Mazovia is not only economy, investment and an opportunity for a career development. The region also has a lot to offer tourists and those who come here to do business. Everyone can find a lot of possibilities and opportunities to explore and relax here.
Good accessibility, the high level of hotel, catering and transport services, as well as an easy access to many attractions of the Mazovian land promote the development of tourism industry in Mazovia. The tourist offer of the voivodeship is very rich. The region can be explored in many ways. The region is the homeland for many prominent Poles: Frederick Chopin (Żelazowa Wola) – Jan Kochanowski (Czarnolas), Kazimierz Pułaski (Warka) or Aleksander Świętochowski (Gołotczyzna). Mazovia can be explored by following the traces of the great battles and historical events, as well the trail of manors and palaces. Places, such as Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc, Museum of the Radom Countryside in Radom or Museum of the Kurpie Culture in Ostrołęka attract people interested in tradition. The diversity of the landscape and the rich history and culture of the region allow spending a weekend or an entire holiday interestingly.
Northern Mazovia – Ciechanów and Ostrołęka
There are a lot of historic monuments, such as beautiful churches and remains of old Mazovian castles. A trip in this direction should also include Opinogóra. Ciechanó1)w on the Łydynia River is also worth seeing. The city was established on the areas inhabited already 3000 years B.C. and the castle on Farska Góra existed already in the 7th century. Nowadays, Ciechanów is primarily a significant cultural centre, meticulously caring about the traditions and monuments of the past. The bricked gothic castle is a true treasure – one of the most interesting monuments of the lowland defensive buildings in Poland. The castle of the Mazovian Dukes in Ciechanów is now a museum. One can not omit Farska Góra (the first castle on artificial hill) with a gothic belfry at top, as well as a park and a monument of Ciechanó2)w at the foothills. A sacred landmark of the city is St. Joseph parish church erected in the second half of the 14th century. There is also the neo-gothic Town Hall from the turn of the 14th and the 15th century situated at the Market Square – the charming architectural element of the panorama of Ciechanów.
The Kamieniecka and Biała Forests are passed while heading to the north east of the capital towards Ostrołęka to finally reach the land of Kurpie overgrown by the Zielona Forest. Ostrołęka and its surroundings are full of unpolluted nature, interesting sites and extremely hospitable people and their rich customs – the traditions of the land of Kurpie. Handicraft is still thriving here. Folk artists are engaged in amber craft, paper-cutting, weaving, sculpturing, root weaving, production of ceramic vessels, embroidery and lace-making. The colourful dress of the Kurpie region is the inseparable element of the tradition. Traditional rituals are also cultivated today in the Kurpie region, such as “Wesele kurpiowskie” (wedding of the Kurpie region) in Kadzidło, “Miodobranie” (honey harvest) in Myszyniec or “Palma Kurpiowska” (palm of the Kurpie region) in Łyse. The history of Ostrołęka dates back to the end of the 11th century and the Battle of Ostrołęka in 1831 is mentioned among the turbulent events, which are commemorated in the form of numerous monuments, graves and mausoleums. The must-see places: an early medieval castle nearby the city centre, which is the cradle of Ostrołęka; Market Square – gen. J. Bema Square with the Town Hall and Starosty; the parish church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary (the oldest church in Ostrołęka) and St. Antoni Padewski post-monastery church (the most valuable monument of this part of Mazovia). Museum of the Culture of the Kurpie Region is also worth visiting.
Eastern Mazovia – Siedlce
This is a beautiful region with mild landscape, interesting traditions, history and legends. It deservedly inspires Polish landscape painters. When visiting this part of Mazovia, it is worth seeing Węgrów and Liw, as well as Siedlce, situated 90 km from Warsaw. This is a dynamically developing centre, the history of which is over 500 years old. The Town Hall (the perfect example of town hall marketplace), which was built on the site of the wooden predecessors and later destroyed by fires, is the best starting point for sightseeing. It is decorated by a figure of Atlas holding up the celestial sphere (the common name of the town hall is “Jacek” derived from the legend, according to which, the butler of Aleksandra Ogińska, Jacek, sat to the sculptor). Nowadays, the town hall houses Regional Museum. Baroque and classicist St. Stanislaw church is towering in front of the town hall. There is a palace standing next to the town hall – a classicist palace of magnates. It was erected by the duke Kazimierz Czartoryski and thoroughly rebuilt by his granddaughter – the duchess Aleksandra Ogińska. The neighbourhood of the palace is a park established in the 18th century in the style of an Italian garden, later changed into a sentimental park with wild-growing trees, flower beds, winding paths and canals with numerous islands. Nowadays, it serves as an urban park. The century-old cathedral of Siedlce is a worth seeing monument as well. A monumental church with characteristic towers, seen within a radius of several kilometres from the city, was built according to the medieval rules and proportions. The stained glass windows, destroyed and reconstructed after the Second World War, present the history of the church in Poland and in the Podlasie region.
Southern Mazovia – Radom
The southern Mazovia has two faces. When leaving the capital, we first pass the beautiful forests and picturesque orchards, and then we reach a land rich in historic monuments, manors and palaces of nobility, as well as gothic, baroque and classicist churches. In our travel adventure, we can not skip such places like Czersk or Czarnolas, abut it is also worth popping in Radom, which is located on the Mleczna River and is the biggest urban centre within the forks of the Vistula and Pilica Rivers. The most interesting tourist places in Radom include: the classicist Town Hall (it has preserved unchanged to this day and nowadays houses State Archive), a bugle call is heard at noon from its tower; Dom Gąski i Esterki (tenement houses from the 17th century); Collegium of Piarists (presently Museum of Jacek Malczewski), Stary Ogród (the first public urban park in Radom); and a historic building of an old power plant, which houses “Elektrownia” Mazovian Centre of Contemporary Art.
Western Mazovia – Żyrardów and Płock
It is worth starting sight-seeing of this part of Mazovia in Żyrardó3)w. The historic centre (the only entirely preserved architectural complex of an industrial city from the turn of the 19th and the 20th century) is its unique attraction. A flax factory, which was established at the beginning of the 19th century, gave rise to the city. It was one of the biggest and most modern plants of this type in Europe. In the second half of the 19thcentury, the factory was extended along with a settlement, namely a housing estate for factory workers and its management staff (the estate had churches, schools, nursery schools, a hospital, a social club, “ludowiec” community centre and even a laundry and baths). This historic complex covers the central part of the city – around 70 hectares.
Our trip cannot skip Żelazowa Wola – the birthplace of Frederick Chopin, or Sierpc. The main city in this region and the historical capital of Mazovia, namely Płock, should also be visited. The history of the region probably started here and we can now admire the early medieval castles, as well as monuments of architecture or art of all periods: Romanesque, gothic, baroque and classicist. The city is situated on a high bank, which offers a breathtaking view, such as Tumskie Hill with its cathedral, the Castle of Płock, Mazovian and Diocesan Museum. It is also worth visiting Narutowicza Square (former Rynek Kanoniczny with a palace of the Płock bishops), seeing Odwach (a building of the former guard house), as well as two houses “Pod Trąbami” and “Pod Opatrznością”. Then we can walk along a route, blazed seven hundred year ago, and get to Stary Rynem (market square and the centre of the city life until the 19th century). Further there are: St. Bartholomew parish church, a medieval keep and granaries, as well as the School of Płock. Mazovia is interesting. We encourage you to explore the region.
source: www.mazovia.pl