Mydlniki

Former village situated 7 km west of Kraków, now a suburb. The name probably comes from the soaking / rinsing of bog iron ores, but it may be related to the production of soap here for the needs of the royal court, formerly called Midniki. In 1286, it was owned by the Dominicans, who brought water to Kraków from Rudawa flowing here – probably using a milling shaft. In 1327, the miller Mikołaj Gerlak built a weir and a mill house for Krakow‘s water supply. The Młynówka, called Królówka, was closed in its lower part in 1964, the upper part supplies artificial ponds, and the weir, after many reconstructions, still serves the municipal water supply today. In the bend of the Rudawa, there are rows of artificial ponds that belong to the Fisheries Experimental Station of the Agricultural University. During the war, the surface of the ponds was enlarged to 11 hectares and the construction of new ponds began in Rząska. In addition to the fish ponds, in Mydlniki there is also a manor complex including a brick manor from the turn of the 19th century and a park from the 18th century, a brick forge from around the mid-19th century and a brick chapel from the 19th century.