Dolsk
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Dolsk is a town of approximately 1,400 inhabitants (as of 2005) in the Greater Polish Voivodeship of Poland. A capital of a commune within the powiat of Śrem, the town is a minor centre of trade and commerce. The town is located between two lakes, the Dolskie Wielkie and Dolskie Małe, both deriving their names from the name of the town. Geographically, the town lies in the Leszczyńska Uplands in Greater Poland, close to its border with Lower Silesia.
The town was first mentioned in one of the first documents written partially in the Polish language, that is the Bull of Gniezno of 1136. Back then it was a private property of the Bishops of Gniezno. In mid-13th century the town was transferred to the Bishops of Poznań, who remained the sole owners of the area until after the Partitions of Poland. Located at the trade route linking Poznań with Wrocław, the town drew significant income from the traders and merchants, who were obliged to sell their merchandise at the local market before proceeding down the trade route. In 1359 king Casimir III granted the town with Środa Law, a local variant of the famous Magdeburg Law. In 1797 Dolsk was confiscated by the Prussian authorities and gradually fell into dismay.
Currently the town is experiencing a period of growth due to increase in tourist traffic. Among the most notable tourist attractions are three local churches: the St. Michael's church (circa 1460, burnt and rebuilt in 1790, one of the most notable pieces of late gothic architecture in the area), St. Laurentius' church (17th century) and Holy Spirit's church (wooden church of 17th century, formerly a chapel for the local hospital). The area around the town is a mosaic of various types of landscape, mostly formed during the glacial age. Among the most notable features are dense forests, several lakes and healthy turf deposits.
