Three historical themes help visitors get their bearings in Sowno: the Renaissance furnishings of the church, the former hunting residence in Podlesie and a memorial in the town centre. If you are looking for a holiday rental in Sowno, these themes can help you first decide whether the town’s cultural heritage fits your travel plans. For more on the area’s history, the wider destination of Stargard offers a separate thematic focus.

Renaissance furnishings in the church

The furnishings of St Mary Magdalene’s Church in Sowno include a Renaissance altar and a pulpit with polychrome wooden sculptures. The sculptures were made by Nuremberg woodcarvers in the workshop of Peter Schultz. A bas-relief of the court jester Mikołaj Hinze is another item of the church’s furnishings. The Renaissance altar was brought to the village church in Sowno in 1720. This distinguishes two points in time: the carvings date from the 16th century, while the date 1720 marks the altar’s later relocation. The altar, pulpit and relief each offer a different connection to the history of art and the town. If you are considering visiting the church to see its furnishings, check in advance whether it is possible to enter.

Podlesie and the former hunting residence

Podlesie is now an integral part of Sowno and is associated with the history of Duke Jan Fryderyk’s hunting residence from the second half of the 16th century. The wooden residence has not survived, but valuable historical furnishings from the residence can be found in St Mary Magdalene’s Church in Sowno. Two different historical traces therefore come together here: the lost estate and objects from it that are now in the church.

The Augsburg art collector F. Hainhofer visited the palace in Podlesie. According to his account, the former hunting residence had two storeys, a chapel on the ground floor, rooms above it and a tower rising above the roof. This description refers to the former residence, which has not survived. The individual parts of the building can be read as a historical picture of the estate: a chapel below, rooms above and a tower rising above the roof.

A memorial in the town centre

At a road junction in the centre of Sowno, a memorial commemorates German soldiers who fell on the fronts of the First World War. Its dedication adds a distinct theme of remembrance to the history of the church and the residence. The town’s historical furnishings and architectural history, as well as the remembrance of the fallen in the town centre, are therefore both part of its story.

Stargard: city history and routes

The wider destination of Stargard has other historical highlights. St Mary’s Church and Stargard’s medieval town walls were recognised as a Monument of History by an ordinance of the President of the Republic of Poland dated 17 September 2010. The town walls are among the few examples of medieval fortifications in West Pomerania that have survived almost along their entire length, complete with defensive gates and bastions. A museum exhibition in Stargard presents the city’s history from its founding in the 13th century to the beginning of the 18th century.

Routes and events offer further points of interest there: the “Stargard – Jewel of Pomerania” circular trail passes through the Old Town and is about 3 kilometres long. The red cycling route “Through the Drumlins of the Stargard Region” runs from Stargard via Lipnik, Zieleniewo, Morzyczyn, Grzędzice, Żarowo, Rogowo and Lubowo, returning to Stargard. The historical festival “In the Land of the Griffin” is described as an event for whole families, history enthusiasts and people who would like to spend an active weekend in June. When planning, the approximate length of the circular trail, the cycling route and the stated June weekend can each provide a different point of reference.

Discover more destinations: Pęzino, Morzyczyn, Granica, Stargard Szczeciński, Chociwel, Dobrzany, Brudzewice, Koszewko.

For the wider travel overview: Stargard.