GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
The Nowodworski District is situated in the central part of the Mazowieckie Voivodship and shares its borders with five other districts: Pułtusk, Płońsk, Sochaczew, Legionowo, and Warsaw West. The Nowodworski District, established as a result of the country's administrative reform on January 1, 1999, comprises six communes: urban commune of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, two urban-rural communes Zakroczym and Nasielsk, as well as three rural communes – Czosnów, Leoncin, and Pomiechówek. The district covers an area of 695 square kilometers and has a population of over 79,000 residents.
The district's location in direct proximity to the Warsaw agglomeration and along routes leading to the Masurian Lakeland and the Baltic Sea creates attractive conditions for the development of weekend tourism, ecotourism, agritourism stays, as well as cycling and hiking trips. The main asset of the natural environment in the Nowodworski District lies in its landscape qualities, tied to the presence of diverse forests and a variety of fauna and flora, along with three major rivers: the Vistula, Narew, and Wkra.
In addition to its ecological and natural as well as tourist and cultural values, the Nowodworski District stands out for its excellent transportation system, both road and rail. National roads and railway lines run through the district's area. The solid connections are ensured by the E-65 railway artery connecting Warsaw and Gdańsk, as well as the national roads: Route S7 (Gdańsk – Mława – Płońsk – Warsaw – Krakow – Chyżne) and Route 62 (Włocławek – Płock – Wyszogród – Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki – Wyszków). Moreover, there are regional roads: Route 630 (Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki – Jabłonna), Route 631 (Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki – Wieliszew – Nieporęt), Route 579 (Kazuń Polski – Leszno – Błonie), and Route 575 (Kazuń Nowy – Kamion – Płock) within the district.
TOURISM AND RECREATION
The exceptional location of the Nowodworski District, along with its natural environment—comprising nearly 26% forested areas and waterways on the Vistula, Narew, and Wkra rivers—provides favorable conditions for tourism and relaxation. The natural conditions and the proximity to the sprawling Warsaw agglomeration inherently designate this area primarily for recreational purposes. The most attractive features among the natural and landscape assets include: the Valleys of the Vistula and Narew rivers (river systems characterized by great naturalness, unique on a European scale), the Kampinos Forest along with the Kampinos National Park, and the Lower Wkra Valley in the communes of Pomiechówek and Nasielsk, coupled with adjacent forest complexes.
In the communes of Czosnów, Leoncin, Pomiechówek, and Zakroczym, as well as in the southern part of the Nasielsk commune along the Wkra River, there are areas that are attractive in terms of natural and landscape qualities for weekend tourism. The highest tourism attractiveness is found in the vicinity of Zakroczym and Modlin, with the fortifications of a military fortress and the Kampinos National Park. The district provides a range of accommodations, with several tourist facilities available. These typically include small motels and guesthouses, offering ideal conditions for relaxation in a natural environment. Within the Kampinos National Park, designated camping sites and parking areas are available for motorized tourists. A notable feature of the district is the numerous vacation homes. The highest concentration of such properties is in the Pomiechówek commune (over 1,200 cottages). Dominant forms of recreation in the district include weekend relaxation by water or in the forest, vacation stays in agritourism settings, ecotourism, as well as woodland cycling and hiking trips.
Within the Nowodworski District, the Warsaw-Modlin Airport has been operational since 2012. Warsaw/Modlin Airport is the first airport in Poland designed for budget airlines and charters. Since June 2012, it has served as a regional public-use airport, complementary to the Chopin Airport. The airport facilitates international transport on short- and medium-haul routes. Aviation operations are conducted 24 hours a day.
Warsaw-Modlin Airport is the fastest-growing airport in the region for the years 2014-2015. Since its inception, the airport has handled over 11 million passengers. The route network already encompasses 36 destinations, with new ones continuously being added.
The first passengers landed at Warsaw/Modlin Airport on July 15, 2012, at 5:30 PM, arriving from Budapest aboard an Airbus A320.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Within the Nowodworski District, there are four natural and landscape areas: the Ciechanów Upland occupying the northern part of the district, the Płońsk Upland in the northwestern portion, the Warsaw Basin in the south, and the Vistula and Narew River Confluence. The district lies in the Vistula River basin, which traverses the Nowodworski District almost along a meridian-like line from the southeast to the west, spanning approximately 33 km. In the central-eastern part of the district, the estuary of the Vistula's right-bank tributary, the Narew River, can be found. The administrative center of the district, Nowodworski, is situated at the confluence of these two rivers. The largest tributary of the Narew within the district is the Wkra River, which flows into the Narew near the town of Pomiechówek.
