Barycz Valley, a natural paradise near Wrocław. Check out the top attractions!

The Barycz Valley is a way to solve urban problems. Do you live in a big city and are overwhelmed by concrete? Do you think that this must be the case, that wildlife and walks in nature are only in remote areas of Podlasie or in the Bieszczady Mountains? Nothing could be more wrong! Explore a magical world less than an hour's drive north of Wrocław! The Barycz Valley is just such a magical world, a beautiful and peaceful corner of Poland, lying on the border of Wielkopolska and Lower Silesia, within two basins - Milicka and Żmigrodzka.

The heart of the Barycz Valley is Milicz, but only administrative. In fact, the most valuable and magical here are the Milickie Ponds. It is only 45 minutes by car from Wrocław or 2 hours from Poznań (national road No. 5). After such a short time, you will move to another world - a wonderful paradise with an extraordinary proximity of birds! So do not look far, beyond the borders of our country, because this Valley is a dream destination for a holiday or a long weekend. Notyet trampled, perfect for a slow travel holiday - unhurried, with a taste of pleasure of every moment. And if you also like to taste fish, it will be your Eldorado.

Barycz Valley - interesting facts

• The largest landscape park in Poland - its area includes the extremely valuable in terms of nature valley of the Barycza River - the right tributary of the Oder River. The Barycz Valley Landscape Park was established in 1996 to protect these unusual water habitats, which are a real bird paradise
• The largest complex of fish ponds in Europe - breeding ponds with their history date back to the Middle Ages and are still great, fish from these ponds are served on tables all over Poland, probably you also often tasted the Milicz carp during Christmas Eve
• The largest Ornithological Reserve in Poland - even in national parks famous for birds, we did not meet as many birds as in the Barycz Valley, and the sunrise is the best time to observe them during the day, and autumn catching is the best season of the year, although spring can show natural spectacles at the local ponds
• Barycz is the most lazy river in Poland - Barycz is 133 km long and the smallest drop among Polish rivers. Barycz is a picturesque mosaic of ponds, wetlands, meadows and forests. Its name already proves it, because Barycz comes from the Old Polish word bara, which means swamp, thanks to its small slope it is perfect for calm kayaking, safe and unhurried

Attractions of the Barycz Valley

If you are planning a longer trip to the Barycz Valley,  it is worth reading our guide to the best attractions of the Barycz Valley. I strongly urge you to take a short trip to this unique region. See what's worth seeing and exploring here in the first place! If you want to find a more detailed description, click on the blue experience name, which is a link and takes you to a detailed description with practical information. You'll also find a map with the exact location of each experience below.

1. Palace and tower in Żmigród

The ruins of the Hatzfeld Palace in Żmigród are one of the most interesting architectural objects in the Barycz Valley. The palace itself was built in the 17th century, on the site of an earlier fortress. It was baroque and looked great until 1945, when the Red Army burned it down. The ruins of the palace in Żmigród are today secured in the form of a permanent ruin and still have a strong effect on the imagination.

And they are surrounded by a romantic park founded in the 18th century, with old specimens of interesting trees and interesting buildings scattered around the park. And if we are talking about romantic moments, you can experience them in the old tower. It stands literally opposite the palace and is a remnant of the former castle. It has four floors and inside there is a tourist information point. At the top, there is an observation deck. But if you want to feel like a princess in a tower, invite your knight here for a night in an apartment where you can spend an unforgettable night. There is an atmosphere.

2. Colorful Carp Trail in the Barycz Valley

Recently, the famous sightseeing consisting in finding figures or sculptures at various tourist attractions has also been prepared in this Valley. And what could it have been other than the famous Milicz carp? It is the most popular fish bred in the Barycz Valley, apparently the local carp is the tastiest in all of Poland. The Milicki carp was created from the crossing of a carp bred on site since the Middle Ages with the Hungarian carp line, thanks to which the Milicki carp is now larger and more resistant.

It is this carp that you should look for at various attractions in the Barycz Valley. And to make it more interesting and attractive for children, the large carp figures here are very colorful and beautifully painted. These are exemplary works of art. Discovering them on the Colorful Carp Trail can be combined with collecting stamps, which will surely appeal to children. The Carps stood, for example, at the palaces in Milicz or Żmigród and at many other attractions of the Barycz Valley.

3. Kayaking in the Barycz Valley

Rafting in the valley is a great pleasure and still quite an unusual attraction, although more and more often offered in other regions. We sailed down the Mill. It is a very slow river (like all here), charming, a lot of the route goes under the trees, so the heat did not bother us. 

Kayaks are 1- and 2-person, they are a great alternative to other activities and exploring the Valley from an unusual perspective, from the water, so significant in this region. The mill does not require any special skills, shallow water and caps make it safe and unhurried flow. It's a real pleasure. You can also run down the Barycza.

4. Bicycle routes in the Barycz Valley

A bike is a great idea in this region. Firstly, it is flat here, so it is pleasant and easy to ride, and secondly, several dozen kilometers of great cycling routes have been prepared here. And these are not paths in the forest that can be simply cycled, but well-prepared routes, often asphalt, wide and well-marked. 

One of the coolest routes is the Former Narrow Gauge Railway Route. This is one of the first bicycle paths in this area, built on the embankment of the former narrow-gauge railway. It is several dozen kilometers long and you will meet several stops (these are former narrow-gauge stations) and attractions. One of them is an outdoor aquarium with live fish from local ponds. A very cool attraction. There are live fish in the aquarium, and on the boards you will learn their names - carp, amur, rope, pike or perch. 

On the route, there are points that are friendly to cyclists, such as agritourism or restaurants. The entire project is coordinated by the Lower Silesian Bicycle Region Association, acting in consultation with many municipalities in the northern part of Lower Silesia. We rented bicycles at Hotel Naturum. This is one of the many places in the region where you can rent two wheels and explore the magical Barycz Valley from the saddle.

5. Carp Days in the Barycz Valley

Carp Days is a wonderful, tasty, colorful and active autumn event that has been celebrated in the Valley for over a dozen years! These are about 10 autumn weekends from September to November, a total of several dozen events in various places in the Barycz Valley. These include fish dinners, fishing competitions, concerts, workshops, ornithological walks, carriage rides and other curiosities for adults and children. The Carp Days attract tourists not only from the area, but from all over Poland, and even from abroad. It's just worth being here then!

6. Alpacas and Brick House in the Barycz Valley

Brick House is a charming rural agritourism in the hamlet of Koruszka. It was created in a historic, brick farm near Milicz. You can spend interesting moments here, also with accommodation. In addition, friendly alpacas and cute dogs are waiting for tourists, especially the youngest ones.

It is a very quiet place, located almost in the forest, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You will take a break from civilization, while enjoying the beautiful scenery of brick buildings and many plants in the company of wooden and ceramic decorations. I really liked this place, and it is a great base to visit this region, because it lies at its heart.

7. Creative Multifunctional Building and Museum of the Bomb in Milicz

KOM from the Bombki Museum is one of the most unique attractions of the Valley. The Creative Multifunctional Facility is an unusual, modern cultural facility that offers a café with a delicious cake (cheesecake spread me over the shoulders), but also a gallery, stage or educational rooms where various workshops are held and a Druha Bolek memorial hall. Field games are also organized here. 

Interestingly, in the past, this was the location of the Bombek Factory and to this day you will feel the atmosphere of Christmas here at the Bombki Museum. This is a unique opportunity to see the glass baubles that we remember from our childhood, in various shapes and colors. There are traditional balls, there are icicles, animals, fairy-tale characters, even Mickey Mouse. Many bombs took off from here to America. The baubles are wonderfully decorated, painted, and the windows are arranged in colors. It looks magical. You will find over 6,000 hand-painted baubles, beautifully arranged. Each one is different!

8. Wildlife in the Barycz Valley

Nature is the most precious treasure of this region. Suffice it to say that it is the largest fish pond complex in Europe and the largest Ornithological Reserve in Poland. Communing with nature is a great asset of this place and a pleasure. I recommend magical sunrises and sunsets over the ponds, with birds singing. September fish catches are also unique, accompanied by numerous wild birds. 

Then the birds feed in large numbers over the ponds and you can watch them at will. Of course, spring is also a good time when the mating season begins. A good place to see birds is the ponds in Ruda Sułowska or Stawy Milickie.

9. Milickie Ponds and the Blue Birds Viewing Tower in Grabownica

Milickie ponds are the heart of the Barycz Valley. This environmentally valuable area is protected in the form of a Reserve. The Blue Birds Observation Tower stood over the ponds in Grabownica. You will almost always see birds from it, we admired the herons roaming in the water. It's a quiet place.

10. Palace in Milicz

Milicz is a historic town worth our attention. It is a kind of capital of the Barycz Valley. The most interesting monument here is the classicist Maltzan Palace built in 1797-98. At the beginning of the 20th century, Maria Von Maltzan was born in a rich palace - a German countess, who later became famous for hiding Jews from the Nazis at her home in Berlin. 

Today, the well-maintained palace houses the Forest Technical School, and the building is surrounded by the oldest English-style park in the region. You will also find here the ruins of a medieval castle, unfortunately they are no longer in good condition and threaten to collapse.

11. Photo-safari by carriage in the Barycz Valley

A unique attraction at the Naturum Center in Ruda Sułowska are carriage rides. From a horse-drawn carriage, you get to know the charms of the ponds in this region in places that are usually inaccessible, because it is a closed area of the reserve. The ichthyologist's guide, i.e. a fish specialist, talks about working on ponds, their history, autumn catches and other curiosities. In addition, you can see a small open-air museum talking about ponds on site.

12. Church in Sulawesi

The Sułowo church is a very interesting architectural temple, today Roman Catholic, but it was built as a Protestant church in the years 1765-67. Currently, it is an auxiliary church of the parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Sułowo, and a new call of Our Lady of Częstochowa. The building has an unusual octagon shape and a frame structure (half-timbered). Old tombstones can be found around the temple

13. Hunting Palace in Antonin

It is a pity to miss this unique palace while in the Barycz Valley. It is located in the Wielkopolska part of the Valley and impresses with its architecture. The Hunting Palace was once the summer residence of the Radziwiłł princes, and was built in 1822-24 for Prince Antoni Radziwiłł and his wife Louisa Hohenzollern - Frederick the Great's niece. It is a wooden building of huge size for this building. In the palace, however, the most impressive is the hunting hall - a large hall the entire height of the palace, decorated with hunting trophies

Visiting the Barycz Valley

The valley is a vast area with many attractions, which is impossible to get to know during a day's stay, especially since it is difficult to get to many places by car. It is much easier to get around by bike, which is helped by the developed infrastructure and a fairly dense network of cycling routes. Visiting and reaching the best attractions of the region will also be facilitated by hiking trails and hiking trails in the valley, allowing you to find the most attractive corners of the region. 

Interestingly, the Barycz Valley can be visited in various ways, not only on foot and by bike, but also on horseback, and even by canoe, because the picturesque Barycz River and other watercourses in the region have led kayaking trails. No matter how you visit this beautiful area, it is worth taking binoculars with you, which will allow you to watch birds in their natural habitat. You will find that this is an important element of visiting the Valley, especially if nature is close to What, and if you are interested in the Barycz Valley and you are reading this text, it probably is 🙂

Bird sanctuary

The Barycz Valley is considered a European Refuge of Birds, protected as part of the European Natura 2000 Network. Did you know that the rich bird world of this region has nearly 300 species? Almost 200 species of birds nest here. This is unique on a national scale! As many as 11 breeding species living in the Barycz Valley are entered in the Polish Red Book of Animals, i.e. species threatened with extinction in our country. 

These include, among others, spinner, black and red kite, white-tailed eagle, white-tailed tern or traveller. In addition, there are, among others buzzards, fish, cormorant, black stork, white heron, tusk, you can also find a rare pink pelican. The most valuable area here is the Stawy Milickie reserve, belonging to water-mud areas of international importance, covered by the Ramsar Convention. 

Ponds were founded in the Middle Ages by monks. This was because they had to follow many fasts and they simply needed fish on a daily basis. And the interesting thing is that they also ate beaver meat as a fasting dish, because its tail is covered with scales, like the body of a fish 🙂

And did you know that the Milicz Ponds are also the largest breeding group of geese in Central Europe? They belong to the global Living Lakes network, which means living lakes. On this list, next to the ponds of the Barycz Valley, there are such celebrities as Baikal, the Dead Sea, Balaton, Titicaca and Lake Victoria.

Where to sleep and eat in the Barycz Valley?

I can recommend with a pure heart two tasty restaurants that welcomed us with delicious, local food in the Valley. The first oneis Hubertówka in Nowy Zamek, where the fish soup had so much carp meat in it that it would have been enough for the whole meal, but we also tasted the game, which the restaurant is famous for. The stuffed duck was insane, the wild boar also delighted us. The place also offers a guest house and a beautiful area, extremely secluded.

The second restaurant is the 8 Pisces Inn in Ruda Sułowska. Herewe tried various local specialties, including fish in an unusual, modern version, and game, combined with delicious wines from the local Vinnitsa de Sas (you can not only buy wine in the vineyard, but you can also spend the night). It is worth knowing that the 8 Pisces Inn is an element of the NATURUM Educational andTourist Center, which also offers an ecological and at the same time comfortable Hotel Naturum as well as the Museum of Tradition and Fisheries - a small open-air museum and Fisherman's House. 

The kitchen of the 8 Pisces Inn is definitely more modern, while the Hubertówka kitchen is traditional, both places are worth exploring. Both are located by the pond itself, which allows you to feel the unusual atmosphere of the region.Another two unique places to spend the night in the Barycz Valley are the aforementioned rural agritourism Brick House in Koruszki and the castle apartment in Baszta in Żmigród. 

I mentioned the De Sas Vineyard, a wonderful place in the picturesque village of Czeszyce, where, apart from wine, a luxurious guest house awaits. This place is worth recommending, because it is not only beautifully located, with a good accommodation offer, but it is also unique. And why? Because the De Sas Vineyard is the only vineyard in Poland that produces wines in Kvevri, i.e. in special ceramic amphoras. 

This is the Georgian way of making wine, and the camphors were made by a Georgian. As a result, their wines are unique and very aromatic, completely natural, produced on their own yeast and also bear the names of local birds, which captivated me. And one more curiosity, the Vineyard also offers Birdwatching and horseback riding for its guests.

Is it worth visiting the Valley?

I hope that thanks to this description you got to know the Barycz Valley quite well and I encouraged you to visit it, because that was my goal.It is a wonderful land, and not yet completely trampled, it is worth entering it on your travel map. You will not experience the hustle and bustle of the city, but the singing of birds will wake you up in the morning. You do not have to hang on your cell phone, because you will have beautiful views in front of your eyes, blue sky, water and juicy green trees, which, as you know, is soothing. 

We will definitely come here again, because I was enchanted by this land! I think it's definitely worth a visit, how about you? Maybe you have already visited this amazing place, experienced a wonderful slow vacation here? If so, write about your impressions in the comment, I'm curious 🙂

When is the best time to visit this region?

The Barycz Valley is a place that is charming at any time of the year, but there are times when it is especially worth coming here. First of all, it depends on what activities you are interested in, becauseif you care about cycling or kayaking, you can easily come here in the summer when the weather is the safest for such challenges.

Butif you are more attracted to nature and interacting with it, and you are especially attracted to bird watching, then spring and autumn will definitely be better. In spring, when the breeding of birds begins, they are very active, and inautumn, in the Valley, catches begin, then water is drained from the ponds, and the birds are very eager to accompany it. This is the perfect time for beautiful nature scenes. Regardless of which season you choose, it is best to go to the ponds at sunrise. We checked 🙂 It's a magical moment. 

There are a lot of birds on the ponds then and they literally fly overhead. This is truly their land then. It's also beautiful at sunset. And autumn is also a very good time for the Barycz Valley, for about 10 autumn weekends there are Carp Days, where you will get to know the flavors of this land, led by the Milicz carp - the wealth of this region!

Barycz Valley - map with attractions

Below you will find the best attractions of the region marked on the map:

Practical information

Open 24 hours a day, all year round
Free admission
I recommend sunrises and sunsets in the Barycz Valley, when birds are very active
In autumn, hunting takes place here, it is also a fascinating moment
Good cycling and accommodation infrastructure has been created on site
Parking and parking spaces in many places are free

Barycz Valley
Region on the border of two voivodeships - Lower Silesian and Greater Poland
Towns in the Barycz Valley in Lower Silesia: 
Ruda Milicka, Ruda Sułowska, Milicz, Żmigród, Sułów
Towns in the Barycz Valley in Greater Poland: Antonin, Przygodzice