Pine forests on the Pilica river, a former tsarist and presidential retreat, and hotels with spas. Add Inowłódz's Romanesque church and castle ruins for a calm weekend close to Warsaw.
Trip plan
Weekend plan
- Saturday, 10:30 — Arrive in Spała and walk the park and the grounds around the former presidential residence.
- Saturday, 12:30 — Forest trail along the Pilica, by bike or kayak if the weather allows.
- Saturday, 15:00 — Lunch, then time in the hotel spa.
- Saturday, 18:00 — Dinner and an evening in the woods.
- Sunday, 09:30 — Breakfast, then drive to Inowłódz.
- Sunday, 11:00 — The Romanesque church of St Giles and the ruins of Casimir the Great's castle.
- Sunday, 14:00 — Optionally Tomaszów Mazowiecki (Blue Springs), then back to Warsaw.
What to see
- Spała — a former tsarist, later presidential retreat in the forest.
- Pilica — a quiet river, good for kayaks and walks.
- Inowłódz — Romanesque church of St Giles and castle ruins.
- Spała forests — cycling and walking trails.
- Tomaszów Mazowiecki — a town with the Blue Springs nature reserve.
Where to eat
Simple, hearty food in guesthouses and hotel restaurants: game dishes, fish, pierogi and home baking. In Inowłódz look for small places around the square and by the river.
Where to stay
Spa hotels and guesthouses in Spała itself, forest cabins and rooms in Inowłódz. Book ahead for peak-season weekends.
Photos: Śryż, CC0; Konrad Wąsik, CC BY 3.0; Konrad Wąsik, CC BY 3.0; Śryż, CC0