Attractions and Places To See around gmina Kobylanka - Top 20

Rest stop on the Blue Velo route. Popular not only with cyclists, but also with barbecue enthusiasts.

This artificial grotto is unique in Poland, as no similar structures are known in Poland or even Europe. It was built in 1888 at the behest of Albert Eduard Toepffer, owner of the nearby chalk mine and Portland cement factory "Stern," and son of the factory's founder, Gustav Adolf Toepffer. Along with the grotto, a reinforced concrete arch was built, situated next to the concrete arch built on this site in 1880. Both arches, standing parallel, formed the foundation for the added pagoda-shaped pavilion. Both arches had the same span and height, but the newer arch, made of a more modern and durable material, had a cross-sectional area approximately ten times smaller. Both structures supported the same weight, thus emphasizing the innovative nature of the new construction method. The pagoda served as an orchestra pit for dances and balls held here. Neither the pagoda nor the younger arch survived to this day – they were dismantled due to poor technical condition at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s. The interior of the cave replicated natural limestone caves, with stalactites, stalagmites, and stalagnates. Inside the cave, there is a staircase that once led to the winter garden located above the cave. Until 2012, the cave housed a restaurant. Today, it houses the Szczecin Adventure Association "Za horyzont," which occasionally opens the cave to visitors.

A former chalk and marl mine operated by the nearby "Stern" Portland cement factory, founded in 1862 and owned by the Toepffer family. In 1925, a sudden flood of groundwater through a layer of permeable sand led to the quarry's opening. The quarry quickly filled with water. People were immediately evacuated. The quarry was flooded. Emerald Lake was created, which owes its color and name to the high calcium carbonate content in the water and the reflection of light from the chalk bed. In good weather, railway wagons and even workers' tools can still be seen at the bottom of the lake. A concrete bridge, part of the railway track used to transport chalk output to the nearby cement plant, still stands near the lake today.

Yesterday I carried the bike down and back, but it was difficult.

a gravel retreat with a view of the lake

The monastery church was originally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and its construction began at the same time as the entire monastery, in 1210. Initially, the temple was built in the late Romanesque style, and it was completed in the Gothic style in 1347. After the secularization of the monastery in the 16th century, the main nave was transformed into a granary. The original 15th-century altar, which was originally located in the temple, can now be seen in the Basilica of St. James in Szczecin. During the period when the monastery was in operation, deceased Pomeranian princes were buried there. Unfortunately, in 1720, the side naves were demolished. On the wall of the church, you can see a blind rosette, which, according to legend, was made by a blind person.

The monumental church in Kołbacz is closely associated with the Cistercian order, which was brought to these lands in 1173. The first mention of the church dates back to 1186, but it was probably a wooden church. The construction of the brick temple began in 1210, and the construction lasted almost 140 years. During this time, the church suffered a fire twice and had to be rebuilt. The church served its functions until 1534, when the order was dissolved as a result of the Reformation. Such a large building was no longer needed, so it was divided into two parts. The eastern part of the chancel was designated for the needs of the Protestant church, and the main nave was converted into a grain warehouse by building five wooden ceilings inside. In the 17th century, as a result of a fire, the vaults in the side naves of the church collapsed and were never rebuilt. In the 18th century, they were completely demolished. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, several renovations were carried out on the church, significantly transforming it. From that period come, among others: new, larger windows in the northern chapel. New vaults and a new bell tower on the roof were also built. After the war, the church was also used as a warehouse. The church has been undergoing renovation for a dozen or so years, but it is still not finished, and the church is not fully used.

In the Middle Ages, there was a princely stronghold in Kołbacz. In the 12th century, these lands belonged to Warcisław II Świętoborzyc, the castellan of Szczecin, who in 1173 brought Cistercians to the area from the Danish monastery in Esrum. Construction of the monastery complex began in 1210 in the Romanesque style and was completed in 1347 in the Gothic style. The monastery buildings were largely destroyed by the Thirty Years' War and the fire in 1662. The church, the Abbot's House and the Conversos' House have remained to this day.