SIERAKÓW -
A Place for Relaxation and Recreation

The Municipality of Sieraków is located in north-west Wielkopolska, in a 75km distance from Poznań. The town has a population of 6,030, while 2,670 people live in the surrounding villages. The first mention of Sie-raków dates back to 1251 and the town was awarded a town charter in 1358. Next year, Sie-raków will celebrate 650th anniversary of its founding.
Agriculture and tourism dominate in the municipality; 57,2 % of its area is occupied by forests, 8% by waters (including 34 lakes), 28,6% by arable land and the remaining 6,2% by other areas.
The municipality located along the River Warta, in the vicinity of the vast Noteć Primeval Forest, offers enchantingly beautiful landscapes. Over a dozen holiday resorts are located there around Lake Jaroszewskie and Lutomskie.
For nearly 180 years, Sie-raków has been home to a Stallion Farm famous for its Wielkopolska breed and, more recently, the Polish semi-wild ponies.

The pearl of Sieraków architecture is a parish church dating back to 1619 featuring a picture entitled Descent from the Cross painted by Artus Wolffort, a famous Flemish artist, and extremely beautiful stalls from 1641.
In 1995, one wing of the former castle was rebuilt. The castle was the burial place for the Opaliński family hosting their sarcophaguses - an outstanding work of gunmetal casting craftsmanship. The Opaliński Castle Museum hosts regular exhibitions of paintings and sculptures as well as classical music concerts.
The town enjoys very well developed sports and recreation facilities, including an indoor swimming pool, a modern bowling alley, a stadium with a tartan racing track, sports fields and halls.

Sieraków is located in the heart of the Sierakowski Landscape Park established in 1991 to protect the unique post-glacial landscape characteristic of a large number of moraine hills, lakes, brooks and oftentimes primeval, dense forests. There are four natural reserves and many natural monuments in the vicinity of Sieraków. The village of Chalin hosts a Centre for Natural Education. Numerous and well maintained hiking trails, including 105km of marked cycling routes, encourage to visit the forests and look for natural attractions: clean lakes, ample flora and wild animals. The Municipality offers numerous lakes including the biggest Lake Lutomskie (173ha) and the deepest Lake Śremskie (45m). Lake Jaroszewskie enjoys the best-developed tourist facilities. A large part of the Municipality is located within the Noteć Prieval Forest, the second largest forest area in Poland.
Sieraków is a town of rich history, related mainly with aristocratic families like the Nałęcz, the Górka and the Opaliński. After many centuries, the parish church with its unique interiors, built by the Opaliński Family and the restored Castle with its sarcophaguses bear witness to the magnitude of this powerful family, so important in the history of Poland. Sieraków, originally owned by the Opalińskis, changed hands and was property of the Leszczyńskis, the French king Louis XV, minister Henryk Brühl, the Bniński Family and Prussian kings.
Sieraków is a wonderful relaxation venue owing to its hills, lakes, woods and the improving tourist facilities. Four local natural reserves protect birds hatching areas, swamp and turf plants as well as old beeches, oaks and pines.
The Municipality's tourist and recreation character facilitates local authorities' contacts with partner towns in other countries. At present Sieraków is co-operating in the realm of exchanging music, dance and hobby groups with Vodňany in the Czech Republic, Schönberg in Germany, Canton de Bécherel in France and the Soletchnicky region in Lithuania.

For more information contact
the Tourist Information Centre,
16/17 Poznańska St.,
Tel. 061 2952820
(Monday - Friday from 10 to 15,
Saturday from 9 to 13).