The commune Babimost is situated in the middle-eastern part of the province lubuskie, 15 km away from the prospective motorway, 40 km from Zielona Góra and 90 from Poznań. On the premises of the Babimost region lays the only airfield in the province. The airport 'Babimost - Zielona Góra' is able to receive all kinds of planes.
The commune occupies an area of 9.275ha, 3.924ha of which is devoted to agriculture and 3.268ha to the forests. The population numbers 6.383 citizens. 4.041 of them live in the town and the rest in the 6 villages and their surroundings: Nowe Kramsko, Stare Kramsko, Podmokle Małe, Podmokle Wielkie, Laski and Kolesin.

Babimost 

A settlement located on both banks of the river Gnilna or Leniwa Obra dates back to the early middle ages. Within the pre-Christian times it was a place of worship of the pagan goddess Baba. This was probably the source for the town name. The oldest mention derives from the year 1257. As far back as then Babimost had an urban look.
Babimost and the numerous hamlets around it were inhabited by the tribe Polanie. The town belonged all the time to Wielkopolska. At the turn of the 13th and 14th century it was incorporated for a short period in the Principality of Głogów. King Władysław Łokietek annexed it in 1332r. to the Polish Kingdom and established here a non-stronghold Starostship.
The exact date of the town foundation remains unknown. Most probably, Babimost gained the civic rights before 1329. The establishment was renewed by King Władysław Jagiełło in 1397. Later, in 1530, King Zygmunt Stary extended the town privileges.
The Golden Age of Babimost dates back to 17th century, during the times of Starost Krzysztof Żegocki, who let settle the fleeing German Protestants. It led to a significant extension of the town, the population of which numbered as much as a couple of thousands. The further development was vanished by the Swedish invasion, called in Poland the Flood. Starost Żegocki was the first who started guerrilla warfare against the aggressors. Among others, he took over Kościan and set forth to the rescue of Częstochowa. Not only was he honoured for these deeds, but he received the title The first Partisan of the Polish Republic as well. In 1656 the town was twice burnt down by the Swedish forces.
In the middle of the 18th century people meritorious to Polish culture were connected with Babimost. Józef Andrzej Załuski, the founder of the biggest in Europe library in Warsaw was the titular parish-priest. Also Jan Daniel Janocki, the author of Polish biography was familiar with this place.
In 1793 Babimost was incorporated to Prussia. It belonged to the Grand Duchy of Poznań and was the source of the name for a district that existed till 1950. During the Powstanie Wielkopolskie upraising the town was taken over by a guerrilla division, under the command of Józef Kudliński. This region was the western verge of the upraising. Despite this, due to the Treaty of Versailles from the year 1919, Babimost remained within the borders of Germany. It was liberated during the WW II and returned to its mother country after 152 years of captivity.

Sites of national memory

· An obelisk devoted to the Insurgents and national heroes, who fought for the Polish nationality and freedom in our region 1655-1919-1945.
· An obelisk in the Powstańców Wielkoposki Street, in Nowe Kramsko, devoted to the fallen soldiers, fighting for the freedom of Nowe Kramsko on 2nd and 3rd February 1919.
· A monument devoted to the Constitution of the 3rd May 1791, placed on the Mikolaj Kopernik Square, with a motto: Every kind of power over human community derives from the nation's will, founded by the democratic party Stronnictwo Demokratyczne in Babimost on 3rd May 1991.
· A monument (mass graves) of the insurgents on the parish graveyard in Babimost, commemorating soldiers fallen during the battles for Babimost.
· The lane of merit, devoted to the heroes of the fight for the Polish nationality of Nowe Kramsko and the region of Babimost, murdered mainly in the Nazi concentration camps (Sachsenhausen and Oranienburg). The lane is placed on the parish graveyard of Nowe Kramsko.
· A plaque embedded in the wall of the Primary School in Podmokle Małe, in tribute to the inhabitants of Podmokle Małe, Podmokle Wielkie and Laski, murdered and executed by the Nazism in the years 1939-1945.

Stare Kramsko

The name of the village origins from the word kram [booth], because the medieval inhabitants (beside the agriculture), were engaged in trade. Another hypothesis connects the name with the old Polish word krompy, meaning swamps.
The village was established at the turn of the 12th and 13th century. Until 1796 it belonged to the Cistercian Monastery in Obra. In 1793 along with Wielkopolska it was incorporated to Prussia. Despite that fact, its character remained Polish and many of its inhabitants fought the invader during the Powstanie Wielkopolskie insurrection.

Nowe Kramsko

The village originated in the 13th century as a consequence of the settlement of some Polish folk, coming from Stare Kramsko. The first mentions come from 1314, the later from 1317 and 1326. They are testament records by count Hektor of the house Leszczyca and by the castellan of Zbąszyń, Sulek from Lasocice.
Stare Kramsko alike was the village incorporated to Prussia during the 2nd partition of Poland. The inhabitants remained faithful to Poland and in the years 1918-1919 many of them took part in the Powstanie Wielkopolskie upraising.

Podmokle Małe and Podmokle Wielkie

A wooden stronghold existed here as long ago as in the 10th century. It is presumed to be the time of the hamlet's establishment. Since the 14th century Podmokle belong to the royal grounds, utilized by the royal Starosts and the Starosts of Babimost. The inhabitants' traditional occupations were agriculture and fishing - due to the large overflow-arm of the river Obra. At the beginning of the 17th century the fishermen founded a guild, which became its statute from King Jan Kazimierz Waza. Similar to the whole region, the village preserved its Polish character. The inhabitants fought in the insurrection along with their neighbours from other communities.

Laski

The settlement was founded in the 14th century, along with the establishment of the grange in the royal land of Babimost. The domain was ruled by the Starosts of Babimost. Therefore the name Górny Folwark [upper grange]. Upper - because the hamlet was placed higher that Babimost. In the years 1907-1910 the German Colonisation Commission established here a German colony. After 1945 the village was settled by the Polish folk. Since 1968 it is called Laski.

Kolesin

The village originates from the parcelled (by the German Colonisation Commission) estate of Emil Rudelius from Nowe Kramsko. Then it was called Kesselsdorf. After 1945 it was settled by Polish inflowing population, mostly by repatriates, and named Kolesin.

The Chamber of Regional Relics

The Chamber of Regional Relics was founded in 1963 in Babimost. It contains a collection of exhibits presenting the local folklore, folk music instruments, native costumes, agricultural implements and tools for wool and flax working. The 600-years old history of the town is represented by old documents and pictures. The relics concerning the fights with the Swedes in 17th century are principally remarkable. The most interesting, is the coffin portrait of the Babimost Starost Krzysztof Żegocki. Largely are the exhibits relics connected with the participation of the local citizens in the battles for freedom during the Powstanie Wielkopolskie insurrection in 1918-1919 and with the patriotic-national activities in the times, when our region was part of the German country. A collection of old Babimost Postcards is unique. Its oldest parts originate from the 19th century.

Monuments

· The parish St. Lawrence church, founded by Adam Poniński in the years 1734-1740 on the place of the previous one, ruined in a fire. It is a late-baroque building with a classicistic upper façade. Inside, a brick organ-loft from 1740, late-gothic polyptych from 1499, three baroque altars. Sculptures and altars from the 17th and 18th century.
· Cemetery St. Jack church, built around the middle of the 18th century.
· Evangelic church (closed) in the Kargowska Street, built in classicistic style in the years 1782-1789.
· The organist house in the Kościelna Street, built in the 2nd half of the 18th century.
· The late-classicistic town hall with a tower, built in the middle of the 19th century. It was ruined in the 1945 and rebuilt in the years 1961-1963. Nowadays, the seat of the Town Office. The missing tower, destroyed during the WW II was reconstructed in 2004.
· The parish Holy Mary Birth's church in Nowe Kramsko, built by the parish-priest Stanisław Pretendowski in the years 1759-1769. A late-baroque building, with a matching interior.
. The old town buildings, originating from the 1st half of the 18th century are subject to conservator's protection.

The Folk festival in Babimost

The Folk festival was initiated in April 2004. It refers to similar events in our region in the 60ies and 70ies. The significant parts of the festival are not only the music performances, but also the Polish-German music workshops, the conference of the local associations and organisations from the region Spree-Nysa-Bóbr, the exhibition of the amateur art (paintings, sculptures, embroidery, folk handicraft etc.), presented by the artists living in the Euroregion, and of course, the extremely popular folk feast.
As a result of the finance provision by the EU programme Phare CBC, in the terms of the projects Spree-Nysa-Bóbr, the authorities undertook some activities to promote the regional tradition, culture and habits. The meetings act also as an opportunity to integration and experience exchange. They are considered to start a long-term cultural cooperation between the participants.

Culture

The most important culture spot in Babimost is the Sport & Leisure Centre. It is a place of gobs of hobbies and interests. There are to be found: an art section, a song's studio, a singers' group, a break dance group in here. There is also some place for guitar and keyboard lessons. The centre has a TV room, a fire-place room, a billiard room and a spectacles hall at its disposal.
The other building contains a small hotel, a café and a gym. On the playground in front of it, the local football team plays its games. The Sport and Leisure Centre is highly active on the field of organizing of artistic events. The Days of Babimost, arranged annual in the beautiful surrounding of the nature, enjoy a constantly growing success. The happening was organized for the first time in 1997, in keeping with the 600th anniversary of gaining the civic rights by Babimost.
Sport and Leisure Centre organizes a series of periodic undertakings. Among these: the early mentioned Days of Babimost, the folk gala, new year's eve parties, Christmas carols' evenings, seniors' day, poetry contest and many others.
Since 1995, at the Sport & Leisure Centre acts a 4-voice-chorus.
A brass orchestra has existed for 35 years at the Voluntary Fire Brigades of Babimost.
The folk group Wiolinki and a chorus act in the school of Nowe Kramsko (commune Babimost), and in the school of Podmokle Małe - a music & dance group. Both schools have regional relic chambers and moreover, there is a unique museum of agricultural machines in the making.
Other cultural spots in Babimost: A movie theatre with a platform, a library with its branches, country recreation rooms, the Chamber of Regional Relics.
The commune Babimost belongs to the association The Goat Region, uniting 7 communes from 5 districts and 2 provinces. This organization cultivates the traditions, which refer to the unique folk music instrument - the Goat [kozioł] - a symbol of the region. The bound is active since 1997. It undertakes many joint doings in favor of the development of tourism, culture, education and economy. The commune Babimost is a member of the Euroregion Spree-Nysa-Bóbr, which unites 51 communes from both sides of the Polish-German border. The attachment to this organization influents profitably on the evolution of international contacts, mostly with our German partners. It also makes the absorption and the utilization of the EU-founds easier.

The international cooperation

The contacts with the German commune Neuruppin date back as far as 1995. The commune lies in Brandenburg, about 80 km North-West from Berlin. It is a picturesque town with a population of over 32 thousand people, located at the charming lake Ruppiner. The crown of the long lasting contacts was the signature of the Partnership and Cooperation Treaty on 23 September 2000. The document was signed by the Mayor of Neuruppin Otto Thiel and the Mayor of Babimost - Bernard Radny. From that time on the contacts between the two communes put on intensity, mainly in the area of sports and culture. The inhabitants and the authorities of both cities invite each other for diverse important events. The German guests participate in the international Chorus contest, in the sport & leisure feast, in the International Brass Orchestras Festival, and in the Folk festival of Babimost. The local football teams compete in informal matches and the high-school youth of Babimost spend their holiday on camps in Germany

Tourism and Leisure

The commune Babimost is an attractive touristic region. The perfect land, abound with mushrooms and wild animals magnetizes our guests. Private stables offering ride lessons and britzka trips can be found in the area of our commune. A hostel with 130 beds is located only 4 km away from the town. The lovers of wandering and cycling can, with no restriction, tour our environs, admiring the monuments of nature. Most of them can be found in the nature reserve Laski. It embraces 42,31 ha and contains gorgeous oaks, beeches, hornbeams, elms and maples. Many of them are qualified for nature monuments. The most impressing piece is the Oak Kazimierz, growing at the forester's lodge Laski.
Many lakes around our commune provide excellent sailing possibilities, and the rest-houses secure the accommodation and provision. The accommodation is offered by several institutions in the region of our commune (Sport & Leisure centre, Military hotel, and holiday-farm), whereas the provision is guaranteed by numerous gastronomic spots.

The nature monuments

The antique lime alley, 900 m long, 10 m broad, founded in the 1st half of the 19th century within the town of Babimost, Lipowa Street.
The oak Kazimierz, 432 cm in circumference, 28 m high, the head spread - 24 m, 195 years old, placed near the forester's lodge Laski, forest section 36i.
A beech with 520 cm in circumference, 32 m high, 190 years old, located in the area of the nature reserve Laski, forest section 37g.
A maple tree with 350 cm in circumference, 20 m high, 160 years old, placed in the area of the forest inspectorate Wąchabno, forest section 62b.
A group of three oaks with 350-460 cm in circumference, 25-30 m high, 210 years old, located within the village Podmokle Małe, by the way to Kręck, forest section 9f.
An oak with 370 cm in circumference, 20 m high, 160 years old, located on the verge of the lake, by the way Kolesin-Stare Kramsko, 100 m from the lakeside hostel, forest section 69Ag.
A lime tree with a circumference 500 cm, located in the village Kolesin, the right side of the road, heading to Stare Kramsko.
An elm, with 310 cm in circumference, 25 m high, located in the area of the park in Kolesin
An elm, with 360 cm in circumference, 25 m high, located in the area of the park in Kolesin
A maple tree, with 280 cm in circumference, 15 m high, located in the area of the park in Kolesin.

The Investments

During the past few years the infrastructure of the commune Babimost was remarkably developed. We own a biological sewage-treatment plant. The inhabitants of Babimost use the newly built sewer system. The whole area has electricity and gas installation at its disposal. The water supply system reaches every place in the commune. There is a modern, automatic water cleaning station, built in 2001, providing water of excellent quality. Apart from the existing ones, many new bicycle roads are being built. One of them connects Babimost with the rest-spot at the Linie Lake and with the village Kargowa, 12 km away. Another one leads from Podmokle Wielkie to Podmokle Małe. A construction of a multifunctional show and sport hall, along with playgrounds is in the project phase. Some actions are also taken in order to build a ring road around Babimost.
The commune Babimost is awarded for its achievements with various prizes and rewards. It is among others the winner of the nationwide contests Nature Friendly Commune, Fair Play Commune and Our Commune in Europe. These awards were granted among others for creating of excellent conditions for the outside investors.

Investment offer

· the grounds devoted to single house buildings: 35 ha
· the grounds devoted to commercial buildings with living space possibility: 3 ha
· the grounds devoted to industrial buildings - located in Babimost around the civil airport and around the ring road: 50 ha
· the grounds devoted to craftsmanship with living space possibility: 8 ha
The mentioned grounds are endowed with all types of installations.