The holiday – a deserved time for rest, and although everybody wants to, we cannot always go away with our children for two whole months. Fortunately, there are weekends and despite having loads of work we can go away for one day.

We only have to look around and we can find countryside attractions. Today I would like to propose a day out within one hour from Warsaw. There will be a bit of history, sightseeing, nature and some fun. There is something for everybody.

Within the programme for the development region of Łódź, Tomaszowska Okrąglica was created. It consists of Nagórzyce Grottoes, Sanctuary Blue Spring and Open-Air Museum of Pilica River. It is worth visiting all of them.

Nagórzyce Grottoes are a remnant from the underground sand mine which was in operation from the XVIII century to the beginning of the XX century. They consist of numerous passages, niches and chambers created while sand mining. After a tragic incident in which a villager died as a result of one of the chambers collapsing, the local authority handed down a decision to close the mine. For many years the pit degraded and was the meeting place of truants. However, recently, a properly secured tourist route was created. We visited it with a guide, who aimed her account at the youngest visitors. We got to know about different ways of mining and ways of securing the safety of the pits. We heard the story about the Nagórzyce devil, about the ruffian Madej and his bed. We looked out for dwarfs, who turned on the light in the mine, and finally we looked for a red hat lost by one of the dwarfs. My children were delighted. When arranging a trip to the Nagórzyce Grottoes, remember to take warm coats, because the temperature in the mine averages about 10 degrees Celsius.

The next point of our trip was the Open-Air Museum of the Pilica River. It is an ever changing museum dedicated solely to the river. On the territory of the museum there are military artefacts, models of mills, the biggest collection of millstones in Poland, and a river barge pulled up from the bottom of the river. The most valuable object is a wooden watermill. We were attracted to the small and charming Czarnocin train station. The small building from Spała village which served as tsar Mikołaj II's toilet amused my children. The Open-Air Museum is visited gladly by children. Educational activities are organized there, which are connected with the river, agriculture and ecology. There are also reconstructions of events which took place by the Pilica River.

To see the next attraction we didn't have to get into our car. It was enough to cross the street to revel in the forest coolness of Sanctuary Blue Spring. The first mention of the spring called Sky-Blue Spring or Cerulean Water comes from the XVIII century. The modern look of the scenic park is so natural that it is difficult to believe it was created by people. Only the springs are original, but its setting i. e. the islands, system of canals and barrages were created in the 40s of the previous century, with the Sanctuary built in 1961. The canal we went along to get to the spring didn't have anything to do with the colour blue. My children started to suspect that it was all a trick to get them to go for a walk in the shade of the trees. Their doubts were dissipated by the spring, where the colour of the water and translucent sand was as blue as the sky.

Feeling relaxed after our walk in the sanctuary, we didn't want to go back home. We decided to go another 25 km and visit the castle in Inowłódz. This gothic, defensive fortalice was built in a valley of the Pilica river under the supervision of Kazimierz Wielki, the king of Poland. During the Swedish deluge the castle was captured and irreversibly destroyed. Nowadays, only the foundations, the remains of a tower, and the memory of the moat remain. Fortunately, since 2008 there have been gradual repair works, and parts of the building have been rebuilt. Now in the castle you can find a Cultural Centre, Library and Tourist Information.

Tomaszów Mazowiecki offers good fun in the rope park by the Pilica river for visitors who need an adrenaline rush or have a surplus of energy. Everybody, regardless of age and skill, can find something to do here. For young visitors there is the 'Madagascar playground', and for older guests there are climbing paths with varying degrees of difficulty. Finally, the most adventurous can take the downward path with the 250 m zip-line over the Pilica river.

I think that after such a thrilling day parents and their children will be tired but pleased. We are convinced that we did not need to go far away to spend time imaginatively with the whole family.

I recommend it!