Must-see places
he steep and high Tumskie Hill is the beating heart of Płock – this is where the most important historical buildings of the thousand years old city are located.
The Płock slope is the highest throughout the entire run of the Vistula River (53 m). It is difficult to imagine a better place for international animal society than a 15-hectare area, located in the crown of the slope. Approx. 3500 animals of more than 350 species reside here It is best to start the Płock adventure from here.
The Płock ZOO is one of the top Polish zoos. It participates in over 20 European stock programs of rarely occurring animals and these becoming extinct such as the snow leopard and Andean Condor. We will meet tamarins and marmosets, which live in the South American jungle, a family of pandas as well as nearly 50 African Penguins. In the summer at a designated hour you can watch penguins having their lunch. A real jungle in the educational pavilion will transport us into the tropical climate full of green flora, crawling snakes and colorful butterflies flying around.
In the zoo not only the smallest monkey lives but also the greatest pigeon in the world and an 80 year old alligator named Marta, which is the oldest animal among those living in European zoological gardens! Children can take pictures in the poach of a great kangaroo and sit on the back of an alligator. Realistic copies of these animals can be found among the beautifully stunning and diverse flora of the Płock zoo. There is also a great peacock-shaped sun-dial and a playground for kids.
In the summer from the zoo to the Płock Old Town we can travel by the Tumska Steam-engine train, which stops on the opposite side of the entrances to the zoo, at Warszawska street. But we may also choose to take a walk. Going through the Dąbrowski square , next to the beautiful Water Tower and then down the Kościuszki Street, it is worth turning left to Broniewski's House. There, in the backyard, we can sit down under the poetry filled oak, which is also a monument of nature. Right behind him the old park extends, the so-called German hills and an avenue, leading to Mostowa street and the foot of th hill where for over nine centuries proudly stands the Cathedral with the Royal Chapel and tombs of the rulers of Poland: Władysław Herman and Boleslaus the Wry-Mouthed as well as a replica of the famous bronze Płock Doors.
Going stairs down, we leave "Zielony wiersz" (A green poem) behind - a beautiful mural, inspired by the poetry of a Płock resident, Władysław Broniewski, created by artists of Toruń, Galeria Rusz.
This way we will reach the boulevard over the river and the "Płock Jamaica" - a long sandy bank as called by the fans of the Reggaeland festival taking place here, in the summer, then we will reach the municipal lido – Sobótka where you can enjoy a trip by a pedal boat or a canoe. Here, you will find a mini-playground and a beach volleyball playfield as well as plenty of room for those who enjoy getting a tan, that is sunbathing.
On our way, in the Center at the Vistula River we can find a playground, we can also eat something tasty and look at the Vistula River. In the summer season there is a motor boat wharf from which you can go on an exciting cruise. You can also stay at the bank and watch sailing regatta often taking place here (there is a wharf nearby – PTTK (Polish Tourism Association) Morka). To admire the charmingly beautiful panorama of the Tumskie Hill go for a cruise on the Rusałka excursion boat mooring at the boulevard. The pool of the city's attractions was enriched with a pier crowned with a round Harbour Master's office.
After a moment of rest we might want to get back on our feet and take a walk, which is a pure pleasure among the well maintained avenues of the beautiful Płock slope. On our way we may see "the spread wings"of the amphitheater in detail.
The second route, on the crown of the slope, is recommended for those who appreciate stunning views. There is not a single person, who won't be moved by the walk among old oaks and walls of cathedrals, churches and granaries as well as the view of the Vistula River reaching the horizon.
The young explorers probably wish to visit the diocese treasury – magnificently displayed in the interiors of the former Benedictine abbey and the old castle (now the Diocesan Museum). If you will come here during Dni Historii Płocka (Płock History Days), you will be able to enter the castle walls or the Royal Chapel in the Cathedral, where the rulers of Poland Władysław Herman and Boleslaus the Wry-Mouthed rest as well as others Mazovian dukes. There is an opportunity to fight real knights, you can also strike a coin with your own hands or try some dishes prepared according to the old recipes. In June you can also see children and youth theatre performances, which come to Płock once a year from all over Poland for the "Heca" festival. If not you cannot come in June, then visit Płock on the last weekend of August when the Mazovian Museum organizes its Archaeological – Ethnographic Picnic The event is held in the neighbourhood of a historical granary, where ethnographic and archeological department of the museum is located. Besides aforementioned attractions the museums of Płock also arrange handicraft workshops and concerts of the old music.
The Płock Tumy is everyone's favorite place for strolls. From here you can reach Jar Abisynia (Abisynia ravine), full of hills and hillocks, a perfect place to jog or ride a bike. In the evening, you will be fascinated by the three coloured highlighted historical bridge, the longest such crossing in Europe. Going down the Tumy it is not possible to not notice a high tower of red brick. This is a fragment of the former collegiate of St. Michael from the first half of the 13th century and a sign that we are in the vicinity of the oldest high school in Poland – the Małachowianka created in 1180. In its Romanesque-Gothic cellar the School Museum is located, where we can find, among others, soil from the battlefields of Boleslaus the Wry-Mouthed as well as copies of certificates of graduates – the blessed Honorat Koźmiński and the first Prime Minister of the Third Polish Republic - Tadeusz Mazowiecki. The Museum also displays manuals, notebooks, scientific studies, stationery materials such as e.g. writing plates from the turn of the 19th and 20th century.
After a walk on the Tumskie Hill it is worth returning to the Old Market Square Every day, at noon, on the clock tower of the town hall two already mentioned figures appear: of DukeHerman and his son, young Bolko. We witness the accolade of the future ruler of Poland, listening to the sounds of a bugle-call, played live by a bugler wearing a sumptuous uniform. During the reign of these rulers Płock was the actual capital of Poland. The Płock Old Town is a vibrant heart of the city, especially in the spring – summer period. Almost every week various festivals, concerts and municipal events take place here and numerous restaurants located in old, historical tenement houses offer goodies to please everyone's palate.
Going down Grodzka Street, we will easily reach Tumska Street, at the beginning of which there is the Mazovian Museum It can impress not only the adults, but also the little women. We can find here, among others, beautifully restored Art Nouveau interior including a dining room, a play room and a boudoir as well as a collection of beautiful dishes, cutlery, jewellery as well as clothes from that era.
More than 700 meters long street has its own holiday – Tumski Fair. It is then full of stalls with antiques and colourfully dressed people. Coming back to the Plac Narutowicza, let us stop at the former a guardhouse known as Odwach, which today is the seat of a Płock branch of PTTK (Polish Tourism Association). In front of the Odwach lies the plate of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is covered with flowers on anniversaries of historical events. From there we have a beautiful view of the cathedral but also of the Mostowa (Bridge) Street – and as the name indicates, it leads to the bridge. Here, in August 1920 stood one of the barricades when the inhabitants were fighting the Red Army. This collective effort of Płock defense was appreciated by the Marshall Józef Piłsudski, who honoured the "heroic town" of Płock with the Cross of Valour.
We can end our walk around the Old Town with having fun in one of the play rooms, for instance in Figlowisko at Dworcowa street where little fans of the automotive industry will surely enjoy a mini-car workshop. Children like the jordanowski garden at Hermana street which is full of obstacle courses. There are three swimming pools and three cinemas in Płock - with movies also for the young audience: NoveKino Przedwiośnie cinema at Tumska, Helios cinema in the "Wisła" Shopping Center, where you will also find Kinder Planeta and a bowling alley. The Mazovia shopping center invites you to a 5D Extreme cinema, Kids'Play and to KFC or McDonald's on the other side of the street. You cannot miss the Drama Theatre, which always has an interesting offer for the young audience ("Little Red Riding Hood", "Koziołek Matołek", "The Secret Garden").
Many places worth visiting are also located in the vicinity of Płock. It is worth going to e.g. Stado Ogierów (Stud Farm) in Łąck (approx. 10 km), to Cierszewo for horseback riding or a canoe trip, on Skrwa (ca. 15 km) or to visit the open-air ethnographical museum in Sierpiec (ca. 40 km), where scenes for movies such as "With Fire and Sword" and "Pan Tadeusz were made".
