We are pleased to present the “Guide to the Mill Settlements along the Grabią River” by Jan Wdowiak and Piotr Wdowiak from Planeta Grabia.
The publication introduces the Mill Settlements Trail (SOM) – a network of cycling routes running through the Grabia River valley in the Łódź Voivodeship. The guide was created to promote active tourism and ecotourism, as well as to protect and popularize the natural, cultural, and milling heritage of the region. It describes the history of the trail, its routes, key attractions, and local culinary traditions.
The trail consists of three loops:
- Western Loop (51 km) – passing through Łask, Marzenin, Brzeski, and former mill settlements along the Grabia River.
- Central Loop (46 km) – characterized by high natural value, running through Kolumna, Barycz, Ldzań, Drzewociny, and Dobroń.
- Eastern Loop (55 km) – covering Zelów, Drużbice, and Wadlew, highlighting the multicultural heritage of the region.
One of the main themes of the guide is the milling heritage of the Grabia Valley. Historically, as many as 46 mill settlements operated along the river, developed thanks to the use of water energy. The authors describe the functioning of traditional watermills, their economic importance, and their role in the development of local communities.
A significant part of the publication is also devoted to the natural values of the Grabia Valley. The Grabia River, protected under the Natura 2000 network, is considered one of the cleanest rivers in Poland. The valley is distinguished by its rich biodiversity, meanders, forests, inland dunes, and wetlands. Around 800 animal species have been recorded in the area, some of which are found nowhere else in the country.
The guide also highlights numerous monuments, memorial sites, former Olęder settlements, settlers’ cemeteries, churches, and traces of the region’s multicultural history, especially in the Zelów area, where Poles, Czechs, Germans, and Jews coexisted for centuries.
An important element of the book is the presentation of local culinary heritage. Readers will find traditional recipes and regional products such as Grabia carp, kvass, Vilnius-style bread, “iron dumplings,” and żurek with prażuch.
The publication serves both as a tourist guide and a popular science work on the history and nature of the Grabia Valley. It encourages visitors to explore the region through cycling tourism and to discover the traces of traditional milling, which for centuries shaped the landscape and life of local communities in the Pograbie region.
