Barlinek is a typical tourist town, offering a number of hotels and pensions as well as excellent eating places serving specialities of traditional Polish cuisine. Most visitors are attracted here by the fresh air, unspoilt forests and countryside, but there is much more to the town than this. Many events are held in Barlinek regularly in the warm months of the year, including the Ceramic Fair on May 1; the election of the Queen of Barlinecka Primeval Forest during the Days of Barlinek in June; the National Sailing Regatta; the Theatre Summer in August and the Chess Festival named after Emanuel Lasker, who was born in Barlinek in 1868 and who later became world chess champion. In addition, Barlinek hosts angling competitions, not just in summer, but also throughout the year. Hunters will have an unforgettable experience while roaming the forests, and the plentiful game is bound to ensure a successful hunt.

One can also explore a number of great attractions in the vicinity of the town, such as the Barlinecko-Gorzowski Landscape Park; the Drawa National Park, ranking among the most beautiful and untouched spots in Poland; one of the few prehistoric megalithic chambered tombs and stone megaliths (near Przelewice); and the Slonsk Bird Reserve, a paradise for birdwatchers with some 245 bird species identified to date.