Jozefow

Jozefow is a small town near Warsaw. It is an ideal destination for nature lovers since its area covers as many as three nature reserves. On the other hand, those who appreciate hiking or bike trips have a chance to fulfil their passions on one of Jozefow picturesque tourist trails.

Jozefow TOURISM

Jozefow is undoubtedly a great place for active travellers. We find there three tourist trails: MZ-5078y, MZ-5085y and MZ-5081z.
The first one is definitely one of the most interesting and picturesque scenic trails near Warsaw. It seems especially attractive to ski runners and keen mountain bikers. Its track is 23 kilometers long and leads from Warszawa Miedzylesie, through Zielony Lug, Zagorze, Zbojna Gora, Borowa Gora, and Gora Lotnikow to the railway station PKP Jozefow.
MZ-5085y, on the other hand, is 14,5 km long and runs on the bank of the Vistula River, among meadows and fields of the Vistula valley.
The last one, MZ-5081z, is a “connector” between other tracks. It is 9,5 km long (Bialek – Gora Lotnikow – Michalin – Swidry Male) and covers almost exclusively area of Jozefow.
There are also three nature reserves in Jozefow. The first one, Swider (238 hectares), came into existence in late 1970s in order to protect the unique landscape of the Swider valley. In the protected area the river remained natural, only in some parts we may observe signs of human interference. The Swider Isles reserve, on the other hand, includes isles and shoals in the mouth of the Swider river as well as the Vistula river waters. It was founded in 1998 and the area it protects covers 572,28 hectares. Zawadowskie Isles is the third and the youngest reserve in Jozefow. It came into existence in 1999 in order to protect birds’ nests. It covers 530,28 ha of isles and the Vistula river waters.
We find also quite a number of nature monuments in Jozefow. They are: Pedunculate Oak at 122 Nadwislanska Street, Scots Pine at 83 3 Maja Street and European Rowan at the crossroads of Westerplatte and Teatralna Streets among others.
As for worthy a visit monuments, in Jozefow we find 33 objects listed in Poland’s Heritage Register. The most interesting are: Black Madonna of Czestochowa Church, Town Hall and the cemetery near Roman Catholic assembly with the memorial to WW2 victims.

GEOGRAPHY

Jozefow lies in the Masovian Voivodeship, in Otwock county, approximately 20 km from Warsaw centre. It is a very charming and picturesque town. The area of Jozefow covers a part of Masovian Landscape Park and three nature reserves: the Swider Isles (Polish: Wyspy Świderskie), Zawadowskie Isles (Polish: Wyspy Zawadowskie) and Swider.
Jozefow is easily accessible both by a car and train. The town lies at the crossroads of two main roads – 801 and 721 – and on the railway tuck no. 7 to Dorohusk. It is also easy to get from Jozefow to Warsaw by bus no. 702.

HISTORY

Jozefow is strongly connected with Polish painter Michal Elwiro Andriolli. In 1880 he purchased a large land of Anielin folwark. Andriolli wished to transform the area into a holiday resort. He built numerous rest houses and organised annual baths for adults, picnics and fetes in his residence. Unfortunately, the flood in 1887 destroyed some of the houses. The Swider waters broke all the dams and deluged approximately 6 000 mulberry bushes.
The first decade of the 20th century was connected with political incidents in the Kingdom of Poland. Two parties – Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania and Polish Socialist Party – strongly influenced people’s moods and behaviours. Children in schools and workers in offices fought for the right to use Polish language and in August 1905 they even started political manifests.
In 1921 a committee for the juncture of holiday resorts was appointed in order to make one large holiday county. The new county, called Falenica Letnisko, came into existence on January 1, 1925 and covered the area of twelve villages: Radosc, Zbojna Gora, Miedzylesie, Miedzeszyn Stary, Miedzeszyn Nowy, Falenica, Michalin, Józefow, Swider, Anin, Dakow and Jarosław. In May 1951 the county capital was moved to Jozefow, changing its name for gmina Jozefow (English: Jozefow county).
After the Second World War Jozefow was developing very fast. Lots of Warsaw inhabitants moved here, a new sanatorium for children was built and in 1962 it officially became a town. Jozefow covered the area of nine villages: Jozefow, Emilianow, Debinka, Gorki, Nowa Wies, Kolonia Blota, Michalin and Rycice. Nowadays these are names of the town’s districts.