Danków brings together fortress ruins on the left bank of the Liswarta and a layered church history; the marked Liswarta kayak route also passes through the town. This gives you several different points of interest to consider when planning your trip: surviving defensive architecture, memorial sites and a stretch of the river to explore by kayak. If you’re looking for accommodation, you can first consider which of these themes you’d like to devote most of your time to.

Fortification Remains on the Banks of the Liswarta

The fortress ruins lie on the left bank of the Liswarta in the eastern part of the town. The surviving outer fortifications include bastions arranged in a star-like shape and earthen ramparts faced with masonry. The fortress of Danków is the only structure of its kind in Poland. The surviving remains also include the ruins of Brama Krzepicka Gate and a fragment of the wall of the so-called Dom Kasztelanowej. The complex thus comprises both the outer fortifications and individual remains of a gate and wall.

Those interested in historic defensive architecture will find a variety of structural features in one place in Danków: the star-like arrangement of bastions, the fortified earthen ramparts, and the remains of a gate and wall.

Historical Events and Memorial Sites

A meeting of Polish Piast dukes took place in Danków in 1217, attended by Henry the Bearded and Leszek the White. Later, bishops also gathered in Danków, in 1238 and 1267. The castle was not captured during the Swedish Deluge. These events highlight different aspects of the town’s history: a meeting attended by princes known by name, two further assemblies and the story of the castle in a later period.

An obelisk commemorates a meeting of Piast princes and bears a relief depicting three princes. It was dedicated during celebrations marking the town’s 800th anniversary. Another memorial is a war grave for Konstanty Kolada, Ignacy Matejas, Stefan Szmaj and Zawadziński, as well as five unknown soldiers of the 83rd Polesie Rifle Regiment from Kobryn. They fell on 1 September 1939. Thus, both medieval history and the remembrance of the fallen are part of the town’s historical character.

Church, Shrine and Stations of the Cross

The Church of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr, is a brick building erected between 1641 and 1675. An original wooden church dedicated to this saint already existed in the 13th century. The building history thus distinguishes chronologically between the earlier wooden church and the later brick church.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Danków is a sacred monument. It received eight stained-glass windows in 2000. The image of Our Lady of Danków was crowned on 25 May 2002. A Stations of the Cross trail was also created on the ramparts surrounding the church in 2002. It comprises 14 stations carved from white sandstone, linking the religious site with part of the former castle fortifications.

The Liswarta Kayak Route

The marked Liswarta kayak route runs through Danków. The Danków–Zawady stretch includes two portages and numerous rapids. These features give the kayak route a distinct focus alongside the historic sites. When planning your trip, you can therefore weigh up a cultural and historical focus against a tour on the water, without conflating the two interests.

Discover more destinations: Pierzchno, Miedźno, Kopiec, Szarki, Zawady.

View the main travel guide: Kłobuck.