Unusual Pomorskie – Kociewie for curious tourists, part 1

Kociewie is a dream destination for people who avoid crowds and noisy resorts, but at the same time want to discover new places for themselves. Lost villages among forests and swamps, traces of history in the form of strongholds, ruins of castles and churches, forgotten cemeteries and extraordinary monuments – these are the attractions of Kociewie that you will not find in a typical tourist guide.

It is also worth mentioning that a bicycle will be useful for trips during which you will rediscover Kociewie – over 400 kilometres of bicycle trails have been marked around the Kociewie lakes, through forests and villages, which lead to the farthest corners of the region.

Kociewie magic places

On the headlands and islands of the lakes, in the bends of meandering rivers and among difficult-to-access swamps, you can see traces of old strongholds. These are small elevations, semicircular ramparts with depressions. In Slavic antiquity and in the Middle Ages, there could have been about a hundred strongholds in Kociewie. Their dense distribution indicates that they were located on a popular trail.

Today, we can find their traces, among others, on Godziszewskie Lake in a place called Czapla Gora, and the path through the Siwialka Gorge to the stronghold is very pleasant. The rampart of the former stronghold is clearly visible in the forest on the Wierzyca River near the Pogodki village, and in the vicinity of the Cieple near Gniew, you can find as many as three traces of strongholds. Finding traces of strongholds can be a challenge – to facilitate orientation in the area, some of them are marked with boards.

Mysterious ruins and forgotten cemeteries

While traveling along the roads and wilderness of Kociewie, we have a good chance of coming across old, sometimes completely forgotten cemeteries, ruins of churches, manors and other buildings.

In the grove near the Plociczno village, there are ruins of the XIXth-century garden founded by the pastor – Johannes Muelradt. He created a small, showpiece orchard here, commissioned the construction of two gazebos, as well as a stone circle, in the middle of which stood the Hindenburg monument. Today, the place looks very mysterious and you can see how nature is absorbing it – some columns are still standing, others are overturned, and parts of the walls are covered with moss.

In the forest by Semlinskie Lake, you will come across the remains of an Evangelical cemetery. Forgotten for many years, in 2023, thanks to a social initiative, the cemetery was tidied up. Many tombstones with legible inscriptions were discovered, and overturned stones were placed back on its original places.

Mementos of the former inhabitants of the region are former Evangelical churches. In the village of Opalenie near the Vistula River, the tower of an abandoned Lutheran church leans out from behind the trees. By the neo-Gothic temple, we will find the remains of an old cemetery. The post-Evangelical church in Pogodki is in a similar condition. The now empty window openings were once decorated with multi-coloured stained glass. Inside, several inscriptions and fragments of wall paintings have been preserved.

The Walichnowy Lowlands were once inhabited by the Mennonites. This is where the old Mennonite cemeteries can be found today in Walichnowy Wielkie, Walichnowy Male, and Miedzylez.On the Kalebie Lake in Osiek, we can see the remains of the walls of a Teutonic castle that stood here centuries ago. Although looking at this small fragment of walls it is hard to imagine the appearance of the stronghold that existed here centuries ago, it is worth visiting this charming place and learning about its history, presented on information boards.

In Skarszewy, there is an inconspicuous fragment of a medieval castle of the Hospitallers Order. In the XVIIth century, the castle was partially destroyed. The cellars and the lower part of the residential building have survived to this day. Today, it is the seat of the Municipal Cultural Center. On the front wall, we can see traces of bricked-up windows and entrances.

Zobacz także: Nieoczywiste atrakcje Kociewia – dla dociekliwych turystów (część 2)