Southwest Poland

BOU AVENUE
Southwest Poland

On 17 August 2023, Zosia and I drove out of the Czech Republic and re-entered Poland leaving the mountains behind us for good. Ultimately, we reached the city of Kostrzyn near the border with Germany, but we made many sight-seeing stops along the way in southwest Poland.

Zosia and I started the day with nine holes of disc golf at Horský Hotel Javor in the Czech village of Spálený Mlýn. This is the only disc golf course between the village and Kostrzyn, and we could not pass up the opportunity to play despite the ground getting soaked by a torrential thunderstorm the previous night. We had to register at the hotel's front desk and pay 4 € each to play. The hotel even rents out discs if they are required. The course is short but technically challenging since it is situated on a small ski slope behind the hotel. Trees are a factor on nearly every hole, and there is real danger for big roll-aways due to the steep slopes. There are no tee pads, but signage is excellent.

	Mist rises out of the forest as Zosia plays disc golf at a ski hill behind Horský Hotel Javor near the Czech village of Spálený Mlýn.
	Zosia makes the easy putt into the basket.

Once we finished playing disc golf, Zosia and I hit the road and crossed the border back into Poland. We stopped in the Polish town of Kamienna Góra with intentions of touring Projekt Arado which was an underground munitions factory built and run by the Nazis during World War 2. Unfortunately, we could not figure out the access point for the tour and simply wandered through a park above the factory bunkers. The park features quite a few heavy weapons that were used during the war.

	Sonny stands on a light armoured vehicle located at a park in the Polish town of Kamienna Góra. The park sits atop an underground munitions factory used by the Nazis during World War 2.
	The park features many artillery weapons presumably used by the Polish Army in World War 2, but this exhibit is a scale model of what appears to be an experimental jet plane used by the Luftwaffe.
	Snails are in abundance in this park.
	Zosia appears ready to shoot down the Luftwaffe plane.
	Zosia has lunch at one of the many new rest areas that are commonly found along Polish freeways.

Zosia and I later stopped in the city of Lubin to tour the local zoo which has free admission. It is actually less of a zoo and more a combination of an aviary, a petting farm, and a dinosaur park. In any case, we enjoyed a leisurely walk here with plenty of trees to shade us from the hot afternoon sun.

	Admission is free at the Zoo in Lubin. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	This rabbit found a nice shady spot to get out of the hot sun.
	These storks are either grooming themselves or asleep. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	This goat appears to enjoy Zosia's company.
	Polish miniature hens are quite striking.
	Elegance is a hallmark of the white-tailed eagle.
	A T-Rex stalks Zosia.
	The Brachiosaurus is surprised to see a Polish woman emerge from its egg.

Our next destination was the city of Zielona Góra where Zosia and I had dinner before taking a long walk to tour the city centre. Zielona Góra is historically known for its vineyards and wineries, and we had some fun trying to spot the numerous statuettes of Bacchus, the god of wine, scattered throughout the city centre much like the dwarfs of Wrocław.

	The restaurant, Zapiekankarnia, supposedly makes the best zapiekanki (sort of a pizza on a baguette) in the city of Zielona Góra.
	This tourist sign is located in a park near the city centre. A winery once thrived here, and there is still a vineyard in the park.
	Behind the tourist sign is a hedge maze with a raised viewing platform in the centre.
	The plaque on the ground marks the actual centre of Zielona Góra.
	This is a statuette of Bacchus, the god of wine, playing golf. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Sonny and Zosia enjoy some ice cream beside one of many Bacchus statuettes scattered throughout the city centre.

Our last stop of the day before reaching Kostrzyn was the Christ the King Statue near the town of Świebodzin. The statue is thirty-three metres tall—three metres taller than the more famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Watching the sunset from the Messiah's feet was a nice way to cap off a most interesting day of sight-seeing in southwest Poland.

	The 33-metre high Christ the King Statue is located near the town of Świebodzin.
	Zosia tries to be like Jesus everyday.
	Sonny and Zosia enjoy the sunset from, literally, the foot of Jesus Christ.