There are 80 species of shrubs and trees growing in the park of Pałac Maltzanów, and the Młynówka Milicka stream also flows through it. This combination of parkland and waterway gives the castle’s history a tangible connection to the landscape. The Neoclassical Pałac Maltzanów was built from 1790 to 1798 to a design by Karol G. Geissler. The architecture and green space are not merely adjacent talking points here: the park is part of the described setting of the Pałac and has its own botanical diversity.
Building history and getting around Milicz
An earlier point in time is associated with the Church of St. Andrew Bobola: its construction lasted from 1709 to 1714, several decades before Pałac Maltzanów was built. Those interested in the development of architecture can easily distinguish between the two construction periods. They point to different stages in the town’s history, without requiring a longer list of places to visit.
The “Stara Rzeźnia” building is also a useful landmark in Milicz. It houses a tourist information office, a conference and events hall, and workshop rooms. The ruins of Milicz Castle are currently closed to visitors. Check access locally before your trip, as this may change.
Cycling along the former railway line
The 23-kilometre cycling route along the former narrow-gauge railway line offers a tangible link between the landscape and transport history. It runs from Gruszeczka through Sułów and Milicz to Grabownica. The railway began operating in 1894; its last train ran on 14 September 1991. The cycling route can therefore be seen both as a path through several named places and as a trace of the former narrow-gauge railway.
There are more marked cycling routes within the Gmina Milicz as well, with more than 100 kilometres in total. The blue Szlak Stawów Milickich is 28.7 kilometres long and runs from Grabówka through Milicz and Grabownica to Czatkowice. The black cycling route “W Dolinę Baryczy” has a 10.1-kilometre section within the Gmina, from south of Niesułowice to east of Nowy Zamek. The distances make comparison possible; the black route is explicitly described as a section.
Ponds, birds and viewpoints in the Gmina Milicz
The “Dolina Baryczy” Landscape Park covers around 90 percent of the Gmina Milicz. A total of 277 bird species have been recorded in the park, including 169 breeding species. More than 100 great egrets regularly gather at Grabownica Pond. It is the largest body of water in the Stawno complex, and the observation tower stands on its southern shore. The 13-metre-high tower offers a place to observe birds and the surrounding landscape.
These details offer different perspectives on the pond landscape: the bird counts refer to the Landscape Park, while the great egrets and observation tower are specifically located at Grabownica Pond. If you are comparing nature trails, this distinction helps you keep in mind the landscape and location described for each one.
Choose nature trails by length and landscape
The five-kilometre “Ruda Sułowska” nature trail runs between ponds along embankments lined with old oaks. It offers a way to explore the southern part of the Ruda Sułowska pond complex, which is part of the “Stawy Milickie” Nature Reserve. The eight-kilometre “Milicz – Ostoja Konika Polskiego – Barycz” nature trail passes through a mosaic of ponds, meadows and forests typical of the Barycz Valley.
Another route, “Wokół Stawu Grabownica,” is seven kilometres long. It starts in the village of Grabownica, ends near the observation tower at Grabownica Pond, and runs entirely through the “Stawy Milickie” Nature Reserve. The nine-kilometre “W krainie ptaków” nature trail passes through the Stawno complex. The four descriptions highlight different features: the Ruda Sułowska trail focuses on ponds and embankments lined with old oaks, while the eight-kilometre trail features a landscape mosaic; the other two specify that their routes run through the nature reserve and through Stawno, respectively. This lets you choose a route based on its length and the surroundings explicitly described.
Discover more destinations: Milicz, Łazy Wielkie, Legnicki, Bolesławiecki, Świdnicki, Reichenbach, Powiat Lubiński, Kłodzki.
Go to the main travel overview: Lower Silesia.
