5 attractions of Mazovia within 100 km of Warsaw-Modlin airport

Modlin airport serves destinations all over Europe - you can fly from here to the Canary Islands, the UK, Greece and even to the non-European country of Jordan. Today, however, we are more interested in what you can see in the Mazovia region, within a 100 km radius of the airport. Especially since you can rent a Carwiz car at Modlin airport and set off on a tour of the region known as the "heart of Poland". 

Modlin Fortress - 2.5 km

This attraction is the closest to the airport, at a distance of just 2.5 km. The Modlin Fortress is a 19th-century military facility located at the confluence of the Vistula, Narew and Wkra rivers, and is one of the best-preserved complexes of its kind in Poland. 

The first information about the defensive structures at this location dates back to mediaeval times, but it was Napoleon who gave the order to build fortifications here. After 1813. The fortress became Russian property, and nearly 20 years later it was incorporated into the Russian Empire's belt of defensive fortifications. 

Modlin experienced its heyday during the Russian partition of Poland, when it was expanded and modernised many times. After World War I and Poland's restoration of independence, the site lost its military importance. 

Today, the Modlin Fortress is a vast area open to tourists and enthusiasts of Poland's military history.

Warsaw - 40 km

Poland's capital is, of course, the largest Polish city, which has a great deal to offer on virtually every level. Here you will find the best museums, theatres, art galleries and also numerous monuments dating back several hundred years of the city's existence. Although the city was 85 per cent destroyed during the Second World War (and some parts, such as the ghetto, nearly 100 per cent), Warsaw today is a vibrant metropolis that changes for the better every year. 

And while it's impossible to get to know this city in just one day, if you don't have more time, be sure to head downtown, where you'll see the famous Palace of Culture, take a stroll through Warsaw's faithfully rebuilt Old Town, relax with a coffee on the Vistula Boulevards and spend some time in Lazienki Park.

Konstancin-Jeziorna and Czersk Castle - 73 km + 19 km

Situated on the south side of Warsaw, drowning in greenery, Konstancin-Jeziorna has been a prestigious town since its foundation, a 'garden city' attracting the cream of the society of pre-war Warsaw and an extremely popular health resort.

This forested area near the capital attracted Warsaw's elite because of its climatic and spa properties. Initially - in the 19th century. - mainly summer villas were built here, but with time also year-round residences began to appear. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, many magnificent buildings designed by leading architects were built here. And in the interwar period, the town was advertised as a place for the elite of culture and art.

source: wikipedia.com, Juwa

Today, Konstancin-Jeziorna is not only a spa but a prestigious suburban address and a very charming town. 

From Konstancin-Jeziorna it is worth driving to Czersk, where you will find the ruins of a Gothic castle of the Dukes of Mazovia from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries.

source: wikipedia.com, Setu

Nieborów Palace and Arcadia Park - 76 km

The baroque palace, designed by Tylman of Gameren and built in the 17th century, belonged to the magnate Radziwiłł family for most of the time (from the mid-18th century to 1945) and is now a branch of the National Museum. 

In the palace, you can admire the interiors of the palace residence from the 17th-19th centuries, based on the surviving furnishings of the palace and its collections (sculpture, paintings, graphics, furniture, bronzes, porcelain and glass, silver, clocks, textiles, library collections), complemented by objects of art and artistic craftsmanship from the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.

After the tour, it is worth visiting the romantic Arkadia, or the park of Helena Radziwiłł, enchanting with its fairy-tale character, interesting buildings and numerous antique and stylized sculptures. It is also impossible not to visit the Baroque garden originally designed also by Tylman of Gameren and maintained in the French style.

source: canva.com

Museum of the Mazovian Village in Sierpc - 90 km

To the northwest of Modlin, close to the border with the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship, there is one of the most interesting and beautiful open-air museums in Poland. The Museum of the Mazovian Village is a complex of folk architecture of north-western Mazovia. 

A linear village consisting of nine peasant homesteads, a milling homestead with a windmill, a manor complex with a brick manor house surrounded by a park, an inn complex with an inn, a smithy and a blacksmith's cottage, a wooden church with a bell tower and an 18th-century wooden manor house have been recreated at the open-air museum.

From the beginning of May to the end of September, it is worth coming here, especially on Sundays - then the open-air museum comes to life and visitors have a chance to see how bread was baked or how cabbage was pickled, as well as to watch a blacksmith at work. The animals inhabiting the open-air museum - horses, cows, goats, rabbits, geese or chickens - are sure to be a great treat for the youngest visitors.

source: canva.com

Bonus: Kazimierz Dolny - 195 km 

Although Kazimierz Dolny is located nearly 200 km from Modlin and in a different voivodeship, it is such a charming town that it could not be missing from our list of one-day trips from Warsaw/Modlin. 

This town, situated on the banks of the Vistula River itself, has an amazing, almost magical atmosphere. Charming streets, beautiful Renaissance houses, Jewish granaries, a restored market square and numerous art galleries are just some of the attractions. There are also the ruins of a castle, the skip of a dog, the town's wells dating back to mediaeval times and, last but not least, a synagogue which reminds us of the town's Jewish history.

From spring to autumn, Kazimierz Dolny is crowded with tourists practically every weekend, so it is worth planning your trip for the days from Monday to Thursday. Then you will certainly avoid the crowds and visit this unique place in peace and quiet!

source: canva.com