In Nowogrodziec, representatives of Bolesławieckie Towarzystwo Gospodarcze (BTG), six municipalities in Bolesławiec County and the County Board signed an agreement that will provide the basis for developing, promoting and maintaining tourist sites, facilities and routes in good condition. The agreement provides for the creation of new tourist routes within the county and connecting them with other interesting places in Lower Silesia and beyond Poland’s borders.
Bolesławieckie Towarzystwo Gospodarcze, which initiated the agreement, sought to bring on board everyone involved in tourism, whether through their businesses or their interests. Local authorities, tourism enthusiasts and entrepreneurs became involved in the cooperation.
“We have been working on developing this agreement since April 2010,” says BTG president, Karol Stasik. “This is a success for everyone who signed the agreement. We cooperate with as broad a group as possible of people interested in tourism, and we intend to expand this group. Tourism enthusiasts and fans of various sports know the routes and attractions. Entrepreneurs are best able to identify tourists’ needs. The most important thing, however, is that all the historic monuments and tourist attractions are located within the specific administrative territory of the six municipalities. Without broad cooperation, the tourism development plan for the entire county will not succeed.
Bolesławieckie Towarzystwo Gospodarcze will coordinate its partners’ activities in tourism. The first idea is a canoeing route from Kraszewice (the dam) to Bolesławiec (the footbridge by the MOSIR water and sports centre). Later, the Bóbr–Kwisa canoeing route will be marked out.
Barbara Alaszewska, owner of “Niebieski Burak” in Łaziska (one of the best accommodation establishments in Poland), strongly praises the signed agreement. She had wanted it for a long time. “We work in tourism in Poland, and the lack of cooperation between municipalities was not beneficial for tourism,” says Barbara Alaszewska. “Tourism has no borders. Such an agreement will effectively support it. And we should take advantage of the recession in Europe,” she adds. “English tourists will be happy to go on economical holidays in new areas that are still undiscovered by them. And we have plenty to boast about. Cooperation in tourism will enrich everyone and benefit everyone.
For a long time, Barbara Alaszewska had tried to interest the municipal authorities in renovating the old railway route to Grodziec (built by Kolej Górnośląska in the second half of the 19th century, running from Leszno, through Wschowa, to Grodziec Mały).
“These are extremely difficult administrative negotiations with PKP,” says Alaszewska. “But I know that one of the municipalities has already managed to purchase the route’s land. There is hope for a beautiful cycle path. Tourists could not only visit this beautiful region, but also stop for a delicious Polish meal at a restaurant along the route.
“We expect the agreement between the municipalities and BTG to finally produce tangible results in designating suitable cycling, equestrian, walking and canoeing routes,” says Jarosław Fink, manager of Niebieski Burak. “BTG is the only organisation carrying out its intended objectives. We have already attended many meetings of various organisations, but little came of them. If everything proceeds as BTG planned—and so far it has—we can hope that we will not merely talk about tourism development, but actually take action.
The agreement was signed on behalf of all the parties by:
- BTG President and Chair of the Bolesławiec County Council, Karol Stasik
- Bolesławiec County Governor, Chair of the Convention of Counties of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Cezary Przybylski
- Member of the Bolesławiec County Board, Dariusz Kwaśniewski
- Head of Warta Bolesławiecka Municipality, Mirosław Haniszewski
- Head of Osiecznica Municipality, Waldemar Nalazek
- Mayor of Nowogrodziec, Robert Relich
- Head of Gromadka Municipality, Dariusz Pawliszczy
- Deputy Head of Bolesławiec Municipality, Andrzej Dudkowski
- Deputy Mayor of Bolesławiec, Wiesław Ogrodnik.