Hidden gems of Ursynów

We invite you for a walk around the somewhat forgotten, historic Ursynów.

We start our journey from the area around the church of St. Catherine. The parish, founded at this temple in 1238, is the oldest in the area of ​​today’s Warsaw. It is worth mentioning that Warsaw itself did not exist at that time. There are many historical mementoes in the church, such as the cross to which King Władysław Jagiello swore allegiance before the Battle of Grunwald. The grounds at the foot of the church are also interesting. There was a residence called Gucin-Gaj, part of which is a tunnel running under the church hill, where Freemasonry met in the 18th century.

The next point on our route is the palace where the Rector of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences is located. Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz lived here in the 19th century. Originally he wanted to name his estate America or Washington, but for political reasons he chose the name Ursynów, derived from his ancestral nickname. A walnut from the George Washington plantation grows near the palace.

The next point of our trip is the Mieszko I Oak, the oldest and second largest English oak in the Masovian Voivodeship. Its trunk circumference is about 845 cm!

We end our journey in the vicinity of Moczydłowska Street. There are ruins of the stable of the former Moczydło farm. It was here that the horses participating in the races in Warsaw were bred and trained. Today, one of the buildings has been renovated and houses the Support and Integration Center.