A square market square and a town hall dating from 1796 give Soldau (Działdowo) a distinct historic center. At the same time, the Old Town retains its original medieval street layout. The Interactive Museum of the Teutonic Order State opened in the town hall on August 13, 2013. Here, the townscape and the exhibition come together in one specific place.
City history in the museum and on the market square
The interactive exhibition on the Teutonic Order State spans two floors; the first consists of five chronologically arranged halls. The municipal Muzeum Pogranicza offers a different perspective on time. It is housed in the rebuilt Dom Duży, adapted for cultural purposes. Its permanent exhibition, entitled “Działdowo – miasto i ludzie dawnego pogranicza,” covers the history of Działdowszczyzna from antiquity to the mid-20th century. This places the chronological arrangement of the first exhibition alongside the broad historical sweep of the second.
Memorial sites and Gothic architecture
The Teutonic Order Castle in Działdowo is part of the “Szlak Zamków Gotyckich,” the Gothic Castles Trail. Another memorial site is in the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria: the Shrine of the Blessed Martyrs of Działdowo commemorates Archbishop Antoni Julian Nowowiejski and Bishop Leon Wetmański, who were martyrs of the camp in Działdowo. The former barracks building is also part of the town’s history. It is considered particularly significant historically and a testament to the martyrdom of the Polish nation.
Parks and cycling routes around Soldau
For a change of pace from historical sites to outdoor activities, Park Honorowych Dawców Krwi offers walking paths, a high ropes course, outdoor trampolines and a stage. There are also four signposted cycling routes around Działdowo, each marked with its own color. The routes are connected to one another; roughly halfway along each route, rest areas with shelters, sports fields and stone barbecue pits are located along the way.
One cycling loop passes through the protected ecological use areas of Ptasie Bagno and Torfianki Działdowskie. The wetland landscape there includes wet meadows and peat excavations. So, as you cycle, you can follow the routes marked in different colors while also taking in the changing scenery between paths and wetlands.
The wider landscape of Powiat Działdowski
Looking beyond Działdowo, you’ll find the Welski and Górznieńsko-Lidzbarski Landscape Parks in the western part of Powiat Działdowski. The Wel flows through the county and is a left-bank tributary of the Drwęca; the Wkra also crosses the powiat and flows into the Narew as a tributary. The county area also includes all or part of the Ostrów Tarczyński nature reserve.
The Piekiełko section lies along the Wel kayaking route in the wider Powiat Działdowski. It runs through a deep gorge; strong currents and fallen trees characterize this stretch. It is recommended for experienced kayakers. This information can help you plan if you’d like to explore the landscape from more than just the riverbank.
Getting there and event dates
Działdowo is on the Warsaw–Gdańsk national railway line, with connections to Olsztyn. For road travel, the junction of regional roads 544, 545 and 542 is another useful landmark: Road 544 runs between Mława and Lidzbark, Road 545 leads to Nidzica and Road 542 to Ostróda. Check current timetables and routes for your trip.
A recurring event in the cultural calendar is the Działdowski Jarmark, a fair for antiques, crafts and healthy food. The event brings together culture, craftsmanship and local creativity. If the fair is important to your travel plans, check the event dates in advance.
Discover more destinations: Kopaniarze, Murawki, Naguszewo, Nowa Wies, Działdowo, Grądy, Lidzbark, Uzdowo, Rybno.
For the overview of the wider region: Warmia-Masuria.
