Travel Love Poland Magazine - December 2018

DECEMBER – FEBRUARY 2019 | VOL 1 | ISSUE 6 ISSN 2515-8503

travel.lovePoland

through the lens

Winter charm

Winter is interesting. No doubt it can be the most grateful season for photographing. For many years I was photographing in the mountains mainly in winter, which led to the fact that I have excess of winter photos and deficit of the summer ones.

Karol Nienartowicz

The Palace at Osowa Sień “Probably the best hotel in which I had the opportunity to stay overnight. Very atmospheric and peaceful place.” – S.Szymszon Guest , August 2018.

Curious? Discover the charms of The Palace at Osowa Sien: visit or Book at www.palacosowasien.com +48 794 341 846

DISCOVER THE PALACE AT OSOWA SIEN (PAŁAC OSOWA SIEŃ)

BY JAMIE PATTERSON CHOJNACKI Nestled in the western Polish countryside is a delightful family run boutique hotel unlike many others. Known for its energy and ambience, guests come here to rest and recharge their biological batteries time and time again.

Initially a German aristocratic manor house, it was redeveloped in the 1870s by its then larger-thanlife inheritor, Baroness Anna von Seherr-Thoss.

The precise plot of land for the Palace was chosen due to the powerful and positive energy said to emit from it. To this day, guests continue to remark on just how good they feel while here…

But it’s not just the terrain that boosts morale. It’s also the vivacious character of the enchanting home itself. Topped with what was intended to be the tallest tower in the area, and designed with entertaining in mind, the Palace has seemingly been primed for luxuriating in – which has its effect on the endorphins as well.

A stately dining room, august lounge, numerous parlors, and ballroom have been fashioned on the main floor and connected via the grand entrance hall. Each of these has been renovated recently to a modern Scandinavian standard while preserving the charm of yesteryear. The result? All are well suited to hosting intimate gatherings and holiday festivities to this day – dutifully fulfilling their intended historical purpose.

Characterised by understated yet elegant features including kitchenette or pantry, private living room, and heated stone washroom floors (with separate showers and soaking baths); the individually styled chambers are exceptionally cosy

With advance arrangements, groups and couples may book a seasonal three-course Prix-Fixe evening dinner menu. During afternoons in, artisanal tea from British purveyor, Tea Pigs, croissants imported from France, and homemade jams make the all too familiar ritual of afternoon tea a special one as well.

For these who fancy a beverage outside, mulled wine and blankets are on offer throughout the winter. Come the warmer months, the terrace is full with those enjoying of sessional - made all the more delightful with a crisp Mosel wine or a regional craft beer in hand but a blanket of snow is just as delightful with the fairytale castle as a backdrop.

As a rural destination, the countryside location is also conducive to crystal-clear and brilliant starry nights, should stargazing be of interest.

Bit chilly? A modest bonfire is possible all year round.

Longer-term guests are encouraged to make good use of the nearby lake and forest district (Przemęcki Park Krajobrazowy) for picnics and hikers in warmer months, and carriage riders during fall and winter.

For those with vehicles, day-trips to the region’s vineyards (55-85 minutes away), cultural centers of Wrocław and Poznań (75-85 minutes away), and small market-towns of Głogów, Leszno (20-30 minutes) are highly recommended.

As a complimentary service, bicycles are available for use on a first-come-first-served basis. Ideal for exploring, guests are urged to take them along country roads and into nearby Wschowa (3 km).

While there, visit the quaint museums and enjoy a bite to eat at Knajpka U Lipowego (great burgers) or grab a dessert at Piccolo café or Szarlotka bakery.

TOUR PARTNER TRAVEL LOVE POLAND

In addition to the social quarters, the Palace is home to ten expansive and comfortable 30-55 sqm. suites. Together, these offer stylish accommodations for up to 32 guests.

Offering an exceptional venue for business events, weddings, and private celebrations, most guests opt to stay for multiple evenings to enjoy the Palace fully – (and take advantage of the scrumptious breakfast each morning).

LOVEPOLAND.ORG

media partner Caritas Polska www.akcje.caritas.pl

DONATE TODAY AND HELP BUILD SOMEONE'S TOMORROW The 'pomagam.caritas' is a Polish charity dedicated to helping those who are in need.

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 6

from the editor

Dear Readers, Winter, although often associated with cold, is one of the most beautiful seasons.

In Poland, as in many parts of the world, the climate is changing and there is less and less snow every year, however, in many parts of our country it is still enough. We invite you for a journey through Poland dressed up in a winter robe.

Visit the eastern regions with famous wisents – European bisons, get to know the wild birds that you can meet with us and, above all, go to the mountains: for a long winter wander, to see their natural beauty or to meet wild Polish horses.

And when you are tired, come for a cup of warm tea to Krakow, Zakopane or Warsaw. There, you can feel festive atmosphere. And if you want to get to know our traditions, visit the Open-air Museum in Sierpc or try to search among the inhabitants of Zakopane, for at least one of the strong highland ladies. However, if you stay at home and read only our magazine, you will still have the opportunity to get to know all these places thanks to excellent photography.

Big thanks to the authors of the photos for their cooperation.

Happy Christmas to all of You. artur tomasz tureczek Editor-in-Chief Travel.LovePoland

Contributors to this issue: Mikołaj Gospodarek, Bartłomiej Jurecki, Katarzyna Makowska and Tycjan Trzpiola – Projekt Wysoki Śląsk, Karol Nienartowicz, Magdalena Piasecka – Kids in The City, Edyta Trojańska-Koch, Przemysław Pulka and Irek Szajba – Warsaw City Guide.

Strong like w Halny wind article I would like to dedicate to the old friend of mine: Marysia from Zakopane. Happy Christmas.

Our special thanks to Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc (Jarosław Asztemborski – department of Promotion, Anna Pesta and Dariusz Krześniak – photos) as well as Beata Zalot, Jolanta Flach, Marek Kalinowski, Rafał Gratkowski @Tygodnik Podhalański. Also to Monika Kuśmirek-Zyzik: Biuro prasowe Multidekor.

As always a big thanks to Kasia Śpiewankiewicz graphic editor @britanniaweb.co.uk for the support. Thank You. If you would like to support or cooperate with our magazine please contact us via: info@lovepoland.org TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND online magazine published by love Poland ltd Registered office address: 178 Mitcham Road, London, England, SW17 9NJ Company number 10956488 Company registered in England and Wales. British Library ISSN 2515-8503 Copyrights by love Poland ltd and/ or authors of photographs and texts as indicated. All photographs and texts are published under the exclusive permission granted to travel.lovePoland Magazine by their authors. Please do not copy or publish without authorisation.

WWW.LOVEPOLAND.ORG

03 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

T R A V E L . L O V E P O L A N D

M A G A Z I N E

VOL 1. ISSUE 6 DECEMBER – FEBRUARY 2019

CONTENTS Polish Mountains: Karol Nienartowicz 0 5

The East: Mikołaj Gospodarek 3 8

Bieszczady horses: Edyta Trojańska-Koch 4 7

Birds of Poland: Przemysław Pulka 8 0

Strong like a wind: Bartłomiej Jurecki 9 4

20 32 36 44 62 64 68 72 76 108 110 112

My Zakopane: by the Editor Zieleniec: PROJEKT WYSOKI ŚLĄSK Pilsko Bisons: Mikołaj Gospodarek 100 x 100 by NAC Kraków Nativity Scene Krakowskie Przedmieście Str: Irek Szajba Kids in the City Warsaw: Magda Piasecka Pocket History of Poland: Book Promo Baubles manufactory in Otwock Christmas bread Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc 119 Treasures / Polish Sculptures Madonnas

photo on the front cover: Karol Nienartowicz

P O L I S H

M O U N T A I N S

by Karol Nienartowicz

Forest in Bieszczady after 5 days of a snowfall

05 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Polish Mountains

Karol Nienartowicz an interview

tLP. Karol, you come from Jelenia Góra i.e. Lower Silesia, a picturesque area, mysterious because of its rich history.

For me, these are still sentimental areas, to which I am happy to return in my memories. Do you remember the moments in which your passion started to arise? Did your origin impact it somehow?

KN. I think that the place we come from has a very big impact.

I lived in the mountains for the first 18 years of my life and did not realise the uniqueness of the landscape, which I watch

Karol is one of the most recognised Polish photographers,

outside the window. After 18 years it changed, because I went

keen on photographing the mountains. He says about

to the Karkonosze Mountains, which I used to see every day

himself that he is a 'mountain photographer', but his other

from the window, with the camera. I went once, then, next week

photographs (e.g. the ones from Gdańsk) are also

I went second time, and third, and again and again.

memorable and stimulate the imagination. Today, however,

In a few years, I visited almost all mountain ranges in Lower

we will focus on the main subject of Karol's photographs,

Silesia, as well as the Tatra Mountains and many places on the

in the mountains, Polish mountains.

other side of the border.

06 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Of course, always with the camera. Before, however, photography became the dominant pretext for mountain open airs, the motivation for going out was for me my collection of various badges (GOT, The Crown of Sudety, The Crown of Polish Mountains) and the desire to see new places in my region. tLP: In your photographs, you focus on mountain themes.

You can say that this topic is quite popular, your photographs distinguish, however, in a significant way – there is dramaturgy in them – even a painting-like nature. Was the final effect that can we see influenced by your passion for painting? You are a graduate of the Faculty of Painting at the University of Zielona Góra.

KN. I think that it affected the perception of nature, because as a beginner painter I liked to paint landscapes.

During my studies in painting, I was interested in a man and later this theme dominated my painting. However, I think that art studies and dozens of visits to the most important museums in the world have helped to develop sensitivity and creativity. In my photographs, I do not want to reproduce reality inadvertently, I want to create it, extracting from the photo the mood of the place that I have kept in my memory. tLP. You have photographed many mountains of the world, a few of these series became extremely popular and famous, e.g. your Norwegian expedition. However, your photos of Polish mountain ranges can also be considered extremely interesting. Which of the Polish mountains you return to most often? What makes you look for a topic for your works there ?

KN. I have four favourite mountain ranges in Poland: the Tatra, Karkonosze, Pieniny and Bieszczady Mountains – not necessarily in this order. These are places where I especially like to come back, which I have a great fondness for. I feel at home in Polish mountains – this is probably the most important thing. I have them close, I can go back many times to the same places. The problem of Polish mountains is their limited number and this also pushes me abroad, to less known places. tLP. Please tell me about your relatively recent trip to the Bieszczady Mountains... it was not just a trip to our Bieszczady but also the ranges lying in Ukraine – once rich in Polish tourist facilities and eagerly visited – today it seems that a bit forgotten, lonely...

I remember that not so long ago there were no maps of this area, only pre-war issues... You slept in tents...

KN. I like Bieszczady very much, but the Polish part is getting more and more crowded and it's hard to get a moment of peace. I guess there's only a little fewer people there in winter. However, Ukrainian Bieszczady are wilder in this respect. Being there in May 2015 for a few days, met one person (!). It's a bit like if you go in the Polish Bieszczady, from the Wetlińska Glade, through the Caryńska Glade, Bukowe Berdo, Tarnica and Halicz and meet only one man – it's hard to imagine, right? tLP. And now let's get back to the areas closer to your birthplace to the Karkonosze Mountains. For me personally 'portraits' of Śnieżka are a kind of 'icon' of the Karkonosze.

Do you often return to the Karkonosze Mountains? Many would say that this is not a particularly attractive place, especially compared to the Tatra Mountains or the Bieszczady Mountains...

KN. It is true. The Tatras are in Poland beyond any competition, because these mountains are exceptional in every respect. But the Karkonosze are also interesting in terms of photography - often even more picturesque and less known. I really like going back there, especially in winter, but not only. Recently, for 9 days, I ran photographic workshops there and it was a great time among beautiful landscapes. In autumn in the Karkonosze there are often inversions and seas of clouds, and in winter all objects are fantastically covered with rime. It looks particularly attractive on Śnieżka, where famous ‘saucers’ look like a space station on a different planet. The beauty of the Karkonosze rime frost may be envied by both Beskidy and even the Tatra Mountains! tLP. I cannot resist to ask about your approach to the most famous and popular Polish mountains, ie the Tatra Mountains... Do you like the Tatra Mountains? it seems that you are return to them mainly in winter ... again ... to show some 'unusual' shots, such as the January sunset over the summit of Kasprowy, a little stables or a lonely skier in the Five Lakes Valley.

Living in Zakopane has cured me a bit from my passion to winter, because it lasts far too long here. I am more and more willing to return to the Tatras in summer or autumn, when there is no snow and all trails are open.

07 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Mount Giewont, Tatra Mountains by Karol Nienartowicz

Giewont is a mountain massif in the Tatra Mountains, and is 1,895 metres AMSL at its highest.

There is a mountain pass located between Great and Long Giewont, known as Szczerba (1,823 m). It is located between the valleys (doliny) of Kondratowa, Małej Łąki and Strążyska. Long Giewont and Great Giewont are situated at a higher altitude than the nearby town of Zakopane, making them clearly visible from that city.

On Great Giewont, there is a 15 m steel cross (erected in 1901) – the site of religious pilgrimages. The area is notorious for its hazardous nature during thunderstorms, so this should be taken into consideration when approaching the summit.

Geologically, Giewont is composed of dolomite and limestone caves, as well as gneiss and granite in the southern section.

08 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

The first recorded ascent to Giewont's summit was undertaken in 1830 by mountaineers Franciszek Herbich and Aleksander Zawadzki.

The first winter ascent of Giewont occurred in 1904 by a group of five mountaineers led by Mariusz Zaruski. Nowadays the climbing on Giewont is strictly banned. On the other hand, hiking on the hiking trails is allowed and the access (except the winter) is not difficult hence Giewont is a very popular destination among amblers and Sunday tourists. In the summer up to a few thousand tourists a day ascend the top of the mountain.

Giewont lies in the area of the Polish Tatra National Park. In Polish folklore it is associated with a legend about oversleeping knights, who will awake when Poland is in danger. The profile of the mountains is similar to a lying knight, wherein the Long Giewont is the knight's torso, and the Great Giewont is the knight's face as viewed from the side (the three 'peaks' being the chin, the nose, and the eyebrow).

Gąsienicowa Valley, Tatra Mountains by Karol Nienartowicz

Połonina Caryńska, Bieszczady by Karol Nienartowicz

Połonina Caryńska is one of the pastures in the Bieszczady Mountains.

It contains four climaxes, the highest is Kruhly Peak (1297 m).

The south-western slopes are short and steep descend to the valleys, and the north-eastern gentler form ridges interspersed with valleys of small streams. Panorama view from Połonina Caryńska is extensive, with a clearly visible massif of the United Rawka, Połonina Wetlińska and a group of the highest peaks of Polish Bieszczady of Tarnica and Halicz.

The nature trail "Połonina Caryńska" is marked with the symbol of a beech leaf; one of its threads has 27, the second 8, and the third 10 stops .The first stop of the main route is in Ustrzyki Górne and the last one in Berehy Gorne. The second thread runs from the summit to Wyżniańska Pass.There is some inconsistency between the description contained in the guide and the course of the path in the field.

This is related to the change of the route a few years ago, The BdPN, for safety reasons, corrected the route. The third one runs from the Carynska ridge through Caryńskie to Bereżki.

For pedestrians, Połonina Caryńska is available from practically every part of the world, due to the main Beskid Trail (red) running along the ridge and the green trail almost perpendicular to it, from the Wyżniańska Pass.

10 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Połonina Caryńska (Caryńska Glade/Meadow) is with no doubt one of the most interesting and the most recognizable summits of our mountains. Tourists like it a lot for its beautiful. wide panoramas that can be admired from the summit and for its really abundant flora, especially in summertime.

Połonina Caryńska probably took its name after a word "tara" which in Romanian means "a field", "land", or after another Romanian word "car" – meaning a place over arable lands.

The most interesting cultural values include the cemetery and an old Orthodox churchyard.

The place, where in the past the church used to be located was marked with some stones. Near the remains of the temple, there are still eleven very interesting tombstones left. Most of them, unfortunately, were damaged during the roadworks in 1960-1962. They were used as gravel. The most beautiful ones are the artworks of Hryć Buchwak and have extraordinary, archaic ornaments related both to Christian and pagan symbolism. On the other side of the road leading to Dwernik, you may still find remains of an inn. It was typical for this area, that the church was always accompanied by an inn, which used to be the centre of social life and a bank at the same time. I don't know if you heard that in the past, a wife who would dare to take her husband out of the inn, could be bullwhipped as a punishment!

11 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Orla Perć, Tatra Mountains by Karol Nienartowicz

Orla Perć (English: Eagle's Path) is a tourist path in the Tatra Mountains.

It is considered the most difficult and dangerous public path in the entire Tatras and is therefore a suitable route only for experienced climbers. The path is marked with red signs. Since it was established, more than 140 people have lost their lives on the route.

The route is located in the centre of the High Tatras. The total length of the accessible route is 4.5 km.Total walking time (summer, depending on trails conditions) varies between 6 and 8 hours.

The highest point is Kozi Wierch at 2291m amsl. The path starts at Zawrat pass (2159m amsl) and finishes at Krzyżne pass (2112m amsl), leading through several peaks and traversing others. The path is exposed, leading mostly along the mountain ridge. Numerous aids for tourists are provided at the most steep and vertical stretches, including ladders, step ladders, chains and metal steps.

The most frequent ground constitutes mainly granite slab, rough rubble and uneven surface. The path is linked to other routes; there are altogether eight junctions with other paths, leading to mountain shelters and chalets. The stretch from Zawrat pass – Kozi Wierch is one-way only. Falling stones and avalanches are possible along the route.

12 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Śnieżka, Karkonosze by Karol Nienartowicz

Śnieżka or Sněžka (in Polish and Czech) is a mountain on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland, the most prominent point of the Silesian Ridge in the Karkonosze mountains.

Sněžka was one of the first European mountains visited by many tourists. This was mainly due to the relatively minor technical difficulties of the ascent and the fact that since the sixteenth century, many resort visitors flocked to the nearby Cieplice Śląskie-Zdrój and the highly visible Śnieżka, visually dominant over all Karkonosze was for them an important attraction.

One side of the mountain is in the Czech Republic; the other belongs to Poland. The area is very popular in summer with tourists from the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany who enjoy hiking in the alpine environment unique to this area.

On the Polish side a disc-shaped observatory with weather station and restaurant was built in 1974, and the St. Lawrence Chapel.

On the Czech side are a post office, and a chairlift station, connecting the peak with the town of Pec pod Sněžkou at the base of the mountain.

13 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

14Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Pieniny National Park by Karol Nienartowicz

The Pieniny mountains are mainly built from limestone and they create picturesque and impressive, almost vertical walls which go down towards the Dunajec River.

The most famous summit – Trzy Korony (Three Crowns) is 982 meters above sea level high, however Pieniny’s highest mountain – Wysokie Skałki – is 1050 meters above sea level and is not located on the Park’s area.

Pieniny National Park is located in the Dunajec river basin, and the river occupies important position among factors that influence Pieniny’s look.

15 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Panorama of Kasprowy Wierch by Karol Nienartowicz

Panorama of Kasprowy Wierch The mountain is at the crossroads of four crests, two of which coincide with footpaths, incorporating steps, bounding Poland and Slovakia and in times without snow the steep paths heading into both countries south and north are quite easily traversable. The slight apex of the four steep crests (peak itself) is just north of the border, which is deemed to be a straight line relative to the two dominant ridges.

From 1910 onwards Kasprowy Wierch became very popular among ski tourists so much so an aerial tramway or téléphérique, reaching almost to the summit, was built between 1935-1936 as such it is one of the oldest in Europe. As part of its modernization, the cabin aerial ropeway was closed for a period until December 2007. In 1938 meteorological and astronomical observatories were built here.

Kasprowy Wierch Tatra Mountains by Karol Nienartowicz

BOOK

GÓRSKIE WYPRAWY FOTOGRAFICZNE

By Karol Nienartowicz www.karolnienartowicz.com

“MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY TREKS”

I have been into mountain photography since 2003. In 2003-2005 I worked with analogue equipment and I developed photos myself, in the darkroom. During this period, I learned the basis of photography. I 2005, I bought my first digital camera and to tell the truth, thanks to it, I discover my interest in photographing the mountains, both in Poland and neighbouring countries. Since 2009, I have combined my passion to photography with my passion to trekking in the mountains of Europe and worldwide.

During my journeys I visit mainly the mountains while photography remains my primary goal. I prefer spending the nights in the tent, usually in remote places that are pretty difficult to get to, to catch, far from people, evening moments and morning light. I feel the best in wild, virgin places – in the areas, when meeting other human being becomes a pleasure, not necessity. I like getting tired and getting up early to admire the views that are not seen by the other, still sleeping, people.

If you are interested in my person and you would like to read about my beginnings in photography, inspirations and adventures i recommend a book called „Mountain photography treks”, where everything was described in detail. If you want to stay up to date with my news, feel free to visit my Facebook and Instagram profiles. Since 2009, I have been cyclically travelling to the mountains, also outside Poland.

18 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

During my journeys, in 8 years, I have visited over 40 countries in four continents.

From things located outside mountains, I have taken photos of Dutch windmills as well as fields full of hyacinths and tulips.

I photographed landscapes of Benelux, monuments of the capitals and big cities of the Baltic countries and Russia, landscapes of England and the pictures of civic jungle in New York. The biggest sentiment I feel, however, to the Karkonosze Mountains, where I grew up and lived for 28 years. Since 2013, I have been a licensed mountain guide in the Sudety Mountains. For three years I lived in Gdansk, where I was concerned mainly with marine and civic photography. In Gdansk, I took part in the works on the film „My Vincent” that was nominated to Bafta, Golden Globe and Oscar awards.

10 scenes created with my hands you can see on the screen. Since November 2016 I live in Zakopane, where I took up photographing of mountain landscapes once again.

I have had several exhibitions, publications in all leading , opinion – creating media in Poland, mountain and travelling magazines, prizes and awards in domestic and international competitions.

In 2018, my first book, entitled “Mountain photography treks” on the topic of photographing in the mountains, has been published.

GÓRSKIE WYPRAWY FOTOGRAFICZNE to order contact Karol on:

mail: nienar@op.pl 19 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Zakopane enjoy winter Zakopane is is known informally as "the winter capital of Poland.” It is a popular destination for mountaineering, skiing and qualified tourism. It expanded during the 19th century as the climate attracted more inhabitants. By 1889 it had developed from a small village into a climatic health resort. Rail service to Zakopane began October 1, 1899.

Introduction

In the late 1800s Zakopane constructed a road that went to the town of Nowy Targ, and railways that came from Chabówka. Because of easier transportation the population of Zakopane had increased to about 3,000 people by the end of the 1900s. In the 19th century, the Krupówki street was just a narrow beaten path that was meant for people to get from the central part of town to Kuźnice.

The ski jump on Wielka Krokiew was opened in 1925.

The cable car to Kasprowy Wierch was completed in 1936.

The funicular connected Zakopane and the top of Gubałówka in 1938.

Because of Zakopane's popular ski mountains, the town gained popularity this made the number of tourists increase to about 60,000 people by 1930.

Zakopane is visited by over 2,500,000 tourists a year.

In the winter, Zakopanes tourists are interested in winter sports activities such as skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, snowshoe walks, and Ice skating. During the summer, Tourists come to do activities like hiking, climbing, bike and horse ride the Tatras mountain, there are many trails in the Tatras. Tourists ride quads and dirt bikes that you can rent. Swimming and boat rides on the Dunajec river is popular. Many come to experience góral culture, which is rich in its unique styles of food, speech, architecture, music, and costume.

Zakopane is especially popular during the winter holidays, which are celebrated in traditional style, with dances, decorated horse-pulled sleighs called kuligs and roast lamb.

A popular tourist activity is taking a stroll through the town's most popular street: Krupówki. It is lined with stores, restaurants, carnival rides, and performers.

20 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

During the seasons winter and summer the Krupówki street gets crowded by tourists, these tourists visit shops and restaurants. In the summer time there is a local market down the strip of Krupówki. The people working in the market sell all kinds of clothing including leather jackets, traditional góral clothing, fur coats, shoes, and purses. Venders also sell foods like the famous smoked sheep cheese Oscypek, fruits, vegetables, and meats. There are also a lot of stands that sell all kinds of Zakopane souvenirs.

In the winter, thousands arrive in Zakopane to ski, especially around Christmas and in February. The most popular skiing areas are Kasprowy Wierch and Gubałówka. There are a number of cross country skiing trails in the forests surrounding the town.

Zakopane hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1929, 1939, and 1962; the winter Universiades in 1956, 1993, and 2001; the biathlon World Championship; several ski jumping world cups; and several Nordic combined, Nordic and Alpine European Cups.

It hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1939, the first outside the Alps and the last official world championships prior to World War II. Zakopane is popular for night life. At night there are always people walking around town checking out the different bars and dance clubs. Most of these bars and dance clubs are located on the Krupowki street.

A scene in Andrzej Wajda's film Man of Marble (Człowiek z marmuru) was filmed in Zakopane, introducing the town to a worldwide audience.

There is a network of well marked hiking trails in the Tatras and according to the national park regulations the hikers must stick to them. Most of these trails are overcrowded, especially in the summer season.

photo: Zakopane, Bartłomiej Jurecki

21 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

MY ZAKOPANE by travel.lovePoland

My Zakopane is probably a bit different from the one we can see today.

My Zakopane is a 'simple', somewhat sleepy town.

In fact, a kind a stop or a resting place before going up the mountains. When I arrived to Zakopane for the first time, I was probably ten years old, and then during my university studies, in my early adulthood, when the town was nothing much to me than just a railway station and two or three bars, where you could have potato or blueberry pancakes – one of them was located in Krupówki and the other on the way to Kuźnice. Today's Zakopane does not resemble the old one – even the one from the 80's. Today's city is vibrant and the famous Krupówki street has changed beyond recognition. I know that many of you do not like it; especially those who remember the old city. The fact is, however, that today's Zakopane has adapted to the needs of the modern tourist, and those who seek peace will continue to treat the city as a stopover for further trips in the mountains.

22 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Personally, I do not like crowds of people and exaggerated modernity, but the fact is that after a long expedition it is good to eat a delicious meal in one of hundreds of restaurants without worrying to find it closed after returning late from the mountains.

And probably this comfort is the most appreciated in modern Zakopane.

If you visit Zakopane, I recommend visiting one of the modern Aquaparks there. I have not experienced more relaxing moments than bathing in warm water with a view on the Tatra peaks. After such relaxing moments, I also recommend a visit to the Tadeusz Hasior Gallery, which a museum of the visionary artist, rooted in the Podhale tradition. If you happen to know Polish, or simply you are ready to lift yourself with aesthetic brews, the necessary point of your visit in Zakopane should be a trip to the Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz theatre.

The small Witkacy theatre is one of the most cherished theatres in Poland. It was founded in 1984 in tribute to a Zakopane legend, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (18851939) a multi talented artist who was known as 'Witkacy' to his friends.

Several of Witkacy's witty, spirited plays still sound fresh today, and they are all regularly performed at this theatre. The golden age of the theatre was in the 80's but it's still a vibrant spot today. Compensation to non-Polish speakers can be found in the cafe, which is a popular hangout for young artists. If the theatre is staging a foray into contemporary drama you may not be left out though as language is often the least important aspect these days.

Slightly less spectacular, yet still worth a visit will be the Tatra Museum and the necropolis Na Peksowym Brzysku. The old cemetery in Pęksowy Brzyzek in Zakopane is one of the most important burial sites in Poland. Buried here are a few dozen outstanding people of culture, science and art, and a wide range of individuals much deserving to Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains. The local tombstones and crosses are of unique nature as they combine the folk traditions and art trends dominating in the 19th and 20th century.

The old cemetery can be accessed by a cobblestone path from Kościeliska Street running next to the old church, the stone chapel of St Andrew, to the gate.

The wooden church of St Clement was built in the years 1847-1851 thanks to Klementyna and Edward Homolacs, local landowners. The wooden church is surrounded by a grassy space of the original parish cemetery, used before the opening of the graveyard called Pęksowe Brzyzko. They are separated by a stone wall (1950s) with a gate, decorated with commemorative plaques.

The cemetery is bisected by one alley. Many gravestone attract attention. Some of them are great masterpieces of such artists as: Władysław Hasior, Antoni Rząsa, Urszula Kenar, Michał Gąsienica Szostak or Maciej Berbeka. No less interesting is a large group of outstanding works of folk artists. The cemetery is accessible to visitors.

To sum up: rest, discover, eat and enjoy the beauty of Polish Tatra Mountains and feel invited to visit.

Artur 23 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

source/more at: www.pkl.pl , photos: pkl.pl

Kasprowy Kasprowy Wierch is one of the most recognisable mountains in the Tatras. The peak, located on the border of the High and Western Tatras, boasts views of unforgettable scenery photos Wojtek Kaczówka that can be enjoyed endlessly. From the height of nearly 2000 m asl, the peak offers a magnificent panorama of the gentle hills of the Red Peaks and the much sharper pinnacles of the High Tatras (including Świnica and Orla Perć).

From its summit you can also see Giewont, with its cross and the legendary knights, sleeping somewhere within the rocks; the favourite destination of many tourist trips.

Kasprowy also offers an opportunity to admire the Slovak part of the mountains, and even descend into the Ticha Valley (Cicha Liptowska). Many tourist hiking trails intersect here, leading to valleys or surrounding peaks. Tourists can have an enjoyable meal in a restaurant and visit the local meteorological observatory. At the foot of Kasprowy, lie two cirques: Gąsienicowy and Goryczkowy, with gentle meadows descending toward the Murowaniec hostel and the hostel on Hala Kondratowa. Once there, you can sit back, have a cup of hot tea and bask in the sun, admiring the cloudy ridges dotted with tiny figures of hikers. The peak of Kasprowy is easily accessible by cable car from Kuźnice. It runs throughout the year.

24 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

ł

Guba ówka The Gubałówka Hill Funicular is located in Zakopane and ascends the Gubałówka mountain. It is operated by PKL, Polish Cable Lines or Polskie Koleje Linowe.

Gubałówka is the perfect place for a lovely walk, with Zakopane at the foot of an extraordinary panorama of the Tatras.

The evening atmosphere at the summit of Gubałówka cannot be compared to that of any other mountain in Podhale. It is made even more magical by the flickering light sculptures, views of the vibrant Zakopane, the majestic Tatras towering over the city, visible in clear weather...

As in all funiculars, on the Gubałówka, a continuous steel cable is attached to a pair of tram-like carriages set at a steep angle on narrow gauge rails. These two carriages travel up and down the steep mountain slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other in turn.

The line is single, apart from one automatically controlled passing place situated roughly halfway up. The cable runs between the rails, guided by numerous roller wheels.

Street style lighting is provided along the whole length of the line. An overbridge carries a ski-run over the line, otherwise the route is uninterrupted, a single station being present at either end.

Zakopane

Sts.

John

The

Apostle

Church

CHURCH INTERIOR OF STS. JOHN THE APOSTLE

The Parish Church of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist in Harenda was erected in 1719 in Zakrzów, but in 1947-48 was transferred to Zakopane. The log construction walls are vertically boarded and moulded. The fittings include three C18th baroque wooden altars, brought from Książ Wielki to replace the destroyed Zakrzów ones. The paintings for all of the altars are the work of Władysław Jarocki. The church interior is covered by late-baroque polychrome depicting, among other things, the figures of St. Anne and St. John the Baptist, completed in the C18th by unknown guild painters, and supplemented in 1948-1950 with new motifs by Władysław Jarocki. (www.drewniana.malopolska.pl)

25 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

TOP 6 IN ZAKOPANE 01

Zakopane-Style Architecture

02

Museums and Art Galleries Visit tatra Museum in 10 Krupówki street and Zakopane Style Museum in Villa Koliba in 18 Kościeliska street. Also, our favorite: Hasior-Gallery: Wenantego Piaseckiego 18b.

Zakopane's churches are also worth visiting (also from the cultural point of view). Visit: Jaszczurówka Chapel and the Church in Kościeliska street and Fatima Sanctuary in Krzeptówki.

03

05

Peksowe Brzysko The old cemetery in Pęksowy Brzyzek in Zakopane is one of the most important burial sites in Poland. Buried here are a few dozen outstanding people of culture, science and art, and a wide range of individuals much deserving to Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains. The local tombstones and crosses are of unique nature as they combine the folk traditions and art trends dominating in the 19th and 20th century.

Valleys and trails There’'s nothing quite like some dramatic mountain scenery and Zakopane boasts plenty of majestic walks and peaks. The crumpled folds of the Tatra Mountains loom large, making the town a big hit with hikers, nature photographers, and city slickers wanting to sample the great outdoors.

Krupówki is over a kilometre long promenade the central, thus, the most representative street of Zakopane (it can be very busy).

On Krupowki you will find wide selection of shops, restaurants and hotels that attracts thousands of visitors all year round.

Is an architectural style inspired by the regional art of Poland’s highland region known as Podhale. Drawing on the motifs and traditions in the buildings of the Carpathian Mountains – now considered a core tradition of the Góral people.

04

Krupówki

06

Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz theatre The Witkacy theatre is one of the most cherished theatres in Poland. It was founded in 1984 in tribute to a Zakopane legend, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885-1939) a multi talented artist who was known as 'Witkacy' to his friends. Several of Witkacy's witty, spirited plays still sound fresh today, and they are all regularly performed at this theatre.

Zakopane Zakopane is a town in the extreme south of Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains.

Since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 27,424 as of 2016.

Zakopane is a center of Góral culture and is known informally as "the winter capital of Poland.” It is a popular destination for mountaineering, skiing and qualified tourism. Zakopane is near the border with Slovakia and lies in a valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill. It can be reached by train or by bus from district capital Kraków, which is about two hours away. Zakopane has an elevation of 800-1,000 m above sea level. The town is centred on the junction of Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets.

The earliest documents mentioning Zakopane date to the 17th century, describing a glade called Zakopisko. In 1676 it was a village of 43 inhabitants. In 1818 Zakopane was a small town that was still being developed. There were only 340 homes that held 445 families.

The population of Zakopane at that time was 1,805. The first church was built in 1847, by Józef Stolarczyk. Zakopane became a center for the region's mining and metallurgy industries; in the 19th century, it was the largest center for metallurgy in Galicia.

26 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Zakopane

ENJOY WINTER photos M. Ciszewski www.polska.pl and Bartłomiej Jurecki

27 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Panorama of Zakopane

29 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND photo: Bartłomiej Jurecki

The Children's corner

the Legend of the The Sleeping Knights Poland has always been a land of strong and courageous knights. Many old tales claim that the bravest of the knights never died, but have been asleep for centuries in a cavern beneath Mount Pisana.

Once, in a mountain village, a stranger entered a blacksmith shop. He told the blacksmith that he could earn a rich reward for doing a special job, but he must promise not to tell anyone. The blacksmith agreed. The stranger took a gold bar from under his coat and asked the blacksmith to make a horseshoe from it. When this was done, the stranger led him to the Koscieliska Valley. After hours of walking, they came to a cave hidden by rocks and trees.

There was a bright golden light inside the cave. On the floor was an army of knights in full armor, resting their helmeted heads on saddles as if they were pillows. In their hands were battle axes and spears. Along the walls of the cave stood beautiful sleeping horses covered with blankets made of delicate fabric and horseshoes made of gold.

The stranger told the amazed blacksmith to replace the broken shoe of a great stallion with the golden horseshoe he had made. The horse did not get up even when the blacksmith nailed the horseshoe to the stallion's hoof.

NOMADIC

30 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

|

24

Of course, the curious blacksmith asked many questions, but this was all the stranger would tell him: the knights had been in a deep sleep for hundreds of years and they would not wake until the time came for a great battle. On that day, thunder would shake the earth and the sky, giant pine trees would break like little sticks, and boulders would crash down the mountainsides.

The knights would then gallop out of the cave to fight for Poland once more.

When the job was done, the stranger led the blacksmith back to his village and made him swear never to tell a living soul about what he had seen. Then, the stranger paid the blacksmith with a bag of gold and vanished.

The foolish blacksmith could not keep from telling anyone about what he saw. First, he told his wife and then his neighbors. Soon everyone knew his secret. However, the moment the blacksmith broke his word, his bag of gold turned to sand and although he searched for the cave many times, he was never able to find it.

J O I N

NEW ON FACEBOOK

6:00 PM 10:00 PM

TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND GROUP

EXCHANGE IDEAS, ASK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

JOIN US

DESTINATION

IDEAS

TRENDS

INSPIRATION

REVIEWS

POLAND FROM

ABOVE

ZIELENIEC SKI ARENA source: www.zieleniec.pl PHOTOS: Projekt Wysoki Slask www.facebook.com/pg/projektwysokislask

The ski resort owes its popularity to its unique location.

Situated between the peaks of the Orlickie and Bystrzyckie mountains and lying at an altitude of 800-960 meters, it is one of the most beautiful places of this kind in Poland.

An additional attraction of the resort are some beautiful views which provide an unforgettable experience at any time of the year.

One of the most important advantages and the distinguishing factor of Zieleniec, in comparison with other ski resorts in Poland, is the specific microclimate similar to the Alpine climate. Its uniqueness is related to the air pressure system, which is exceptional in the region, due to which the human body produces an increased number of red blood cells. This improves our mood, allows us to recover faster and rest more effectively.

VISITORS INFO

Zieleniec, which is part of Lower Silesian resort Duszniki-Zdrój, is only about two hours’ drive from Wrocław. www.zieleniec.pl

32 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Another asset of the resort, connected with its exceptional location and climate, are the snow conditions. A large amount of snowfall (1300 mm during the year, of which 40% falls from November to March) causes that the snow remain here for about 150 days a year. Therefore, if winter comes at the turn of November and December, it is usually possible to ski in Zieleniec even during Easter holidays.

However, Zieleniec is not only a ski resort, but also a perfect place to relax all year round, especially for families with younger children, as well as being a great place for setting off to explore other interesting places in the Kłodzko Valley. Orlickie and Bystrzyckie mountains are perfect for day trips, which will certainly not be too challenging for the youngest ones.

Zieleniec Ski Arena is a resort of lively atmosphere throughout the entire ski season. Already with the first snowfall and the opening of lifts operations, the Free Ski action starts, which entitles skiers, who stay overnight in the resort, to avail of the free use of lifts and cable-cars (details of the action available on the website).

Ceremonial opening of every season is usually very uproarious, and it normally takes place in early December.

At this point, two reservations are important – everything depends, of course, on the weather prevailing in Zieleniec.

But the good news is – very often, some lifts are ready to be used even earlier. The resort is always ready in terms of ski equipment for the second half of November, and provided that the temperature stays permanently below 0 degrees, snow cannons are launched in full swing.

ZIELENIEC SKI ARENA PHOTOS PROJEKT WYSOKI ŚLĄSK

33 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Photos projekt wysoki ŚLĄSK Katarzyna Makowska Tycjan Trzpiola

34 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Masarykova chata (Czech Side)

PHOTOS PROJEKT WYSOKI ŚLĄSK KATARZYNA MAKOWSKA TYCJAN TRZPIOLA Zieleniec Ski Arena is one of the best and the largest ski resorts in Poland, with its origins dating back to the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Today Zieleniec is visited not only by fans of skiing from all over Poland, but also by visitors from the neighbouring countries such as Czech Republic or Germany, and the resort itself is regularly awarded in various plebiscites and contests.

see more www.facebook.com/pg/projektwysokislask

35 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Pilsko

Pilsko is the second highest mountain, 1,557 meters (5,108 ft), in the Żywiec Beskids mountain range, on the border between Poland and Slovakia.

It is a hiking destination in summer and a skiing area in winter.

The name Pilsko is frequently used not only to describe the main peak, which lies in Slovakia, but also whole range. The mountain lies not only on the border between the two nations, it also marks the European Watershed. source: www.halamiziowa.pl

Origins of the name of Pilsko are not known, it might have been named after an 18th-century owner of local meadows, named Piela. There are several other theories, scholar A. Siemionow claims that Pilsko is a distorted, Slovak version of the word Poland. What is known is that the name first appears in documents from 1721, in a book “Historia Naturalis Curiosa Regni Poloniae”, written by Reverend Gabriel Rzaczynski (who also was first reported man to climb the mountain).

Upper part of Pilsko is flat and made of limestone, covered by grass and mountain pine. On Slovak side there is a field altar, founded by residents of the Orava village of Mutne. Every year in July, a parish priest from Mutne comes here for a service. On northeastern slope, along yellow tourist trail, there is a cross, commemorating one of the first victims of the 1939 Invasion of Poland, a Border Defence Corps Corporal, Franciszek Basik.

In 1967, the government of Czechoslovakia created a nature reserve in Slovak side of Pilsko, with the area of 809 hectares. Polish nature reserve, created in 1971, is much smaller, as it covers only 15.4 hectares. The peak provides views of the Western Beskids, the Tatras, and sometimes eastern slopes of the Sudetes.

Two skiing centers operate on slopes in the area of Korbielow: Skiing Center Pilsko in Korbielów, and Kolej Baba in Korbielow-Kamienna.

36 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Due to the high altitude it is the only one in the Beskidy Mountains – next to Babia Mount – zone of alpine vegetation system. Up to approx. 1100m above sea level, there grows the mixed lower subalpine forest, which at an altitude of approx. 1300-1400m fades going into a natural mountain pine. The zone of mountain halls and natural rock vegetation is not yet presented in full scope.

The wide dome of Pilsko clearly dominates the neighboring culminations, exceeding them by 200-300m, so the top is an excellent viewpoint. You can see the large part of the Western Beskid Mountains and Barania of Skrzyczne in the west, the Beskid Maly in the north, the Babia Gora and the Tatra Mountains in the distance, the Gorce and the east. The highest point is located on the Slovak side of the border.

The youth hostel at Hala Miziowa is a year-round facility, picturesquely situated on the slopes C in the Beskid Żywiecki. It is the highest situated shelter in the Polish Beskidy Mountains (1330 m above sea-level) and Pilsko - 1,557 m above the sea level is the second highest peak in the whole Beskidy Mountains, just after the Babia Góra (1725 m above the sea level).

In winter the Pilska slope turns into a paradise for snow sports. Here are the best conditions for skiing and snowboarding in the Beskidy Mountains. A wide network of ski lifts and trails of varying difficulty are the elements that attract many skiers.

Drawing of the stave church from 1841 by F.W. Schiertz

Pilsko gallery

PILSKO visit: www.halamiziowa.pl In the area Pilska, there also operates the year-round Mountain Rescue (GOPR) station, which provides tourists with security and professional medical care.

The exceptional climate, scenic and tourist attractions of this place, home cooking and friendly family atmosphere, as well as the variety of attractions that we can offer our guests make the stay at Hala Miziowa an unforgettable experience.

In the area of Pilsko, there is a whole range of animal species characteristic for high mountain ranges in the Western Beskidy, as well, and the lowlands. You can meet birds of prey like a hawk or lesser spotted eagle, as well as lynx or “king-growth forest” – the brown bear. The biggest cradle of the bear is a large Slovak nature reserve covering a large area Pilsko – almost the whole area is off the tourist tracks.

Pilsko has a PTTK shelter, located at the height of 1,270 meters, near which there is a junction of tourist trails.

37 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

MIKOŁAJ GOSPODAREK

the East

REGIONS OF POLAND PODLASIE

The East

BY MIKOŁAJ GOSPODAREK

Podlasie is a historical region in the eastern part of Poland. Between 1513 and 1795 it was a voivodeship with the capital in Drohiczyn. Now the part north of Bug River is included in the modern Podlaskie Voivodeship with the capital in Białystok.

It has a varied landscape, shaped in the north by Baltic glaciation, the rest by Middle Poland glaciation. The highest peaks are in the north (Rowelska Top – 298m), where the landscape is dominated by a hilly lake district. Lakeland: Zachodniosuwalskie, Wschodniosuwalskie, Ełckie) and Sandrowy lake district (Augustów Plain) in the central and southern pre-glacial plains prevail (plateaus: Kolneńska, Białystok, Wysokomazowiecka, Drohiczynska, Sokólskie Hills, Międzyrzecko łomżyński, Plain Bielsko), varied in topography with small basins and river valleys. Kurpie lie on the west edge of the outwash plains. Sand, gravel, clay, moraine, and in the valleys and basins of the rivers silt, sand and river peat predominate on the surface. The vast forests (Białowieża, Augustów, Knyszyń, Kurpiowska), some of which are the only ones in Europe to have retained their original character, contain a unique wealth of flora and fauna. The vegetation of the region is extremely diverse, which contributes to the richness of the animal world. Visitors can also see moose, wolves, lynx and bison living in the Białowieża Forest and Knyszyń Forest.

Mikołaj Gospodarek Author about the project: Author Mikołaj Gospodarek was born in 1987 in Częstochowa.

Photographer, journalist, traveller and free spirit.

For over 10 years, he has been traveling the world with a camera in search of beautiful landscapes and interesting people.

He graduated from the Faculty of Film and Photography at the College of Art and Design in Łódź.

He has been living in Bavaria since 2014 but recently moved back to Poland.

Mikołaj in his own words: „Sielska Polska” (Idyllic Poland) is a book that was supposed to be a signpost. On the pages of it, I share with the readers some places that I have visited during my journeys around the country. I have been working as a photographer since 2008. Initially, I travelled only in search of landscapes. Later, I began to appreciate the cultural richness of the regions I visited.

SEE MORE AT:

www.gospodarek.pl All photos: Mikołaj Gospodarek "Sielska Polska" Mutico, 2017 hardcover, pages: 168 Format: 22.5 x 26.0 cm ISBN: 978-83-7763-408-0

39 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Suwałki Region with its picturesque endless distances competes for the name of the coldest region of Poland. This terrain, generally flat, undulating by the action of the glacier, must face a duel with the Hala Izerska, a glade located in the Sudety Mountains. For me, however, the region of Suwałki has always been and will surely remain the cold pole. Measurements and accurate calculations do not matter to me.

Why? It's easy to find out about it when you leave Suwałki in the direction of RutkiTartak. The further north you go, the landscapes become more and more uninhabited. The snow-filled fields are deliberately similar to the snowy wastes from Arctic nature films. Life in the Suwałki region falls into a winter sleep. Only the faint smoke from the chimney reveals where people can be found. Many houses are abandoned. There is no movement in the backyards. When the morning traffic of school buses passes, and those working in the city reach their destinations, the roads get empty. Generally, the roads here are the most suitable for driving in winter.

Most of them are snow cleared, and thanks to the compact snow and ice cover, there are no holes or irregularities. In summer, many unpaved roads cannot be freely used by cars.

Winter is like heaven in this respect. It ends almost every year in the same tragic way in March when the cold freezes end  and everything melts and flows, the roads become soft and extremely impassable.

Winter Podlasie is amazing. Every time it is stunning in some other way.

Sometimes, it's all about the colours of the sky, sometimes the patterns on the snow. Winter Podlasie is slow, peaceful. Here, the smoke from the chimney says everything. Standing in a small settlement in the wilderness after a while I know that 5 families live here, because only five chimneys smoke  there. I approach the fence and then an extraordinary conversation begins, one that cannot be reported by words.

You just have to experience it!

Bisons and the East Białowieża Forest WORDS BY

PHOTO BY

BPN bpn.com.pl

Mikołaj Gospodarek

The animals in the Show Reserve are exhibited in semi-natural conditions, in large enclosures with natural vegetation, so they may be not visible all the time.

During the high season (between 15th of April until the 15th of October) everyday from 9.00am to 5.00pm; Outside of the high season from Tuesday to Sunday from 8.00am to 4.00pm.

In the yearly life cycle of the bison in the Białowieża Forest, there are two different periods: The first period – is the time of the winter concentration, lasting for the whole winter period. The second one – is the period of free roaming during the season when there is no snow cover, coinciding to a large extent with the plant vegetation period in the forest. Then bison take advantage of the natural food resources and follow their specific way of utilising their natural environment. During winter time, bison gather around the location of animal feeders, creating large winter groups with several dozen specimens. Some bulls create at this time separate, smaller groups in other feeder locations or roam freely across the Forest.

At the turn of winter and spring, winter groups become unstable and start breaking up into smaller groups, which start leaving the feeder location and start roaming across the Forest looking for natural food.Basic social groups in the population include mixed groups and bull groups.

Mixed groups comprise cows, 2-3 years old youngsters, calves and periodically adults.

44 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

In the Polish free roaming population, the average size of a mixed group is currently equal to 13 specimens, at maximum reaching the size of 92 specimens.

The grand majority (more than 80%) of the mixed groups has up to 20 bison, large groups are very infrequent to come by.

Only in the Belarusian bison population, on cultivated meadows, it is possible to come across large mixed groups with 40-140 specimens.

The average size of a bull group is equal to 2 specimens, though it is most common to find small bull groups of 2-3 specimens – large groups with 4-9 specimens are hard to come across. Approximately 60% of bulls live alone. Bison groups do not coincide with any family ties and their contents as well as size change frequently.

Some of the changes are seasonal (birth of calves, arrival of bulls during the breeding period), other changes result from bonding of several groups and then their separation, where new bonds are created. A mixed group is typically headed by an older cow with a calf.

the East

THERE IS SOMETHING GREAT IN BRAVING THE UNKNOWN www.gospodarek.pl All photos: Mikołaj Gospodarek

45 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Photos: Mikołaj Gospodarek

Adult bulls weigh between 440 and 920 kilograms.

They can reach the height of up to 188 centimetre in withers. Bulls have the characteristic feature in the form of a disproportion between the muscular front of the body and relatively slender back.

Cows are smaller, and their weight ranges from 320 to 640 kilograms and the front part of their body is less developed. A bison's body is covered with fawn – dark brown fur, which protects them from recognition in the surrounding environment.

The front of the body is covered with longer hair, which at the bottom of the neck create the so-called beard. The back of the body is covered with short hair. The heads of both sexes are equipped with high seated horns. The endings of these horns bend to the inside more for cows than for bulls. Calves have brownish fur when they are born and are relatively small – their weight ranges between 16 and 35 kilograms. Feeding hoofed animals in the Białowieża Forest during winter has been used for ages. In the 19th century, there was a network of animal feeders constructed in the Forest, where bison and other hoofed animals were fed during winters.

46 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Currently, bison living in the Białowieża Forest are fed with hay in permanent locations.

Depending on winter weather conditions, bison gather around these locations for the period of 4–5 months. Permanent access to high quality hay limits the natural death rate for the bison population in winter, though simultaneously leads to several months' long concentrations in the proximity of the feeders, which can negatively impact their health. Winter feeding impacts significantly the behaviour, social structure, geographical distribution, density and even breeding in bison populations. Bison use most hay between December until March, which represents in the period nearly 100% of their diet.

In November and in April, during warm winters with limited quantity of snow, bison use hay irregularly and spread on a significantly larger geographical region. However, finding food under the snow cover plays nowadays limited role for bison and it is observed mainly on the farming fields and on cultivated meadows at the beginning of winter.

47 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

What a mortal creature of God, could be more beautiful than horse.

EDYTA TROJAŃSKA-KOCH www.equine-photo.com

photo: Beata Skalmierska

I have been interested in horses since childhood as they accompanied me throughout the times of my youth and the adult life. Although I had broadened my knowledge in totally different areas, such as studying French Philology and Journalism at Pedagogical University of Cracow and Photography at Warsaw School of Photography & Graphic Design, these experiences enabled me to make two of my biggest hobbies into one - the photography of horses. Moreover, being able to speak in three languages: French, Spanish and English was priceless during all my trips to foreign countries.

Photography studies enriched my skills and additionally sensibilised me to various types of photography. Furthermore, countless hours spent in a saddle and while working as a horse-riding instructor helped me to understand horses mentally what, at the moment, facilitates to predict their behaviours as well as to receive a long-awaited final effect in the picture.

When I take my camera, I always try to remember the words of Ansel Adams, one of the best photographers: A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed. Horses have always been charming and inspiring to me. Their nature's duality is what surprises me persistently. They are equally strong and delicate, shy and attentive, proud and tame. Their beauty, nobility and gentleness make each photography session an unrepeatable, full with emotion experience. Thus, I am really happy to have an opportunity to work with these amazing creatures and to share my love, admiration and respect to horses with you by photographs collected on my website.

Three of my albums: "Konie arabskie" – 2004, "Konie" – 2013 and its extended edition under the same title: "Konie" – 2014 contain the significant part of my photographs archive. My works, every year, are included in various publications: calendars, magazines, puzzles, books, etc. I collaborate with publishing companies in Poland, Germany, Italy, the U.K., France and the U.S.A. I would like to thank all wonderful persons I have a chance to meet on my foto trips: owners of the stud farms, breeders, caretakers for their endless patience, dedication and especially for wake ups early in the morning.

Without you these photos would not have been taken.

48 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

PHOTO ART GALLERY Edyta Trojańska–Koch www.facebook.com/pg/ETKequinephotography www.equine-photo.com on photo: Hucul Oryt, A.W Bilińscy stable 49 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

photo: Marta Szymala

Wild horses / Bieszczady explorer REFLECTIONS

PHOTOS BY

Edyta Trojańska-Koch and lovePoland

Edyta Trojańska-Koch www.equine-photo.com

tLP. Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up, have the horses been with you since childhood? Where does your love for them come from?

ETK. I spent my childhood and youth in Krakow. It is difficult for me to say where my fascination with horses came from.

Maybe it's a matter of magical aura that surrounds them? Ever since I remember, I have always been attracted to animals and to horses in particular. When I was 15, my parents succumbed to my requests and enrolled me in a horse riding course. From then on I spent all my free time in the stable. For a long time I dreamed about a sports career. I did not succeed in these 50 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

plans, but the horses have not disappeared from my life. They have always been present in some way. In truth, I cannot imagine life without them. tLP. Do you remember the "moment" when you decided for the first time that you want to take up horse photography? Or was it a process that matured over time?

ETK. I remember that during my one-yearlong stay in Paris, studying at the Sorbonne, I often asked myself what I would really like to do in the future. And the only thing that came to my mind at the time was that I would like to photograph horses. At that time, I was fascinated with the romantic photographs of Zofia Raczkowska, Gabriele Boiselle and Christiane Slawik.

tLP. You rather do not photograph horse races or competitions. Most of your photographs are animals in nature, close to it. Is this a conscious choice and decision?

Where does this approach come from?

ETK. The fact that I photograph horses in nature is the most conscious choice and results from two things. Horses, which are the embodiment of beauty and spirituality, have been seen for centuries as a symbol of freedom, independence, savagery. It is this side of horse nature that attracts me the most. Ever since I started photographing, I have less and less ride on horseback, although it still makes me very happy. Photography, in a way, forces a different type of relationship with a horse. It ceases to be a mount, which is supposed to fulfill the commands of the rider. When you spend time photographing a herd of horses in the pasture, you are their guest. If you come to greet, they sniff, check if you have any treat, they do it of their own will. When they do not like something, they can turn around and leave at any moment, escape to the other end of the meadow. You have to header to get them interested, but not to be frightened.

The relationship becomes much more like a partnership.

On the other hand, photographing horses in nature, in my opinion, allows for more creativity. All photos taken at competitions or races seem to me similar, and most importantly, there is no mood, climate or poetry in them.

The competition usually takes place in the noon hours, not at dawn and dusk, when there is best light. And photography is after all "painting with light". So the time is important, the environment is also very important – things I have very limited influence on during the competition. Photographing horses of different races in the natural environment, in the morning and evening light, in different landscapes, at different seasons, in different countries – gives an infinite number of possibilities. Each session becomes a journey into the unknown. Even though I've been photographing horses for 25 years, I still have photos that surprise me. And this is the most beautiful thing in this profession.

tLP. Do you need to prepare for photographing horses in a special way? Do you remember completely unexpected moments? Is it easy to work with such an unusual model?

ETK. If we think about photographing horses, we should start by getting to know these animals in the best way possible. The more we know about them, the more accurately we can predict their reactions, the easier we can provoke the desired behaviour and achieve the desired effect on the pictures. It is known, for example, that the stallion will present itself most attractively when he senses a mare nearby, or that when we release a horse from the stable to the paddock, we usually have the chance to take the most interesting shots in the first 10 minutes, when the energy accumulates in closure. After this time, he usually calms down and begins to graze. The biggest challenge is to organise a photo session in such a way that the effect is the most natural, while maintaining the safety of people and horses, especially if we do it outside the paddocks, in specially selected locations, for example on the beach or in the mountains. In such situations, knowledge of horse's nature is especially useful. Of course, technical issues are also important: the camera as fast as possible, preferably a long lens, and a comfortable outfit suited to the conditions in which we work. If we are well prepared, working with horses is a real pleasure, but of course there is always some element of uncertainty. A horse is an animal and we can never fully predict how it will behave.

Recently, in summer, we took two horses to the lake.

Usually, when they are released, they return the shortest route to the shore. However, they began to go deeper into the lake, causing a lot of fear. Fortunately, they quickly decided to turn back. In general, horses are very grateful models and usually try to meet our expectations.

YDAZCZSEIB / SESROH DLIW

The idea was so crazy as it had nothing to do with the direction of my studies, and my concept of photography was very limited at the time. Therefore, at first, I didn't even take it seriously. Later, however, life decided for me. After returning, I went to Bieszczady, where I met Hucul horses and made friends with the marriage of nature photographers. I bought my first camera and spent every spare moment with it among the horses. Naturally, I dreamed about publishing the most successful shots, so I started to "knock" at various editorial offices and publications, initially in Poland, then abroad.

Before I realized that, photography dominated my whole life.

tLP. Poland famous for love for horses and their breeding.

I myself come, or rather my family, from the land estate Jarczowce near Tarnopol, famous for the Arabian horse stable of the count Julius Dzieduszycki... Unfortunately, the war changed everything so my passion for horses slightly missed... The love for horses in Poland, however, remained. What does it result from...?

ETK. Horses have written many beautiful cards in the history of Poland. The riders were always the elite of the Polish army, which often determined the fate of the battles, enough to mention the battle of Kircholm, where the Polish hussars smashed three times bigger army of the Swedes, the charge of Samosierra or the battle of Komarov against the 1st Army of Siemion Budionny, that prof.

Norman Davies described as: "a spectacle that Europe never saw again."

51 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Huculs SKH Tabun stable

Cavalry became an element of Polish identity and national mythology. Perhaps this is the reason for the exceptional attachment of Poles to horses. The history of Jan Ziniewicz's rescue of two priceless Arabian stallions, Witraż and Wielki Szlem, during a carpet raid in Dresden, testifies to the unusual relationship between us and these animals.

Janowski, a mastermind, risked his own life to save these two siblings, whose blood now flows in the veins of every Arabian horse in Poland. Thanks to the passion, commitment and hard work of outstanding breeders: Andrzej Krzyształowicz, Marek Trela and Jerzy Białobok, the Polish breeding of Arabian horses, considered one of the best in the world, for many years was the most successful internationally. This would not have been possible without the love to horses in general and Arabian horses in particular. tLP. Is it all right to say that horses are in a sense the core of our identity and at the same time, a kind of attraction for outsiders? We know, from many of our readers from around the world, that this topic is attractive, activating a kind of longing, desire for communing with nature?

ETK. I answered the first question in the previous answer :) Horses have fascinated people for centuries because of their strength, speed and beauty. However, it seems to me that what attracts us to them is the desire for freedom.

Horses are steppe animals, their natural environment is large open space. Although they were domesticated thousands of years ago, they managed to maintain their inner wildness and independence. Contact with a horse is a contact with nature, it is, in a sense, also a freedom from civilization, from all those walls that surround and limit us in our daily lives. These animals literally and figuratively give us wings. Anyone who at least once in his life sat on the back of a galloping horse will understand it. Perhaps this is why they are so fascinating and attractive to us. tLP. Finally, please tell us about the series on the Huculs of Bieszczady. The Bieszczady Mountains are still one of the most unpolluted with civilization areas in Poland...

The Huculs themselves are supposedly gentle and intelligent.

They have always been able to work hard and cooperate with people... How was this series created? Do you have any special affection or sentiment for the Huculs?

ETK. Indeed, I have an exceptional fondness of Hucul horses, because they were not only my first models, but also faithful and reliable companions of mountain trekking.

During my studies, I spent my holidays in the Bieszczady Mountains, staying at camps for children and youth. We often started classes at dawn and ended up late in the evening to avoid the nagging heat. Enchanted by the morning fog enveloped by the Bieszczady landscapes, I reached for the first time for the camera.

PHOTO ART GALLERY EDYTA TROJAŃSKA-KOCH Bieszczady horses

horses from OGTJ Połoniny stable

53 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

PHOTO ART GALLERY EDYTA TROJAŃSKA-KOCH Bieszczady horses

Huculs SKH Tabun stable

"I practiced the first shots on Hucul horses. Although it is not a race distinguished by exceptional beauty, such as Arabian or Andalusian horses, it does not mean that they are not photogenic, especially if the background for photography is the Bieszczady open airs that I am still looking forward to today. I spent a lot of time in these mountains and I often come back there. Due to the fact that last winters were milder, usually got there just then, because it happens that only there you have snow. In addition, in the Bieszczady Mountains, most of the Huculs are bred in a herd-like, unmanned system, rarely practiced in other regions of Poland.

This creates a unique opportunity in the winter for photographing horses covered with snow and rags, after a whole night spent in the cold" Edyta Trojanska-Koch

54 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

PHOTO ART GALLERY EDYTA TROJAŃSKA-KOCH Bieszczady horses

Horses from Kulbaka

55 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

PHOTO ART GALLERY EDYTA TROJAŃSKA-KOCH Bieszczady horses

Huculs Stary Łupków Stable

Hucul horse (Hutsul, Huc) - a domestic horse breed, derived from a tarpan. It is a primitive breed of mountain horses.

These horses are vital, strong and resistant. They were used mainly as packers. The horses of this breed could easily carry heavy loads even on demanding mountain paths. The breed of these animals is suitable for recreation, mountain tourism, offroad rallies and harness. Currently, due to their gentleness and intelligence, they are often used in hippotherapy. After signing the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992 (In Poland, the document was ratified in 1996), the Program for the conservation of genetic resources of Hucul horses was introduced in Poland. As a result, over the years, from 95 hutsuls in 1988, their amount increased to five thousand horses of this breed in 2014.

It occurs most often in sorrel, grey or piebald coat, less often in black or white. Chestnut coat is undesirable, stallions of this type are not entered into the Stud-book, and mares of chestnut colour can be entered into the Stud-books provided that they have typical racial features: a dark stripe across the back and brindled limbs.

The dorsal band and zebroid stripes on the limbs often appear.

56 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

PHOTO ART GALLERY EDYTA TROJAŃSKA-KOCH Bieszczady horses

Huculs SKH Tabun stable

Hucułs belong to the pony class due to their growth. However, it is a mistake to think of them as small, weak, only domestic horses. They are extremely strong. During wartime, they deserved great appreciation, carrying gears weighing up to 120kg on mountain paths. They are gentle by nature and learn very quickly.

Another advantage of Hucul horses is their versatility. They work both under the saddle and in the harness. From year to year, there are more amateurs of Hucul horse-riding ; they participate in riding competitions with horse-drawn carts, dressage, jumping over obstacles and the so-called Hutsul path. Hucul horses have also been appreciated in hippotherapy, where such features as calmness and patience are irreplaceable.

57 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

PHOTO ART GALLERY Edyta Trojanska Koch www.facebook.com/pg/ETKequinephotography www.equine-photo.com Horses from Kulbaka

Huculs SKH Tabun stable

M E D I A

S U P P O R T

O F

L O V E

P O L A N D

100 X 100 One hundred photographs to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining independence

From the Publisher:

Dear readers, dearest enthusiasts of archival photography, with real joy, I present you with a special album entitled „100 × 100”. With joy, but also with gratitude, as this publication is the result of our joint work. It is thanks to your involvement in the project, which started in February 2018, that we managed to select 100 unusual photographs showing the free, independent, dynamically developing Poland after 1918.

In the year when we celebrate the 100th anniversary of regaining independence, this project gains special importance, as through engaging you to participate in selection of photos, we can share the joy and the feeling of being united. Our joy is even bigger, because of the extremely positive reception of the «100 × 100» campaign in social and traditional media, that fits right into the mission of the National Digital Archives which is to build a modern society that is aware of its past.Logotype of the Polish History Museum, by Piotr Młodożeniec

Album 100 x 100 One of the goals of the everyday work of the National Digital Archives is to develop an identity rooted in the memory.

The first query has allowed us to identify several hundred photos, from which you chose the most interesting, in your opinion, photographic testimonies of the Second Polish Republic which were divided into ten categories – Landscape, Culture, Industry, Sport, Politics, Customs, Children and Youth, Military and Science. When choosing the photos, you have often left comments with additional information, also personal, sharing your own experiences, sometimes family histories.

Unique, archival photographs by Narcyz Witczak-Witaczyński, Henryk Poddębski, as well as many photojournalists working for ”Illustrated Daily Courier”, depict landscapes, architecture and expanding cities, frames from life of Polish society, evidence of scientific progress, culture and sport development, all documented on film, among them political and military images, but also ones that illustrate the intensity of life, everyday joys and sorrows.

62 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

They allow us to time-travel for a moment to Poland of the Inter-war period, to feel its colourfulness, despite the black and white film.

“100 × 100” brings us closer to the reality of the Second Polish Republic in yet another aspect. The font, which is used in the publication, is called “Brygada 1918” and was created in 1928 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of regaining Poland’s independence, in the font foundry Idźkowski and S-ka.

Janusz Tryzno came across the original matrices of the font while cleaning the Museum of Artistic Book. Thanks to the involvement of the “Independent” Program Office, and then digitisation and re-birth of this font in a new form, the font has been available to all computer users since May 2018.

Long live the Independent!

Marianna Otmianowska The originator of the project Director of the National Digital Archives 2016-2018

100 x 100

GET YOUR FREE DIGITAL COPY www.nac.gov.pl www.nac.gov.pl/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018_08-100x100-album-maly.pdf 63Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Kraków Nativity Scene

Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl

Kraków Nativity Scene source: The Kraków's Museum of the History www.mhk.pl

The Kraków's Crib is a slender multilevel tower – a very embossed small building made from light, nonpersistent material. The characteristic trait of it, especially now, is that it contains a lot of processed and linked elements consistent with Kraków's ancient architecture. It is supposed to be a suitable place of presentation of mystery of the God's Son birth.

This tradition comes from Kraków's in the 19th century and it's far away from every other tradition in the world. This custom comes from ancient cult of Jesus birth place in Bethlehem. In the second half of the 19th century, the society of bricklayers and builders in Kraków formed a new kind of guild, it was the cribs' makers guild. They used to create two kinds of cribs: small, without the small theatre, to put it under the Christmas tree, and the big ones (even up to 3 meters high) with the show played by puppets to the accompaniment of especially written songs. WW I has stopped the tradition of Christmas plays.

64 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl

A beautiful and thoughtful crib teaches, amuses and moves.

65 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl

The tradition was reborn after the first competitions for the most beautiful crib had been arranged in 1937.

Unfortunately, although the tradition of Christmas plays could not be recalled, a new one arose – cribs build especially for the competition. The Kraków's Museum of the History, as a organizer of these competitions and the after competition show, have collected every crib since 1945. At the moment there are 177 items which makes the collection the biggest among the official ones. There are cribs there of all leading artists since 1945. On the basis of this collection, instead of strict rules of building the crib it is easy to find out the development and changes of this art because of used material, lighting, construction, architecture, embossing, colours and the personalities of the crib. These personalities are to symbolize the times we live, or remind about the anniversaries or other important events of the history. The architecture distinguishes the Kraków's cribs from others. In the first competition's cribs we can see the stylized St. Mary's Church tower and the baroque domes of the Kraków's churches.

66 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl

The Kraków's crib is not only a fantasy about the atmosphere and architecture of our city, but also very good lesson of the history.

67 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

KRAKOWSKIE PRZEDMIEŚCIE IN WARSAW irek@warsawcityguide.pl, web: warsawcityguide.pl, FB: facebook.com/yourwarsawguid, tel: +48 533 498 851

WARSAW TRAVEL GUIDE

by Irek Szajba for travel.lovePoland Magazine

In direct translation the name of this street would be Cracow Suburb. How come, that’s in Warsaw, which is 200 miles away from Cracow, one of the main streets is called like the part of another town? Let's get back to the XVI century to find out. First of all, at the beginning of 1500's Warsaw and the surrounding area was not part of the Polish Crown. Mazovian Dukes were running this district on their own, being loyal to the Polish King, but having vast land on their own. After the death of Duke Stanislav in 1526, who left no heir to the Mazovian throne, a bloodline of Mazovian Dukes vanished. Taking this opportunity King Sigismund I incorporated Mazovian Voivodeship with Polish Crown. Royal Residence will be moved from Krakow to Warsaw some 70 years later by the grandson of the King.

From this moment the road south of the Old Town of Warsaw was no longer leading to Czersk. Town of Czersk was a main fortified town in the area until Cracow became a new capital town for Varsovians. As the road was not within city walls, buildings along this road were creating suburban area. Hence the name Cracow Suburb.

Since Warsaw became a royal residential town, rich families started settling around it. Small private towns were appearing in the area. Aristocrats wanted to be around the King’s court to maintain their business and political position. The most prestigious street was at the end of a trackway from Cracow, where all of the travellers coming from capital town would admire architectonic wonders of the best constructors in Poland. First palaces built along Krakowskie Przedmieście were constructed in the era of baroque. Apart from two original baroque churches and one that was partly reconstructed after the World War II there will be no sight of baroque on this street today. Wars against Sweden, reconstructions in neoclassical spirit and finally the war of 1939-45 left this street with very few original buildings.

Let me take you for another walk in Warsaw. This time we will start at the monument of Nicolaus Copernicus at the bottom of Krakowskie Przedmieście.

68 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

We will give you brief information about the most significant objects on this historical street. Copernicus was a one of the most famous Polish scientists, astronomer who is known for “stopping the sun and moving the earth”.

Monument was ordered in 1820 and it took Bartel Thorvaldsen 10 years to create. In the meantime he was working on another monument which we will see later during our walk. Monument of Copernicus was a witness of few historical events, manifestations and assassinations, after one of which the last piano of Frederic Chopin was burned by Russian soldiers in front of this monument.

After the fall of Warsaw Uprising in 1944 German soldiers removed this monument in attempt of obtaining metal out of it. It is a miracle we can still find it at its’ original location.

Pedestal of the monument is still carrying war wounds. You can even find bullet holes on it today.

Another statue that was taken away and loaded on the same train was a statue of Jesus Christ, which you can find above the entrance to the lower church of The Holy Cross Church nearby. If you have a closer look at the pedestal, you will find more bullet holes from World War II. Both statues came back to Warsaw after the war and are original. The latin writing underneath the statue; Svrsvm Corda means Rise Your Hearts. Let’s have a look at inside of the church. The third oldest parish church in Warsaw was destroyed in the WW II and most of it is a reconstruction.

What was not destroyed is a pillar to the left. This is where Frederic Chopin’s heart is buried. His sister brought it from Paris where he died in 1849. Composer's heart was being transported in a jar filled with cognac. Few years back small sample of a tissue of Chopin’s heart was taken to confirm cause of his death.

The report confirmed that he died of tuberculosis and that cognac still contains alcohol. There is a another heart buried in the same pillar. It belongs to Władysław Reymont, a novelist awarded by a Nobel Price. There was supposed to be a third heart buried in the spring of WWII when composer Karol Szymanowski died.

Streets of Warsaw Christmas Time

Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl

69Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

It never happened and his heart burned in sacristy, where it was being kept, when Church Of Holy Cross was destroyed during the Warsaw Uprising. Those heart burials were really popular in Europe, and we will find more hearts on our walk today.

Moving up the street towards Castle Square we will go past the gate of University of Warsaw. The main building in the centre of the campus used to be one of royal residences. In XVII century the palace was devastated by Swedish soldiers and parts of it, including columns and marble walls, were shipped to Sweden. Some of the cargo had been lost and recently found in Vistula River. Going further past couple of palaces, on which we will not focus today, we will get to a little square with a charming church.

Its’ façade is a good example of a harmony of a late baroque. The church was founded in 1651 by the Polish Queen, Marie Louise Gonzaga de Nevers. Before it was finished it was burned during Swedish Deluge in 1655 and then again in 1695. Finally between 1761 and 1765 architect Karol Bay managed to finish what was started a century earlier. The only trouble is he never did anything this beautiful before or after constructing this church. There is a theory that Karol Bay, who is still an official designer of the church, could buy a design from Gaetano Chiaveri who was reconstructing Royal Castle in Warsaw in the same time. This design would fit his style well. Behind the church there is a convent founded by the same Queen. Her last will was that her heart remains with her sisters in the convent, which is still there. Convent was not destroyed during any wars and it is worth attention.

Next building behind the square is Bristol Hotel, while nearly everything else in the area was destroyed in 1944 this building remains in it's original state. Few buildings were used by Nazi officials and were spared from destruction. Façade of the building is a prime example of what Warsaw looked like before 1939. It is still a popular hotel, many celebrities visiting Warsaw, such as George Michael or Madonna, were stopping here. President of Poland is living next door. Guarded gates of Presidential Palace with stone lions and a monument of Prince Poniatowski in front of it. The statue of the prince is the one mentioned earlier. It took Bartel Thorvaldsen eight years to finalize the order, as the artist was extremely popular and busy. Let’s focus on the palace behind it.

Former seat of a Russian Governor, then cabinets of prime minister, and finally a residence of The President of Poland.

Two major historical events took place here. We might say that culmination of building eastern block was wrapped-up in his building by signing the Warsaw Pact in May of 1955.

70 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Also the beginning of the end of the communism in this part of Europe was commenced here. It was when leaders of Solidarity led by Lech Wałęsa met the government during “Meetings of a Round Table” 44 years later.

When we walk further down the street we will find a church right behind Presidential Palace. It’s another original baroque church in Warsaw which was not destroyed during the wars. Because it was next to Presidential Palace in 1944, when nearly everything around was destroyed, it survived nearly untouched. During reconstruction of the front in the middle of 18th century this temple acquired, together with early neoclassical accents, the first in Poland façade which was fully made of stone. Due to the fact that Cathedral of Warsaw was destroyed in 1944 together with entire Old Town, this temple served as a pro-cathedral until 1952. Walking further, past the monument of a Polish poet and novelist Adam Mickiewicz, we can find more of bullet holes on the pedestal of his monument. We won’t stop here for very long this time. The monument has interesting history on it’s own. Just to seed a little bit of a intrigue I will tell you that statue of Mickiewicz has got Hermann Göring’'s head. Yes, it does… and on this one I will let you do some research on your own. Opposite to the monument is an old Saxon Post Office. In 1830, when Frederic Chopin left Poland for France and never came back (well, partially he did as you already know) there was also a coach station.

It was short before building first railway roads in Poland and soon trains would take over transportation of passengers and letters. There was also a plan to build railroad through the middle of this parts Krakowskie Przedmieście at the beginning of Belle Epoque in 70's of 19th century. Luckily it was never accomplished.

We will reach the end of Krakowskie Przedmieście walking through Hoovers Square. Before Herbert Hoover became president of United States, he was a head of American Relief Administration. ARA was providing aid to those countries affected by the Great War. Poland was also visited by Herbert Hoover on four occasions and he became an icon in Poland of 1930's. Hence the name of the square, a little token of appreciation of his friendship and support to the polish nation. This way we reached the end of Krakowskie Przedmieście. Walking past the Church of Saint Ann we will enter Royal Castle Square which would be behind the gate to the Old Town until 1817. Whole site of the Old Town of Warsaw including the Royal Castle is listed

by UNESCO as the world’s heritage site. This is the only site of this kind as it is a post-war reconstruction. Therefore, it would be a subject to another article, where we will provide you with more unusual fun facts.

Streets of Warsaw Christmas Time

Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl

71Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl and love Poland archive

www.kidsinthecity.pl Kids in the City is a website in English dedicated to families living in Poland and traveling to Poland.

Kids in the City features family-friendly places and things to do with children in Warsaw and in Poland as well as posts and guides on family life in Poland.

The Magic of Warsaw in Winter with Kids for travel.lovePoland: Magda Piasecka, Kids in the City Winter is a beautiful time of year to visit Warsaw with your children. Sure, the cold weather can be tough, but with warm hats, scarves, and gloves you are well-equipped to explore Warsaw and enjoy its magical winter vibes.

The Old Town during wintertime is one of Warsaw's most remarkable sights and both adults and children will love it. The streets, buildings, trees are light up with thousands of festive lights and decorations, including a huge Christmas tree located between the Sigismund's Column and the Royal Castle. Just a few steps toward the historic fortifications and Warsaw Barbican, and you will enter Christmas Market – take a picture with Santa, buy souvenirs and local crafts and treat yourself with pierogi, hot chocolate or… ice-cream.

The next stop –Warsaw Mermaid Statue (a symbol of Warsaw) in Old Town Market Square surrounded by picturesque tenement houses, and small but cozy ice skating rink – one of the perks of visiting Warsaw during winter.

72 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

To warm up, take your family to Copernicus Science Center, a space with dozens of interactive experiments – physics, chemistry and much more (all the descriptions of the exhibits are in Polish and English).

It’s a great fun for the whole family: toddlers can play in a special experiment zone dedicated to children under 5, and the rest of the family (regardless of age) will enjoy all the scientific experiences and learn something through play. Be ready to spend there at least 2-3 hours! Among other things, Poland is famous for astronomy. When you are at the Copernicus Science Center with children don’t miss the Planetarium called “The Heavens of Copernicus”. The Planetarium screens films for kids aged 3+, teenagers and adults (2D and 3D screenings, most of the shows have the English audio version). Copernicus Science Center is located on the banks of the Vistula. Take a moment to enjoy the view and great photo opportunity – another Statue of Mermaid, the biggest one in Warsaw.

Warsaw’s next must-see sight during the wintertime and with children is a baroque royal palace and garden called the “Polish Versailles”, located in the Wilanów district of Warsaw. Starting from October until the end of February, the palace hosts spectacular illuminations festival: “The Royal Garden of Light”.

It's a unique open-air exhibition where thousands of diodes form tunnels, trees, animals, installations, and sculptures. The illuminations are accompanied by classical music and mappings on the palace façade (3D shows featuring sounds, images, and lights).

Winter in Warsaw with children means lots of fun!

There are over 20 ice skating rinks, an artificial skiing hill (Górka Szczęśliwicka), number of places to sled, and the National Stadium offers 11-meter ice hill, 2 ice skating rinks, disco on the ice, ice skating classes for children, curling, and indoor skatepark.

Warsaw is also lucky to be the home of many kidfriendly museums. Both children and adults can enjoy visiting the Dollhouse Museum located at the Palace of Culture and Science, Museum for Children (a part of Warsaw Ethnographic Museum), Frederic Chopin Museum, the Palace on the Isle located in the famous Royal Łazienki Garden or Geological Museum where kids will love skeletons of Ice Age animals and a dinosaur model.

Winter can be one of the most appealing time of year to travel to Warsaw with your family. Make the most of it, get into the holiday spirit, and discover what Warsaw can offer your family.

73 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

74Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Warsaw photo ZDM thanks to: MUTIDEKOR www.multidekor.pl

DARIUSZ SIRKO

Pocket History of Poland ILLUSTRATIONS AND COVER DESIGN: MAŁGORZATA STARSZAK

FOT. ARTHUR ALEKSANIN/Aleksanian Photography

‘This small book is like having quick reference about Poland in a pocket from a native young Pole, who tells the story of the country in a fabulous manner. Amazing allegory, humour, lightness of sentences and helpful insight from the author reads very well. I recommend the book simply for its quality. Well done!’

- Lela Tssave; OSCE/ODIHR Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights 76 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Book Media Partner lovePoland.org

Pocket History of Poland reviewwhy should you read this book?

Review by: Josef Butler, freelance historian, editor to The Pocket History of Poland.

The history of Poland is unique within Europe, in that it must be contextualised within its relations with its often more powerful and aggressive neighbours. From the early days of the Piast dynasty through to the dark periods during the 20th century, Poland and its inhabitants have had to contend with oppression from both the east and the west. This has contributed to a tumultuous history and formed a steely national character. It is therefore unsurprising that in 1804 the fledgling Haitian state selected the Poles as one of the very few Europeans permitted to reside and own property in the new republic. The Haitian slaves turned revolutionaries felt a kindred spirit with Poland, with first president Jean-Jacques Dessalines referring to the Poles as 'the white negroes of Europe'. It is this story, of overcoming adversity and oppression, that Dariusz Sirko explores in The Pocket History of Poland.

I first met Mr Sirko in the autumn of 2017 and his passion not only for the history of his homeland, but for its place in contemporary Europe, was immediately apparent. Several months later he approached me to assist him in the production of an easily digestible but thorough history of Poland, and I was thrilled to be involved.

From its mythic origins through to its Machiavellian medieval period, and more well-known struggles against totalitarian regimes, The Pocket History of Poland tells Poland's history in its entirety. While this may seem daunting, Sirko imbues the text with his own humour and keen eye for metaphor and euphemism, making it an utterly compelling read. Such is the author's deep appreciation for Poland's national story that moments of levity and wonder are presented appropriately, while

the darker elements of Polish history are treated with the gravitas that they deserve. I was particularly struck by the passage focusing on the Smolensk plane crash of 2010, in which President Lech Kaczyński and many others lost their lives. This recent event clearly affected Mr Sirko deeply, which is borne out within the text.

While contentious and challenging, the way in which the fallout of the crash is discussed clearly taps into a contemporaneous national mood of anger and frustration, and will be easily recognisable to a person from any nation that has lived through a period of national mourning.

From a personal perspective, my desire to work with the author on this project was motivated by my own heritage. My grandfather was born in Lublin in 1931, before moving first to Wadowice in 1936 and then to Edinburgh on the onset of the Second World War. I have always had a desire to learn more about my ancestors, and working on the English language text of The Pocket History of Poland was a fantastic way to gain a closer connection to my own family's past. Therefore, I can wholeheartedly recommend the book to Polish expatriates and people of Polish ancestry who want to learn more about the history and culture of Poland, in a conversational manner that has been designed to appeal to English speakers. Equally there is much for Polish nationals to learn, with Poland's legendary origins and medieval history of courtly intrigue befitting of a Hollywood reinterpretation. Regardless of your own personal situation, if you are seeking a light read that will both amuse and inform, I would highly recommend The Pocket History of Poland.

77 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

ILLUSTRATIONS AND COVER DESIGN: MAĹ GORZATA STARSZAK from up north

what people say: 'I recommend reading this Pocket History of Poland as an example of work of art in which individual patterns and European themes merge together giving birth to an easy and pleasant inquiry tool' Riccardo Bravi, lecturer of Italian language at University of Hanoi, Vietnam

Clifton Harrison

The book will be released December 24. Available in most bookstores in Poland and abroad; e-books, through Amazon.com 79Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

to Poland for winter

PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY

PRZEMYSLAW PULKAÂ

birds of Poland photography by Przemyslaw Pulka

Birds migration is one of the most fascinating phenomena in nature.

Scientists have for centuries tried to understand and explain this phenomenon but to this day it has not been fully described. Migrations of some species are still shrouded in a mystery aura.

Most of the birds that decide to migrate leave our country between September and November.

However, for some of them, Poland is the final destination. Although we will not see swallows and storks for a few winter months, other species occupy their place. Some of them can be observed even in the cities, especially in parks and gardens where they often look for food. To see a little more special species, however, you have to go to more secluded places where nature dominates over urbanised life.

tLP. Przemysław, you come from the greenest part of Poland – the current Lubuskie Voivodeship. Do you remember your childhood, especially the things related to nature? I come from these areas myself and to this day I remember trips, and often even 'escapes' to the surrounding forests. Did nature accompany you since you were a 'small boy'?

PP. My family home is located a short distance from the forest. So, I used to go there often, whether for fun, or for mushrooms, for a walk with a dog, or for a training some jogging on the forest paths (I practiced wrestling for over 5 years) or when I just wanted to stay in the wood, listen to the birds and the “forest silence”.

In addition, the Odra River flows near the house, so fishing trips were also on the "agenda".

I used already to pay attention to the birds, especially the water ones, although I still had no idea that in the future these observations would turn into passion.

Besides, I have been fascinated by the changes taking place in nature - beautiful at any time of the year. The nature of the Lubuskie Voivodeship, so rich in flora and fauna, and so diverse in terms of terrain, is worth being captured in the frame.

tLP. I know that you have recently completed additional studies in natural science ... what was the direction and why did you decide to do them? Has the hobby turned into something bigger?

PP. Knowing about my interest in nature, and in particular, about my fascination with birds, a colleague persuaded me to take up botanical and ornithological studies - it was a quick decision and the next day I already participated in classes.

Studies have helped me to systematise and deepen my knowledge. Of course, I continue to expand it through observation, literature, self-education, meetings and conversations with ornithologists and nature photographers. tLP. Does specialist knowledge help you in nature photography? With birds, it's probably difficult to make contact, but maybe knowing their customs makes it easier to plan an expedition, or to compose a frame?

PP. Both photographic and ornithological knowledge is very much needed when photographing wild nature.

81 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

BIRDS OF POLAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY PRZEMYSLAW PULKA

I am aware that knowledge of the environment, habits, feeding grounds and lodging places, about the courtship displays of birds translates into the performance of amazing shots from their lives. The acquired knowledge and experience have also taught me that nature is the most important thing, there is no 'frame at all costs'. This is confirmed by my photographs – birds behave naturally on them. The art of camouflage and the preparation of the place is also important. It happens that birds look with the curiosity to the lens or sit on my hidden shelters.

Photographing birds begins well before they arrive or wake up and ends only when they depart, whether when they fly away for winter or to the places where they rest at night.

Thanks to this specialist knowledge, I know where I can meet and photograph specific bird species. tLP. So tell us a bit (as a specialist and photographer) about your winter photo expeditions related to birds. Most of us in Poland know or have seen a bullfinch, a tomtit or a waxwing.

But you also look for these larger, majestic specimens ... for some special reason? or is it simply their beauty?

PP. My winter expeditions are connected above all with birds of prey. One of the most interesting expeditions and

experiences associated with them was when I was photographing an eagle, one of the most beautiful birds of prey, majestic, valiant and very rare, and also very shy and cautious. It is not easy to take a good photo of it. First, the preparation for the expedition - first of all, a permanent exploration of knowledge about the occurrence and habits of golden eagles. When the expedition came to fruition: February temperature –15 degrees C, together with a colleague we prepared a place to photograph, then long conversations until late at night (of course about the "hero" of future photos) and finally we had to wake up... at three in the morning (after only 3 hours of sleep) In the darkness and silence we took our places. We are waiting... waiting... listening: will it come, or not ?!

Finally, it's close! We hear its scream... and... silence again.

We are still waiting. The sleepless night and the excitement of the expedition did their job. We fell asleep. Suddenly, I hear my friend's whisper: "Here it is!" The heart begins to beat faster, because 25 meters ahead, on a clump of hay, I can see an eagle! With real difficulty to control emotions in such proximity of this beautiful bird, we suppress the shouts of joy, because we know how skittish the object of our photography is – every little rustle and movement can scare it away.

We check the settings of our cameras again to make sure that the photos will be successful. In the meantime, the eagle flew away. But we see that it is circling in front of us.

There are already two of them. We hear their voices.

They are restless. It turned out that they were disturbed by the appearance of the white-tailed eagle – the largest bird of prey in Europe. We are still waiting and observing the development of the situation. The golden eagles chased away the white-tailed eagle from their range. We are waiting again. It's cold outside but it's hot with emotions!

And finally the eagles sat on a nearby tree. They are watching the area, and we are listening and still waiting.

Will they land or not? Here it is! The golden eagle landed in the same place as before. Successful session!

The birds flew away, and we, satisfied and tired, left our hiding places in the evening – remembering that we cannot tell reveal our presence to the birds. After returning home, we impatiently browse the "FRUITS" of many hours of hunting. Satisfaction and fulfilment. It was a very successful photo session. I hope that soon I will be able to experience it again. tLP. Do you have any of your favourite genres, heroes of your photographic works? I especially like your white-tailed eagles and buzzards. Please tell us about them, do the birds have unique personality?

PP. My favourite species are definitely all birds of prey.

Photographing them and interacting with them gives me a lot of emotions and impressions. Birds of prey, like humans, have different personalities, they behave differently. Some are courageous, some are fearful, others are cowardly. Some do not like each other – they chase one another away while other tend to socialize – they tolerate the presence of other individuals.

White-tailed eagle – in common opinion it is considered an eagle, however, it differs in some morphological features from other species of the genre, e.g. the lower part of its legs is deprived of feathers. Some call it an ern, not an eagle. However, it is the largest bird of prey in Europe.

Meeting such an enormous bird makes a huge impression.

Red kite is one of the most beautiful birds of prey. It occurs almost exclusively in the west and north-east of the country. In other regions it is rare and seen mainly during migration. In Poland, winter appearances occur exceptionally, and attempts of the birds to stay throughout the year are irregular (two years ago I had the pleasure of photographing such an individual at the turn of December and January). Red kites are real opportunists. They may attack aggressively other predators, even when they are bigger, to take away their prey.

A black kite is a very rare breeding bird that occurs in Poland mainly in the lake area in the western part of the country. In other regions of the country it is dispersed. It is a migratory bird. I often observe red and black kites over my garden.

A moor buzzard is a quire rare breeding bird, occurring in Poland between March and October. It is significantly more frequently seen in the west and north-east of the country. In the Lubuska Land, it is the most popular on all buzzards.

A buzzard is the most common and widespread medium-sized talon bird. The plumage is so variable that it is difficult to find two identically feathered birds. The coloration may vary from light-cream to dark-brown. You can even meet white birds with dark spots on the wrists and wings with dark borders.

Common feature of birds of prey is certainly their wariness. Sometimes a small change in the environment is enough for them to give up the meal. It can be noticed when the white-tailed eagles sit for a few hours on the tree and observe the area but seeing the lying carcass they do not sit down, they fly away from some unknown reasons, although they are also scavengers.

Long observation and contact with them allow me to predict their behaviour, which translates into the inclusion of a specific phase of the movement, and in my works I would like to present not only portraits, but birds with their dynamics and expression.

One of my dreams is to photograph and show a hairy buzzard. In Poland, it is a rare migrating and wintering bird. Nota bene, it appears in the Lubuskie Voivodeship. tLP. Do you, while photographing birds, or more generally-wildlife, want just to “preserve” it or your goal is to show something more?

in which they live. And finally, I want to emphasise their role in the environment.

Showing the beauty of birds and interest in them will translate, I hope, for respect for the the waning wildlife, for some thoughtful consideration of it.

Maybe also among my students (I am a physical education teacher by profession) I will find imitators and future potential enthusiasts. tLP. Poland has many places where you can meet a variety of bird species. Where would you like to photograph them the most? Are there any places in Poland that you would like to visit because of the particular natural / ornithological richness?

PP. You're right. Poland still has many places worth seeing and observing (the estuary of the Warta and the Odra Rivers, the Biebrza Floodplains, the Przemkowskie Ponds, Białowieża, etc.). However, my favourite place to photograph are the surroundings that are closest to me, and thus the previously mentioned Lubuskie Voivodeship. I want to familiarize others with the species that appear next to us, and there are pretty lots of these species! I counted over seventy species in my garden throughout the year.

I also take photos in other regions of Poland, because thanks to my hobby (I am a photographer – amateur) I met many interesting people sharing the same passion or profession. So we often photograph in their area. So, in addition to popular species, I capture in the frames the birds that occur only in some regions of Poland.

PP. The photographs I take are intended to show everyone how important and beautiful nature is, and especially how important and beautiful birds are with their diversity and the richness of the environment 84 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Thank you for the interview. We wish you the widest possible reception and recognition of your works, also outside Poland.

BIRDS OF POLAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY PRZEMYSŁAW PULKA

The white-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is a very large eagle widely distributed across Eurasia. As are all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae which includes other diurnal raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers. One of up to eleven members in the genus Haliaeetus, which are commonly called sea eagles, it is not infrequently also referred to as the white-tailed sea-eagle. White-tailed eagles usually live most of the year near large bodies of open water, including both coastal saltwater areas and inland freshwater, and require an abundant food supply and old-growth trees or ample sea cliffs for nesting.

85 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

BIRDS OF POLAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY PRZEMYSŁAW PULKA

Raven Not just large but massive, with a thick neck, shaggy throat feathers, and a Bowie knife of a beak. In flight, ravens have long, wedge-shaped tails. They're more slender than crows, with longer, narrower wings, and longer, thinner “fingers” at the wingtips. Common Ravens are entirely black, right down to the legs, eyes, and beak. Ravens are confident, inquisitive birds that strut around or occasionally bound forward with light, two-footed hops. In flight they are buoyant and graceful, interspersing soaring, gliding, and slow flaps.

86 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

BIRDS OF POLAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY PRZEMYSŁAW PULKA

Buzzard The buzzard is quite large with broad, rounded wings, and a short neck and tail. When gliding and soaring it will often hold its wings in a shallow 'V' and the tail is fanned. Birds are variable in colour from all dark brown to much paler variations, all have dark wingtips and a finely barred tail.

Their plaintive mewing call could be mistaken for a cat.

What they eat? Small mammals, birds and carrion. Even earthworms and large insects when other prey is in short supply.

87 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

BIRDS OF POLAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY PRZEMYSŁAW PULKA

Middle Spotted Woodpecker About blackbird-sized and striking black-and-white. It has a very distinctive bouncing flight and spends most of its time clinging to tree trunks and branches, often trying to hide on the side away from the observer. Its presence is often announced by its loud call or by its distinctive spring 'drumming' display. The male has a distinctive red patch on the back of the head and young birds have a red crown.

What they eat? Insects, seeds and nuts.

88 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

BIRDS OF POLAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY PRZEMYSŁAW PULKA

Golden eagle With its long broad wings and longish tail, it has a different outline to the smaller buzzard. It likes to soar and glide on air currents, holding its wings in a shallow 'V'. Eagles have traditional territories and nesting places which may be used by generations. They have been illegally killed in the past and are still occasionally poisoned, or have their nests robbed.

What they eat? Birds and mammals – some carrion.

Length: 75-88cm Wingspan: 204-220cm Weight: 2.8-4.5kg (male); 3.8-6.6kg (female)

89 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Strong like a wind Portraits of Polish highlanders a project by BARTŁOMIEJ JURECKI

Bartłomiej Jurecki is a graduate of the Cracow School of Art and the State Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź, where he earned his Master of Photography. He is a laureate of competitions like: Pictures of the Year International, NPPA Best of Photojournalism, Black & White Spider Awards, Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year, Vincent Van Gogh Photo Award, Grand Press Photo, BZ WBK Press Photo, Leica Street Photo, Px3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, IPA International Photography Awards, National Geographic Poland, SGL Local Press , Journalist of a year 2014 of Lesser Poland Voivodeship, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, Kuwait Grand Photography Contest, dotART Urban International Photo Contest, Photojournalist of the year 2015, 2017 (Association of Photographers in Poland), FEP European Professional Photographer of the Year , Event Photography Awards , Siena International Photography Awards , Polish Sport Photography Award. He is also a finalist of following competitions: Weather Photographer of the Year, Hamdan International Photography Awards (HIPA), StreetFoto San Francisco, International Mountain Summit Photo Contest, Travel Photographer of the Year, Press Photo of the Year , Memorial Maria Luisa, Erazm Ciolek and Eugeniusz Lokajski competition organized by the Association of Polish Journalists. He works for biggest local polish newspaper Tygodnik Podhalanski.

The main feature of halny (strong and warm wind in the Tatra Mountains) is its unpredictability – you cannot predict its power and intensity or the length of time it will blow. You can only predict when it happens – nothing more. The same is true for the highland girls who are sometimes delicate and sometimes very strong, hard and feisty. They are stubborn but with big hearts.

I think that their nature is influenced to some extent by halny, the wind of the mountains.

ALL PORTRAITS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE for more please visit

www.jurecki.com website created by britanniaweb.co.uk with a support of lovepoland.org

94 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

strong like a wind Portraits of Polish highlanders

PHOTOS BY BARTŁOMIEJ JURECKI www.jurecki.com

95 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Strong like a wind Portraits of polish highlanders Teresa Michniak No need to be a daredevil in life ński by Marek Kalinowski

originally written for: Tygodnik Podhala

ł

photo: Bart omiej Jurecki

Teresa Michniak is as white as a dove, but slim, shapely, smiling. Certainly, you cannot see her elderly age in her face.

91 years – she confirms hard mathematical calculations, smiling at the same time somehow... rakish. – Because I respected myself. I only ate turnip with milk and cabbage...

We ate only what we grew on our own. Not like today. People only chemistry bring from these shops. They feed on poison.

All these cancers come from that. In the past, we didn't hear so often about the cancer. People used to die normally, when they were just old, but today – they have to find some illness in everyone, summarizes Tereska resolutely. – Now, grandma does not want to eat at all. She wants to lose weight, she would like to be younger and younger - Maria, Teresa' daughter, jokes. But the elderly lady has sense of humour, so she pretends not to hear the clear mocking. Only when the suggestion appears that grandma stays in good condition thanks to "highlander tea", she objects emphatically. – I don't use any tea mixes with stronger beverages, surely not too often... But if someone treats me with it, I will not refuse – the old lady's eyes shine again.

Tereska comes from Dzianisz. She came to Witów with her husband. She never regretted that she married Julek. He was a generous hearty man. He was very good, for his wife and children. And moreover, crazy hardworking and outstandingly clever. Anything he took in his hands, he could turn into gold, like Midas.

Immediately after the marriage in 1948, a brick hut stood on the "green field". Julian was taking up every job then.

He worked on the farm. He knew something about the building construction. He even ran the glasswork plant. He could draw a picture and paint. And he carved... beautifully.

96 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Until today, in the chapel at the entrance to the Chochołowska Valley, Jesus the Pensive, a sculpture by Julek, sits proudly.

Probably because of his goodness and resourcefulness, our Lord liked Julek so much that he wanted to see him prematurely.

Life without a man was a real torment. Teresa gave up farming; she had to look for a job in the town. For w while, she worked at the kitchen in Kasprowy Hotel. Earlier, she cleaned in the forester’s house. Finally, medical committee decided that she ought to be granted a disability benefit and earlier pension. Since that time, she has led a peaceful life of a pensioner. She enjoys the companion of her daughters and grandchildren, she has seven of them. – And the greatgrandchildren, just little pests – she smiles wryly towards the toddlers who are just coming into the room.

Poverty – this is the only thing that Teresa had enough of in her life. There were eight of them at home. It is really hard to feed such a band of kids from a little mountain farm.

The father of Tereska, Jan, used to go to Orawa. He would bring flour from there. Mom cooked some grits and somehow, with this mathematic, they managed to fill ten empty stomachs. Although there was poverty looking at you from every corner of the cottage in Dzianisz, Tereska's parents lived there peacefully, in harmony.

– I do not complain. I am grateful to God and Our Lady for everything – and as everyone has to carry his own cross, I will not rebel against that. As they say: as in heaven, also on earth.

Is this true? We will probably see it soon... – Teresa becomes visibly upset. – Grandma, you just don't be too curious – Daughter Maria warns her with laughter. In the church, the bells call for Angelus.

97Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Strong like a wind Portraits of polish highlanders Helena Chowaniec Eyes full of singing ński by Rafał Gratkowski

originally written for: Tygodnik Podhala

ł

photo: Bart omiej Jurecki

When the Grim Reaper still takes your beloved ones from you, what is left to you? Prayer, thinking and singing.

Helena Chowaniec was born in 1922 and proudly speaks about her age. – I'm 97 years old, it's almost a hundred – she smiles, hiding her white hair under a handkerchief. When I entered the modest little room she occupies at Jesionkówke, she just got up, because she just had a short nap. A wooden, well-kept farm. The widow shares the farm with her daughter-in-law, who just yesterday celebrated her birthday. – Oh, we drank some wine, I, old grandmother, I also drank a glass because after wine it is better to sing. Oh, how I like singing – Helena Chowaniec emphasizes – and her eyes start shining bright to highlander music.

The road to the farm at Jesionkówka is winding and narrow.

But every neighbour encountered gladly shows where Helena Chowaniec lives. A small, modest cottage, neat workaround.

She has 5 children, 19 grandchildren, and when he tries to count the great-grandchildren, she loses a bit of thread.

Because thoughts are wandering to those who have passed away. She lost her husband 56 years ago. Cancer. A son who died three years ago also suffered from cancer. – From my children, I have only a daughter left, sometimes we argue, but she is a good girl. As she was on the Way of the Cross on Good Friday, she visited me here, she cried a bit. A week later she came with her daughter, they cleaned up here, hung nice curtains on the windows. so it is probably ok now, she is not angry with me anymore.

Because what could she be upset about? - Helena Chowaniec says thoughtfully. She says that for her the family is the most important thing. In second place after the family, there is peace, consent. - Family, consent and prayer - the highlander emphasizes - I pray a lot every day. For the souls of those pf mine who died, for health for my grandchildren and greatgrandchildren and for consent in the family. Maybe God will listen to me – Helena Chowaniec smiles.

98 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Her life is stoned with death from an early age. Death took her mother before the war, when little Helena was 6 years old.

Her mother's sister took her from her family home on Majerczykówka. – My aunt did not have children, she was like a mother to me, but my uncle was "devil’s son ".

Little Helena turned out to a beautiful girl. No wonder, that she got married soon. Hes husband was a hardworking man and besides, he sang beautifully and he was frequently asked by their neighbours to lead the weddings as a bellwether.

He rode a horse, dressed up in a highlander outfit, with a decorative sash, and sang aloud. So, they led their household together. They had sheep, they gave them to shepherds for grazing. She has beautiful memories from their trip to the Bieszczady Mountains. – I went there once, it was so beautiful there and a lot of our shepherds. There were empty villages, lots of cottages. In the evenings, we had bonfires and we used to sing around them. We sang so beautifully, it was well heard all around, on all the mountain glades... – Helena Chowaniec remembers. She is upset that young people do not want to listen. Sometimes they only laugh at this talking of an old lady.

Therefore, she spend her time mostly thinking and praying.

And then she prays even more. In the morning, she usually watches the broadcast of a holly mass from Łagiewniki.

Then, at 10 in the morning there is a transmission of a mass from Częstochowa, on the radio, and in the evening, at half past six, there is Olcza. You can pray a lot, and when it's fun, you can drink some vodka as well. But not too much, to have power later. For example, for singing - Helena Chowaniec emphasizes. In great secrecy, she tells me that yesterday at the birthday party, she also tasted vodka. Like when she was young. And she was singing. And she was 16, once again.

I see it in her laughing, girlish, bright eyes. When I go out, she takes a rosary in her hand. Now she will pray for the health of her grandchildren and consent in the family. – May our Lord lead you – she says to me for goodbye at the door.

99Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Strong like a wind Portraits of polish highlanders Janina Karpiel The praise of tolerance ński by Rafał Gratkowski

originally written for: Tygodnik Podhala

ł

photo: Bart omiej Jurecki

Health is a little bad now, but if you are all in pain, at least you know that you are still alive and there is strength to smile against adversity. Because Janina Karpiel, née Karpiel, goes through her life with a smile. – I turned 90. I already have two daughters-pensioners, I am so old – she laughs. – But I do not think about it, I just have to live. When the doctor asks, I say it's good everywhere where it does not hurt. And because it hurts everywhere, it means I'm still alive.

A native glade-inhabitant. In Kościelisko, the family home of the mother and grandparents stood above the guesthouse "Sylwia". Her father, Jan Szostak Karpiel, was a carpenter's master and he used to work on construction sites.

In Zakopane, in Za Strugiem street, he built a house. When she was 4 years old, they moved there. It was a big house, for rent for tourists. – But mom did not like it, she did not want to be a maid. My father sold the house and built in Kościelisko a new house, where we are now. She still remembers how her husband got up at four and five in the morning and would go to work. He worked in the forest, in the Tatra National Park.

He used to carry the wood. Janina look after the house and the farm. Milk was taken to dairy factory, cheese was made of it, and children grew on milk and cream. They had 3 cows, a horse. And then some sheep. Her husband grazed the sheep.

He grazed on the Ornak and in the Kościeliska Valley.

– Children wanted to learn very much. My father was angry at that; he believed that daughters should look after the kitchen, the house, not to study. – Janina Karpiel adds. She always used to repeat that she did not give birth to children to make them work on the farm, but to educate and to go further to the world. And it turned out that all of them manager to graduate from universities. One of my sons was admitted to the AGH University of Science and Technology, to the mining department. After one term, when they did not want to let

100 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

him change the department, she gave up the studies because he did not want to work in mining industry. Then he worked at TPN, and today runs his bakery in Zakopane.

She had 7 children, 5 daughters and 2 sons: Maria, Władysława, Krystyna, Janina, Andrzej, Adam and Gosia.

The youngest of them works at the Kasprowicz Museum in Harenda. She has 10 grandchildren. – The family has always been the most important for me, the family is the basis.

Today, young people are divorcing quickly. And you must have more understanding for one another. Sometimes you have to be silent, do not speak, you have to be tolerant. Give way to each other. My husband and I always hosted together. My husband came from work, he gave the entire salary, I added what I got from the farm and what I managed to put aside, and we planned everything together – Janina Karpiel emphasizes.

When she was little, she liked reading very much. And in the farm you have to work from dawn to dusk. Additionally, she had to look after younger siblings. She had to be hardworking.

She knit socks and sweaters. There was practically no rest during the whole day. There was time for books at night.

She read by the candle because there was no electric light.

Sometimes father looked in, checked at night what was happening around the house, he looked into the children’s room. She was alert. As she heard that the door in the parents' room creaked, she quickly extinguished the candle and hopped under the covers. She read so many books that probably all of them would not fit in her house today.

He often tells God to let her go, she reminds Him that she is close to departure. But to this one prayer, Lord does not want to listen to. He gives her more days. Probably because He wants her to give more of her wise smile to the people all around.

101Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Strong like a wind Portraits of polish highlanders Stanisława Pitoń Life may be beautiful in your eighties ński by Beata Zalot

originally written for: Tygodnik Podhala

ł

photo: Bart omiej Jurecki

Throughout her life, she fulfilled the expectations of others and sacrificed herself for her loved ones. Today, at the age of 81, she is making up for lost time. She likes sport not only on the screen; in spite of being 81, Stanisława regularly swims, goes running, plays tennis and goes bowling. She is also a frequent goer to concerts or vernissages. She travels, reads books and relaxes while working in the garden. As if she wanted to make up for the lost time – because earlier, there was no way for her to pursue her dreams and desires.

At first, she fulfilled her father's ambitions. She was an only child for a long time. Dorota, her sister, was born when Stanisława was already a teenager. Her father Stanisław Pradziad, a talented ski runner, had to cease his sports career.

– He wanted to make an Olympic champion out of me – she claims. She was 2 or 3 years old when Daddy made her first skis. The first downhill skiing took place near the house, on a slope made of snow that had fallen from the roof.

They lived at Kościeliska street. The farm was almost a sole responsibility of her mother as father was mainly involved in social issues. He was active in sport and in the fire service.

He also repaired broken skis. – He made spikes, sharpened the edges. He worked for Brach – says Mrs. Stanisława, who as a little girl, often had to help her father at night – she had to put the board in the screws and bolt the edges. – My father was strict. He made me work in the field. I had to help my mother on the farm and my father in the workshop. And he still had great sports ambitions for me – she says. "I often got spanked before the competition," she adds.

There was no poverty in their home. Mama cared for her only child. – She even made caramel candies - Stanisława emphasises. She also did not complain about the lack of clothes. Mama fulfilled her requests, she embroidered the clothes herself. There were also four aunts – tailors in the

102 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

family. – But I had no occasion to dress up; I did not go to weddings or parties.

I did not know highlander music or dance – she says.

When she returned after graduation from Warsaw to Zakopane, she did not have old friends anymore; her friends were out and they got married. She lived with her parents.

She visited only the Janik family in Kościeliska and Zofia Karpiel-Bułecka, then a young woman with whom she made friends. – I helped them to make watch straps for Cepelia. My engagement in highlander culture started there. There, I heard highlander music, I saw dances - she recalls. Zofia and her husband persuaded Stanisława to join the band of Klimek Bachleda.

Here, she met her husband – Józef Piton, a famous folklorist, storyteller, dancer and singer, a juror in many competitions, a Tatra guide. – Only I graduated from university. We stayed together on each trip, and that's how it all started, she says.

She admits that living with someone like that was not easy.

"There was a house on my head, children. I had two wonderful daughters – Agatka and Marysia, and I managed to educate them well. I did female and male housework because my husband always had some trips, performances, and as every artist lived with his head in the clouds - she claims. "He was not usually home, and I stayed here, like a dog next to a shed," she says.

I do everything that I did not have time for earlier in my life.

– I like to stare at Giewont which I can see even while lying in bed – she says. I would also like to live long enough to see what will grow out of my grandchildren - she says. That's about the children of her daughter, Marysia – Hania, Maciek and Julka.

103Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Strong like a wind Portraits of polish highlanders Antonina Palenica Life with flying colours ński by Marek Kalinowski

originally written for: Tygodnik Podhala

ł

photo: Bart omiej Jurecki

The earliest childhood memory: a neighbour comes in and says – " They took Jasiek and killed him on the swamps”. Antonina Palenica surreptitiously, looks from behind the curtain to a steeply rising meadow outside the window. Two spotted 'feeders' graze in the field and the hostess is hiding from them.

– If they see me, they will soon want me to take them home she smiles benevolently. Actually, only these two cows and a piece of field were left from the former farm. Nowadays, we don't need to hold on a cow's tail. It used to be different. In the stable, we used to keep at least 6-7 cows and a horse. We planted potatoes on the steep slopes and later weeded them with own hands. Today, no one from Antonina's relatives is living off agriculture. Not from convenience. Simply, it was impossible to make a living from agriculture, so they had to look for work in the city. Farm work is more of a hobby now. There is a tractor, so the field works take half the previous time. It used to be completely different. Hard, rocky, infertile soil – it was the only guarantee of survival.

It was very hard to live, especially if someone, like Mrs. Antonina, was born in 1940, at the very beginning of the Nazi occupation.

Antonina loved school, although it was always and literally „uphill”. There was no road, and there used to be real loads of snow in winter. And from time to time, almost polar frosts to add to all of that. Sometimes, due to bad conditions, the school was closed – then little Antosia almost cried with anger. Even if the girl was ill, nobody was able to stop her at home. During seven years of her education, she skipped only two school days.

– I was persistent when it comes to school, but once after Easter Sunday I got very sick. I spent two days lying in bed, almost lifeless- she justifies herself today. Today, Antonina does not have to hide her old school certificates from her grandchildren – she always used to pass with flying colours.

Today, most of the time, Antonina spends at her daughter's home. Just two steps from the old family home,

104 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

inherited from her parents-in-law. But to move the house permanently, the elderly lady did not make up her mind. She has her own, little room in the old cottage. She would nowhere feel as comfortable as here, although the house’s condition has recently deteriorated. In 2002, the earth shook in Podhale region. The church in Miętustwo was devastated and the house of Palenica family got damaged as well. The wall and the stove cracked. Less than a decade later, the family moved to a new, beautiful home. But Antonina cannot part with her old house…

It is full of memories. After all, they spent their whole life with Staszek, here... As soon as the topic goes down to the spouse of Antonina – the eyes of the women dampen, and shortly tears pour down from their corners. The lady surreptitiously wipes them with her apron, as if she was a little ashamed of weakness. It has been 24 years since Staszek died, and yet the intrusive tears are running…

Cepelia was once a serious company. Antonina remembers this huge edifice at Szymony in Zakopane and all these branches of handicraft: wooden, weaving, embroidery.

However, when Staszek's health deteriorated and his fatherin-law died, cooperation with Cepelia had to be stopped. She had the entire farm on her head. There was no time left for weaving, even at night. – I still have the loom, so if anyone feels like learning, I can teach – the elderly highland woman from Cichy declares, trying to chase away the painful memories. Together with Staszek, Antonina grew up three daughters. They all got married and somehow manage their life.

Now, her grandchildren are growing up. There are eleven of them. And six great-grandchildren. Antonina peeks through the window again. The calf and the young cow have probably noticed her, as they stare straight into the cottage’'s window.

– It will be necessary to look after them now – the highlander lady, as strong as a mountain wind, sums up with a laughter, wringing her hands.

105Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Strong like a wind Portraits of polish highlanders Zofia Walczak Boniecka The world of mine was pretty big ński by Jolanta Flach

originally written for: Tygodnik Podhala

ł

photo: Bart omiej Jurecki

Grandfather Kazimierz was a descendant of the highwayman Gadeja and a guide of Stanisław Witkiewicz while grandmother Zosia helped Tytus Chałubiński at work.

In Kościeliska Street in Zakopane, in a garden full of flowers , there is a beautiful wooden highlander's cottage, dating back to 1880. A plaque on the outside wall informs that it is a historic house of the Gąsienica Bednarz family. Zofia Walczak Baniecka lives there. – This is my family home. I grew up in it, I lived there with my parents and siblings. The house was built by my father's uncle – Józef Ustupski. My uncle was also an oracle in weather matters. I came back here after the death of my father and brother – the story begins. Inside, wooden furniture in the Zakopane style, outstanding from the first glance. There are pictures on glass on the walls and bas-reliefs. This is all the work of husband of Zofia, who already passed away. Władysław, her husband, was a wellknown painter on glass.

Zofia Walczak Baniecka was born in 1927. She comes from an old highlander family – the Gąsienica Bednarz family.

She remembered many stories heard at home. Father Stanisław was a musician, a carpenter and a roofer. – I spent my childhood learning and helping at farm work – she recalls.

– When I finished school, the war broke out. In Zakopane, they opened a two-year business school and went to it. Many of my colleagues were sent to work to Germany, and I found a job at the KBK preventorium and worked there until the end of the occupation – she says.

Zofia Walczak Baniecka emphasizes that in her youth she liked singing a lot. – I used to sing at home to my relatives’ ears, I sang without rest. My father could not listen anymore and once said, "Stop singing, because you'll have a stupid husband." When I got married again for the second time,

106 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

I thought: – Dad was right. I married a stupid man because who else would like a woman with two children, Zofia jokes.

Immediately after the war, she married Jan Przewratil, a highlander from Kościelisko, whose father was a Slovak.

- He was handsome, tall, a highland playboy, but after four years spent in Mauthausen – she recalls the first husband who died after 10 years of marriage. Pani Zofia was left alone with two sons – Stanisław and Wojciech. She had to work hard as a tailor – During this difficult period, I met a young man with blue eyes who brought me some wood for fuel with his horses from good people – she says with a smile. It was Władysław Walczak Baniecki (1934-2011) who she married two years later.

– I respected him a lot for his good attitude towards my sons from my first marriage – she emphasizes. After a year Barbara, today a well-known painter on glass, was born.

Władysław painted more and more, and presented his works at exhibitions in Poland and abroad. Zofia went with him and accompanied him at the vernissages. – I was in many places, but I still dreamed about going to the Vatican, to our Holy Father and being close to him – he recalls. Her dream was partially fulfilled in 1997, during the visit of Pope John Paul II in Zakopane. She went with gifts during the mass under Krokiew. – Approaching the Holy Father, I was so moved that I started to cry. These were tears of happiness – she says with emotion. After a moment, she adds. – This world of mine used to be pretty big…

Zofia emphasizes that today her family – children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – is a support for her.

– I was lucky in life. Wherever I've found myself, I've always had friendly people next to me - says Zofia Walczak Baniecka.

107Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Polish baubles have a soul

Baubles manufactory in Otwock near Warsaw source: www.poland.pl Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Poland is one of the most valued Christmas bauble manufacturers in the world.

Glass baubles were invented in 1847 by Hans Greiner, a worker of the glassworks in Lauscha, Germany. He could not afford to buy glazed fruit and painted nuts, which rich burghers used to decorate their Christmas trees, so he blew glass ornaments using materials available to him at work. He probably did not expect his invention to save the glassworks from bankruptcy and amaze the entire world soon after.

German baubles, together with the fashion of Christmas tree decoration, reached Poland, which later became the world’s top producer of glass ornaments. Baubles “Made in Poland” are very popular. The quality of their manufacturing and fine design are appreciated all over the world.

108 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

The process of manufacturing a glass bauble is very complex It becomes even more difficult in the case of non-spherical baubles (e.g. in the shape of animals or objects), which require special casting moulds. Life on the bauble starts by designing a bauble on paper. On that basis, a sculptor creates a model out of modelling clay. Then, a plaster cast and an aluminium mould are made. The mould is comprised of two halves, which later give the baubles their specific “seam” where the halves meet.

During the next step, a pipe made of sodium glass is heated up over a burner at about 700 degrees and, when the glass becomes flexible, a bauble is blown. – This is an amazing and somewhat magical show.

Many of the baubles are enriched with some Polish themes, and ethnographic elements.

BAUBLES MANUFACTORY IN OTWOCK NEAR WARSAW Today it would be difficult to imagine Christmas without a beautifully adorned Christmas tree. Although it's one of the newest traditions: the first trees appeared in Poland in the 19th century, mainly in cities, introduced by Germans and Protestants of German origin. Gradually the custom gained popularity all across Poland. Before that, Polish houses used to be decorated with green branches of fir, spruce or pine.

109Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Christmas bread source: www.jezuici.pl

Christmas wafer (from Latin oblatum - sacrificial gift) is a delicate, thin baking of white wheat flour and water, without yeast. It is unleavened, that is, without leaven and salt. It has a specific place not only in the Christian liturgy (Host, communicant), but also in the tradition associated with Christmas.

Sharing the wafer during Christmas Eve is a sign of brotherhood, reconciliation, forgiveness and unity of Christians. Initially, however, it was not related to the memory of the birth of Jesus and was a symbol of spiritual communion of the members of the community, and blessed bread served the function of the wafer.

In the first centuries of Christianity, the faithful brought it to the Christmas Mass, it was shared and taken homes for the sick, sent to relatives and friends.

In Poland, the beginnings of this custom date back to the end of the eighteenth century. At the same time, the custom was widespread not only in the court environment, but also among townsmen and peasants. This is described by Zygmunt Gloger (1845-1910), writing that on Christmas Eve after the first star appears, the host and housewife share wafer with everyone; the wafer is sent by the parish priest and delivered by the organist to all parishioners to commemorate the unleavened bread, left from the mass, and given by the priest to the followers.

Everyone present must break a piece of wafer from the other and give them his or her own to break.

Initially, wafers were baked at monasteries and churches, and then it was the duty of organists, less often church preachers. Special metal forms were used for baking, in the form of large tongs, ended with two rectangles, heated over the fire, between which the dough was poured; the pattern engraved in the metal was pressed on both sides of the wafer. These were mostly nativity scenes, characters of the Three Kings or IHS inscription in a decorative circle .

These forms were traditionally used sometimes until the 1980s.

Wafers were primarily white, intended for communicants and for breaking during Christmas Eve, but there were also colourful ones made using vegetable dyes, intended in the tradition for cattle and for all kinds of decorations.

110 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

In Poland, after the Christmas Eve supper, the hostesses collected the remnants of dishes, added colourful wafer to them and brought them to the stable, where all of it was given to farm animals, especially cattle, as it was believed to protect them against all evil, and give the cows plenty of milk.

National and folk tradition: In many regions of Poland, wafers intended for Christmas Eve sharing were put in a slice of bread, filled with honey, placed in the central point of the table. In Silesia, a wafer, the so-called "radośnik" was spread with honey and given during the Christmas Eve supper to young children.

The family's father started the wafer ceremony, and when father was not present there- the oldest person from among the gathered.

Wafer sharing traditions became particularly significant in times difficult for the nation: during the partitions, Nazi occupation, and martial law period. In that time, it became a symbol of unity and national bond. The wafers were sought to be passed on to exiles and political prisoners, as well as relatives who were abroad, in emigration.

Both white and colourful Christmas wafers were also used to make Christmas decorations. These were all kinds of cut-outs in the form of stars stuck on the walls, placed on "podłaźniczki" (the top of fir or spruce suspended top down in the room), and then – on Christmas trees. The wafers were used as well to make so called ‘worlds’ spheres, sometimes of a complicated structure, usually hung in the ceiling – symbols of the globe’s redemption by the birth of Jesus. It was believed that they protect people, their possessions, as well as the farmstead against natural disasters and evil.

Nowadays, in many environments, even workplaces, there are Christmas meetings organized before Christmas or soon after, during which all present share the wafer, just like on Christmas Eve supper, making wishes and singing Christmas carols.

111Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc

The visit in the Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc is a real travel into the past, unexpected discoveries and most of all an inspirational encounter with indigenous history and ceremonial of the Mazovian village from the breakthrough of the 19th and 20th centuries.

We hope that this short text and invitation to visit Muzeum's website shall meet your expectations, resolve potential doubts and information included here shall allow for accurate understanding of the Museum offer.

We are expecting that it shall inspire you to visit the Museum and see our collection with your very eyes.

You are more than welcome.

The origin of the Museum goes back to 1971.

Primarily the institution functioned as a regional Ethnographic Museum whose basic statutory task was collection of cultural goods within the scope of ethnography and folk art with particular attention to sculpture and iconography of Sierpc district. Embracing folk artists with sponsorship and collection of their works in the field of woodcarving became a superior motive of opening the museum. The Museum was located in the Town hall where exhibitions dedicated to folk sculpture from Sierpc vicinity and town history were arranged. In 1975 city authorities handed the area of former Bojanowo property for construction of the ethnographic museum and only two years later translocation of facilities from the north-western region of Mazovia was initiated.

First buildings became available for sightseeing in 1985. Two years have passed when the institution received the name of the Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc. Since 1999 the organiser of the Museum is the Board of the Mazovian Voivodeship and

112 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

general supervision is in hands of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

The Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc primarily functioned as a one-branch institution.

At present, the institution encompasses eight thematic areas: ethnographic, inventory, conservational, administration and investment, popularisation and promotion, environmental, constructional and financial.

Currently MMC in Sierpc is not only an ethnographic museum and town hall but also the Museum of the Small Town in Bieżuń – the branch of MMC in Sierpc.

The region of research conducted by the Museum of the Mazovian Countryside covers above all the area of north-western Mazovia also called The Old Mazovia.

However, the institution does not restrict itself to collection and protection of past memorabilia. Through an abundant educational offer it cares of intellectual development of children and youngsters, thanks to modern conference rooms, it leads to integration of employees of different companies and institutions, enables organisation of trainings and conferences, cultivates interpersonal bonds. Cultural and educational activity including exhibitions, lectures, museum lessons, workshops for children and youngsters, educational programmes or open-air events became a showcase of the Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc.

The institution also conducts scientific activity and fosters popularisation of national heritage by organisation of conferences, lectures or talks.

text and photos thanks to: Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc.

Thank You.

YOU'RE INVITED to visit

The Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc ul. Gabriela Narutowicza 64 09-200 Sierpc tel.: 24 275 28 83/ fax: 24 275 58 20 Office: opened from Monday to Friday: 7.30am-3.30pm e-mail: skansen@mwmskansen.pl www.mwmskansen.pl

113 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Christmas in Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc As every year, the Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc presents a special exhibition for Christmas.

Traditionally available in 10 cottages from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and court interiors, the "Christmas in Mazovia" exhibition attracts great attention of visitors. In the past, just as today, the preparations for Christmas focused on the preparation of Christmas Eve dishes. In the interiors of the village huts, an essential element will therefore be the ingredients necessary for baking festive cakes: dried plums, nuts or apples. Inside the cottages, you can see Christmas trees decorated with ornaments made of straw and tissue paper, nuts, apples, or homemade baked gingerbread cookies. Before Christmas trees reached the corners of the cottage rooms, sheaves of unimpeded grain were placed there, decorated with ‘worlds’, ie. ornaments made of wafers of various shapes.

This type of commemoration of the agricultural origin of Christmas can also be seen in the open-air museum cottages. In addition, in one of the chambers there are groups of carol singers, which traditionally visited the hosts of neighbouring houses.

114 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

It is worth mentioning at least a group with a star, boys with a crib, Three Kings and Herod. The "Christmas in Mazovia" exhibition creates an opportunity to get to know the Christmas Eve supper from the distant past. The tables covered with hay and white tablecloth, filled with Christmas Eve dishes, seem to wait only for the hosts to sit down.

The museum in Sierpc invites you to enter the world of Christmas, from more than a hundred years ago, where you can smell the freshly baked gingerbread and where winter evenings are spent on spinning ropes. In the times of sophisticated Christmas dishes looking more like exotic cuisine examples than the native ones and when Christmas trees are more ‘disguised’ than ‘decorated’, the exhibition presenting traditional Christmas rituals gets a special dimension.

The "Christmas in Mazovia" exhibition is presented from mid-December to the end of February.

CHRISTMAS IN MUSEUM OF THE MAZOVIAN COUNTRYSIDE IN SIERPC

TRADITION

Fot. THE MAZOVIAN COUNTRYSIDE IN SIERPC

Traditional Polish Christmas “Come on, grandpa, wine and dine”

This is how the souls of deceased ancestors were addressed, for whom not only an additional plate at the table was left, but also the remnants of Christmas Eve dishes. With the advent of partitions, when lots of families experienced repression from the invaders, the empty plate gained additional significance. With the first star in the sky, the wafer was shared. The wafer was believed to bring peace to the house; it was also given to animals for whom coloured wafers were intended. Then, the feasters used to sit at the table.

And the rules governing the Christmas Eve menu have largely remained unchanged since the earliest times.

As before, attention is paid to the amount of dishes.

It can be twelve as it is the number of the apostles.

If the other quantity is chosen, it must necessarily be the odd number – and the bigger it is, the better for the next year. Spells were said to bring good harvests next year; some of them were directed straight to some vegetables, like potatoes or cabbages, telling ten to grow abundantly next year.

It was believed that the course of the day and night of Christmas Eve has a major impact on the coming new year. Therefore, in order to have a good mood and energy all year round, it was necessary to get up early, wash in the stream, and if at home, it was necessary to throw a silver coin into the bowl with water – so that ‘the money stick to the man’.

It was not advisable to lie down in bed during the day because it could "attract" the disease. It was better not to lend anything to the neighbours, to avoid shortages in the coming year. In spite of the last of the abovementioned bans, it was on Christmas Eve that minor thefts multiplied - sometimes for a joke. Their perpetrators believed that in this way they would ensure luck and prosperity in commercial transactions throughout the year.

In the Pomerania and Masuria, people used to go fishing before noon, while in other Polish regions hunting and poaching took place on a mass scale,not

116 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

so much in order to fill the pantry, but for the magical assurance of tasty and abundant food until the next Christmas Eve. On this day, not very severe corporal punishments were inflicted on children, which meant that this method of education, proven for generations will also be used in the coming year. People tried to avoid quarrels and arguments; on the contrary – they tried to show kindness, forget about prejudice and forgive all harm, regarding both the family and neighbours.

After supper, the household inhabitants, above all the children, went to the orchard carrying straw ropes.

At the head, the host walked with an axe in his hand.

He hit it on the tree trunk pretending to cut the tree and said, "Won’t you bear fruit?" The children shouted: " Leave it alone, it will bear fruit!" and they wrapped the tree with ropes to make it fruit abundantly.

To ensure good yields of cereals, oats were poured out after the Christmas Eve supper or on the second day of feast (according to the church interpretation, in memory of St. Stephen stoning, the priest was overthrown with oats in the church on the New Year or on the Three Kings).

During the Christmas period, Christmas carol-singers used to wander from house to house in the towns and villages, carrying a crib and a star, while in the villages boys disguised as aurochs or bears carried mannequins depicting various animals, such as cranes or goats, visited houses and wished the hosts abundant crops, at the same time demanding some treats.

The starry sky on the Christmas Eve night promised a sunny and fertile year, while the cloudy one - a gloomy year. Twelve days were accepted as the basis for a more accurate forecast, from Christmas to Three Kings, that were used to predict the weather in the following months of the new year. There were also divinations about life and health and matrimonial perspectives connected with Christmas Eve.

CHRISTMAS IN MUSEUM OF THE MAZOVIAN COUNTRYSIDE IN SIERPC

Fot. THE MAZOVIAN COUNTRYSIDE IN SIERPC

Treasures / Polish Sculptures Madonnas International Gothic is a period art which began in Burgundy, and in northern Italy in the late 14th Century.

It then spread very widely across Europe.

In sculpture, the Gothic style is sometimes known "Beautiful style" or "Soft style". Stylistic features are a dignified elegance, which replaces monumentality, along with rich decorative colouring, elongated figures and flowing lines.

It also makes a more practised use of perspective, modelling, and setting. Figures begin to be given more space in their settings, and interest is taken in realistically depicted plants and animals.

Some of the most famous Polish sculptures from this era are: Virgin Mary from Krużlowa, Madonna of Więcławice and Madonna from Gruszów.

The Beautiful Virgin Mary from Krużlowa is a Gothic sculpture made from linden-tree timber, found 1889 in the Catholic parish church in the Krużlowa Wyżna village (Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Nowy Sącz County, Grybów commune) by Władysław Łuszczkiewicz and Stanisław Wyspiański.

Since 1899 the sculpture is part of the National Museum, Kraków collections.

The sculpture belongs to the so-called soft style of International Gothic art, and is an example of the “Beautiful Madonnas”. It was made on the beginning of the fifteenth century by an unknown artist.

The sculpture is 119 cm high and can be watched from three sides; the rear side is deeply hollowed to avoid the cracking of drying timber. It shows Virgin Mary with naked Baby Jesus holding an apple. The Virgin stands in counterpose, her clothes are rich pleated. Probably was this sculpture assigned for one of Cracow churches, but in the seventeenth century it was replaced by newer baroque sculptures and carried to the village church of Krużlowa.

118 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

The first written message was dated 1607, the next from 1766. The sculpture was first placed on the High Altar of the church, but later was moved to the entrance hall, and finally, because of threat of bark beetles was removed to the church attic and forgotten.

The sculpture was found by the two artists in a very bad condition, coated with a three layers of oil paint, partially erased to the wooden ground. The sculpture was bought by the National Museum, Kraków and first exposed in the Sukiennice Museum at Kraków Cloth Hall, since 1924 in the City Hall tower. 1940 the sculpture was requisitioned by the German occupation forces and posed in the office of the Nazi governor Hans Frank on the Wawel castle. Since October 2007 the sculpture is part of the art collections of the Erasmus Ciołek Bishop’s Palace.

Madonna of Więcławice depicts Mother of God in a gentle contrapposto, bent in the shape of a reversed “S”, wearing a gilded dress of a warm red tone as well as a gilded coat on a silver lining with an olive glaze. Mary has a veil and a crown on her head. In her right hand, Madonna is holding Infant Jesus in a gilded dress.

The sculpture dates back to the beginning of the 15th century (around 1400) and is regarded as a “transitional” sculpture and one of the oldest in the Małopolska region, showing the influence of the International Gothic style.

Full-figure sculpture of Madonna from Gruszów shows Madonna in a long dress decorated with floral motifs and in the golden cloak. Her body is bent to the left side, in her right hand she is holding golden scepter.

Sculpture “Madonna of Krużlowa”

Author: unknown early 15th century (ca. 1400) Dimensions: height: 118cm, width: 45.5cm The National Museum in Kraków The Bishop Erazm Ciołek Palace Art of Old Poland. The 12th – 18th century Technique: gilding, hollowing, sculpture, polychrome Material: wood Acquired date: donated by Parish Priest Władysław Szymanek from the Church of Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary in Krużlowa Wyżna in 1899

Digitalisation: RDW MIC, Małopolska's Virtual Museums project public domain

Sculpture “Madonna from Gruszów”

Date of production: 1380–1390 Place of creation: Małopolska Province, Poland Dimensions: height: 112cm, width: 32cm, depth: 24cm Museum: Cardinal Karol Wojtyła Archdiocesan Museum in Kraków Technique: gilding, silver-plating, sculpture, polychrome, hollowing, tempera Material: linden wood

Digitalisation: RDW MIC, Małopolska's Virtual Museums project public domain

Sculpture “Madonna of Więcławice”

Date of production: early 15th century (ca. 1400) Place of creation: Małopolska Province, Poland Dimensions: height: 124cm, width: 38cm, depth: 18cm Museum: Cardinal Karol Wojtyła Archdiocesan Museum in Kraków Technique: gilding, sculpture, polychrome, hollowing, silver-plating, glaze Material: linden wood

Digitalisation: RDW MIC, Małopolska's Virtual Museums project public domain

Hello Londoners

travel.lovePoland Magazine available at:

KRAKÓW SHOP

KRAKÓW DELICATESSEN LONDON, LEWISHAM

Kraków Polish Delicatessen is committed to quality. We only source the

At Kraków we're proud to be the place where Londoners shop for that

best-quality fresh food that's available to the market. We also work as

special Holiday meal, when you want an occasion to be especially

best we can to make sure that everything we cut, bake, and create is

memorable. We strive to provide you with that same quality every day

top-quality- the kind of quality that you can really taste.

of the week, with everything we offer.

Unit 5 Goldcrest House, 32-64 Lee High Road, London SE13 5FH www.krakowshop.co.uk

TRAVE.LOVEPOLAND

I

6:00 PM 10:00 PM

I

DAJ ZNAC SWIATU O SWOJEJ OFERCIE DO IT WITH US AND SUPPORT OUR MAGAZINE

WWW.LOVEPOLAND.ORG INFO@LOVEPOLAND.ORG

photo: Pałac Osowa Sien

WE ARE A PROUD SUPPORTER OF LOVE POLAND

WEBSITE DESIGN www.britanniaweb.co.uk