Travel Love Poland Magazine – March 2020

Page 1

MARCH– JUNE 2020 | VOL 1 | ISSUE 11 ISSN 2515-8503

travel.lovePoland

through the lens

spring in Poland EXPERIENCE

Water is the most significant symbol of life and purification in folk culture, followed by rebirth. Both touching with a green branch and pouring water, characteristic of folk spring rituals, is a relic of eternal magical practices designed to ensure the abundance of rain, continuity of vegetation and plant fertility. Ania Olesińska


LOVEPOLAND.ORG

tour partner www.2poland.com.pl

2 Poland Adventure is an idea of Poland's passionates. They met each other long time ago, in an international corporation. Despite completely opposite ways of life, they quickly became friends because they shared a common passion, which was travelling. They came up with an idea "let’s invite the world to travel here with us!”. They decided to merge powers and cooperate offering the best activities to foreign visitors to share their passion for Poland with the world. They look for places which are not crowded by tourists and highlight their attractiveness. Their mission is to present Poland as no one does. They want you to join them exploring our Polish wild nature, meeting its hearty people, trying delicious traditional Polish cuisine and above all - experiencing the best adventures. They will show you their homeland off the beaten track. No matter where you come from, they will make you Love Poland.

some of our our top packages and many more on our website www.2poland.com.pl

TO THE HORSES! Feel like a pioneer riding through the Bieszczady wild-lands!

LOG-OFF AND REST. A mysterious weekend on Grand Lakes of Masuria!

A 5-day horse ride through the beautiful wilderness of Bieszczady. Saddle your horse and go through the Połoniny fields, rivers, mountains and woods. During the trip you will pass ruins of orthodox churches and villages – silent witnesses of rough Polish-Ukrainian history.

We offer you a chance to slow down, log off from the digital world, and dive into nature. A cozy houses with apartments in tree crowns are waiting for you at the end of the world – The Grand Lakes of Masuria. Here you calm down, relax, and recover your nerves. Far from the city rush, deep into the green nature, you will find peace and quiet.

CASTLEMANIA Experience the most exiting medieval castles in Poland!

CULTURAL POLAND Taste the Poland's classic itinerary served with a glass of adventure!

This adventure will take you deep into Silesian Medieval era. You will have chance to see and visit witnesses of rough history of Silesia region. Splendid castles, breathtaking views, and wild nature provide unforgettable experience. You will visit castles Czocha, Grodziec, Chojnik, Książ. As a special attraction we provide a traditional medieval Polish feast!

This trip will let You discover Poland’s culture on it’s every plane. During 8 days of traveling you will visit astonishing places in the country, taste all the best Polish cuisine can offer, and experience history in the way you have never done before. Living culture in historical buildings, flavours of the past served in modern interiors, tradition and hospitality.

Book your adventure in Poland! www.2poland.com.pl info@2poland.com.pl +48 661 634 971


meet our tour partner BOOK YOUR ADVENTURE INÂ POLAND!

www.2poland.com.pl info@2poland.com.pl +48 661 634 971


LOVEPOLAND.ORG

media partner witkacy theatre in Zakopane www.witkacy.pl

"Life makes most sense at the height of nonsense" 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.


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 11

from the editor

Dear Readers, It's getting warm again! Hiking trips no longer require great preparations to make sure we will be warm. Hence, we are inviting you to some interesting places in Poland. We start the journey with searching for Wroclaw Dwarfs, and then move to one of the youngest, but with numerous historic links, the city of Gdynia. I also encourage you to read the interview with Aleksander Smaga, an architect involved in commemorating our history. The magazine must not miss trips related to nature. This time, we are inviting you to two national parks. First, to Magura (with an additional text by Katarzyna Skóra) and then to the Barycz Valley Park located in the opposite corner (it may be a good idea to spend time in western Poland – right after visiting Wrocław). For our part, we recommend a trip to a place not often reached buy the tourists coming from abroad - namely the monastery in Wigry – located somewhere far in the eastern borderland of Poland. For those who prefer rather mountain expeditions combined with relaxation in a climatic small town, we have a text about Krynica – located on the edge of the Beskid Sadecki (which, the chances are, may be our future home). In the Magazine we always try to devote a lot place to tradition. This time, of course, it will be Easter and a text devoted to a 'Śmigus', as well as a bit more serious one associated with the pilgrimage to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. Closer to the summer period, we would like to invite you to participate in Pentecost and Midsummer Night celebrations – it will be a journey to the East again. In this issue, we have also prepared a special map for you, regarding the trips with a dog. Many of you probably take your pet on vacation, so let's have a look where, in Polish National Parks, your dog can accompany you. We wish you a Happy Easter with a piece of sweet, shortcrust mazurek! artur tomasz tureczek Editor-in-Chief Travel.LovePoland

Contributors to this issue: Anna Adamska, Paweł Budzik, Bartosz Dubiel, Zuzanna Długosz, Konrad Rogozinski, Anna Olesińska, Jerzy Rajecki, Marek Sałatowski, Alexander Smaga, Olga Śpiewankiewicz, Katarzyna Skóra, Radosław Sikora, Łukasz Sowiński and Jakub Zawadziński. Additionally: thanks to Znak Publishing House for cooperation on this issue. As always: our special BIG thanks to Kasia Śpiewankiewicz – graphic editor @britanniaweb.co.uk for your patience and 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 11 MARCH-JUNE 2020

CONTENTS 1 0

Gdynia by Marek Sałatowski

3 6

The Magura National Park by Bartosz Dubiel

6 4

Landscape Park Barycz Valley by Paweł Budzik

7 6

9 6

Krynica by Konrad Rogoziński

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska by Jakub Zawadziński

05 24 26 30 34 54 58 60 86 108 112 114 116 118 120

Wrocław’s dwarfs by Anna Adamska Emigration Museum Gdynia The "Victory Fly Past" by Alexander Smaga Jazz on the Odra Festival Malta Festival Poznań Rostajne by Katarzyna Skóra Birds of prey of Magura National Park Aye witness: Wigry Post-Camaldolese Monastery Walking with Princess and Kupała Night by Jerzy Rajecki Śmigus dyngus by Ania Olesińska and Łukasz Sowiński The past: Bronowice Easter Mazurek (shortcrust tart) Where you can take your dog Events Book Promotion: Nie tylko Husaria (v.PL)

photo on the front cover: Łukasz Sowiński


W R O C Ł A W ’ S

D W A R F S

by Anna Adamska photos: Wrocław Official, www.visitwroclaw.eu

The Friendly Dwarf the most famous Wroclaw dwarf

05 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Wrocław’s dwarfs. Story by Anna Adamska, www.meetmycity.tours

Słupnik / Street Poler

The Orchestra of Dwarfs – The Violinist

Wrocław’s dwarfs by Anna Adamska photos: Wrocław Official, www.visitwroclaw.eu

www.meetmycity.tours anna@meetmycity.tours

Wrocław’s dwarfs (Polish: krasnale or krasnoludki) are small figurines (20-30 cm) that first appeared in the streets of Wrocław, Poland, in 2005. Since then, their numbers have been continually growing, and today they are considered a tourist attraction: those who would like to combine sight-seeing in Wrocław with "Hunting for dwarfs" are offered special brochures with a map and mobile application software for smartphones. As of 2015, there are over 500 dwarfs spread all over the city.

06 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Vincent Dwarf

The Friendly (Traveller)

There are many ways to describe Wrocław. Some people will remember the city as the ‘Best European Destination of 2018’ or ‘Venice of Northern Europe ‘due to the impressive number of bridges in the City. Some will see Wrocław as one of the best places to celebrate the Christmas Market. There is one more factor that makes Wrocław a very unique place. When you arrive in the city centre you might be surprised or even alarmed by the vast number of dwarfs that surround you. Don't worry! Everything is OK with your sight! You are in Wrocław - also known as ‘City of Dwarfs’. There are more than 520 dwarfs in Wrocław and the number is growing. This unique relationship between dwarfs and the city started in the 1980s and came about as a result of an initiative from the anti-communist underground movement of the time, which was called the Orange Alternative and led by Waldemar Fydrych, commonly known as ‘Major’. The main purpose of the movement was to fight the regime using an absurd and nonsensical approach, which could have been straight from a Monthy Python sketch. Initially they painted absurd images of dwarfs on wellknown graffiti locations where the government had tried to cover up their previous anti-government slogans.


Dwarf facts and figures make for interesting reading; They are between 20-30 cm high and weigh around 4-5 kg each. Famous dwarf maker Tomasz Moczek explained that after drawing the figure of a new dwarf, he then creates a clay mould of the design that acts as a negative for the silicone and gypsum model that follows. He then makes four small holes in the model and carefully pours hot wax into it, making sure that the form has the same thickness throughout its body. After he completes any final retouching, he places the model into a 700 degree oven for 12 hours. The wax melts, leaving a cavity into which the artist pours molten bronze to make a cast. He then reheats it to 1200 degrees as the little dwarf gains mass and grows into a street-ready statue (explanations taken from www.bbc.com/travel/story/20171017-the-truth-behindwrocaws-cheeky-gnomes). The dwarfs, although not big in size, have become a huge symbol of Wrocław and are even part of the city logo! In 2011, leader of the Orange Alternative – Major Waldemar Fydrych accused the City Council of breaching copyright, when according to him, the figure of a dwarf used by the City Council to promote the city, was a direct copy of the original dwarf painted by the Major and Wiesław Cupała on the night of 30th August 1982 on buildings at Smoluchowskiego Street. So far, the court battle seems to be moving in the favour of the Major with the latest ruling from 2018 directing the City Council to apologize to the original graffiti artist and pay compensation of 666,666.66 PLN (approx. 132k GBP). As you might expect, the city disagreed with this judgement and in the end, Mr Fydrych received his apology, however the final amount to be paid is still under negotiation.

ROSZEK / THE VET

By doing this, members of the Orange Alternative could not be arrested by the police without the authorities becoming a laughing stock. Additionally, the Orange Alternative organized various events within the city encouraging people to think independently and laugh at what they saw as the absurdities of the system. Years later, to commemorate the events of the past, the first statue of a dwarf called ‘Papa Dwarf’ was founded on 01/06/2001 in a joint venture by the City Council and the Agora publishing company. Papa Dwarf is bigger than all the other dwarfs as he is leader of the dwarf community in Wrocław. His naked figure made of bronze, stands on top of an enormous thumb next to Świdnicka Street, where many Orange Alternative events took place. In 2005 a local artist named Tomasz Moczek gave life to the next generation of dwarves and called them: Sisyphers (Curler & Boller) – in front of the Post Office at the Main Square. These poor guys are working hard as they seem to be rolling their large granite ball in opposite directions. Butcher – at the Shambles (Jatki), location of a former butchery in medieval Wrocław. His presence is supposed to keep the place free from rats and legend has it he is also Tomasz Moczek's favourite dwarf. Odra Washer – on the Sand Island. This little fellow is doing laundry for his mates on the bank of the river. He took off his shoes so they will not get wet during the laundry. Swordsman – in front of the University. He's a naughty boy, completely naked, ashamed and covering his body with only an umbrella. His story is directly related to the statue of the Swordsman located in the University Square. This sculpture, designed by Hugo Lederer in 1904, is supposed to commemorate a true story from the Hugo's life and to warn young people not to gamble, as in the end, they may end up with nothing but their swords! Since 2005, the population of dwarfs has grown extensively and it has become quite a challenge to give the exact total these days. In part this is due to the fact that although over 300 dwarfs were officially founded by Wrocław City Council, the rest have been commissioned by private investors and companies willing to pay to have their own dwarf in their courtyard or outside their shop. Since almost anybody can have their own little dwarf friend, it has become difficult to keep track of them all. Officially, in order to have your own dwarf, all you need to do is complete the paperwork and wait for approval from the city hall. In fact, there is a special registration office just for the dwarfs and legend has it that a dwarf at home brings good luck and helps double your money. No wonder they are so popular. In actual fact, due to their popularity, on occasion dwarfs have been kidnaped and even stolen, resulting in GPS being installed inside them.

07 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


The Orchestra of Dwarfs – The Conductor

The Cyclist

In the meantime, the Wroclaw dwarf community welcomed the following new members : Blindie, Deafie and Wheelie are three disabled dwarfs who live outside the entrance to the Old Town Hall. Wheelie sits on his speeding wheelchair with his beard blowing in the wind. Deafie is equipped with a hearing aid and Blindie with a walking stick and dark glasses. They arrived in the city in 2008 to support the campaign “Wrocław without barriers”. That's the spirit! Dwarfette shows us that the dwarf world is also occupied by females. This very sympathetic train dispatcher awaits you at the Central Railway Station on platform 2. She works very hard to get noticed by the passengers coming off the trains. Sleeper holds a spear and guards the gate to the underground world of the dwarfs at the square of St. Elisabeth’s church. He's been a bit naughty falling asleep at work! Prisoner sits in the window of the former city jail. He's stuck behind bars with a ball and chain attached to his leg.

The Orchestra of Dwarfs – music score

He's serving time for shaving his beard, which dwarfs are not allowed to do, but as he has been there a while, his beard has grown back! While walking through the old town of Wroclaw, take time to look around and you will find so many cute dwarfs surrounding you. Also, when you look up, you’ll discover them climbing lamp posts, sitting on window sills and even on the railings of the highest bridge in the city centre – the Witches Bridge where you can meet two witches waiting for you with their cat! Most dwarfs are afraid of the heights, therefore usually we find them on the ground in front of their buildings - keeping themselves occupied with different tasks such as playing music, cycling, drinking beer and running, just like us in our human world. If you wish to look for dwarfs in Wrocław, we would be delighted to take you on our tours and show you around our beautiful city. Anna Adamska

08 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Sprinklers bring cool on hot days

The Train Dispatcher – Dwarfette

09 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


www.facebook.com/MarekSalatowski

photos: Marek Sałatowski

gdynia

10 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


MODERNISM TRIP Conversation about Gdynia with Marek Sałatowski & Olga Śpiewankiewicz Author's Bio: Marek Sałatowski I was born in Grudziądz in 1981. I spent my childhood in Nowe Jankowice, a small village located between the aforementioned Grudziądz and Iława. I often come back to these places because my parents live there. It is a beautiful area, separated from the city. We have a horse stable, park, fields, meadows and forests there. This is the so-called oasis of peace. Home celebrations or family walks were regularly captured on a 35mm film using dad's 8mm Smiena camera. It was a common type of equipment in those days, which did not require extensive knowledge to take pictures. Over the years and the development of technology, digital cameras began to appear and they caught my attention. The photos were shot at a mass scale, and the only limitation was the capacity of the memory card. In 2002, thanks to the kindness of my family, I moved to Gdynia, where I attended school and earned my first money. I knew the city before from frequent family gatherings. Soon after that Gdynia became my second home and this is where I wanted to stay. In the city of the sea and dreams, as you can see, I managed to settle for good and here I met the love of my life – we have been sharing our life for over 11 years. The uniqueness of this city, the combination of sunrises and sunsets associated with the noise of the Baltic Sea forced me to preserve this beauty. Initially, these were "usual" snapshots. Over time and raising the standards, I acquired both new equipment and new knowledge. A DSLR camera, wideangle lens, tripod and a set of filters has been accompanying me for years. I am an entirely self-taught photographer, and most of the first shots were taken through trial and error. The desire to get new, unique photos could be fulfilled once again thanks to technology. Mass production of 'copters' commonly called "drones" motivated me to obtain a Certificate of Qualification for an unmanned aerial vehicle operator and to buy another camera, this time a flying one I have been flying over Gdynia for four years and capture its charm. I deeply believe that this is not the end of my adventure, and the developing city is constantly providing new experiences.

Marek. Photo: Marcin Michna

Olga

Stalowa Wola, Świdnik, Tychy, Ruda Śląska, Siemianowice, Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Zakopane, Gdynia – these are the names of places that either did not exist, at least as a city, or were not known as important urban centres just over 100 years ago. I would like it to be an introduction to our conversation about your city. A young, dynamic city, but probably also an interesting one. Gdynia obtained city rights in 1926 and it apparently seduces visitors with an unusual atmosphere, modernist architecture and beautiful beaches. Marek and Olga - neither of you was born in Gdynia, but it charmed you anyway, didn't it?

tLP: In our earlier conversation you told me that you live in Gdynia and that is why you take photos of it. Apparently you don't even feel like moving too much out of town, even to the neighbouring cities of Sopot and Gdańsk (laughter). Does Gdynia and its surroundings have so much charm that it satisfies your 'photographic hunger'?

MAREK: Exactly as you said, Gdynia is a young, but quickly developing city. My adventure with this city began during my childhood when I came here on vacation and already then, as a small boy, I was truly impressed. I settled permanently in this city of sea and dreams in 2002, since then I have been discovering the city again and again. The unique coastal landscape that stretches along the entire shoreline of Gdynia has shifted my interests towards landscape photography.

MAREK: I have lived in Gdynia for 18 years, and as I mentioned earlier, the passion associated with landscape photography grew in me as the city developed. The first photographs were just "ordinary snapshots", I think that with time the approach to taking pictures became more mature and thoughtful. I am self-taught in this field and I am still trying to gain knowledge in a topic that gives me great pleasure. Of course, I visit sometimes with the camera the cities you mentioned, but I devote most of my free time to Gdynia.

OLGA: Definitely – Gdynia seduces. Before I settled here, I was in Gdynia only once and it was enough to make a decision to move here. Gdynia is not an enormous city, maybe that's why it quickly convinces people. You get off the train and 5 minutes later in 10 Lutego Street you admire buildings from the 1930s; a few minutes of walk and you are straight on the beach. It delights, it is enough to wander a little "around the city" to feel the atmosphere of this place.

11 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


When it comes to photographic "hunger", like everyone, I also have my dreams and goals and, like many others, I strive to achieve them. I think that Gdynia has many noteworthy places to offer, we should also remember that the coastal landscape provides us with new impressions every now and then, we will never see the same sunrise or sunset, and the appearance of the waterfront can change from day to day. tLP: Since we are talking to the 'Gdynia citizen', of course we have to ask for a trip 'round the city' and beyond. What is the heart, a kind of social salon of Gdynia? Where can you meet the most interesting people or experience the most abundant 'visual' sensations? MAREK: Speaking of the heart of Gdynia, most residents will probably think of Kościuszko Square that ends with the South Pier. The "square" is a place teeming with life, both residents and tourists spend a lot of time here, strolling, meeting family and friends, visiting nearby pubs; this is where all the occasional events take place and where we have the opportunity to make new friends. The ORP Błyskawica mooring in the Presidential Pool, Dar Pomorza and the still seaworthy Dar Młodzieży catch the eyes not only of the visitors but also regulars and residents. If we talk about visual sensations then I think that everyone will find something for themselves. One of Gdynia's amazing places is the Gdynia Motor Museum, where you can admire ten cars from the interwar period and 28 motorcycles from the collection of Wojciech Ciążkowski, a car enthusiast. OLGA: It's not an easy question for me. There are several places that are popular not only with tourists but the most interesting people, mainly in the summer, we will meet on the Boulevard of Gdynia, which is teeming with life from dusk till dawn. You can take a walk or eat in one of the seaside restaurants. Here, too, people come to work out in the gyms, or just sit on benches and listen to the sound of the sea. tLP: What other tourist points are not to be missed? The Motor Museum, the Emigration Museum, the Aquarium? Or maybe just a beach? MAREK: I think that everyone will find something for themselves in Gdynia, I think it is worth visiting each of the places mentioned above by you. Additionally, I recommend visiting the navy and sailing ships mooring here. For walking lovers, I recommend a wild beach on Babie Doły, fabulous Orłowo where we can walk on the pier and admire the beautiful views climbing the cliff. Once, Orłowo was a small fishing village. In the 1930's it began to be known as a health resort, and now it is one of the most beautiful districts of Gdynia. Pre-war villas, a lot of modern white buildings and a beautiful, long, wide and sandy beach! The picturesque cliff is still undercut by storms and the steep bank stretches for nearly 650 m from Redłowo to Orłowo. Numerous examples of protected species of vegetation can be found on the cliff. From the escarpment itself, there is a view of the Hel Spit and the port of Gdynia. You can also easily reach the beach by car and park in the newly built parking lot at ul. Orłowska (approx. 200 m from the pier), by SKM trains, by trolleybus or by bus. OLGA: Obligatorily – Kościuszko Square and one by one, as Marek mentioned, you can visit ORP Błyskawica, Dar Pomorza, Dar Młodzieży, then Gdynia Aquarium. It is worth walking down Świętojańska Street, then climb to Kamienna Góra to see the panorama of the city and historic tenement houses. 12 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

There is also the only Emigration Museum in Poland. The history of Polish emigration was documented therein. The museum is located in the building of the Sea Station, from where many countrymen set out to emigrate. Another interesting place is Gdynia Aquarium, which presents the flora and fauna associated with the aquatic environment, was built on the Southern Pier in 1938. The exhibition part of the Aquarium is divided into 7 themed rooms. In Gdynia Aquarium you can see unusual species of fish, amphibians and reptiles from various regions of the world. There are 68 aquariums filled with 140 tons of water. The aquarium is inhabited by over 1500 living organisms from about 250 species. You can find here, among others, the specimens of rays, turtles, sharks, mussels, fish from warm seas, snakes. The Aquarium in Gdynia is one of the city's biggest attractions. White fleet ships sail from the South Pier to Hel, Gdańsk, Sopot and Kaliningrad. tLP: Where should the lovers of longer walks go? Maybe on a trip to the Cliff in Orłowo, reportedly one of the most picturesque corners of Poland? Or to the lookout point in Kamienna Góra from where can you admire the panorama of the city? MAREK: In a way, you answered this question yourself. We can start the "longer walk" just from admiring the panorama from Kamienna Góra, from there, walking towards the city beach along the boulevard, we will reach the wild beach in Redłowo, which in turn will lead us to the fabulous Orłowo. The cliff in Orłowo is one of the most picturesque corners of the coast. It is best seen from the wooden pier in Gdynia Orłowo. The pier is currently 180 meters long. It used to be a wooden bridge that was built during World War I. In the 1930s, the pier was 30 meters long. In 1949, a storm destroyed the pier. After renovation, only 180 meters of the pier were put into use. OLGA: Definitely, the trail from Redłowo to the cliff in Orłowo is very popular among tourists. A lot of people goes down this


stretch of beach. I recommend a walk through the forest, views from the height to the sea confirm the rumours of the picturesque character of this place. If we get bored of the sea, it is worth visiting the forests of Gdynia. Starting your trek in the Forest Plots district, you can walk to the zoo in Gdansk. The panorama of the city can be admired from the viewpoint on Kamienna Góra, offering a magnificent view of the port and the Bay of Gdańsk. Kamienna Góra is a villa and park district of Gdynia. There are lots of wonderful villas built in the 1920s and 1930s in the neo-renaissance or neo-baroque style. Examples of such places a include the villas: "Henryka" (ul. Sędzickiego 8), "Nasz Domek" (ul. Sienkiewicza 5) or "Szumka" (ul. Sienkiewicza 37). tLP: Gdynia has also a rich cultural life to share. Do you think that the extensive offer in this area has been influenced by the fact that Gdynia recently received the award for the quality of life and during the grand final of the LivCom Awards 2019 it was on the podium in the category of cities from 150 thousand up to 400 thousand residents? What interesting has Gdynia to offer for culture lovers? MAREK: For me, one of the most important cultural events is the annual Polish Film Festival, which takes place at the Music Theatre and Film Club at the Film School in Gdynia (since 1986 – after moving – mainly for political reasons – from Gdańsk). OLGA: Absolute diversity! A lot of different cultural events are organized throughout the year. Marek has already mentioned the film festival. On the music side, however, there is the Blues Festival, Open'er, Cudawianki, Gdynia Classica Nova. Every year in July, thousands of fans come to the airport in Babie Doły for the Open'er where they have the chance to admire the biggest music stars of different genres on the festival stage. In turn, musical lovers visit the Danuta Baduszkowa Musical Theatre. This is the second music theatre in Poland after the Grand Theatre in Warsaw in terms of the number of seats in the audience. It may house over 1,580 people. In the current repertoire of the theatre, you can find world musical titles: "Notre Dame de Paris", "Saturday Night Fever" or "Ghost", Polish musicals: "The Witcher", "Peasants", or the musicals for children incl. "Peter Pan", comedy performances and fairy-tales for children. In the city centre, in a short walking distance, we have two museums, a theatre and a film centre. Cultural centres operate in the districts, tours of the monuments are often 13 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


organised. For literature lovers (in Polish) there are numerous meetings with authors, and the Fantasy Discussion Club is also active.

In the new part of the Central Park there is a fenced enclosure, with a large airlock, and a running water which have been put at the disposal of Gdynia pets.

tLP: Recently, we get quite a lot of questions from readers related to the possibility of relaxing in Poland with a dog, which is why we have dedicated a separate text to it, apparently Gdynia also has its own dog beach. Do you happen to visit it? Is it a popular walking place?

tLP: To sum up, is it worth traveling a bit more kilometres and visiting Gdynia, apart from Gdańsk and Sopot?

MAREK: The dog beach in Gdynia is definitely a nod to the quadrupeds and their owners, thanks to the involvement of two Gdynia councillors, a 100-meter beach strip where dogs can freely use the natural goods, and the owners of the pets share their experiences, was designated. OLGA: I go there during hiking trips from Redłowo to Orłowo. There is still strong interest in this place, regardless of the season. A lot of dog owners and their pets can also be found in the enclosure in Kolibki Park.

MAREK: It all depends from where you come from. I don't want to favour this city, but I think Gdańsk and Sopot also have a lot to offer. Given the fact that Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia constitute the whole as a Tri-City, it is obvious to try to visit the whole. Thank you for the conversation and I invite you for a delicious beer that we have in ample supply here. OLGA: By all means. Gdańsk attracts with history and monuments, Sopot is known for its night life and events. Whereas in Gdynia you can relax, feel the space and most importantly hear your own thoughts really close to the centre, without giving up culture and fun. thanks for a conversation artur

14 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Absolute diversity! A lot of different cultural events are organised throughout the year.

15Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Gdynia. Photography by Marek Sałatowski

16 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


YEAR 1 WHITE

YEAR 1 YELLOW www.facebook.com/MarekSalatowski

17Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Gdynia

MAREK SAŁATOWSKI www.facebook.com/MarekSalatowski

18 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


TOP 6 IN GDYNIA www.gdynia.pl/turystyczna-en

01

Kosciuszko Square and the Southern Pier

02

Known as Skwer Kościuszki in Polish, it is the tourist hub of Gdynia. Built on an artificial peninsula, the Southern Pie, which stretches out far into the sea, with John Paul II Avenue, is an extension of the Square. The place features a monument to Maritime Poland, Modernist townhouses and a fountain. The ORP Błyskawica museum ship and the Dar Pomorza sailing ship are moored at the quay; a little farther ahead, you can see Poland’s only Passenger Ship Avenue and the Joseph Conrad monument, with the Sails monument closer to the sea.

04

The structure represents one of the best known and most interesting historic monuments of Gdynia. The terminal can be admired at the Nabrzeże Francuskie (French Quay) of the port of Gdynia, next to the Gdynia Harbourmaster’s Office. Built in 1933, Dworzec Morski was designed to serve the overseas passenger traffic. It was here that the Batory and the Stefan Batory berthed besides other passenger ships. Unfortunately, the building was seriously damaged in 1943 when the Allies bombed the port. Nearby the terminal is the berthing place of the biggest passenger ships of the world whenever they call at Gdynia. From 2015, the Maritime Station is the Emigration Museum.

03

Viewing tower - Mount Donas On the top of Gdynia’'s highest rise – Mount Donas, at the height of 206 m above sea level, there was constructed an overlook platform from which one can admire the picturesque Tri-City's panorama. Overlook terrace is open to the public from 1st April to the end of October, between 8.00-18.00. On very windy days, when the temperature drops below 0°C and the elements of the constructions get icy, in fog, rain and snow or storms the tower is closed. Admission is free. 81-578 Gdynia, Łanowa Street

Seaside Boulevard This popular walking track of the length of 1522 m begins at the statue of fish –the symbol of Gdynia. The promenade running between the Kamienna Góra and the sea – in the shape that we use it today – was made at the end of the 50s of the previous century. In 2011, a comfortable path will be put at the disposal of bikers and skaters, one rendering pedestrians no longer a cumber to them. At the promenade there also stands a monument ‘To those who passed away to keep eternal watch’, one commemorating the victims of maritime disasters.

The Aquarium is located at the end of the Southern Pier (Molo Południowe), which is an extension of Kościuszko Square. It has over 1,500 animals of 250 species. All this in 68 tanks with 140 tonnes of water. Its seven rooms showcase marine fish, amphibians and reptiles, and even invertebrates from all the seas of the world. Children are in for a special treat: you can touch a live fish, see how a coral reef forms and find out how to protect the marine environment. www.akwarium.gdynia.pl 81-345 Gdynia, Al. Jana Pawła II 1

05

Passenger Terminal

The Gdynia Aquarium

06

The Orłowo Pier Orłowo is one of the most beautiful neighbourhoods in Gdynia and the local pier one of its main attractions. Constructed in 1934, the pier was 430 m long and it was adjusted to receive pleasure boats. With years it changed its appearance and length. The latest thorough repairs to it were made in 2007. Beginning form the year 1953, the pier is 180 m long. One can admire the Kępa Redłowska Cliff – one of the oldest nature reserves in Poland – from it. And the pier at Sopot, too. On the little square at the entrance to the pier is a bench on which Antoni Suchanek, one of the prominent seascape painters in Poland – sat down, submerged in his work. 81-522 Gdynia, Orłowska Street

81-339 Gdynia, Polska 1 Street

City Tourist Information 81-364 Gdynia, ul. 10 Lutego 24 The City Tourist Information is open throughout the year: High season (01.05-30.09): Monday – Friday 9.00-18.00 Saturday / Sunday / public holidays 9.00-16.00 Low season (01.10.-30.04): Monday – Friday 9.00-17.00 Saturday 9.00-15.00 Sunday / public holidays closed. www.gdynia.pl/turystyczna-pl 19 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


23Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


23Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


photo: Marek Sałatowski

"Dar Pomorza" (Gift of Pomerania), called the White Frigate, has been associated with Gdynia since 1929. The frigate was given to the State Maritime School in Gdynia and became the second (after the "Lwów") cradle of Polish navigators. Within her 51 years in the school "Dar Pomorza" took 102 school cruises, covering half a million sea miles. 13 384 students of the Maritime School were trained on her decks. On 4 August 1982 the "Dar Pomorza" was formally removed from school operations, and at the same time a flag was raised on her successor "Dar Młodzieży" (the Gift of the Youth), designed and built in Gdańsk.



EMIGRATION MUSEUM GDYNIA source: www.polska1.pl/en photos: press materils Emigration Museum Gdynia

The history of departures from the Polish lands is hundreds of years old. People traveled to different parts of the world for sustenance, in search of freedom, or for a different life. After

the birth of the first museum in the country dedicated to the history of Polish emigration. From the initiative of the city's authorities, the historical edifice

Poland regained its independence, this situation remained unchanged. The journey was tackled on foot, by rail, aboard ships or – later – airplanes. After Poland joined the European Union, emigration became the experience of a generation of millions of young Poles. Today, almost everyone knows someone who chose emigration.

of the Marine Station – which witnessed the departures of Polish ocean liners for decades – is now seeing the birth of an institution which will recount the migrations and fates of Poles in the world in close connection to the modernity. The history of emigration is being written every day. Its multiple dimensions will be presented through our permanent exhibition.

Today, there are more than 20 million people of Polish descent in the outside world. What do we know about one of the most important phenomena in Polish history? Can we save, from oblivion, the memory of millions of people who instilled their children and grandchildren with the remembrance of Poland? Can we feel what other Poles felt, as they were leaving their homes at the end of 18th century? Can we understand what it meant to emigrate at the beginning of 21st century? And what does emigration mean in the era of air travel? The only such place in Poland Gdynia is witnessing the birth of the witnessing

The mission of the Emigration Museum in Poland is to recount the fates of millions of both anonymous and famous people – whose names emerge in the context of great achievements in science, sports, business, and the arts. It is the ambition of this institution to make them known to Poles at home, but it is also

24 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

to encourage our compatriots living at home and abroad to get to know each other. Through educational and cultural projects, the museum hopes to become a place of encounter and discussion. We feel we fulfil a particular duty in achieving this end at the best possible address – Polska Street No. 1.


Emigration Museum, Gdynia Gdynia 81-339, Polska 1 St biuro@muzeumemigracji.pl Mon: Closed Tues: 12.00-20.00 Wed-Sun: 10.00–18.00

Exhibition Emigration Museum, Gdynia invite you to take a tour around our permanent exhibition, which tells the history of emigration from the Polish lands from the 19th century all the way up to the present.It recounts the stories of Poles who emigrated at various periods, to various places and for various reasons. The narrative begins with the Great Emigration, through the Industrial Revolution, mass emigration to the United States, life in the Brazilian jungle, society in Chicago, the dramatic fate of people during and after World War Two, the difficult years of the Polish People's Republic, and ends in modern times with Poland joining the European Union. The exhibition allows you to feel and understand what it meant to emigrate, it shows us the reality of a sea crossing for 3rd class passengers – from the moment of embarkation, through the voyage itself, both on and below deck, all the way to the immigration procedures on the famous Ellis Island in the United States. Among the many attractions that await visitors, there is a large multimedia installation of a globe dedicated to the Polish presence in the world, and the "Batory Under Construction" project, which features the world's largest model of a passenger ship.


POLISH FOOTPRINTS www.alexander-smaga.com

buildings, universities, parliaments and large scale airports. My architectural practice allowed me to establish my own independent practice and studio in Vienna, Krakow, and London allowing me to establish further creativity from site consultancy, design to implementation. My team and I are currently working on an eco friendly architecture project in California, USA for realisation in 2021. tLP: Where did the fascination in history come from? You are not only an architect and designer but also a chairman of the Ribbon of Memory Foundation, which promotes art, history and the memory of the forgotten heroes of WWII.

ALEXANDER SMAGA Ten minutes INTERVIEW

tLP. Who is Alexander, also from the private life perspective? You were born in Vienna. Do you have Polish roots or just came across Polish culture and history and became fascinated in a way ? AS: My name is Alexander Smaga and I am an architect born and raised in Vienna, Austria. I run an international architecture company with offices in Vienna, London and Kraków so I am now international. It is by no coincidence that I am connected with Poland as my blood is 100 % Polish as my family are the 'emigracja' the exiled Poles from WWII. My family had no right under the Totalitarian Communist regime to remain citizens of Poland and fled to Vienna. This is because they were Polish freedom fighters who fought alongside the Allies in WWII. Post WWII my grandparents were political aliens and it broke their hearts that they had to leave their beloved Poland as they had fought so hard for Poland during WWII. I am therefore very proud of my family's Polish military history and very, very proud of my Polish blood and roots. I studied Architecture at The University of Technology in Vienna where I obtained my Architectural Diploma with excellence from head professor and RIBA architect William Alsop (Sterling Prize Winner) and studied at The Ècole National Superieur de l’ Architecture de Versailles in France and The University of Applied Arts in Vienna. I have worked internationally in Europe, the United States, Asia and the Middle East on projects including private and public 26 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

AS: The fascination with Polish history began with my family's strong military connection in Poland. My great grandfather was General Józef Giza of the Wilenska Brigade and the 7th Infantry Division of the Polish II Corps. General Giza fought to establish a Polish victory at the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944 during the Italian campaign in WWII. Post WWII he remained in exile in London, England and was buried at Gunnersbury Cemetery in London in close vicinity of the Katyń massacre Memorial. My Grandmother Olympia was an aristocrat and worked as a courier in the Polish Home Army during WWII and she lived a notoriously dangerous existence delivering secret messages and most importantly ammunition for the Underground Polish Resistance to fight both the Germans and the Soviets who had invaded and occupied Poland since September 1939. My Grandmother taught me the value of patriotism and I owe her a great deal. I am very proud of my mother who trained as a fine artist trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice. My artistic side definitely comes from my mother. I am inspired to create architecture from my Polish Grandfather who was a very successful architect in Vienna who worked on such projects like the United Nations building in Vienna post WWII. tLP: How did you come across the idea to commemorate Polish pilots at the Normandy beach? This was not your first design related to a historical subject. You designed for example Poland’s WWII resistance Memorial at the foot of the Royal Castle in Krakow as well. What is the personal meaning of the "Victory Fly Past” Project for you? AS: I was invited to participate in the international design competition for a memorial dedicated to the Polish Air Force in Plumetot Normandy. The Victory Fly Past Memorial was a very special project because it was the only Polish Air Force Memorial to be erected for D-DAY – 75 in June 2019 and in fact the first Polish memorial that I realised.


ent ?

um a mon

the project:

the "Victory Fly Past" and The Polish Resistance Memorial in Kraków

ELPOEP

A view of the "Victory Fly Past" airmen memorial dedicated to the Polish Air Force - Royal Air Force situated in B-10 Plumetot, Normandy . The opening ceremony took place on the 9th of June 2019. Design: Alexander Smaga

I am beyond excited about this project because I put my heart and soul into designing the memorial and I think my Polish ancestors would be very proud of me. I designed the memorial to show the great achievement that the Polish pilots achieved at D-DAY 1944 although their story is little known. The Polish Air Force squadrons that fought during D-DAY formed the 131 Polish Wing which consisted of the No. 302 City of Poznan, the No. 308 City of Kraków Squadron and No. 317 City of Wilno Squadron. On 6th of June 1944, 131 Polish Wing, as part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, was tasked with providing low cover cover to American forces landing on Utah beach at 6.30. Throughout the whole Normandy campaign the Polish Air Force pilots fought alongside the Royal Air Force pilots. I was inspired to design the memorial as a ‘V’sign a sign for 'Victory' or ‘Victoire’ in french. The V sign was a gesture displayed by Churchill to acknowledge victory over the Germans during WWII. Bridging tradition and contemporary architectural sculpture design, the memorial combines computer-generated geometry inspired by aircraft design, and specially crafted cast metal elements. During the design process preference was given to the idea of a memorial that would recall the experience and exciting atmosphere surrounding aircraft and the art of flying. The Victory ‘V’ stands on a round square (radius: 4 m) made from Caen stone in the shape of the Royal Air Force Roundel. The memorial sculpture pays tribute to the design of WWII aircraft as it is cast from shiny polished stainless steel which will recall the shiny surfaces in the construction phase of aircraft during WWII at the time of the Invasion of Normandy. The memorial design focuses on the aesthetics and elegant curves of WWII aircraft and the design of the Spitfire and the Hurricane. The V-shaped memorial and its round base with the shape of the RAF symbol is easily visible from an aircraft flying overhead. Seven strands of metal cable suspend a series of three Spitfires. A 1:1 mock up model of the V-sign was carried out to adjust the suspension of the Spitfire during the construction works at the steel plant. The airmen memorial owes its light appearance to this experimental approach thanks to which details could be reduced. The aircraft were specially pierced to be able to clip effortlessly to the cables. The Spitfires are cast of metal and represent respectively 302, 308 and 317 Squadrons of the Polish Air Force Squadrons which were based at Plumetot and served over Normandy in 1944. I wanted the Polish Air Force memorial to be created in Poland. We chose a steel plant in Kraków. In order to honour the work that had gone into creating the memorial and to give the memorial a spiritual blessing we invited the Archbishop of Krakow to bless the memorial prior to it's journey from Poland across Europe to France which was about 1000km. he launch for the memorial took place by kind invitation at the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków and the event was a great place to invite

27 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


A L E X A N D E R S M A G A P O L I S H F O O T P R I N T S

The Polish Resistance Memorial, Kraków

our partners and project producers to attend and to give a

We were inspired by the shape of Poland’'s borders before the

farewell before its departure to France which included

outbreak of the Second World War. The memorial is an

senators and officials from The City of Kraków, The Polish Air

unfolding meandering ribbon made of Corten steel that

Force Committee in London, The Institute of National

symbolizes the spirit of a rising power of resistance is

Remembrance (IPN), The Ribbon of Memory Foundation and

dedicated to Polish WWII Allied resistance fighters. A border

many other guests.

line will cut through the square depicting the Molotov-

tLP: Alexander – are there any other projects you are working on in Poland ?

Ribbentrop agreement which marked the division of Poland between the Nazis and the Soviets. This memorial pays tribute to the brave people of the Polish Home Army who

AS: We are currently working on a project to build the Polish

fought for the freedom and independence of their country in

WWII Resistance Memorial in Kraków, Poland. Initiated by the

the face of adversity. At the very top end of the ribbon, the

Polish WWII Veterans with the support of the City of Kraków

symbol of the Polish resistance movement the Kotwica

and President of Poland this project remains close to my

(anchor) takes prime position. The Ribbon of Memory will be

heart especially since it is dedicated to honouring the Polish

a place for contemplation, reflection and celebration of the

Home Army (Armia Krajowa) and in effect my own family who

heritage of the Polish Home Army for future generations. At

fought so bravely during WWII. The project was initiated by

the very top end of the ribbon, the symbol of the Polish

the Polish WWII Veterans with the support of the City of

resistance movement the Kotwica takes prime position. The

Krakow and President of Poland. This project remains

Ribbon of Memory will be a place for contemplation and

particularly close to my heart especially since it is dedicated

celebration of the heritage of the Polish Home Army for

to honouring the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) and in

future generations. The current situation is in the hands of

effect my own family who fought so bravely during WWII. In

the City of Kraków and Mayor of Kraków Jacek Majchrowski

2013 I won the International competition to build it and we

has made a promise to the WWII Veterans of the Polish Home

are in the process of realising the project. The Memorial will

Army to build the memorial during their lifetime. If anybody

be an important urban landmark, easily visible from the

wishes to find out more about this project please contact the

Wawel the Royal Castle.

City of Kraków details below.

28 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


A L E X A N D E R S M A G A P O L I S H F O O T P R I N T S

Letters of support are always welcome.

and for this years work we are creating another great project

e-mail: prezydent@um.krakow.pl

inspired by the success of the Polish Air Force memorial.

Prezydent Miasta Krakowa: Jacek Majchrowski

In 2020 we are currently creating a new project of a mobile

Contact with Kraków City Council: Urząd Miasta Krakowa,

memorial in cooperation with the Polish Embassy in London

Wydział Komunikacji Społecznej:

and the Polish Air Force Memorial Committee. It is called the

Plac Wszystkich Świętych 3-4, 31-004 Kraków

'Propeller of Memory''' We have just started a crowdfunding page and in addition to additional funds we will be touring

tLP: From a different perspective, looking at the media

this mobile installation around historical sites of the Battle of

broadcasts, Polish pilots and troops are not really ‘present’ or

Britain such as RAF Northolt station, The Battle of Britain

recognised when it comes to the Normandy invasion. Do you

Bunker in Uxbridge, Biggin Hill, Duxford, Portsmouth,

think the Monument can influence our common memory ?

Plymouth and many other places around England. We would like to invite as many people as possible to pay

AS: The projects that we create at AS architects have

homage to the WWII Polish Pilots to honour their contribution

contemporary themes and aim to connect directly with their

as flying aces in The Battle of Britain as 2020 marks the

audiences. We are interested in creating contemporary and

80th anniversary.

yet classical timeless architecture that can link with all ages

We invite people to join, participate and support our project

and internationally. The Polish Air Force Memorial has a

throughout the month of March 2020 here at this link which

distinctly contemporary feel and that is why it was chosen for

is the Polish crowdfunding site at Polak Potrafi.

the project.We were honoured to have won the competition

www.polakpotrafi.pl/projekt/zwycieskilot

and the jury displayed great vision and courage by choosing our

The page will be operational from 3 March 2020 to 2 April

design. We faced challenges creating the memorial as we had

2020!

to organise parts of the funding as well as designing it. It was a

See you all at the opening at the occasion of BoB80 !

passion project for me and one that I hold very close to my

For more info please visit :

heart. The legacy of the project is already taking shape as this

AS Architects : www.alexander-smaga.com

year 2020 marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain

The Ribbon of Memory Foundation : www.wstegapamieci.com 29 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


JAZZ ON THE ODRA FESTIVAL

music feast

press materials Darek Oleszkiewicz fot. Dunvael Photography

festivals


JAZZ ON THE ODRA FESTIVAL. THE 56TH JAZZ ON THE ODRA FESTIVAL ANNOUNCING THE LINE-UP OF THE OPENING CONCERT SOURCE: PRESS MATERIALS, WWW.JAZZNADODRA.PL

dates and places

Start: 20th of April (Monday) Finish: 26th of April (Sunday) Place: Impart, Festival Club You can purchase the tickets at: www.jazznadodra.pl

This year's edition of the Jazz on the Odra Festival will be opened by the world premiere of the album by a unique ensemble, as well as a Polish pianist dubbed the new hope of jazz. Możdżer Danielsson Fresco Trio & Holland Baroque and Kasia Pietrzko Trio are going to perform for us at the National Forum of Music. On Monday evening, join the staff of the Wrocław Culture Zone for the opening concert of the 56th Jazz on the Odra Festival. We are going to start with the concert of a young pianist, arranger and composer, who has been enjoying nothing but enthusiastic reviews since Fortright Stories, her 2017 debut album. Apart from the artist, the Kasia Pietrzko Trio project's line-up comprises Piotr Budniak, drummer and composer with a long resume of musical achievements, as well as Andrzej Święs, leading double bass player of the young generation of the Polish jazz scene. Their compositions are fresh, clear and transparent, and their music is characterised by their extraordinary attention to the best sound quality.

Chris Potter fot. Dave Stapleton press materials

The evening will be crowned by a unique ensemble of artists, including the artistic director of the festival, joined by Swedish bassist and cellist Lars Danielsson and Israeli drummer Zohar Fresco, accompanied by the Holland Baroque orchestra. The projects created by the Możdżer Danielsson Fresco Trio are always unique and surprising. Music lovers appreciate their productions for their subtle and refined sound, as well as for achieving harmony between improvisation, which is a crucial element of jazz, and melodic accessibility. The trio has released three studio albums: The Time, which has since turned platinum, as well as Between Us and the Light and Polska, which achieved double platinum status. This time around, the musicians invited the Holland Baroque orchestra, with whom Leszek Możdżer recorded his Earth Particles album in 2017. The concert at the National Forum of Music will be a premiere of their new album, as well as the opening of the concert tour organised in connection with the new release.

Mariusz Bogdanowicz fot. press materials

You can purchase the tickets at: www.jazznadodra.pl 31 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


the programme of the 56th Jazz on the Odra Festival “Radiohead of British Jazz,” contemporary saxophone virtuoso, a Wrocław band with their Slavic melancholy and an electrifying diva of soul and jazz – we have the names of artists featured at this year’s Jazz on the Odra Festival.

20th of April (Monday) National Forum of Music, 7:00 p.m. 56. Jazz nad Odrą: opening concert 1st set: Kasia Pietrzko Trio 2nd set: Możdżer Danielsson Fresco Trio & Holland Baroque

This year, the Wrocław Culture Zone would like to invite everybody for an entire week filled with jazz – the festival is now two days longer, and the added time was filled to the brim with music. The opening concert (20 April) at the National Forum of Music will feature the Kasia Pietrzko Trio and the Możdżer Danielsson Fresco Trio & Holland Baroque. The latter will showcase their latest release – Just Ignore It, and the concert will launch a new tour promoting the album. Meanwhile, Mazowiecka 17 will once again host a multitude of stars of Polish and world jazz, including China Moses (23 April) – soul and jazz singer who can swing at the highest level, daughter of Dee Dee Bridgewater, an unquestioned icon of jazz music. A day later, we will have an opportunity to listen to the sounds of Chris Potter, contemporary saxophone virtuoso, dubbed “one of the best researched (and copied) saxophonists in the world” by the Down Beat magazine. The Impart stage will once again host the Wrocław-based EABS (25 April), this time showcasing their Slavic Spirits, inspired by Slavic mythology and Polish demonology – the concert will feature some mysterious guests. On the last day of the festival, we will get to see GoGo Penguin – a Manchester trio, whose work is equally influenced by rock, jazz, electronic and minimalist music. And these are just some of the concerts featured in the main programme of the festival. Of course, there will be something new – the JAZZ’off Free Jazz Stage (21 April), presenting three versatile bands: Jerzy Mączyński – Jerry & The Pelican System, Kwaśny Deszcz and MALEDIWY. Thanks to its unwavering popularity, the Open Air Stage will be set up once again in front of Impart – for the third consecutive year. This time, free concerts will be available from Friday to Sunday (24-26 April), and the full concert programme will be announced soon. As always, you can count on a multitude of accompanying events – exhibitions, special meetings and performances in the urban space, as well as the ever-popular Jam Sessions – music-filled nights with artists and listeners. Festival tickets and passes can be purchased at Wrocław Culture Zone ticket offices, at www.jazznadodra.pl, www.strefakultury.pl, www.eventim.pl as well as Empik and Media Markt stores across the country. Tickets will be available on: 20 January, 12:00 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: Tickets for the opening concert are now available! The organizer reserves the right to make changes to the event programme.

21st of April (Tuesday) Impart, small stage, 6:00 p.m. Marianna Wróblewska with Friends: Memories Impart, main stage, 7:00 p.m. JAZZ'off stage 1st set: Jerzy Mączyński – Jerry & The Pelican System 2nd set: Kwaśny Deszcz 3rd set: MALEDIWY

32 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

22nd of April (Wednesday) Impart, main stage, 7:00 p.m. 1st set: Valeriy Stepanov Band 2nd set: Walk Away Impart, small stage, 10:30 p.m. Elec-Tri-City Impart, festival club, 11:00 p.m. Jam session 23rd of April (Thursday) Impart, main stage, 7:00 p.m. 1st set: Piotr Wojtasik: VOICES 2nd set: China Moses Impart, small stage, 10:30 p.m. Kuba Banaszek Quartet Impart, festival club, 11:00 p.m. Jam session 24th of April (Friday) Impart, small stage, 2:00 p.m. Jazz Personality Contest 2020 – 1st day of the auditions Impart, main stage, 7:00 p.m. 1st set: Peter Erskine - Alan Pasqua - Darek Oleszkiewicz 2nd set: Chris Potter & Craig Taborn Duo Impart, small stage , 10:30 p.m. Mariusz Bogdanowicz Quintet Impart, festival club, 11:00 p.m. Jam session 25th of April (Saturday) Impart, small stage, 12:00 (noon) Jazz Personality Contest 2020 – 2nd day of the auditions Impart, main stage, 6:00 p.m. 1st set: 2020 Grand Prix Laureate 2nd set: EABS Slavic Spirits & Guests Impart, small stage , 10:30 p.m. Emil Miszk & The Sonic Syndicate Impart, festival club, 11:00 p.m. Jam session 26th of April (Sunday) Impart, main stage, 6:00 p.m. 1st set: E.J. Strickland Quintet 2nd set: GoGo Penguin Impart, small stage , 10:30 p.m. Daniel Toledo - Kuba Więcek - Michał Miśkiewicz - Piotr Orzechowski Impart, festival club, 11:00 p.m. Jam session


56th Jazz on the Odra Festival

Walk Away fot. press materials

Chór Synagogi, Piotr Wojtasik fot. Sławek Przerwa

China Moses fot. Sylvain Norget

Valeriy Stepanov Band fot. press materials

Maksymilian Olszewski fot. Dunvael Photography

GoGo Penguin fot. Yvonne Schmedemann

China Moses fot. Sylvain Norget

33 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


SOURCE: PRESS MATERIALS

city and art Malta Festival Poznań stands for 10 days and 300 events in almost 50 locations. Every year, the festival draws approximately 85 000 people as its audience, as well as 700 artists and culture animators from all over the world. The year 2020 will be special in its history - it will mark its 30th edition. We invite you to join us between 19 and 28 June to Poznań to celebrate Malta Festival's birthday! For 30 years Matla has been a celebration combining the mutual dynamics of city and art, year after year featuring the work of world-renowned artists and initiating unique artistic projects. Its program has always comprised of theatre and dance performances, open-air concerts, exhibitions in abandoned buildings, workshops, happenings on city streets, meetings at the festival club, film screenings, silent discos, as well as inspiring activities for children and adults. Malta Festival Poznań was the only festival in Poland and one of 12 in Europe to receive the EFFE 2015-2016 award for events setting festival trends.

34 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

The most prominent European artists and trend-setters for new theatrical languages have been present at Malta since the beginning. The jubilee edition will feature those who have become especially important for Malta and have always been warmly received by the Poznań audience. Melting pot, urbanity, combination of strands and forms, cooperation with locals, city as a subject of art, multidisciplinarity – these are the values constantly present at Malta and comprising its philosophy, which are most apparent in the program of Malta.Generator. It is the social and artistic section of the festival, which centres around Liberty Square, although its activity generates all over Poznań. For the 8th time the citycentre will change into a “temporary open-air culture centre”, which will host many festival events. It is the location of morning warm-ups, spontaneous meetings of Poznanians, conversations of the public with invited guests, creative and inventive energy at the workshops, and at night – a club zone with concerts and an open-air theatre stage. Malta Generator is a friendly space for festival guests and all city-dwellers regardless of their age or social status, inclusive for people with disabilities and foreigners who don’t speak Polish.

the full programme and tickets will be available as of 19th May You can purchase the tickets at: www.malta-festival.pl/en


This year’s visual concept is brought to us, for the fifth time, by the Poznań-based Studio Bękarty: Marcin Matuszak and Krzysztof Ignasiak.

The 30th anniversary of Malta Festival is a one-of-its-kind opportunity to review meanings and recycle symbols. Every Malta has been different containing multiple worlds. The visual identification of the anniversary edition, just as the festival itself, combines many different concepts: it plays with what is already there while revealing a new face. This year's visual concept is brought to us, for the fifth time, by the Poznańbased Studio Bękarty. Marcin Matuszak and Krzysztof Ignasiak propose a reinterpretation of Malta’s posters, typography and image, showing its many faces and connotations. Meet Juno. The visual concept contains many aesthetic riddles, motifs drawn from the archive of posters, which the keen eye of the festival audience is bound to spot. A piece of a mask from the poster of Malta's first edition in 1991, created by Krzysztof Dziamski and Maciej Koszela. Or the iconic ‘Malta tune,’ written for the 1998 festival by composer and director Jerzy Satanowski, featured in this year's festival spot produced by Studio Kineza. Our search for the anniversary persona led us to the source, to antiquity where theatre was born. There, we discovered a Roman goddess: queen of the gods, of community and vitality; the guardian of beauty; our inspiration and your advisor. Juno. Our heroine. May she watch over us. All three posters show lips and eyes: the senses of the festival and the audience. Observers and critics of the past thirty years. Focused and ambiguous. Capable of uttering various words, reflecting emotions and attracting opinions of unpredictable temperature. The senses with which we experience the festival and its art.The anniversary Malta recycles the past and creates a collage of its thirty editions. Let this be a new portrait of the future. For 30 years Matla has been a celebration combining the mutual dynamics of city and art, year after year featuring the work of world-renowned artists and initiating unique artistic projects. Its program has always comprised of theatre and dance performances, open-air concerts, exhibitions in abandoned buildings, workshops, happenings on city streets, meetings at the festival club, film screenings, silent discos, as well as inspiring activities for children and adults. Malta Festival Poznań was the only festival in Poland and one of 12 in Europe to receive the EFFE 2015-2016 award for events setting festival trends. The most prominent European artists and trend-setters for new theatrical languages have been present at Malta since the beginning. The jubilee edition will feature those who have become especially important for Malta and have always been warmly received by the Poznań audience. We want Malta’s 30th to be a pretext for celebration for us all!

Together with the artists and the inhabitants of Poznań we shall prepare a special birthday surprise party, the location and the details of which shall remain a secret right up to the end. A great spectacle is in the works! The premiere concert of “Projekt Krynicki” created by three renowned and celebrated composers – Paweł Szymański, Paweł Mykietyn and Alek Nowak, will be a special musical event of the festival. Upon Malta’s special request each of them will prepare music to a different poem by Ryszard Krynicki – an artist associated with Poznań and one of the most important figures in Polish contemporary poetry. As “the most musical of theatre festivals”, apart from a contemporary music concert, Malta will also feature a cycle of open concerts and silent discos on Liberty Square, as well as an open-air concert-finale. It will not only be a concert ending this year's edition of the festival, but also a gala concluding its 30th anniversary. Melting pot, urbanity, combination of strands and forms, cooperation with locals, city as a subject of art, multidisciplinarity – these are the values constantly present at Malta and comprising its philosophy, which are most apparent in the program of Malta.Generator. It is the social and artistic section of the festival, which centres around Liberty Square, although its activity generates all over Poznań. For the 8th time the citycentre will change into a “temporary open-air culture centre”, which will host many festival events. It is the location of morning warm-ups, spontaneous meetings of Poznanians, conversations of the public with invited guests, creative and inventive energy at the workshops, and at night – a club zone with concerts and an open-air theatre stage. Malta Generator is a friendly space for festival guests and all city-dwellers regardless of their age or social status, inclusive for people with disabilities and foreigners who don't speak Polish. Dance is an important element of performative arts at Malta. For many years Art Station Foundation by Grażyna Kulczyk, i.e. Stary Browar Nowy Taniec at Malta, has been one of the most elaborate partner programs of the festival. The curator, Joanna Leśnierowska, collaborates with the most celebrated Polish dancers, important figures from Europe and from around the world. She also makes space for young artists, to give them an opportunity to create their premiere performances at a large international festival. Come to Poznań for the 30th edition of Malta festival, which will take place from 19 to 28 June 2020. The whole program will be announced in May at press conferences, before that selected program info will be published on www.maltafestival.pl/en.

35 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


The Magura National Park official park page: www.magurskipn.pl

WORDS BY

PHOTOS BY

Bartosz Dubiel

Bartosz Dubiel | Facebook: www.facebook.com/bartoszdubielfotografia www.bartoszdubiel.wordpress.com www.instagram.com/bartoszdb

Bartosz Dubiel: born in 1986. My hobby and a real passion is nature photography. I photograph mainly landscapes, flora and fauna – mainly the species occurring in Poland. The Low Beskids and Bieszczady are the regions closest to my heart. This is where I prefer to photograph. I also take many photos in the vicinity of my home. The most important thing in my photos is the light. Most of my photos are taken at dawn or even before dawn, or at sunset. I strive to show, with the help of light, nature in an unreal and extraordinary way. Interesting light settings in nature photography can turn even the simplest object into an unobvious character.

TLP: Bartosz, is the Magura National Park a kind of a magnet attracting tourists to Jasło County? What is the main thing that attracts tourists here? I guess it's probably peace and quiet, isn't it? Which part of the Park is, in your opinion, the most attractive apparently for those who value real peace, the southern part of the Park is the best choice? BD: The Magura National Park (MPN) and its buffer zone are certainly less popular among tourists coming from the north of Poland than, for example, Bieszczady National Park. And yet MPN is an area of great interest in terms of ethnographic and historical values. The fact that there are not such big crowds of tourists there favours spending time in the bosom of nature, in silence. This is i the undoubted advantage of the Park. As a borderland - it is a place of interpenetration of many cultures. It is this element that proves the uniqueness of the region. Monuments of sacred architecture of the West Lemko style are unseen anywhere else - these are for example the churches in Krempna, Kotania, Bartne, Wołowiec, Pielgrzymka, Świątkowa Wielka and Świątkowa Mała. Certainly the southern part of the Park is calmer – away from larger cities, with smaller population. In the south, there are very interesting non-forest areas (pastures and meadows), which are a remnant of the arable fields of Lemko villages abandoned as part of the "Vistula" campaign, e.g. in Ciechań, Żydowskie or Rozstajne. In the closer north, we may encounter strict protection areas of the Park, for example: "Magura Wątkowska" with the catchment of the Kłopotnica stream near Folusz or "Kamień" (ideal habitat for wildcats).

Warszawa

Kraków

Rzeszów The Magura National Park


The "Zimna Woda" (Cold Water) strict protection area is also very interesting. This is an area with a difficult history - the region of the former Death Valley, where over 100,000 people died during the attack of the Red Army on the Dukla Pass. So it can certainly be said that the entire MPN area is very interesting, although it is not a Park with a typical scenic characteristics due to the fact that it is the most forested Park of all located in Poland – for this reason, perhaps, it is less popular than others. TLP: What are the most valuable places worth recommending in the Magura National Park? The Magura Waterfall or maybe the Devil's Stone as there are many legends associated with it? Is it easy to reach them? Are the trails well marked? BD: The Magura Waterfall or the Devil's Stone are the most popular places in the Magura National Park – not necessarily the most valuable. The most valuable natural areas are the areas of strict protection which I mentioned above. Orthodox churches are another valuable treasure of the Park and its buffer zone. If someone would like to see a little wild park, I recommend to go to the Ciechania valley, for example – you can go there after meeting the conditions set by the MPN management. Ciechania used to be once a Lemko village, the name of which can be translated as a 'quiet place'. This is one of the most beautiful valleys of the Low Beskids. As for the trails, it must be said that they are pretty well-marked. Just a few years ago, in my opinion, marking of the trails in MPN was a bit 'lame'. Currently, there is no major problem to reach the Magurski Waterfall or the Devil Stone. From the nearby town of Folusz, the march would take from several minutes to about an hour. At www.magurskipn.pl we you can learn about the rules of getting around the Park, and about all the trails. TLP: What is the best way to visit the park? There are probably not many attractions here, which can be quickly reached by car, moving from place to place, such as in some of the Tatra valleys or in Lesser Poland (we have several parks there and attractive towns at the same time). Well, hiking is probably the best of available options? BD: It depends By car, you can safely follow the wooden architecture trail – a part of which runs through MPN. This route is 113 km long and leads from Sanok to the south to Rzepedź and Komańcza, and then turns towards Jaśliska, Dukla to Krempna and further west, through Nowy Żmigród to Pielgrzymka. It runs almost entirely through areas inhabited in the past by the Lemko population and shows two basic types of Lemko religious architecture: East and West Lemko style. When it comes to learning about natural values, walking is definitely the best form of visiting MPN. Cycling may also be an interesting

alternative. Generally, we have a choice of hiking trails, bike trails and horse trails, which is a very interesting form of visiting the Park. The most important thing when walking up the trails is to follow the park's regulations, which are available on its website. TLP: Is there heavy tourist traffic here during the year? In what months is it the largest? Our conversation takes place in the spring – but when would you recommend visiting the Park? BD: My observations show that the traffic in the Park is not very heavy. However, it must be noted that it is increasing. This is probably due to the fact that people, following their desire to escape from the hustle and bustle, start to avoid the crowded Tatra trails and Bieszczady mountain pastures. Of course, traffic in the Park is the highest in summer, as probably in every National Park. I personally love to visit the Park in the fall. Then, the old-growth Carpathian beech forest that dominates here, takes on magnificent colours from yellow through gold and orange to red. It looks fabulous. On autumnal days you can meet there a spotted salamander, which is an interesting object for photographing. When it comes to photographing in the Park, remember to follow the rules of photography and filming regulations in force for the Magura National Park. TLP: This question is somewhat related to one of the earlier ones, namely: What do you think – what is the Park's biggest tourist attraction – taking into account natural and landscape values? The logo of the park with a lesser spotted eagle suggests that this might be its wildlife? Is it only this? BD: The Magura National Park has a typical forest character. Forest and shrub communities occupy approx. 95% of the Park's area, providing a rich variety of flora species. In addition to vegetation, the park is also rich in fauna, represented by all large predators found in Poland. We will find wolves, bears or lynxes here. In the Park we will also meet the amazing wealth of avifauna (approx. 150 species) including a golden eagle, an Ural owl, a black stork, a buzzard or a lesser spotted eagle, which is the symbol of MPN. Flora and fauna are certainly the greatest treasure of the Park. However, apart from flora and fauna, cultural and historical heritage is very valuable here. The oldest trace of human presence in this part of the Low Beskids are the remains of the fortified settlement in Brzezowa at the foot of Magura Wątkowska (Park buffer zone). 37 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


There are also numerous chapels, obviously worth seeing, as well as stone crosses and roadside figures. They are most often made by local craftsmen, using local stone. In some villages, you can still find original Lemko huts, so-called "chyże". TLP: Do you think that the tourist offer of the county and the Park itself is satisfactory for tourists coming here? Is there sufficient accommodation base and enough catering facilities? Is it true that Magura is a place for people who prefer a somewhat 'old-fashioned way of tourism' and communing with nature alone - without pensions, hotels, carriages, shops and restaurants? BD: he area of the Park and its buffer zone is undoubtedly one of a kind. To find out, you have to come to this place yourself. Then it is easier for a man to understand that this area should be visited slowly. There are perhaps no high peaks as in the Tatras or scenic peaks as in the Bieszczady Mountains, because most of the Park's richness is forested valleys in which the history of the region was written. The history of Lemko culture related to tragic displacements was created in these valleys.

38 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

The Low Beskids are full of abandoned villages, cemeteries overgrown with rushes, folk tradition and folklore. Because of this, as you put it, the "oldfashioned way of tourism" is right here. In my opinion, the tourist offer is optimal due to the characteristics of this region. But this is only my opinion – I prefer to relax away from people and I value direct contact with nature, unspoilt by human hands. It must be remembered that all guesthouses, hotels, carriages, shops and restaurants quite strongly interfere with the natural environment. I prefer unspoiled and virgin nature. thank you Bartosz for a chat artur

Magurski National Park's landscape is typical of the Beskid Niski ridge and consists mainly of heavily forested low and medium peaks.


nature MAGURA 39Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


THE MAGURA NATIONAL PARK BY BARTOSZ DUBIEL WWW.BARTOSZDUBIEL.WORDPRESS.COM

Ruins of water mill in Mymoń

The oldest trace of human settlement in this area are remains of a stronghold at Brzezowa, on the Walik mountain. It was part of the system of strongholds built by the Wislanie tribe in the 9th century on the Southern border of their lands. Also, one can find small, wooden Orthodox churches, which were built by the eastern Slavic Lemkos. Unfortunately, some of these buildings are ruined. In one of the farmers’ huts, at the village of Kolonia Olchowiec, there is a small, private museum of Lemko culture. There are also numerous cemeteries from World War I, as this area was for a long time a battleground between the Russian and AustroGerman armies. A tragic reminder of World War II is the cemetery of 1250 Jews, who were killed by the Nazis in 1942 at the Halbów pass. The Park has its headquarters in the village of Krempna.

40 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


nature MAGURA 41Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, Ceklin Ceklin Parish was established in 1485 and its first permanent church was consecrated in 1542. The current church was built in 1897-1903 and consecrated in 1904.In 1890, Cieklin Parish and its villages were in the Jaslo administrative district and Zmigrod township (gmina). Jewish residents worshipped in Cieklin. There were Greek Catholic residents in Cielkin, Folusz, and Wola Cieklinska and they worshipped in Wola Cielkinska.


The Magura National Park by Bartosz Dubiel www.bartoszdubiel.wordpress.com


THE MAGURA NATIONAL PARK BY BARTOSZ DUBIEL WWW.BARTOSZDUBIEL.WORDPRESS.COM

The Magura National Park is of the forest character. The forest and shrub communities cover 93,79% of the Park’s territory, while the non-forest communities – natural and synanthropic cover only 6,21% of the area. In the MNP 57 plant communities in the rank of the association or other equivalent units were distinguished. Forests and shrubs are represented by 16 natural communities and several tree stand of a forecrop type not yet included in particular associations.

Waterfall in Wisłoczek Wisłoczek is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Rymanów, within Krosno County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in southeastern Poland. It lies approximately 6 km (4 mi) south of Rymanów, 21 km (13 mi) south-east of Krosno, and 59 km (37 mi) south of the regional capital Rzeszów.

44 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


nature MAGURA 45Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


THE MAGURA NATIONAL PARK BY BARTOSZ DUBIEL WWW.BARTOSZDUBIEL.WORDPRESS.COM

view from Folusz village on Cieklin

From Folusz you have a number of trail choices including Folusz village – Waterfall 40’ Folusz village – Mrukowa village 2h 30’ Folusz is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Dębowiec, within Jasło County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in southeastern Poland. It lies approximately 10 kilometres south-west of Dębowiec, 16 km south-west of Jasło, and 65 km south-west of the regional capital Rzeszów.

46 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


nature MAGURA 47Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


THE MAGURA NATIONAL PARK BY BARTOSZ DUBIEL WWW.BARTOSZDUBIEL.WORDPRESS.COM

Animal life is very rich in the Park – there are 137 species of birds, including several endangered such as the eagle and eagle-owl as well as the stork. There are also 35 endangered mammal species including the brown bear (they roam back and forth between Poland and Slovakia), lynx, wildcat, wolf and otter. One can also find fish, snakes, salamanders and numerous insects. It is estimated that within the Park there are 200 species of endangered animals.

Flora and fauna are certainly the greatest treasure of the Park.

48 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


nature MAGURA 49Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND



The Magura National Park Photo by Bartosz Dubiel www.bartoszdubiel.wordpress.com



Jewish Cementary in New Żmigród (Nowy Żmigród)

To the 4th memorial day (yahrzeit) of the slaughter of the Jews of Zmigrod Tuesday, July 7, 1942“ In life and death the Jews of Zmigrod were never separated” (Biblical quotation referring to the friendship of Jonathan and David)With a broken heart and an injured soul, head bowed, I memorialise today the 1,200, Saintly Jews from our township who were so cruelly murdered by the killers.Before my eyes appears the picture of my little hamlet; the synagogue, the study center, the precious children with their shining black eyes, their curled side curls.In my ears ring the sweet little voices And from the Eastern wall (in the synagogue, we hear) “Amen, May his Great Name…” (A line from the Kaddish repeated by the congregation)From all this nothing remains but a heap of earth on top of the big family grave on the hill of Halbow Where the book (of History) of Zmigroder Jews is located.

‫טן יארצייט פון די‬4 ‫צום‬ ‫זמיגראדער קדושיםכ’ב תמוז תש’ב‬ ‘‫’הנאהבים והנעימים בחייהם ובמותם לא נפרדו‬ ‫;מיט א צעבראכן הארץ און א פארווונדיקטער נשומה‬ ‫;מיט א געבויגענעם קאף דערמאן איך היינט‬ ‫ קדושים פון אונזער שטעטל‬1200 ‫;די‬ ‫;וועלעכע זענען אויף אן אכזריוודיקען אויפן אומגעקומען‬ ‫דורך די רוצחישע הענטפאר מיינע אויגן שטייט דאס בילד‬ ,‫פון מיין שטעטעלע‬ ,‫ דאס בית המדרש‬,‫די שול‬ ,‫די כשרע קינדערלעך מיט שווארצע חיינעוודיקע אייגלעך‬ ‫און שווארצע געלאקטע פאהלעך‬ .‫אין מיינע אוירען קלינגען זייערע זיסע שטימעלעך‬ …‫ יהא שמה רבא‬,‫פון דער מזרח וואנט אמן‬ ‫פון דעם אלעם איז היינט נישט מער‬ ‫געבליבן ווי א בארג ערד‬ ‫אויף דעם גרויסען פאמיליע גרוב‬ ‫אויפן האלבעווער בארג‬ ‫דארט ווו עס געפינט זיך דער ספר פון זמיגראדער‬ ‫יידןיהושע צימעט‬


PLACES AND CUSTOMS

by Katarzyna Skóra

Katarzyna lived almost all her life in the Low Beskids. She is particularly interested in everyday life in the former Lemko region. The imagination plays an important role in her life, helping to feel the atmosphere of the visited places. She is into handicrafts, and specifically crocheting. Working on various projects allows you to relax, in a sense it has become a way of life. She is also passionate about photography. She tries to capture in her frames inanimate nature, landscapes and the transience, in the broad sense of the word. Weekly photo trips have already become a tradition.

Areas of the Magura National Park - Rostajne www.magurskiewyprawy.pl

Rostajne, because that is how the village was originally called, was founded before 1581. At that time, it was owned by Mikołaj Stadnicki. The name probably comes from 'crossroads' (which is 'rozstaje' in Polish). Currently, Wikipedia and other sources give the name 'Rozstajne'. In this article, however, we will use the former name. The First World War left its mark on the history of the village. In 1914, the village, together with the presbytery and the Orthodox church, was burned by the Hungarian army. Residents took refuge in dugouts, some moved to the neighbouring village – Grabie. In the interwar years, despite significant changes in religion worshipped in the surrounding villages, the inhabitants of Rostajne stayed true to the Greek Catholic religion. Only a small part of them converted to Orthodoxy at that time. In 1936, the village was inhabited by 298 Greek Catholics, 40 Orthodox Christians and 7 Jews. There were 65 houses, 4 of which were chimney-less huts. As you can easily guess, a Jewish family ran an inn and a shop in the village. Near the church, there was a second store, which in turn was run by a Lemko. In addition, there was also a school in Rostajne. Firstly, only a temporary one (built after the first war). Then, in the 1930s, a new wooden one was built (it was located opposite the church). A Polish teacher used to teach there.The village head- Stefan Rusynyk – played an important role in the village life. He organized agricultural consultancy in such a tiny village, not significant on the map of the poviat. Fertilisers began to be used, thanks to which cereal crops were larger here than in the neighbouring area, and new orchards were established. The purchase of mushrooms was organised that let the residents to earn some money or receive vouchers to be used in the cooperative store. The road, visible in my photos, ended just in front of Wisłoka. Of course, there was no bridge on Wisłoka. In 1945, during the period of forced displacement, 269 inhabitants left for Russia which was the majority of inhabitants. The remaining 11 families were displaced as part of the "Wisła" campaign. 54 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

St. Kosma and Damian Parish Church from 1921

After the fire of 1914, the residents built a new temple. It is difficult to explain where the church was located, because it is not a particularly prominent place in the field. Apart from that, nothing has been left of the church. It was built on the east side of the road, at the creek mouth. In the past, there was a forest road to Żydowskie, leading through the valley of this stream. It can be seen exactly on the WIG maps. The road led from the church in Rostajne, up to the church in Żydowskie. No photo of the church from Rostajne has remained. We don't even know what it looked like. The only archival photos I could find were the photographs of Ms. Olga Rusynyk (?); I suspect that she must have been some kind of relative of the mentioned above commune head Stefan Rusynyk. If you are at the cemetery in Rostajne, then, to get to the churchyard, you have to head towards the bridge on the Wisłoka. In a distance of about 200 meters from the cemetery you can clearly see the road going down towards the stream. A church was located next to it. A skilled eye will see old trees and river stones scattered all over the site these are probably the remains of the foundation, or a wall surrounding the temple. I am surprised that the Magura National Park has not marked this place in any way, considering examples from other villages located within the Park, such as Żydowskie or Ciechań. The former churchyards are mowed out there. In Żydowskie, it is a very well cared for and frequently visited place. And in Rostajne? Nettles up to the knees. A record has been preserved of the church inventory that took place in September 1947, i.e. right after the deportations of residents. The situation found on the spot could obviously has been predicted: (...) the bells are missing. Iconostasis demolished and taken away somewhere, the remaining parts devastated (...). The scattered liturgical equipment and church equipment arranged in the presbytery, and the remaining remnants were entrusted to the appointed guardian – the mayor of the Świątkowa Mała. The church was demolished by PGR employees in 1953.


Cemetery

The cemetery grounds are mowed and kept in order by the park's services. We also have an information board about the village here. Several complete crosses and pedestals have been preserved. The oldest tombstone comes from 1913. Saint Martyrs Pawel and Joanna’s Chapel

The Orthodox chapel was built during the schism, when most of the Lemkos converted to Orthodoxy. As I mentioned, Orthodoxy did not find many followers in Rostajne. In many neighbouring villages, where entire clusters were willing to convert, a new Orthodox temples were built at once. Here, this chapel was built then. This took place in 1928. The chapel has been used again since 2004. It is looked after by the Orthodox Parish in Bartno. There are even services once a year. This event takes place every second Saturday of June. Roadside crosses

There are several such crosses in Rostajne. They are not too noticeable as these are just modest pedestals with cast iron finials. The first of the encountered ones is turned back to the current road. Perhaps the road had a different course before. Two more, i.e. a cross and a pedestal from 1894, are located near the rain protection. On both sides of it. Ivan Szatyński, years spent in Rostajne

In 1911, Ivan Szatyński settled in Rostajne with his son Volodymyr. They came from the area of Dobromil in Ukraine. Ivan was a craftsman - a church painter. He learned the art of stone carving from Lemko stonemasons.

Then, for years, he perfected his craftsmanship. He made numerous gravestones and roadside crosses; many of them have survived to this day. His works are characterised by manneristically extended number 9 on the date written on the pedestal. One of the first crosses made by Ivan Szatyński (1911) is located at the cemetery in Nieznajowa. Szatyński, both father and son, also dealt with carpentry. They made wardrobes, sideboards, and winnowers. In 1918, they settled in nearby Nieznajowa. Volodymyr, after his father's death, left for Russia with the entire village, where he supposedly died. Bacówka (the shepherd's hut)

Julian Tarnowycz "Beskyd" was born in Rostajne – a Lemko activist, editor of the monthly "Nasz Łemko" journal. In 1936, he published the "Illustrated History of the Lemko Land". The Tarnowycz noble family was strongly associated with this region. Julian's father, Stepan was a priest in Mszana, there is also his grave. Looking at the old map and the modern one, it is hard to imagine that once you could go to Żydowskie and it was not a journey through the forest. Only field patches remained, which are grazed today, not to let everything overgrow completely.I encourage you to visit Rostajne. There is a good road and you can have a nice drive, but I assure you that it's worth taking a walk and cycling. In such a way you will see more. I also hope that the Magura National Park will finally take care of the fence and tidying up the churchyard in Rostajne as it may become another place worth visiting.


"The name probably comes from 'crossroads' (which is 'rozstaje' in Polish)."

SEPTEMBER 1947,

AFTER THE DEPORTATIONS OF RESIDENTS:

(...) the bells are missing. Iconostasis demolished and taken away somewhere, the remaining parts devastated (...). The scattered liturgical equipment and church equipment arranged in the presbytery, and the remaining remnants were entrusted to the appointed guardian - the mayor of the Świątkowa Mała. The church was demolished by PGR employees in 1953.

Rostajne photos: by Katarzyna Skóra


arรณkS / anyzrataK enjatsoR - kraP lanoitaN arugaM eht fo saerA


lesser spoted eagle Photo: LP archive

lesser spotted eagle, buzzard and birds of prey Magura text source: eduction materials: Magura National Park and Agnieszka Nowak In the area of the Magura National Park 137 species of birds have been found, 117 of them breed here. Very interesting elements of breeding birds are the birds of prey. There are 13 species in the Carpathians, out of 19 nesting in Poland, and 8 of them breed in the Magura National Park.

The most numerous bird of prey is Common Buzzard Buteo buteo, which density is about 60 pairs per 100 km2 of the Park’s area being the highest in the country. The second species, concerning the numerical force, is Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina, which is included in the Polish Red Data Book of Animals. There are about 31-35 pairs of this species in this area. They reach the density of 23 pairs per 100 km2 of the Park’s area which is one of the highest in Poland. There are also several pairs of Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, whilst the number of Goshawk A. gentilis, Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, Hobby Falco subbuteo and Kestrel F. tinnunculus are much smaller.

58 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

There is also one pair of Golden Eagle nesting in the Park, a species whose whole Polish population is estimated for about 35 pairs. No less interesting birds are owls. There are 9 species nesting in Poland, 8 of which breed in the MNP. The most spectacular species of owl is Eagle Owl Bubo bubo which occurrence was confirmed in 2006. The most numerous owl in the Park is Ural Owl Strix uralensis. The density of this species is about 60 pairs per 100 km2 of the Park's area, which is the highest in Poland and probably also in Europe. Some estimations show that there are about 100 pairs in the Park, what makes 20-30% of the whole country’s population. This data meets the requirements of a refuge of the country rank. The second species, considering the number of individuals, is Tawny Owl Strix aluco, which density is 26 pairs per 100 km2. Other species are less numerous: Long-eared Owl Asio otus, Tengmalm's Owl and Pygmy Owl Glaucidium passeinum. In the protection zone there are two other owls: Little Owl Athene noctua and Barn Owl Tyto alba. Lesser spotted eagle is a rare bird of prey living in Central Europe, Middle East and India. Beside it in Poland, there are 35 other species of birds of prey, i.e. golden eagle, greater spotted eagle, northern goshawk, white-tailed eagle or buzzard.


Voles may constitute up to 80-90% of what spotted eagles eat. Rodents often reproduce on the borders of various habitats, balks or wastelands and that is why those particular sites are closely observed by spotted eagles. During the harvest and haymaking period some additional places are being exposed which enable eagles to find lots of prey quite easily. Therefore, while works are being carried out in the fields, the birds walk around and carefully monitor the area, even around tractors on duty. However, mowed-meadow is a great feeding ground for a limited time only. After the prey being captured by eagles, buzzards, storks and foxes, the terrain becomes poor and unattractive as a place for hunting. This continues until the plants grow again and become a refuge for small animals. That is why land being mown in strips or totally unmown areas where small animals carry on living all the time are the best places for lesser spotted eagle. Lesser spotted eagles set up their nests in forest are they require special conditions which may affect raising their offspring. Those birds nest in forests that are over 80 years old. Trees must be the right age, appropriately high and have thick branches. In Beskid Niski those are usually fir trees. Spotted eagles often set up their nests in trees growing in gorges and ravines. Those places need to be quiet, without heavy forestry, where the birds are not frightened away by tourists or mushroom pickers. It is not easy to meet all the requirements of the spotted eagle, that is why there are so few places where they can set up their nests.

raven

owl, strix-uralensis

buzzard

Generally they might be found in Central Europe. Their total amount is estimated at approx. 13-16 thousand pairs. In Poland, the largest population can be found in the north-east and southeast parts of the country. The number of lesser spotted eagles in Poland is estimated at about 2 thousand pairs. Spotted eagles come to Poland at the beginning of April to begin their mating season. Laying eggs and clutch is the most sensitive period in the hatching season. Birds frightened away from their nest may abandon their eggs. Therefore, you should avoid wondering around eagles’ nests and disturbing them. Not all the breeding couples will be able to raise young eagles. Approximately 1/4 of couples will not have eaglets, some will be frightened away from their nests, other may lose their hatching because of predators or weather. They need specific area which enables them to hunt. Without the right amount of food, they will not be able to raise their offspring. Within their territory spotted eagles have favourite trees or poles – those are their ambush spots used for searching prey. They like high trees, with thin crowns as well as dry trees that enable good visibility. It is therefore important to leave solitary trees including dead ones. Birds use this way of hunting on cloudy days or in cold weather. Short grass enables birds to watch for small animals. Near the freshly mown meadows we have an opportunity to observe not only the spotted eagle but also the white storks and buzzards. Spotted eagles are birds of prey which means they feed on animals. Lesser spotted eagles usually hunt for voles probably due to the fact that this is the most popular rodent living in open areas.

59 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Photo: love Poland archive

WIGRY POST-CAMALDOLESE MONASTERY AND NATIONAL PARK

Gdańsk Olsztyn

Wigry Monastery

WRITTEN BY ARTUR TURECZEK intro source: www.poland.pl, historical info source: www.fundacja.wigry.pro

The Wigry National Park is located in north-eastern Poland, in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It encompasses the cleanest areas of the country that are least contaminated by the industry. It is one of the largest national parks in Poland – it covering nearly 150,000 square kilometres. The main attraction in the park is Lake Wigry. It is 2115 hectares large and 74 metres deep, which makes it one of the largest and deepest lakes in Poland. The lake owes its jagged shape to the activity of the Scandinavian glacier, which has also left behind a picturesque, hilly terrain. On the shore of the lake, in the village of Wigry, a historical postCamaldolese monastery is located, in which Pope John Paul II rested in 1999. Lake Wigry is crossed by the Czarna Hańcza River, considered one of the wildest and most beautiful rivers in Poland. It starts in the deepest lake of our country – Hańcza (approx. 110 metres) and is the venue of the most interesting kayak trips. The river current is inhabited by trouts, and its banks by beavers. Not more than several decades ago, these areas were the last mainstay of beavers in Poland. Owing to the efforts of natural scientists, the species has been revived and now inhabits many regions of our country.Lake Wigry borders on the Augustowska Primeval Forest – extensive wild pinewood stretching towards Lithuania and Belarus. As much as 114 hectares of this forest lies within Polish territory. It is inhabited by wolves, raccoons, wildcats, badgers, elks, deer and boars.In 1975, Lake Wigry was inscribed on the list of the world's most valuable inland waters (‘Aqua’ project) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 60 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Warszawa

PRACTICAL INFO:

Address:

Wigry 11, 16-402 Suwałki tel: (0048 87) 566 24 99 e-mail: fundacja@wigry.pro

GPS:

N 54.0687359 E 23.0866723

Tickets:

8 PLN full price, 4 PLN reduced Parking: 5 PLN (easy access, no booking needed)

Food:

Restaurant 'Refektarz Domu Królewskiego' – lovePoland rating: 8/10 (very good) Tavern: not visited by us

other:

Direct travel especially from Warszawa or Gdańsk is not recommended. It may be a long journey, sometimes thought a small, country roads. Stay somewhere at Podlasie or Mazury region.


If our vacation is not long, especially when we come to Poland from abroad, often from distant countries, the places slightly out of the way often remain outside our main 'must see' list. We prefer to focus on the so-called main attractions, which is often a fairly understandable approach. I would like to encourage you to a slightly different approach while travelling to Poland and invite you to the current eastern border of our country, to see places that will impress you no less than wellknown attractions. It will be a trip especially for those who like peace and quiet and look for a place to concentrate, maybe to contemplate, and at the same time to have a real rest. For me, it was always a distant place and for a long time i did not make up my mind to visit it. I knew it only from beautiful photos, presented to you also on our social profile, and it remained this way until last year when I finally managed to visit this remote location. We started our journey from the surroundings of Giżycko and it took us about 1.5 hours to reach Wigry. The road led mainly among sleepy villages and little towns - taking into account the almost deserted (in the middle of the day) former capital of the region – Suwałki. So, I would like to encourage you with this short text to visit Masuria or, while in the Suwałki region, to visit the vicinity of the Wigry National Park and the former Camaldolese Monastery, situated picturesquely on the hill above Lake Wigry. Lake Wigry is really magnificent; it is a place absolutely worth stopping for a short or – preferably – a longer moment. Charming bays, creeks and several mysterious islands. On one of them, extremely picturesque one, there once stood a wooden hunting manor.

Polish kings and Lithuanian princes would come here to hunt. It was this island that Jan Kazimierz gave to Camaldolese monks for perpetual usufruct. Before it happened, more than two centuries before the arrival of the Camaldolese monks to Wigry, King Władysław Jagiełło was to come across a hermitage while hunting here. The news about it reached Kraków. From there, Camaldolese monks learnt about it. They came to Poland (1603) and, with the king's consent, settled here – in 1668. After settling in the Wigry Hermitage, they also founded the city of Suwałki. They also founded numerous villages and granges, they used to build roads. After the Third Partition of Poland, in 1796, the Prussian authorities confiscated the Camaldolese estates, and in 1800 they were expelled from Wigry. The Wigry monastery began to decline. It was heavily damaged by the German army during World War I. In 1915, as a result of artillery shelling, the Church, the Furtian House and the Refectory got seriously damaged. During the Second Polish Republic, reconstruction of it began and it lasted until the outbreak of World War II. In 2011, the Wigry Pro Foundation was established. It began its activity in 2016 – gradually rebuilding the monastery to its present glory. In 1999, the Diocese of Ełk, and in particular Wigry, had the honour to host the Pope St. John Paul II.

61 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Wigry post-Camaldolese monastery

The heart of the Wigry monastery is the symbolic chamber of the monastery chapter house located in the central part of the Chancellery Chapel building. The walls of this place are decorated with information boards regarding the Wigry hermitage. It is here that everyone can reflect on themselves, trigger the metaphysical areas of their consciousness. Light breaking through colourful stained glass, meditation atmosphere, activated awareness of one's own existence can stimulate reflection and soothe broken nerves. The presence of today's hosts of Wigry Hill, consecrated people, can be invaluable help in this kind of chapter of our own existence. A personal electronic guide can be a helpful medium when staying on the hill in Wigry. All you need is a mobile device with Internet access that recognizes QR codes (the appropriate application is available on the AppStore, Google Play and Windows Store). On the hill there are hang plates with QR codes, just put your smartphone or tablet closer to them with the camera turned on. The device will read the link to a specially prepared website and launch the virtual guide application. It contains audio and text descriptions of individual buildings on the Wigry Hill. The texts are available in four languages: Polish, English, German and Russian. In addition to this information, you can blend in with the symphony of Wigry nature, as after selecting the appropriate link from the menu you will hear recordings of Wigry lake sounds - including the voices of birds and other sounds of nature. Of course, good headphones are an indispensable element of this performance, if you don't have headphones while on the hill, you can rent them there. In addition to the lector and the sounds of nature, you can also immerse yourself in sacred music. In the monastery, unusual shows are regularly organized in the monastery courtyard. They combine the transmission of content while engaging both the senses of sight and hearing.

photos: view on Wigry Lake

62 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Light and sound shows, the main subject of which in this season are Wigry legends, are performance based on the work of high-quality sound system, stage lights and an animation laser. Due to the necessary darkening conditions, the performances take place after sunset. If you decide to stay at the performance and because of the distance from the place of residence it becomes troublesome to travel home at night, you can ask for the guest rooms in the monastery (we advise you to ask about it before traveling, to be sure that there will be a free place). It is worth mentioning that you can also eat something tasty inside the monastery (apart from the monastery, it will be difficult to find a place to eat dinner in the vicinity). The Royal House Refectory Restaurant offers Polish and regional cuisine. A large part of the menu consists of the fish from Wigry Lake (very tasty). Near the monastery, there is also a mini open-air restaurant 'Tawerna' – unfortunately closed during our stay, and several smaller gastronomic points – offering mainly drinks and snacks. Being on the Wigry Hill, you cannot miss the reminders of the stay of the Polish Pope St. John Paul II. These are papal apartments. It is worth seeing this place and imagining Karol Wojtyla walking inside. And finally, one piece of advice: we began our stay in Wigry with a cruise on Wigry Lake with the famous Tryton ship. It would probably make a good introduction to the whole trip. The cruise will take you across Hańcza Bay where you can see such rare wild fowl as egrets and cormorants. It will also stop in Plosa, near the deepest part of Wigry Lake, where the water depth reaches 73m. After the Pope’s visit Tryton hosted many celebrities, who were enchanted by the wild nature surrounding Wigry Lake. At evening cruises you can admire the former Monastery of Cameldolite Order, with the tower and other facilities, all beautifully illuminated. The main harbour is right at the foot of the Monastery on Wigry Lake.


top: northern stairs entrance to the monastery central left: general view of the monastery central right: Pope St. John Paul the II rooms / museum bottom to the left: Kasia, graphic editor of britanniaweb and Travel lovePoland Magazine with "Obwarzanki" bottom central: detail, sculpture bottom to the right: Crypt 63 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


LANDSCAPE PARK DOLINA BARYCZY THE PEARL THE POLISH WILDLIFE WORDS & PHOTOS PAWEŁ BUDZIK

www.pawelbudzik.pl www.facebook.com/budzikolos

The Barycz Valley, including the “Milicz Ponds” natural reserve, is a Special Protection Area within the Natura 2000 network and one of the most valuable bird refuges in our country. Many rare species build their nests here. The mosaic of waters, forests, fields and meadows near the Barycz River is also a very important stop in the migration of birds from their breeding sites to wintering areas. At the same time, this remarkable land becomes a more popular destination for hiking. The bird paradise attracts ornithologists and birdwatchers, however all tourists and naturalists may admire the diversity of plants and animals of this interesting region. More and more often, forest roads of this land are travelled by fans of “two wheels”, while waters of the Barycz River – by enthusiasts of canoeing. Finally, this is the place where runaways from noisy urban jungles seek for peace and quiet. The increasing popularity of the Barycz Valley provides great opportunities for the development of this region. However, there is also the other side of the coin –over-intensive tourist movement brings threats to nature. source: www.barycz.pl

The Barycz Valley is above all the largest Polish ornithological reserve "Stawy Milickie" – a real bird paradise and an ideal place for bird watching. The reserve is covered by special protection, among others, through the European Natura 2000 program. Every year thousands of tourists, interested in bird watching, come there. The ornithological season lasts from early spring to autumn because September is the time of carp catches so many species of birds stop in the nearby forests in search of food. The Barycz Valley encourages visitors to observe and listen to its rhythm. The natural treasures of the valley have developed thanks to the diversity and penetration of the human and natural world. Every day and every season, the Barycz Valley pulsates with the singing of birds and the precious mosaic of ponds, forests and pastures. We are talking about this extraordinary place to a photographer, Paweł Budzik.

TLP: Paweł – let's start with a fairly general question, namely: what is the Valley for you and what in your opinion may the Barycz Valley be for a nature lover? Which of its features particularly encourages tourism? 64 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

PB: For me, the Barycz Valley is above all a "natural gem" on the map of Poland, which I have been discovering for over 10 years and I believe that I still do not know it. I come from Lesser Poland and when I went to the Barycz Valley for the first time, after moving to Wroclaw, I thought I was in paradise, ornithological and photographic paradise. I experienced a real shock, in Lesser Poland I wandered in the mountains and hills where water and marsh birds were rare while in the Barycz Valley there is a real abundance of all of them; many of them I saw for the first time in my life or for the first time in such huge numbers. I remember my first "hunting blind" for cranes. A cold autumn morning, fog and clangour (voice) of thousands of cranes flying over my head at dawn an amazing experience. What does Barycz Valley mean for nature lovers.. hmm... I think it is an obligatory place that you should visit at least once in your life. TLP: The winter period in the Barycz Valley is probably a period of 'silence', rarely interrupted only by the voices of wintering birds. And how does spring start here? What are its first signs? Apparently, on sunny days in the woods we can hear the shy wood pecking, which is the mating voice of these birds. Are they like the first signs of the approaching spring? Or perhaps is it vegetation, the first flowers?


photos: PAWEŁ BUDZIK, www.pawelbudzik.pl www.facebook.com/budzikolos 65 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


PB: The winter period is not as quiet as it may seem. It is cold and gloomy for us, but if we dress warmly and spend several hours in the field, we can successfully observe numerous flocks of birds. On the ponds (preferably in non-frozen places, but not only) we will meet herons, white-tailed eagles, geese, whooper swans, ducks or cranes. It is also a good time to listen to the voice of the night and roar of the Eurasian Tawny Owls, which are more active during this period. In addition, winter passes quickly and spring usually comes earlier than we think. Spring, probably one of the best periods in the valley. Melt, puddles, wet forests and of course ponds. The first signs of spring for me it's the spring singing of our common great tit. When I hear it, I know that spring is here, it is coming. Starlings or woodpeckers are another predictors of spring, but not the only ones, we should also remember about geese, the passing V-formations of which make my heart feel warmer, thanks to them, we can feel spring even more, although it is not yet visible. Of course, walking with my head in the clouds I do not forget to look under my feet, because usually the song of the great tit is synchronized with the blooming of spring flowers in the woods and the first amphibians. We can meet snowdrops, Spisz saffron called crocuses, anemones, etc.

TLP: What else makes this place special? Are these age-old oak alleys, inaccessible alders, flowery meadows and lively waters - encouraging to practice nature-friendly tourism?

TLP: And so we went to what is probably the greatest treasure of this place. So let's talk about birds. Over the years, over 300 species of birds have been observed in the Barycz Valley. About 280 species can be found permanently, of which 169 are breeding species. Over half of the species establish their nests in Milicz. What birds can we see and watch, do you have your favourite ones?

PB: Yes, here we also have monuments, churches, palaces, old houses, old parks and avenues. It's worth to see the historic church in Milicz or Żmigród and the Radziwill Palace in Antonin. We will see unique turf ore houses in Krośnice. For those looking for less known places, I recommend a tiny photo gallery in Wierzchowice in an old post-German building that smells lovelly of old, but well preserved wood, (www.facebook.com/galeriamlynska5).

PB: That's how we got to the ornithological topic, which is my favourite pastime. Maybe that's why in my earlier statements I forgot about other animals like mammals, reptiles and amphibians. So, in Poland there are about 360 species of birds, of which as many as 300 can be observed in the Barycz Valley - this is an amazing result. It is impossible to mention at least a significant part of them, but we must remember that it is possible to meet here breeding species from the Red Book of Animals, i.e. the most endangered ones, such as white tern, short-eared owl, bluethroat, whisker, green fodder, bittern, black kite, red kite, purple heron or white-winged tern. Species that are unique to me personally include the "forest" birds, gills and black stork but the most precious gems are huge flocks of birds during migrating flights, especially in autumn. I mean the flocks of white herons, geese, ducks and cranes, when we can observe thousands of birds in these formations. Autumn is the time when I am on the ponds, most often with a camera. 66 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

PB: I think, it is space. The Barycz Valley is not one place, it is a whole complex of about 300 ponds scattered around Żmigród and Milicz. Each place, each pond has its own character, "natural style" which proves the diversity and biodiversity of the fauna and flora of this terrain and makes me still explore the valley. What's more, at any time of the year the Barycz Valley looks completely different, places that did not delight me in the summer, in autumn turn out to be phenomenal or just opposite. Another advantage of the Valley are numerous reserves, natural monuments and of course historical sites. All of the above contributed to the uniqueness of this place and has led in recent years to the development of tourism: hiking, cycling, horse riding or kayaking. TLP: The valley is not only the nature. These are also unique turf ore houses, half-timbered churches and historic stillrunning weirs. Do you have your favourite places that you could recommend to others? Why?

I would also direct my steps to the "Tree House", a historic cone hulling plant where we can learn everything about trees and obtaining seeds from them. From more natural-kind places I definitely recommend: - the trail around the Grabownica pond and the lookout tower with there is a beautiful view to one of the largest ponds of the Barycz Valley. - ponds between Stawno and Nowe Grodzisko - ponds in Krośnice - ponds in Potasznia - ponds in Ruda Sułowska - ponds in Ruda Żmigrodzka and Radziądz


the largest Polish landscape park Nature lovers should enjoy, for instance, the natural reserve of the “Milicz Ponds”, second in size in Poland and rated among the most valuable world ecosystems.Tourists interested in history may admire magnificent palaces, surrounded by old parks, as well as interesting churches, timber-framed tenement buildings and cottages built of bog iron.What is interesting, both groups, while following their fascinations, will often meet, as the Barycz Valley is one of the few places in which a unique and naturally valuable ecosystem developed, to a large extent, as an effect of human activity.

67 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


TLP: Probably it is a less known fact that several dozen Polish horses live in the valley – for over a dozen years as a free herd. Is it worth visiting the "Ostoja Koników" natural trail located there? PB: Yes, since 2007, a reserve farm for Polish horses have been run on the Stawy Milickie, generally, without any major human intervention. One of the five places where we can see these animals is on the cycling route Milicz – Koruszka. A forest clearing with ponds, shelters, a place to rest in the midst of nature. TLP: And at the end of this short conversation, maybe some practical advice. Most of us are tired of everyday work in stuffy and crowded cities, we miss the singing of birds or the smell of a flowering meadow. The Barycz Valley is probably a perfect place for close contact with nature. What is the best way to watch the birds, how to prepare for it? Is spring good time for this? PB: As I have already mentioned, every time is good to relax from the hustle and bustle of the city and commune with nature. Of course, we will experience the most of natural sensations in spring, when meadows smell the most intensively, we will hear the largest number of singing birds

and see the greenest of the greenery. Of course, we will experience the most of natural sensations in spring, when meadows smell the most intensively, we will hear the largest number of singing birds and see the greenest of the greenery. This is when we can explore nature paths along the ancient oak alleys to the accompaniment of a concert of frogs and toads or walk along alleys filled with the smell of the patches of forest flowers. Summer is equally good because we can combine rest in the valley with active tourism and get to know this land even better. Being here in the summer, it is worth going to pick mushrooms, the abundancy of which may be found in the huge forests of the Barycz Valley. Autumn, in turn, is the period of largest birds' migrations, the rutting season of the deer, which is extremely intense in this region. It is also the time of fishing. It is worth knowing that the way of catching fish in the Milicz Ponds has not changed for decades and they are still carried out with the help of only the human muscles of the local fishermen. How to prepare for exploring the land of extraordinariness which is the Barycz Valley? I think the most important are binoculars, a camera, comfortable shoes and / or a bike and of course a good humour. For those who want a little more adrenaline, I suggest kayaking along the narrow watercourses of Barycz. Of course, we can always come by car because in many environmentally interesting places there are specially designated parking areas. In the case of animals and birds, the best time to observe them is in the morning or evening. Then the birds are the most active. On a summer noon, when the heat is pouring from the sky, the animals hide in the backwoods where we can also go to get some chill. Finally, remember that we are not alone and observing nature it is best to keep calm and silent and not to pollute the nature.

Tourist Information Wojska Polskiego 3 Street 56-300 Milicz +48 71 383 00 35

Poznań Barycz Valley Landscape Park Wrocław

68 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


69 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

photos: PAWEŁ BUDZIK, www.pawelbudzik.pl


Land by the lazy water photos: PAWEŁ BUDZIK, www.pawelbudzik.pl

The Barycz River, 133 km long, starts in wetlands close to Ostrów Wielkopolski and ends, flowing into the Oder River, in the vicinities of Wyszanów near Szlichtyngowa.These sites, like brackets, close one of the most enchanting spots in Poland, comprising a mosaic of ponds, fens, forests, fields and meadows. 70 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


photos: PAWEŁ BUDZIK, www.pawelbudzik.pl The Grabownica Pond –the largest and one of the most beautiful ponds, habitat of countless birds, with waters piled up by a historic, wooden weir, a masterpiece of the 19th century hydraulic engineering.Presently, a great part of the Barycz Valley is included in the Natura 2000 network. The area is also located within the largest Polish landscape park. 71 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND



landscape park Dolina Baryczy

PAWEĹ BUDZIK www.pawelbudzik.pl/ www.facebook.com/budzikolos/



landscape park Dolina Baryczy

PAWEĹ BUDZIK www.pawelbudzik.pl/ www.facebook.com/budzikolos/


spring back to

Krynica by Konrad Rogoziński

www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid

EX PERI ENCE photography:

Konrad Rogoziński text:

Zuzanna Długosz

76 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Colourful history, a multitude of architectural styles, the variety of festivals, a multitude of guests visiting Krynica and, above all, a wealth of mineral waters gave Krynica-Zdrój the nickname of the Pearl of Polish Spas.


Walk around The promenade in Krynica-Zdrój is the most obvious point of excursion for people of all ages, a walking place, the city centre – it would seem that it could be crowded on a sunny, warm day however, when we go back in time by 100 years it turns out that once it really used to be crowded here. End of World War I Krynica-Zdrój flourished in the 1920s. The political situation in Europe stabilized, and World War I ended. Poland regained independence. The soldiers returned home – to their longing wives, mothers and children. The process of post-conflict recovery and order restoration began. Finally, there was the longing opportunity for free rest and restoring war-torn calmness. Father of Polish balneology The first noticeable increase in the number of visitors to Krynica was recorded in the second half of the 19th century. The spa owes its growing popularity among patients to Dr. Józef Dietl (later Mayor of Krakow), who used to live and work in Vienna at that time. He, being there a successful doctor, directed his patients for convalescence "to the waters". Railroad Lucky for the city was also the fact that in the interwar period the head of the Hydropathic Plant, a member of the Spa Committee and the Commune Council was Dr. Henryk Ebers.

“Nowy Dom Zdrojowy” spa house

Krynica is situated actually in the middle of the Carpathians (49°25' north latitude and 20°58' east longitude). The spa is located in the eastern part of Jaworzyna Krynicka band – one of the two bands of Beskid Sadecki. Most of the surrounding peaks rise at an altitude of 700-950 meters above sea level. The highest mountain ranges – Jaworzyna Krynicka (1114 m) towers over them. Krynica’'s existed (under the name ‘Krzenycze’) before 1547, as documented by the Privilege of Ownership issued for Danko from Miastko (today’ s Tylicz) for this settlement. The settlement development was mainly associated with the local mineral springs of medicinal value discovered here in 17th century. The real career of Krynica as a spa resort initiated in 1856 by Jozef Dietl, a professor at the Jagiellonian University acknowledged as the father of Polish balneology. From 1858 on the mud bath treatment was used here and the followers of prof. Dietl contributed to the technical development of the resort. Krynica operates as a health resort for over 200 years, and Old Mineral Baths, The Old Baths mud, Pump Room and New Home Spa House engraved an indelible imprint on the architectural map of the city and the region and they witnessed the birth of Polish hydrotherapy. South eastern part of the Krynica Zdrój municipality falls partly on the area of Beskid Niski, where the peaks do not exceed 1000 m above sea level. The town expanded along the valleys of small streams - Palenica, Czarny Potok and Kryniczanka. There is also the picturesque River Muszynka, which flows directly into the Poprad river.

77 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


On his initiative, in 1911, a railway connector was built on the Krynica-Muszyna route. This line was another milestone in making the spa closer to Europe. Subsequently, TarnowskoLeluchowska Railroad Line also reached the town, connecting the Carpathian health resorts with Vienna, as early as in 1876. Improving the quality of travel was one of the many reasons for creating new rail connections. Originally, the train journey ended in Krakow, where a comfortable train was replaced by a dubious horse-drawn coach. The Railway theme is also very present in the middle of the Promenade. Although the legends are silent about the hidden train full of gold, but one may found a very representative building there, which was once called "Dworzec Zdrojowy"(Spa Station). Regulars will probably look for a buried track or a hidden hangar, but the solution is much simpler. Well, in the first hall of the Old Spa House, until the time of bringing railway to Krynica, there used to be a waiting room. Rail passengers were waiting for a horse cart, which transported them along Krynica-Muszyna route to the railway station. Entering through the main gate, we will find ourselves in a room that, with its architecture, shall take us, according to the date under our feet, back to 1889. The high room, covered with stucco ornaments, with beautiful windows and original flooring, introduces the wonderful architecture of this building. The history of its creation is associated with the time when Poland was under partitions and the Carpathians belonged to Austria. The increasing popularity of Krynica was one of the reasons why the Austrian government decided to create a showcase of the city. A representative building was planned on the promenade. In February 1884 in Vienna, a competition was announced for the design of such a building for Krynica. The organizers received 24 projects and among them – the project by architects Julian Niedzielski and Jan Zawiejski from Vienna, bearing the Tatra emblem. This project won 1 prize and was intended for implementation. The architects showed that patriotic elements can be included not only in painting or poetry, but also in the architectural design. Looking at the details of the building structure, you can see the reference to the epochs in history that emphasize the splendour of the country (baroque, renaissance or classicism). In general, the building is maintained in the fashionable at that time NeoRenaissance style. The most famous part of it is the ballroom. Spacious, with slender windows, a stage for a chamber ensemble and a real parquet floor. It certainly remembers ladies in beautiful, decorative dresses, gentlemen in tailcoats, and the sound of fiery czardas and feathery dumkies or sliding waltzes. The Old Spa House currently serves as a sanatorium. During the Forum East Poland, it is the most frequently photographed building. Treatments The increase in the number of patients coming to Krynica contributed to the development of treatment facilities. A decent bathing establishment became insufficient, hence in 1866, for the amount of PLN 150,000, Old Mineral Baths were created. Already 15 years later, Mud Baths received their building as well.

78 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

The monumental (for its time) building housed 72 rooms for mineral baths arranged according to the design of prof. Feliks Księżarski (creator of, among others Collegium Novum UJ in Krakow). The inspiration for the creation of this construction were the Bath Buildings in Franzensbad. The new building was then the largest and most modern of all Galician spas. In the treatment cabins, in addition to mineral, shower, gas and sitting baths, there were also mud treatments (using natural mud obtained at Parkowa Mountain). From the construction curiosities it can be mentioned that the construction site had to be drained and the part of Góra Parkowa had to be removed. Currently, the most popular treatment performed there is cryotherapy. Considering the needs of a potential patient, I have already mentioned where he will soothe his senses with music, where he might relax his body during treatments, so the only remaining issue is the accommodation. Accommodation There are lots of these places in Krynica, but it is worth paying attention to a few of them on the promenade. Willa Witoldówka, a beautiful wooden building, is a showcase of Krynica-Zdrój. Wooden, built similarly to the surrounding ones – in the Swiss style in 1888, it belonged to dr Bolesław Skórzewski. Renewed while keeping the old style, it invites visitors also today. The architecture of the promenade includes also the buildings erected in the already mentioned interwar period. The largest of them is the New Spa House. This luxurious, modernist building began to be used in July 1939. Its equipment improving the comfort of treatment included, among others, special cabin for rinsing the intestines while bathing and an ultramodern (for those times) Stanger bath tub for hydroelectric baths. The building was created at the site of the former "Dom Pod Orłem" (House under Eagle). The original interior of the former Nitribitt pharmacy has survived to this day. Colourful history, a multitude of architectural styles, the variety of festivals, a multitude of guests visiting Krynica and, above all, a wealth of mineral waters gave Krynica-Zdrój the nickname of the Pearl of Polish Spas.

Learn more at www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid

TOURIST INFORMATION

Zdrojowa Street | 4/2 website | www.en.krynica.pl

OPENING HOURS | Mon.-Fri. 9.00-17.00 Saturday 9.00-13.00


Krynica by Konrad Rogoziński learn more at www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid


KRYNICA ZDRÓJ PHOTOGRAPHY BY KONRAD ROGOZIŃSKI Learn more at

www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid

In the heart of Krynica-Zdrój, next to the junction of Piłsudskiego St. and Pułaskiego St., behind the white walls of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, we can find a majestic edifice with wide stairs and an impressive colonnade placed in front of it. This is the “Nowe Łazienki Mineralne” spa house erected not earlier than in the interwar years, although its Neoclassical architecture seems to suggest a much earlier origin. In 1924, the cornerstone for its construction was solemnly laid by President of the Second Republic of Poland Stanisław Wojciechowski. However, this three-winged building was designed by architect Władysław Klimczak.

80 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


KRYNICA ZDRÓJ PHOTOGRAPHY BY KONRAD ROGOZIŃSKI Learn more at

www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid

“Stary Dom Zdrojowy” spa house In the heart of Krynica-Zdrój, just off the promenade, the edifice of “Stary Dom Zdrojowy” dazzles like a majestic neo-Renaissance palace. The building was erected in 1889 and visited by such personages as Marshal Józef Piłsudski, Władysław Reymont and Leon Wyczółkowski. Its Ballroom with rich decor hosts elegant concerts, banquets, recitals and balls. In addition to the Ballroom, it also houses a restaurant and a pump room whose water comes from the “Mieczysław” source. Most of the premises serve for the purposes of the spa house.

81 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


KRYNICA ZDRÓJ PHOTOGRAPHY BY KONRAD ROGOZIŃSKI Learn more at

www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid

Krynica-Zdrój possesses over 13 thousand places to stay at night. Many sanatoriums can be compared to the most renowned ones in Poland and in other countries. The spa offers treatment in 15 healing profiles out of 19 available in Poland. There are also many holiday houses, pensions, hotels, and quarters of various standards in the health resort, just like varied are financial capacities of its guests. In recent years, a couple of exclusive hotels appeared in Krynica in order to meet the expectations of the most demanding clients. Such hotels offer high-class service and the newest world trends in the domain of biological renewal.

82 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


KRYNICA ZDRÓJ PHOTOGRAPHY BY KONRAD ROGOZIŃSKI Learn more at

www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid

Witoldówka is housed in a historic building reflecting the 19th century architecture of the region. Located in the centre of the spa town Krynica-Zdrój, the guest house offers views of the popular promenade. Built as a health care center of Dr. Bolesław Skórczewski, it took its name after his son Witold Skórczewski who later also became a physician. Address: 10 Dietla Street, Villa Witoldówka from 1888.

83 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND



Krynica Zdrรณj photography by Konrad Rogoziล ski Learn more at www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid


Pentecost Walking with Princess and Kupała Night Two days at The Podlasie Museum of Folk Culture

place: Podlaskie Muzeum Kultury Ludowej date: 31 May 2020 links:

www.skansen.bialystok.pl address:

Leśna 7, 16-010 Wasilków, Poland

photos: Jerzy Rajecki www.facebook.com/Klimaty-Podlasia rajeckijerzy@gmail.com

86 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

"Walking with the princess" or "Walking the bush" (in Polish called 'wodzenie kusta') rituals once associated with Pentecost, now forgotten, can be admired at the Podlasie Museum of Folk Culture. We are organizing the ethnographic festival associated with the celebration of these folk events for the tenth time. This year, on Sunday, May 20, from 12.00 to 18.00. Pentecost is the colloquial name for the feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ, but the tradition of enjoying spring, nature reborn after winter, dates back to pre-Christian times. The most characteristic of Pentecostal customs include decorating of the houses and farm buildings with green branches. They are commonly clogged into thatched roofs or the walls of residential buildings, less often the twigs are scattered in the yard.

Villagers place young birch trees, which used to be considered sacred by the Slavs, at the doors of their homes. Inside the house, they decorate windows, paintings and icons. Calamus is also used for decoration, mainly due to its aromatic smell. The most important of the reasons why people celebrated and still celebrate the arrival of spring is the possibility of grazing the cattle again in the meadows and the desire to protect crops. Hence the custom of rushing animals adorned with wreaths of birch and wild flowers through the village, as well as "walking with the princess" or "walking the bush", that is, solemn celebration around the fields, in order to chase away evil spirits and ensure good harvest. For the same reasons in Podlasie people used to burn bonfires on Pentecost that were to protect the sown fields from witches. As every year, their presentations will be accompanied by folk handicrafts, tasting and selling regional dishes, pottery and plaiting workshops, led by masters of these crafts.


Kupała Night (Sobótka)

A thousand years ago "Kupała Night (Eve of St. John, 23/24 June) was one of the most important holidays of the year. It was the night of love – our Slav Valentine's day. In those days, marriages were concluded by the will of families. The couple who loved each other had on that night the chance to leave the decision about their future to the gods, not to parents. The burning of midsummer fires was also associated with agrarian beliefs. Bonfires burned on Saturday played a special role (hence Kupała Night was also called Sobótka, which is a word derived from Polish name of Saturday – sobota). Fires were also lit on the eve of Pentecost. Their glare banished evil spirits from the crops. Sometimes, lines surrounding fields were drawn with half-burned torches. It was believed that these lines could not be crossed by evil powers. In central and southern Poland, it was believed that midsummer fires protect not only from the influence of evil spirits, but also from hail in the summer. In Pomerania there was a conviction that without burning these bonfires in the fields, there would be

no good harvest. "Where the bonfires are burning, there are no hails beating" - they used to say in Silesia, but there was a tradition of burning fires on the eve of Pentecost.Running around the fields in circles with burning torches was also believed to protect the crops from vermin. The custom of flaunting burning blades from the midsummer fires was already described in the 13th century, in the sermons from Nysa. The blade symbolized life, fertility and abundance, so walking around the fields in circles with the firebrands was to convey these features to cultivated plants. If the torch went off, it used to be read as a bad omen. Wreaths and bonfires are one of the oldest and most beautiful ancient Polish customs to which it is worth coming back. You don't have to cultivate commercial Valentine's Day, but it's worth taking from our Slavic tradition. Even children play until dawn. Young lovers look for a fern flower in the forest. Boys and girls jump through the fire in the hope of prosperity. Everyone dances to the music of the band, people sing and tell old folk tales.


THE MUSEUM PODLASIE MUSEUM OF FOLK CULTURE The Podlasie Museum of Folk Culture was established in September 2016 as a result of the merger of the Białystok Museum of the Countryside and the Department of Ethnography, excluded from the structures of the Podlasie Museum in Białystok. The ethnographic workshop was founded in 1962. The openair museum was founded in 1982 as a branch of the Regional Museum in Bialystok. The projects aimed to protect the wooden buildings of Białystok region by creating an open-air museum were created already in the 1960s. Folk Art of Podlasie is one of the main permanent exhibitions at the manor of Bobra Wielka. It was composed in such a way as to show the richness of folk art as fully as possible. Each of the fields is represented by several or even a dozen of exhibits. Wooden monuments constitute the largest group. These are sculptures as well as architectural details, tools, hollow or grooved vessels and containers.

The items that make up the exhibition come from the collections of the Podlasie Museum of Folk Culture. Before the institution was established, these items were collected for decades by employees of the Białystok Museum of the Countryside and the Ethnography Department of the Podlasie Museum. Other permanent exhibitions include: Tools and equipment related to the cultivation, storage and processing of cereals in a former rural farm in the Bialystok region. The exhibits come from the end of the 19th century until the mid-twentieth century, and some were used a dozen or so years ago. Old forestry in Podlasie – the exhibition shows the relationship of former village inhabitants with the forest. The forest fed them, gave wood for fuel and for the construction of houses, it supplied them with raw materials used in industry.

Some of them are distinguished not only by their beautiful shape, but also by engraved ornaments. Of course, when it comes to dishes, the ones made of clay are the most frequent. This material can be considered one of the symbols of folk handicrafts in Bialystok region. To this day, there are several pottery workshops operating in Czarna Wieś Kościelna, the owners of which produce jugs and bowls identical to those of centuries ago. This is the only place in Poland where the tradition of firing so-called gray ceramics has survived to this day. Wood and clay reign in the attic of the manor house of Bobra Wielka, where it is easier to accommodate objects of small dimensions. You will also find baskets or fishing tools there, made of straw and wicker, a substantial collection of blacksmith crosses and examples of ceremonial art characteristic of the region. In addition to Easter eggs (from Lipsk and Siemiatycze), these are also paper cut-outs used to decorate stars of caroller's bands. The latter are still an inseparable element of Christmas of the Orthodox inhabitants of the province. You can start sightseeing from the attic and then move to the ground floor, or if someone prefers in the reverse order – then as soon as you enter the manor, you will see a collection of fabrics. Most of them are the most famous type of double-warp weave. They are all the more valuable as the tradition of this craft is continued in a very small area. Weavers from Janów and the surrounding area, like potters from Czarna Wieś Kościelna, are the only continuators of this almost extinct tradition in Poland. 88 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

The exhibition presenting monuments related to various aspects of the life of riverside villages and towns in the Bialystok region. At the exhibition you can see fishing tools once used to catch fish, from the simplest ones, such as wooden hammers to stun fish under ice, through leisters, goads and fishing boats to three-layer nets. Decorations of wooden houses in the Białystok region: The exhibition presents the phenomenon of decorating residential buildings with decorative details cut in wood, extremely characteristic of rural wooden construction in north-eastern Poland. Decorative details include the elements above and below the window sills, i.e. open-cut boards over and under the windows, wind braces – planks nailed along the top edge of the roof, protecting the roof covering against the wind, and decorative elements nailed on the corners of houses.


The Museum. Podlasie Museum of Folk Culture. photos: Jerzy Rajecki

photo archive of Telewizja Sudecka

89 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


"Where the bonfires are burning, there are no hails beating"




Kupała Night photos: Jerzy Rajecki



Podlasie Museum of Folk Culture photos: Jerzy Rajecki


PASSION PLAYS Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

PHOTOS:

JAKUB ZAWADZIŃSKI


Calvary – Kalwaria Zebrzydowska JAKUB ZAWADZIŃSKI

PHOTO REPORTAGE PASSION PLAYS text source: www.kalwaria.eu/strona/english

Among the most frequently visited pilgrimage centres of Poland, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is part of one of Europe’s most interesting landscape and architectural projects. Over a million pilgrims visit this devotional complex every year.

The origins of the Sanctuary of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska go back to 1601, when Mikołaj Zebrzydowski, voivoda of Krakow, on Mount Żarek (in the Żar group) erected a chapel dedicated to the Crucifixion of Christ, following a model in chalk of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. The chapel was consecrated as a church on the 4th of October 1601 by the Papal representative Klaudiusz Rangoni, and it was to serve as a place of prayer during Lent for the Zebrzydowski family.

Shortly thereafter, Mikołaj Zebrzydowski decided to build a chapel dedicated to the Tomb of Christ (following the model of the chapel with the same name in Jerusalem) along with a modest convent, based on a project of the Italian Jesuit architect Giovanni Maria Bernardoni, and of the Flemish architect and jeweller Paolo Baudarth. This church, dedicated to the Madonna of the Angels, was consecrated by the Bishop of Krakow, Piotr Tylicki, on the 4th of October 1609. For the development of the Calvary, the decisive element was the reading of the writings of Christian Adrian Cruys, known as Adrichomius. These works, in which the writer describes the Holy Land at the time of Jesus Christ, inspired Mikołaj Zebrzydowski to found new Calvaries. Basing his ideas on the reading of Adrichomius, he built the stations dedicated to the Passion of Christ. Zebrzydowski, in fact, saw a notable similarity between his property, which stretched from Lanckorona to Żar, and the topography of Jerusalem. So, the hill of Żarek was called Golgotha, another hill near Lanckorona was “the Mount of Olives”, another near today’s chapel “the home of Caifa” Mount Zion, the hill for the future construction of the Palace of Pilate was Mount Moriah and the river of Skawinka Cedron. The triangulations of the lands for the construction of the future chapels were completed by the priest Feliks Żebrowski, mathematician and astronomer and friend of Zebrzydowski.

The projects for the aediculas, on Zebrzydowski’'s request, were prepared by Paolo Baudarth, who also supervised their construction. The chapels, that would be distinguished for the originality of their architectural features, were erected between 1605 and 1617, in the following sequence: Pilate’'s Palace, the Sepulchre of Jesus Christ, the Mount of Olives, the Capture of Jesus Christ, the House of Anna, the House of Caifa, Herod’s Palace, the Sepulchre of the Mother of God, the House of the Mother of God, the Weight of the Cross, Ascension, the Last Supper, the Heart of Mary, the Second Fall (Western Gate), Saint Raphael, the Hermitage of the five Polish Brothers with the Chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene. On the death of Mikołaj Zebrzydowski in 1620, the construction work of the Calvary continued with his son Jan Zebrzydowski, who from 1623 to 1641 had the five next passion chapels built (the Eastern Gate, the First Fall of Jesus Christ, Cyrenaic, Veronica) and the eight Marian chapels (1632), four dedicated to the Funeral and four others to the Triumph of Mary. Moreover, he developed the chapels already built by Mikołaj Zebrzydowski: of the Crucifixion (1623) and of the Sepulchre of the Mother of God (about 1623). Jan Zebrzydowski also built the so-called “steps” at the Palace of Pilate (1633) and the Chapel of the Finding of the Holy Cross, together with the Hermitage of Saint Helen (1623 – 1632). 97 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Photos: Jakub Zawadziński

The father of Pope John Paul II was a tour guide here and Karol Wotjyla visited here often as a young boy traveling from his nearby home town of Wadowice. It was considered his favorite Shrine and he continued to visit here as a Priest, Bishop, Archbishop and Pope. In 1987 he offered the Golden Rose as he was praying before the image of Our Lady of Kalwaria. One of things the Shrine is most noted for its’ Passion Play which begins on Palm Sunday and then continues on Wednesday, Manday Thursday, and Good Friday. 98 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


The following founder was Michał Zebrzydowski, son of Jan. In this period, the convent was enlarged to the north (1654-1655) and a chapel was built near the south wall of the church (today the presbytery), especially for the miraculous picture of the Mother of God. This chapel is one of the most beautiful architectural monuments of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. Michał Zebrzydowski died in 1667 and the tutelage of Kalwaria passed to the family of the Czartoryski. Michal’'s daughter, Anna Zebrzydowska, had married Jan Karol Czartoryski and with her, the property of the Zebrzydowski family passed to the Czartoryski. She died in 1668, and Czartoryski wed a second time with Magdalena Konopacka, to whom we owe the extension of a nave of the church (1702) and the construction of the two towers built in front of the church (1720). Today’s basilica is mostly the work of Magdalena Czartoryska, who died in 1694, and her son, Józef, who continued the successive works. In the years from 1810 to 1812, on the initiative of Father Gaudente Thynel, the convent, in a rather clumsy manner, was enlarged by lowering the vaults and slightly lifting the first floor walls. This reconstruction was corrected later in the years 1897 to 1901, during the abbey ministry of Father Felicjan Fierek, with the project and the supervision of the Krakow architect Karol Knaus. From 1906 to 1910, Father Felicjan Fierek, prior of the convent, proposed to enlarge considerably the church (today’s basilica). However, authorisation for this work was denied by the curator of the Cultural Heritage of Krakow, in order to safeguard the monumental character of the religious complex and the convent of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. The most important result of the war was the fact that the Teutonic Knights would gradually lose their importance in the international arena. A huge ransom, which exceeded the two-year income of the Polish king, broke the finances and economy of the Teutonic Knights. The Order was in debt until the end of its existence.

SANCTUARY ADDRESS: Bernardines Monastery Bernardyńska st. No. 46 34-130 KALWARIA ZEBRZYDOWSKA Małopolska / Poland

INFORMATION FOR PILGRIMS AND TOURIST GROUPS

Pilgrims and tourists coming to Calvary in organized groups (15 people) can get a guide who will present the history of the sanctuary. The shortest version of the tour is about 45 minutes. This is possible from 9 am-5 pm (on the hour). • A guide in English, Italian, German, and French should be booked 4 days in advance, in Polish – the day before the arrival at the Sanctuary, in Calvary Information Center (KCI): Phone: 0048 33 8766 304, Fax: 0048 33 8766 641, e-mail: info@kalwaria.eu • On arrival at the Calvary the pilgrimage group should report in to the Information Center reservation HOLY MASSES PILGRIMAGE The priests who come to the shrine with pilgrimage groups or individually, may celebrate the Eucharist every hour throughout the day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (from Palm Sunday to 31.X) and at every hour from 6 a.m. till 5 p.m. (from 1st. November till Palm Sunday) • Holly Masses can be ordered in the sacristy, at the monastery gate, or through the mail. PILGRIM HOUSE, RESTAURANT, KIOSK WITH SOUVENIRS The Pilgrim House, restaurant, souvenir kiosk are open all year round: • The pilgrimages coming to the shrine in groups and individually can make use of accommodation and meals • A model of Calvary can be seen at the reception in the Pilgrim House The Monastery invites you to visit the monastery bookstore and the souvenir kiosk. MASS ORDER OF SAINTS Masses on Sundays and holidays: 6 a.m., 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m, 3 p.m, 5 p.m, 7 p.m. Masses on weekdays: 6 a.m., 7 a.m., 8 am., 9 a.m., 12 a.m., 5 p.m.*, 7 p.m.** 7 a.m. Mass in the Church of the third Fall of our Lord Jesus Christ. * Mass at 5 p.m. from on 1st Nov. fill Palm Sunday ** Mass at 7 p.m. from Palm Sunday to 31 X, and every Saturday during year (the Sunday Mass)

check for more details: www.kalwaria.eu/strona/english

99 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Calvary Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

Surrounding the sanctuary are 5km of pilgrimage routes over 6km of forest, with 42 chapels and churches en route. The distances between the chapels here are longer than in Jerusalem itself, but within the same proportions.

100Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


photos: Jakub Zawadziński

Ecce Homo Chapel was built on the plan of the Greek cross between 1605-1609 by Paul Baudarth. The vault adorned with profuse stucco decorations in the style of Dutch mannerism.

The layout was designed by Feliks Zebrowski in 1604. It intended to represent the landscape of Jerusalem at the time of Christ. It's an example of a so-called Calvary (a man-made landscape symbolizing the stages that led up to Christ's crucifixion), of which many were built in Europe in the 17th century.

101 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Photo: Jakub Zawadziński



Photo: Jakub Zawadziński



Calvary Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

Photos: Jakub Zawadziński

The Baroque church (17th c) contains the revered painting of Our Lady of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. The Calvary, the Way of the Cross, is lined with shrines, chapels and small churches and is picturesquely set on hills and in the valley of a stream. The sanctuary is visited by approximately one million pilgrims each year. It is famous for its Passion plays. The most important processions are held during Holy Week (Easter) and on Our Lady’s Assumption Day.

106 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


During the day of fasting Catholics celebrate the Way of the Cross and in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska an extraordinary open-air spectacle takes place in the hills surrounding the Shrine.

107Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


ŚMIGUSZT IN ORAVA Śmigus dyngus Lipnica Mała

Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. Narrated by: Ania Olesińska

Photography by: Łukasz Sowiński SowinskiFoto.


ŚMIGUSZT IN ORAVA

(Śmigus dyngus) Orava, Lipnica Mała Easter Monday, which is called "śmiguszt" in Orava, and in other parts of Poland "wet Monday" or ŚmigusDyngus, is a very old custom cultivated already in preChristian traditions. Undoubtedly, we associate it with the popular custom of mutual pouring with water. However, it is worth asking the question what depth or symbolism lies behind this eagerly reproduced custom. Originally, these were two separate, very old family rites. The first term in the name 'Śmigus' meant the same as 'beating' or 'striking'. Ritual spanking with pussy willow branches or whips woven from them was meant to oust all weakness and disease. The magical power of willow branches, which at the time of impact was to pass to the person, ensured prosperity and health. "Dyngus", the meaning of which might be translated as "buying out", was a kind of scavenger hunt game, played by young men, often in disguise, holding door to door processions to the houses of the girls, who were ready and eager to get married soon. These visits were accompanied by the custom of throwing water on all the brides as well as young married women.

The number of 'polewacy' (the bachelors with water) visiting the girl showed how popular she was in the village. Potential victims often decided to stay at their neighbours for the night to avoid such situations. The, processing from house to house with sticks in their hands would hit them on the floor and recite: „Przyśli my mu po śmiguszcie We came here cause of śmiguszt Ale mnie tu nie opuście But do not leave us here”

Water is the most significant symbol of life and purification in folk culture, followed by rebirth. Both touching with a green branch and pouring water, characteristic of folk spring rituals, is a relic of eternal magical practices designed to ensure the abundance of rain, continuity of vegetation and plant fertility. The ritual purification is to ensure beauty, vitality, fertility and numerous and healthy offspring. Therefore, wet Monday was usually full of 'dyngus' fun. The atmosphere in the villages was full of joy and the inhabitants used to spend this day visiting one another. This custom is common throughout Poland, but in almost every region it is celebrated somewhat differently. On Easter Monday in Orava, early in the morning, the bachelors came to the houses of marriageable girls and threw water on them. There were times that the farm workers were violently knocking on the closed door, willing to achieve their goal, as a consequence of which the door often needed repair after such a visit. They took buckets, bowls, jugs or other dishes and carried water from a well. If the girl was very resistant, she was often dragged to a stream where she could not avoid bathing in cold water.

The folk band Małolipnicanie from Lipnica Mała, in cooperation with photographer Łukasz Sowiński from Zubrzyca Górna, undertook an extremely difficult task and try to recreate the custom of "śmiguszt" in Orava. The session was conducted in an extremely joyful atmosphere, and despite the rather cold season of the year, we managed to achieve a sensational end result, which I think is reflected in the beautiful photos made by SowinskiFoto.

They continued to ask for donations and made wishes to the hosts, leaving one stick for them, which the host could use to prod the cattle to the pasture for the first time. In return, they received eggs, pies or money from the household members. Nowadays, only the custom of pouring water has survived, but it is usually a symbolic delicate indication of tradition, usually without a conscious understanding of the rite. It is a great joy to be able to convey to the young generation these extremely important messages and to engage them in consciously recreating the traditions of our ancestors.

Ania Olesińska

109 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


“There is no creation without tradition; novelty is always a variation on the past.” photos: Łukasz Sowiński

www.sowinskifoto.pl www.facebook.com/zsercaorawy/

110 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


YEAR 1 WHITE Śmigus dyngus Lipnica Mała

111 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


the past Kraków Bronowice cottage Digitalisation: RDW MIC, Małopolska's Virtual Museums project public domain

Author: model made by carpenters managed by Włodzimierz Tetmajer, with the participation of artist-painter Antoni Procajłowicz Date of production: 1901 Place of creation: Kraków Dimensions: height: 79 cm, length: 187 cm, width: 95 cm Museum: The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Kraków Material: gypsum, wood, straw Object copyright: The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Kraków

The model was made in 1901 by Bronowice carpenters under the supervision of Włodzimierz Tetmajer and with the participation of a painter, Antoni Procajłowicz. The piece was commissioned by Jerzy Warchałowski on the occasion of the First Exhibition of the Polish Applied Arts Society in Kraków. The architectural model in a 1:10 scale is traditionally modelled after the cottage of Błażej Czepiec of Bronowice, a participant of Stanisław Wyspiański's Wesele [Wedding]. It represents a wooden cottage with two rows of residential rooms, with a long side facing the road, and an area for livestock. The building is covered with a hipped thatched roof. The model with walls made in the log cabin construction system has a Lusatian structure supporting the roof structure, typical of Bronowice houses. The walls of the building are covered with a polychrome in brown and white strips imitating whitewashing. The frames of the windows and the semi-circular recess of the entrance are ornamented with floral decorations against a white background.


Men’s tunic for Kraków costume Digitalisation: RDW MIC, Małopolska's Virtual Museums project public domain

Date of production: 19th/20th century Place of creation: Zalas, Małopolska Province Dimensions: length: 100 cm, width: 36.5 cm Museum: Museum – Vistula Ethnographic Park in Wygiełzów and Lipowiec Castle Technique: manual embroidery, machine sewing, pick stitch Material: cloth Object copyright: Museum – Vistula Ethnographic Park in Wygiełzów and Lipowiec Castle Men’s kaftan of navy blue cloth. Edged with red cloth, with a pair of pockets with trapezeshaped tabs. The kaftan is decorated with multi-coloured embroidery and an appliqué made of white buttons. Without a collar. Embroidered along the edges with a red tape. Red lining made of fabric. The back is sewn together from two pieces of canvas connected in the middle, from the waist down, with a slit forming so-called gills. The collar shape features a colourful appliqué of cross-stitch embroidery. The front of the kaftan is decorated with three vertical rows of small, pearly buttons in white, stitched with purple threads. The outside of the appliqué is embroidered with a yellow, red and green thread on either side along with four rosettes arranged in a column. They are separated by smaller groups of white buttons. Pockets with lapels in the form of trapezoidal patches are decorated with horizontal and vertical stripes and crosses consisting of buttons sewn onto the appliqué of purple and green threads.

White sukmana coat — “chrzanówka” Date of production: 19th/20th century Place of creation: Zalas near Kraków Dimensions: height: 116 cm, width: back: 44 cm, bottom: 105 cm Museum: Museum – Vistula Ethnographic Park in Wygiełzów and Lipowiec Castle Technique: hand sewing Material: string, cloth Object copyright: string, cloth The sukmana coat, formerly known as an outer garment, was commonly worn on Sundays and festivals by the inhabitants of Kraków villages. It was made of white cloth formerly manufactured, for example, by drapers from Chrzanów (even in the early 20th century, about a dozen families living in Chrzanów were still involved in this craft). Cloth made of spun wool was purchased from merchants from Biała. Depending on the recipient, tailors used a various finish of sukmana coats.


Easter table Easter Mazurek (shortcrust tart)


Easter Mazurek (shortcrust tart) At Christmas, poppy-seed cakes and cheesecakes usually reign on our tables but the hallmarks of Easter in Poland is undoubtedly 'mazurek'. For many years, housewives have prepared it exclusively for this holiday. In many homes this is the only occasion during the year when we can taste this tart. It is believed that this delicacy comes from Mazovia, as its name comes from the word Mazur – as the inhabitants of the region were once called. Most likely, however, the recipe came to Poland from Turkey. There are nearly as many recipes for mazurek as the housewives preparing it but most of this baked delicacies have some common features. Usually, mazurek is prepared from shortcrust pastry, layered with nuts and dried fruit. In the past it was a reward for those who withstood forty days of abstinence from eating meat dishes and desserts (due to Great Lent). Therefore, the whole ritual was associated with preparing it. Today, we often don't remember about this tradition anymore.

ingredients:

Shortcrust: 300 g wheat flour 150 g butter (or margarine) 80 g icing sugar 1 egg (size M) Additionally: approx. 180 g jam, preferably sour (e.g. raspberry, forest fruit) 1 can of fudge mass (400 or 500g) or a can of sweet condensed milk flaked almonds, approx. 30 g chocolate, dried apricots, nuts for decoration.

Of course, the mazurek is still a typical Easter cake, but hardly anyone knows its history and understands the meaning. However, invariably, great attention is paid to decorating this baking, which is not only to taste great, but also to be a decoration of a richly set table. On our table, there is usually a butterscotch mazurek (recipe below). However, the most popular is probably the royal mazurek, which is a shortcrust pastry with a lot of almonds covered in homemade jam. In many Polish homes, a walnut mazurek with meringue or chocolate is also prepared. However, nothing prevents you from using a marzipan cake or sponge cake instead of a crispy, shortcrust pastry. You can layer them with nut, butterscotch, pudding, marmalade or plum jam fillings. The culmination of the pastry may be the decorations of icing, nuts, colourful sugar beads and so on. There is only one rule – it should be tasty and rich. In this case, you cannot save on good quality ingredients and eye-catching additions.

method: Put all the dough ingredients in a bowl and mix with a mixer until smooth. Then knead the dough into a ball and put it in the fridge for 10 minutes. Roll out the cooled dough into a thin pastry and stick it to the bottom and sides of the tart mould with a diameter of 26 cm. Prick the dough with a fork and bake at 180°C (fan assisted oven) for 2530 minutes. Blend the butterscotch mass with soft marge or butter. Remove the cooled dough from the mould and spread with the prepared filling. Spread the dried fruit and nuts on the butterscotch layer. Put all the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir until the mass is smooth and shiny. Cool it lightly so that it thickens a bit and decorate the cake with it. Put aside to set.

115 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


visual guide

where you can take your dog with you in Polish National parks ? The dog is often our best friend. Hence, it's hard to part with him when we go on vacation. We decided to tell you which national parks in Poland you will enter with a dog without any problems and where it won't be possible. There are 23 national parks in Poland. In eight of them, entering with a dog is entirely prohibited, while in another six there are partial restrictions. In all National Parks, even in those dog-friendly, they must be kept on a leash – all of them, regardless of their size – from the smallest to the largest ones. Especially in the mountains. The point is not to frighten the wild animals inhabiting the park. There may be a penalty of up to 500 PLN for noncompliance. guide by: lovePoland

the guide also available at: www.lovepoland.org

Because the most popular among you is probably the Tatra National Park, we provide some information about this Park. It is forbidden to enter with a dog, however, there are several places where you can take your pet with you. These are: Chochołowska Valley, up to the PTTK Hostel It is the longest and largest valley in the Polish Tatras, best known from its spring views of flowery crocus carpets. The trail starts on the glade called Siwa Polana. The way to the shelter is 7.5 km long which takes 1' 55'' hours. Droga pod Reglami (the Tatra Mountains) A beautiful and popular walking route with a view of Zakopane and the Gubałówka Range. The trail begins in Kuźnice and ends at the outlet of the Kościeliska Valley in Kiry. The black trail leads along the forest border and connects the outlets of many Tatra valleys. The starting point is Zakopane the ski jump Wielka Krokiew. Length of route: approx. 8.5 km (one way), about 2 hours. Gubałówka (the Gubałówka Range) Gubałówka is a hill rising above Zakopane and one of the most popular places among tourists visiting Podhale. The ridge offers an exceptionally beautiful view of the Tatra Mountains and Zakopane below. You can take a cable car to Gubałówka (a dog ticket required) or walk, following the blue, yellow or red trail. Magura Witowska, the Polish-Slovak border runs through its peak. The hill is forested, on the Polish side there are 2 glades belonging to Witów, on the Slovak side there is the glade called Magura Witowska. The black trail from Witów leads to the top. You can reach the top in approx. 2 hours. Remember: There are several hotels for dogs in Zakopane and the surrounding area. You can leave your dog there for a few hours or a few days and wander on the paths inaccessible to these pets.

116 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


Słowiński National Park Wigierski National Park Woliński National Park

Biebrzański National Park

Bory Tucholskie National Park Drawieński National Park

Białowieski National Park

Narwiński National Park

Kampinowski National Park

Ujście Warty National Park Wielkopolski National Park

Poleski National Park

Świętokrzyski National Park

Karkonoski National Park Gór Stołowych National Park

Roztoczański National Park

Ojcowski National Park

Babiogórski National Park

Gorczański National Park Magurski National Park

created by lovePoland *Accurate: February 2020. We did try to make it as accurate as possible but always check for possible changes please.

Tatrzański National Park

permitted

partly permitted

Bieszczadzki National Park

Pieniński National Park

not permitted

Kampinoski National Park Karkonoski National Park Magurski National Park Narwiański National Park, with a must-have muzzle for dangerous dogs Ojcowski National Park National Park Gór Stołowych, with a must-have muzzle for dangerous dogs Poleski National Park Świętokrzyski National Park

Białowieski National Park, before entering the Palace Park and the Hwoźna Protective District overgrown with forests

Babiogórski National Park, outside the kilometre-long educational trail Mokry Kozub

Biebrzański National Park, with the possibility of walking along designated walking routes, except for the routes of Sośnia and Czerwone Bagno

Bieszczadzki National Park, with the exception of sections leading along public roads

Warta Estuary National Park (Pl: Ujście Warty), ready for visits of four-legged nature lovers, excluding the conservation areas of Słońsk and Chyrzyno

Drawieński National Park

Wielkopolski National Park

Roztoczański National Park, with trails accessible to dogs, outside the strict protection area of Bukowa Góra

Wigierski National Park, with a must-have muzzle for dangerous dogs

Słowiński National Park, suitable for walking with pets, except for the beaches

National Park „Bory Tucholskie”

Gorczański National Park Pieniński National Park Tatrzański National Park, with some exceptions (see page to the left) Woliński National Park

117 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND


MISTERIA PASCHALIA April 6-13

KRAKÓW Misteria Paschalia is one of the most important early music festivals in Europe, and has been organised by the Kraków Festival Office during Easter Week since 2004. The event, whose idea came from Filip Berkowicz, presents the most fascinating works composed from the Middle Ages to the 18th century performed by recognised interpreters of the historically informed performance approach. The programme, drawing from the Christian sources of European spirituality, brings together the masterpieces of bygone masters and forgotten works that are an important proof of the performing and composing traditions of their times. info by: www.misteriapaschalia.com

Place of event: Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria, "Wieliczka" Salt Mine, ICE Kraków Congress Centre, and various locations – check website

56 JAZZ ON THE ODRA FESTIVAL April 20-26

WROCŁAW Each spring the festival, which has been organised since 1964, presents the most interesting jazz artists from around the world. Throughout the years we saw some of the greatest jazz stars from Europe and around the world, including Pat Metheny, Paco deLucia, Al diMeola, Kenny Garret, Dave Holland, Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson, Lizz Wright and Robert Glasper. What is more, the festival stages regularly host the most promising musicians of the young generation, including the laureates of the The Jazz Personality Contest. It is an inseparable part of the festival, and one of its hallmarks. The oldest and the most prestigious jazz competition in Poland is open for instrumentalists and singers, who at the time of the festival are 35 or younger. Artistic Director Leszek Możdżer more info: www.jazznadodra.pl/en

photo: press materials 56 Jazz on the Odra Festival

Place of event: Impart, festival club

PYRKON May 8-10

POZNAŃ Pyrkon is a convention for fans of broadly defined fantasy organized in Poznan. From the very beginning Pyrkon has been organized by the Fantasy Club “Druga Era”. The first edition of Pyrkon took place in 2000 on a primary school in Dębiec district. At first it was a small convention, but the idea seemed to kick out. Since then Pyrkon has been evolving nonstop, drawing more and more fans every year. Today it’s the biggest festival of its kind in Poland and one of the largest in Europe! Because of the growing number of participants the convention was moved to the Poznan International Fair in 2011. In 2019 Pyrkon was visited by over 120 000 people. Organizer: The Fantasy Club “Druga Era” (Second Age) www.pyrkon.pl/en/about-pyrkon/

Place of event: On The premises of POZNAŃ INTERNATIONAL FAIR source photo: pyrkon.pl


PIKNIK BY ODRA RIVER May 9-10

SZCZECIN One of the biggest open-air fair in Europe with over 100 000 visitors. The main attraction of the Piknik is the largest tourist fair MARKET TOUR in Western Pomerania, which has been organised every year since 1992. It is a unique place where representatives of the tourist industry from Poland and abroad can present to visitors. Go on a culinary journey! The Avenue of Traditional Products is organised for everyone interested in organic products and regional flavours. There you will find honey, pastries, local wines, meats and many other highquality products. Try products from various regions of Poland inscribed on the Traditional Products List. more info in Polish: www.pikniknadodra.pl

Place of event: Chrobry embankment and city centre

KRAKÓW FILM MUSIC FESTIVAL May 26-01 June

KRAKÓW The Kraków Film Music Festival (FMF), organised by the Krakow Festival Office and RMF Classic, is a captivating showcase of the highest quality musical interpretations of the moving image and one of the most important festivals in the world of film music. Performed by leading musicians and orchestras in Europe and the world, the festival provides a unique concert experience by setting it to live screenings of the world’s most spectacular films, well-known for their dazzling cinematography, top-class direction, enthralling plots, and emotive acting. The Kraków Film Music Festival has become one of the most widely-recognized Polish cultural exports around the world that has delighted fans since its inception. more info: www.fmf.fm/about-festival

Place of event: ICE, Tauron Arena, Powiśle 11, Galeria Kazimierz and other - check website

MALTA INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL June 19-28

POZNAŃ This unconventional celebration of the arts featuring fringe and alternative theatre takes place across the city, often in squares and streets, as well as on the shores of Lake Malta. The year 2020 will be special for the history of Malta. In June that year we will hold the 30th edition of the festival. It will also be the 11th rendition of the Idiom – the international, themed program of Malta, thanks to which the members of the public have had the opportunity to discover the works of renowned theatre artists, dancers and cinematographers. We want this jubilee to be an opportunity for celebration, but also for a moment of reflection over the social role of the festival and art in general. That is why we are returning to our roots to look at Malta as an impossible, utopian island, which came to be in Poznań in the early 1990s, becoming a space for experimentation, discovering new worlds, but also defining communality. more at: www.malta-festival.pl/pl

Place of event: varoius


Book Promotion POLISH VERSION ONLY

Skrzydlata husaria z impetem przełamuje szyki nieprzyjaciela. Niewielki oddział petyhorców rozbija nawet sześćdziesięciokrotnie liczniejszą armię Moskali. Owiane nie najlepszą sławą pospolite ruszenie masakruje regularną armię szwedzką. Lekka kawaleria roznosi w pył „lud ognisty”. Uzbrojeni w kopie skrzydlaci jeźdźcy to największa duma polskiego oręża. Uważani są powszechnie za najwspanialszą i najskuteczniejszą polską formację wojskową. I słusznie. Jednak obok nich na polach bitew nie brakowało innych zabójczo skutecznych żołnierzy. Wojowników gotowych dumnie walczyć, godnie przelewać krew za ojczyznę, ale przede wszystkim zwyciężać. Radosław Sikora – wybitny znawca staropolskiej wojskowości jako pierwszy oddaje sprawiedliwość innym formacjom wojskowym, które obok husarii broniły interesów I Rzeczypospolitej. Przypomina ich największe sukcesy. Oddaje głos tym, o których historia zapomniała. Jednak nie byłby sobą gdyby nie wspominał również o husarii, której prawdziwa historia jest wspanialsza od legend.

RADOSŁAW SIKORA NIE TYLKO HUSARIA

NIEWYKONALNE ZADANIE? NAJLEPIEJ POSŁAĆ TAM POLAKÓW!

książka do nabycia: www.znak.pl oraz w dobrych księgarniach stacjonarnych i internetowych

buy at: www.znak.pl

Oprawa twarda Wydanie: pierwsze ISBN: 978-83-240-56668EAN: 9788324056668 Liczba stron: 368 Wydawnictwo: Znak Horyzont Format: 163x235mm Cena katalogowa: 59,99 zł Rok wydania: 2020 wersja: polska


lovePoland Magazine become our partner

GROW WITH US

POLAND: A TIME TO REMEMBER

visit Poland


WE ARE A PROUD SUPPORTER OF LOVE POLAND

WEBSITE DESIGN www.britanniaweb.co.uk


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.