Dzierżawy can be explored through two specific themes: hiking trails with named routes and the building history of the Miłosierdzie Boże church, which is associated with chalk marl. If you choose the village as a travel destination, you can take in both outdoor activity and culture. When planning the yellow Faustyna Trail, it is important to note that municipal and regional tourism descriptions give different route lengths; the figures should therefore be considered separately.

Hiking trails and their stated distances

The municipal tourism description gives the yellow Saint Faustyna Kowalska hiking trail a length of 9.2 km. The route described passes through Kiki, Dzierżawy, Ner-Parcel, Ner, ul. Spółdzielcza in Wartkowice, and Stary Gostków. A regional tourism description gives the yellow “Św. Faustyny Kowalskiej” hiking trail a length of 28.8 km, takes it through Dzierżawy, and notes that it can also be cycled. The two descriptions therefore give different distances. If the distance is important to your plans, check the latest route information in advance and make your choice based on the description you actually intend to use.

Another option is the blue “Marii Konopnickiej” hiking trail, described as 11.9 km long. Its route passes through Bronów, Konopnica, Światonia, Zacisze, Brudnówek, Mrówna, Kiki, Dzierżawy, and Saków. Both the municipal Faustyna description and the blue trail mention Kiki and Dzierżawy, but otherwise pass through different places. Their stated lengths differ by 2.7 km. This makes it possible to compare the two municipally described hikes by distance and the places listed along the route. The list of stops gives you another point of reference, in addition to the distance in kilometres, when choosing a trail. Before setting out, check the blue trail’s current markings and condition.

Churches and building materials

The Roman Catholic church of Miłosierdzie Boże in Dzierżawy was built from chalk marl, also known as Rożniatowice stone. It was quarried in the village of Rożniatowice in Bełchatów County. This gives a specific building a named material and a concrete source. The link between the building material and its place of origin adds a specific material history to the church’s dedication.

Another church in Dzierżawy is Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa. It is listed in the register of immovable monuments of the Łódź Voivodeship. This monument listing applies to that church; the two names refer to different churches. This makes it possible to distinguish the material information about Miłosierdzie Boże from the register entry for Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa.

Archaeology and regional context

Dzierżawy is also home to a Neolithic settlement site that has not been assigned to a specific culture. It broadens the focus from churches and building materials to evidence of a settlement from the Stone Age.

Chalk marl is also present as a building material in the wider region. Local residents call it “opoka”; numerous houses in the Uniejów area were built from this stone. This is a different scale from the Miłosierdzie Boże church: there, the building material’s origin is linked to the quarry in Rożniatowice; here, the focus is on its use in many houses in the Uniejów area.

Discover more destinations

Antonina, Felicjanów, Stary Gostków, Uniejów, Popów, Bąki, Przywidz

For the broader travel overview: Poddębice.