The Best Attractions in Poland's Kociewie Region

For starters, visit the Muzeum Ziemi Kociewskiej – the ‘Kociewie Museum’ – which will help explain everything about the region. You can get your bearings here and plan your tour of Kociewie. The museum is in a central location in Kociewie’s capital, Starogard Gdański.

The town of Czarna Woda (which means “Black water”) features a stunning church, known as the Our Lady of Częstochowa Church, which links the town to the famous Black Madonna Church in Częstochowa. Of course, there are many churches in the Kociewie region, but this one stands out in its rural glory.

Explore the nature of Kociewie with a trip to Tuchola Forest National Park, which has been designated a UNESCO listed Biosphere Reserve since 2010. There are over 20 lakes in the park, some with crystal-clear waters housing around 25 species of fish. You can also find European beavers here and the national park is a heaven for bird lovers with around 150 species, including the crane and eagle owl.

If you’re visiting the unique Kociewie region, you won’t want to miss trying the local beer, so head to the famous and popular Browar Kociewski. It’s a brewery and a bar/restaurant, housed inside the swanky Hotel Ren. The venue has four special beers to try and also appeared on the list of best Brewery bars in Poland and of the best bars in Starogard Gdański.

For a glimpse of yesteryear, head to the village of Owidz which has a living medieval museum called Grodzisko Owidz. It is a reconstructed medieval settlement, where you can feel the atmosphere of the medieval times in Kociewie including dressing up in medieval clothing and firing a bow and arrow. Idyllic wooden cottages surround a countryside venue where real-life archers and craftsmen show their skills.

One of the most famous ever people to come out of the Kociewie region was football hero Kazimierz Deyna, nicknamed either Kaka or Kazik. Deyna grew up in Starogard Gdański, before playing for Legia Warsaw, Manchester City and San Diego Sockers. Deyna scored 41 goals for Poland, playing in two World Cups, impressively in 1974 when Poland were the best team in the tournament stats wise, but ended up third. Deyna also led Poland to an Olympic Gold Medal in 1972, and a Silver in 1976. You can do a pilgrimage tour to him in his home town, which also includes a visit to the stadium named after him. In that very stadium, there is a Deyna statue and the local team Klub Piłkarski Starogard play in the fifth division.

This stunning castle sits in the southern part of the Kociewie region in the town of Gniew. Ordensburg Castle was built by the Teutonic Order at the turn of the 14th century and was used by Nazi Germany as a prison for the Polish population of Tczew and the surrounding area. Gniew is a well-preserved medieval old town with a Gothic church dating from the 14th century.

Kociewie region is home to one of Poland’s most famous vodka distilleries – the Sobieski vodka distillery – which is housed in the regional capital Starogard Gdański and is a huge complex. Flavours of vodka are a lot more diverse now than they once were, with the lemon and cherry options now popular. Tours can be arranged in advance.

The bridge in Tczew is more than just a pivotal link between north western Poland and big cities like Warsaw, Kraków and Poznań, this is the historic place where World War II began. It was here at Tczew’s bridge at 4am on September 1, 1939 that the Nazi Germans tried to destroy, just before they attacked the Polish Post Office in Gdańsk and bombed Westerplatte. The Bridge (Most Tczewski) is fully functional nowadays with cars, trains and buses all passing through, you can also walk across it.

While in Pelplin, a visit to the famous Pelplin Abbey is also a must. It is a huge monastery complex that now fully operates as a cathedral and school for Catholic Nuns and Priests. There is an idyllic hotel in the grounds for those wishing to spend a night here in this holy town.

The tiny village of Rywałd is home to a Catholic sanctuary known as Klasztor Zakonu Braci Mniejszych Kapucynów. This stunning church complex is on the edge of the village in a tranquil setting. Inside, the well decorated walls are a true spectacle and work of art. For those into the Catholic faith, this is also a great place for Mass.

The town of Tczew is also home to the fantastic Muzeum Wisły – this is the best Museum in Poland to discover the history of the Wisła River, which is Poland’s longest river, at 1,047 kilometres (650 miles) long. The museum has displays, videos and interactive screens plus some really cool items from Tczew’s history and the story of this famous river.