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The indisputable natural beauty of Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park, north-east of Poznań, is a magnet for enthusiasts of biking and walking. Thanks to an initiative from the Puszcza Zielonka Inter-Commune Association (Związek Międzygminny Puszcza Zielonka) the recreational provision has been enriched by an opportunity to visit and learn the history of the twelve wooden churches preserved in the area.

Erected between the 16th and 19th centuries, these churches were once the most magnificent examples of rural architecture. Today they captivate the visitor with their beguiling simplicity of form and with their tiny interiors which treasure artworks dating from the Gothic period, through Baroque to modern times. These churches are often associated with famous figures in the history of Poland, such as the 16th-century Renaissance poet Jan Kochanowski who for years performed duties of titular provost in the church in Kycina.

The establishment of this brand-new tourist product with an emphasis on the unique and fascinating character of each individual church required a series of complex actions which were financed from the European Fund of Regional Development. Signposted and provided with information boards, the “Trail of Wooden Churches around the Puszcza Zielonka” is 90 km long and uses the existing network of roads.

‘Tourists should not be limited by administrative divisions. The area of the trail, which was established by the Inter-Commune Association, covers two archdioceses, three districts and six communes. We organised a series of workshops within the project framework for representatives of local authorities, during which we worked out a common strategy for promoting the trail. This is the only way to create a genuine tourist product based on the region’s cultural resources,’ explains the Project Manager, Arkadiusz Bednarek.

Those who manage these sacred buildings are also actively involved in the project. Each church has a provost or regional specialist trained to share the history and legends of the place with the tourists, as well as updating them on its present situation. The newly established trail, leading mostly through small towns and villages, has given impetus for the development of local tourist enterprise. Agrotourism farms, gastronomy and small traders now prosper thanks the influx of tourists.

Some of the villages now have as many weekend visitors as they had throughout a whole year before the project was implemented. The “Trail of Wooden Churches” has been visited by about 58,000 tourists for a year and a half ago since its establishment.