The road through Stare Babice, Zaborów and Kampinos is much more than just a way to get to Kampinos National Park or Żelazowa Wola. It is a part of Mazovia best explored on the way, paying attention not only to the destination, but also to the places along the route. This is where the landscape begins to shift between Warsaw and the Kampinos Forest: more rural, quieter, and still marked by traces of the old countryside, with places that are easy to pass by without stopping.
In Zaborów and Stare Babice, it is worth paying attention to the village layouts, which are unusual and oval in shape. This is a nawsie — a central oval open space of the settlement, which is a rare example of traditional rural spatial organisation. This layout distinguishes these villages from their neighbours and shows how villages were shaped in this part of the region. Typical features of these villages are the church and the manor house. The church is often more or less historic, while the manor house is usually in private hands, though it is sometimes possible to view it from the outside — for example in Zaborówek. Along the way you can also find other local landmarks that give this area its character like African Missions Centre in Borzęcin or a monument commemorating literary duel between Wołodyjowski and Bohun, memorable figures of Polish literature.
It is a good example of how close to Warsaw a very different world begins: less urban, more local, and strongly connected to both history and nature.
For many visitors, this route is simply the practical way to reach a trail in Kampinos National Park — for example near Zaborów, Leszno or Roztoka — or to head towards Żelazowa Wola. But the road itself can be part of the experience. Stare Babice, Zaborów and Kampinos are not places to rush through. They are better seen as a calm introduction to a day trip — whether you are heading into the forest, visiting a place connected to Chopin, or simply exploring western Mazovia. For anyone looking for an excursion near Warsaw that goes beyond the obvious, this stretch of road offers a very good starting point.
