and includes Lake Brzęczek.

For walks with a special focus on plants, the Wirty Arboretum makes an ideal destination in its own right. It is one of Poland’s oldest forestry dendrological gardens. Walking paths lead through the arboretum, allowing visitors to admire its distinctive plant life. Skarszewy also has a marked green Skarszewy Tourist Trail, as well as marked hiking and cycling routes. The red Kociewie Lakes Tourist Trail starts in Skarszewy and ends in Szpęgawsk. If you would like to plan a stay along a specific route, you can take these starting and ending points into account when choosing a location.

Historic sites and cultural discoveries

Fragments of the defensive walls have been preserved in the old town of Starogard Gdański. The Gothic parish church of St Matthew dates from the 14th century and has a rich Baroque and Rococo interior. The Bożnica, a Jewish synagogue from the 19th century, is also located in Starogard Gdański. It is the only Jewish synagogue in Kociewie. These three distinctive features offer different points of interest: town fortifications, religious art and Jewish heritage.

Other sites add to the region’s character. The Gothic church of St Barbara in Kokoszkowy is built of stone and brick and has been preserved in its original form since the 14th century. In Skarszewy, the Hospitaller castle dates from 1305; today, it houses the Municipal Cultural Centre in Skarszewy. The Starogard Gdański Stallion Stud was founded in 1897 and has a collection of horse tack. In Rokocin, the manor house forms part of a manor-and-park complex whose country-estate traditions date back to the 16th century. The historical connections vary, ranging from medieval religious buildings and a castle to manor traditions and a collection of horse tack.

Choosing a location to suit your interests

Nature and history can be considered as separate focuses for your trip, without combining them into a single itinerary. For families who enjoy including a variety of discoveries in their holiday, the places described offer specific themes: river valleys and woodland, plant trails, historic buildings or the history of horses. In Rokocin, visitors can learn to ride and drive a horse-drawn carriage. The grounds of Grodzisko Owidz include reconstructed huts belonging to a herb gatherer and a fisherman; events with a historical theme are held there. The park at the manor house in Sumin has educational trails, and its grounds are used for recreation and leisure.

Proximity to transport routes may also be a factor when choosing a location. National Road 22, known as the “Berlinka,” and the Tczew–Chojnice railway line run through the municipality of Kaliska. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first decide which of the different sides of Starogard County is of particular interest to you during your stay.

Places in Starogard County also include Lubichowo, Linowiec, Rynkówka, Pinczyn and Smętówko.

For an overview of the wider region: Pomerania.

More destinations

More places in the same destination:

Karthaus, Schlochau, Marienwerder.