Lakes
the largest lake of the Drawsko Lakeland, with sailing, canoeing, diving and Bielawa island
Churches and monasteries
Neoclassical church of the 1820s on a Greek cross plan, to a design by Schinkel
Churches and monasteries
a small stone church from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries on the hill of a former stronghold, with a Baroque canopy altar
Historic sites
a brick town hall from 1845, still the seat of the town and municipal authorities
rope park on Lake Drawsko with routes for heights from 100 to 160 cm
Things to do in Czaplinek: Lake Drawsko, two churches on Moniuszki Street, the market-square town hall and a rope park by the water.
Czaplinek is a base on the shore of Lake Drawsko, but the town itself has plenty to show: two very different churches and a town hall that you can walk round in an hour, and family activities by the water.
In town, look at the two churches on Moniuszki Street and the town hall on the market square. They lie close together, so the walk takes about an hour and fits a day when you mainly plan to be on the water.
The Church of the Holy Trinity at Moniuszki 20 is known to locals as the little church. It is a squat field-stone building dating from around 1400, on a rise called Kazimierzowskie. According to Wikipedia it stands where a wooden castle of the Templars and the Knights of St John once stood, and before that a Slavic stronghold. Inside are a Baroque canopy altar and a Sauer organ.
Next to it, at Moniuszki 26a, stands the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Building began in 1829 as a Lutheran church, to a design by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, on a Greek cross plan. It is neoclassical with neo-Romanesque elements, and it now serves as an auxiliary church of the Holy Trinity parish.
On the market square at number 6 stands the town hall in Czaplinek, built in 1845, of brick, with the town coat of arms above the entrance. It is the working seat of the town and commune office, so the interiors are not a visitor site and you view it from outside. Similar buildings are listed under architecture in Czaplinek, and solo walkers should try Czaplinek solo.
By the water lies Lake Drawsko, the largest lake of the Drawsko Lakeland, in the Czaplinek commune. The Drawa flows through it, and the town is the main base for sailors, canoeists and anglers. Access to the shore is free, and the views suit a walk or a photo session.
Sources give slightly different dimensions of the lake. Wikipedia states 1781.5 ha of surface and 82.2 m of maximum depth, while the town office in Czaplinek gives 1871 ha and 83 m. Both rank it behind only Hańcza for depth among Polish lakes. The lake has twelve islands, beaches and sailing bases.
With children, choose Czaplinek Rope Park - Linolandia on Parkowa Street, right on the lakeshore. It has six routes of rising difficulty, marked by colour. The yellow one is for children from 100 cm tall, and the black one, with 23 obstacles and platforms from 6 to 13.5 m, requires at least 160 cm. The grounds have a grill, a fire pit and benches.
The required height rises with difficulty: green and blue from 120 cm, orange from 130 cm, red from 140 cm. Measure the children before you go, so you can pick a route.
If the Templar thread caught your interest, read Czaplinek from the Templars to the Drahim starosty. It explains how the fortunes of this place by Lake Drawsko changed.
Yes, access to the shore is marked as free. Only services on site, such as the rope park, are paid.
The easiest, yellow route is for children from 100 cm, and the hardest, black one requires at least 160 cm.
It is not a visitor site, because it houses the town and commune office. It is best seen from outside, from the market square.
It stands on the hill of a former stronghold, has a Baroque canopy altar and a Sauer organ, and is built of field stone.
