Warta Landscape Park

Warta Landscape Park (Nadwarciański Park Krajobrazowy) is one of the best places in western Poland for birdwatching, a broad floodplain of the Warta River between the small towns of Pyzdry and Ląd (pronounced "lont"). There is no ticket gate and no visitor center to tick off. Instead you get a living river landscape of meanders, oxbow lakes and wet meadows that floods almost every spring. It is a rewarding day trip from Poznań for birders, hikers, cyclists and paddlers.

Why birders come here

The park was established in 1995 and covers 13,428 hectares (about 52 square miles). In the same year BirdLife International listed the valley as a globally important bird area, and almost all of it is now part of the EU's Natura 2000 network. Around 230 bird species have been recorded, more than 150 of them breeding. The northern lapwing is the park's emblem, and white storks nest in nearly every village.

What makes the place special is the water. The Warta is only partly regulated here, so it still spills over the meadows, refilling oxbows and reed beds. The downside is that some paths disappear under water for weeks. Drainage and changes in meadow management have hit wading birds hard, and the park authority runs conservation work for them.

Trails worth walking

The landscape park authority (ZPKWW) maintains three nature trails:

• Krzynica: about 6 km (3.7 miles), 4 stops, starting at the parking lot by the bridge in Ląd.
• Pyzdry–Białobrzeg: about 8 km (5 miles), 6 stops, from the bridge parking lot in Pyzdry to the "Chatka Ornitologa" hostel run by PTTK, the Polish hiking association.
• "Po suchym i mokrym Lądzie" ("Through dry and wet Ląd"): about 10 km (6.2 miles), 10 stops, starting at the nature education center in Ląd.

Pick one route and allow two to four hours with time to scan the meadows. Signs are mostly in Polish, so a map app helps.

Paddling the Warta

The Greater Poland Waterway Loop runs through the park, with marinas in Ląd and Pyzdry. A popular trip goes downstream from Ląd to Pyzdry, and kayaks can be rented at the marinas and in Dłusk. The current is gentle, but watch for sandbanks and the cable ferry at Ciążeń. Always wear a life jacket.

When to go and what to bring

Spring migration and the flood season, roughly March to June, bring the most birds. The authority warns that for much of the year you may need rubber boots, and some sections can be impassable. In high water, stops 8–10 on the Ląd trail are cut off; start instead at the church in Lądek. Bring binoculars, waterproof footwear and food, as shops are scarce. Stay on tracks and keep away from nesting colonies.

Practical information

• Admission: free; the park is open land, accessible year-round.
• Getting there: Pyzdry is roughly 60 km (37 miles) southeast of Poznań as the crow flies, and Ląd about 25 km (16 miles) west of Konin. A car gives you the most flexibility; Poznań has the nearest international airport.
• Contact: ZPKWW office, ul. Piekary 17, Poznań, tel. +48 61 65 54 650 (as of October 2026).
• Money: Poland uses the złoty (PLN); carry some cash for small village shops.

Nearby

Ląd is home to a former Cistercian abbey founded in the 12th century and rebuilt in the 1720s by the architect Pompeo Ferrari. Its Oratory of St. James has wall paintings from around 1370. Pyzdry, once one of the region's leading towns, sits on a high bank above the river and has a small museum with a rare Dutch-type windmill.