Travel Love Poland Magazine - June 2019 by travel.lovePoland

JUNE-AUGUST 2019 | VOL 1 | ISSUE 8 ISSN 2515-8503

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summer expedition EXPERIENCE

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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 8

from the editor

Dear Readers, Probably everyone loves summer. This is the most beautiful season and Poland is not an exception here. This time we would like to invite you to discover almost the full range of what our country has to offer: from north to south. We invite you to the Polish coast and especially to the Hel Peninsula. You can see its charm from a less known perspective – namely – from a bird's eye view. Let's then go south on an expedition to the Polish Tatra Mountains, and those who want to discover a bit more, may feel encouraged to go for a trip to Orava or to the Poprad Valley. Of course, you can always relax from the hardships of walking, strolling in the evening around beautiful Krakow. In Poland you will find almost everything, including places that will allow you to move back into distant past times – even a thousand years back. For those who like such trips we have an invitation to Biskupin or old castles in the south of Poland. In our Magazine, we also keep presenting Polish traditions – this time we encourage you to learn about the customs associated with Corpus Christi Day in Łowicz. We surely have something for culture lovers as well: The Jagiellonian Fair in Lublin. See you in summer in Poland, over a serving of pierogi with cherries! artur tomasz tureczek Editor-in-Chief Travel.LovePoland

Contributors to this issue: Łukasz Sowiński, Tadeusz Łyczakowski, Jacek Bieliński: VISIT360.PL, Janusz Wańczyk, Andrzej W. Więckiewicz, Łukasz Gozdera, Włodzimierz Stachoń, Konrad Rogoziński, Zuzanna Długosz, Ewelina Natanek (www.odkryjbeskid.pl). Additionally: thanks to Kamil Paluszek and Adriana Pyszkowska: Libra, book Publishing Company. Also a big thank you for a good cooperation to Paulina Skipirzepa director of Communication and Marketing Warsztaty Kultury w Lublinie. 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.

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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 8 JUNE-AUGUST 2019

CONTENTS 1

4 0

5 7

7 8

9 2

Evening in Kraków: Tadeusz Łyczakowski

Orawa: Łukasz Sowiński

Baltic Coast: Jacek Bieliński, VISIT360.PL

Tatra expedition: Janusz Wańczyk

Posters of Poland: A.W. Więckiewicz

Biskupin: travel to the past

Słowacki Theatre in Kraków

Castles by Włodzimierz Stachoń

Muszyna, The Poprad Valley

Sopot: Summer seaside destination

Art: Jacek Malczewski

The Jagiellonian Fair in Lublin

104

Corpus Christi: Łukasz Gozdera

114

Painted wooden folk cupboards

118

Summer kitchen: Cherry Dumplings

120

Events

122

Book Promo: Łemkowszczyzna

photo on the front cover: Janusz Wańczyk. Tatra Mountains

B I S K U P I N

travel to the past

photo: lovePoland archive

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Biskupin: a beautifully preserved fortified settlement which is more than 2500 years old source: www.poland.travel

It is the best known archaeological reserve in Central Europe which protects the old defensive village from the turn of the Bronze and Iron Age that was inhabited by people of the Lusatian culture. It was originally discovered in 1933. The museum in Biskupin is open all year round. The settlement of the people of the Lusatian culture, which was found on the peninsula on Lake Biskupin, dates back about 2500 years. Already before World War II there was an archaeological reserve here, constantly expanding, it now covers an area of 24 hectares. In the exhibition pavilion there are exhibits of tools, utensils, ornaments, weapons, remnants of crops and bones of domestic animals that have been found in Biskupin. However, the most impressive features are the original sections and the reconstruction of the wooden fortified settlement from the 8th and 7th century BC. photos: M. Ciszewski polska.pl

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photo: M. Ciszewski polska.pl

Biskupin is an archaeological site and a life-size model of an Iron Age fortified settlement in KuyavianPomeranian Voivodeship that also serves as a archaeological open-air museum. When first discovered it was thought to be early evidence of Slavic settlement but archaeologists later confirmed it photo: M. Ciszewski polska.pl belonged to the Biskupin group of the Lusatian culture. The excavation and the reconstruction of the prehistoric settlement has played an instrumental part in Polish historical consciousness. The Museum is situated on a marshy peninsula in Lake Biskupin, ca. 90 kilometres (56 miles) northeast of Poznań, 8 km (5 mi) south of the small town of Żnin. It is a division of the National Museum of Archaeology in Warsaw.The site is one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii), as designated September 16, 1994, and tracked by the National Heritage Board of Poland. n 1933 Polish archaeologists discovered remains of a Bronze Age fort/settlement in Wielkopolska (Greater Poland), the discovery became famous overnight. The site was photo: M. Ciszewski polska.pl excavated from 1934 onwards by the team from Poznań University, led by archaeologists Józef Kostrzewski and Zdzisław Rajewski.

The first report was published in 1936. By the beginning of 1939, ca. 2,500 m2 (26,909.78 sq ft) had been excavated. Biskupin soon became famous, attracting numerous distinguished guests, including officials of the Marshal Piłsudskigovernment, members of the military, and high churchmen such as the primate of Poland. The site soon became part of Polish national consciousness, the symbol of achievements of the Slavonic forebears in prehistoric times. It was called the "Polish Pompeii" or "Polish Herculaneum". The existence of a prehistoric fortress, 70 km (43 mi) from the German border, was used to show that the prehistoric "Poles" had held their own against foreign invaders and plunderers as early as the Iron Age. Biskupin came to feature in paintings and popular novels. When the Germans occupied Poland in the autumn of 1939, Biskupin was renamed "Urstädt". In 1940, excavations were resumed by the SS Ahnenerbe until 1942. When Germans were forced to retreat they flooded the site hoping to destroy it, but ironically it led to very good preservation of the ancient timbers. Excavations were resumed by Polish archaeologists after the war and continued until 1974.

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photo: M. Ciszewski polska.pl

There are two settlement periods at Biskupin, which was located in the middle of a lake but is now situated on a peninsula, that follow each other without hiatus. Both settlements were laid out on a rectangular grid with eleven streets that are three metres (9.8 ft) wide. The older settlement from early Iron Age was established on a slightly wet island of over 2 hectares (4.9 acres)[1]and consisted of ca. 100 oak and pine log-houses that were of similar layout, measuring ca. 8 by 10 metres (26 by 33 feet) each. They consisted of two chambers and an open entrance-area. These houses were designed to accommodate 10–12 persons. An open hearth was located in the centre of the biggest room. There are no larger houses that could indicate social stratification. Because of the damp, boggy ground the streets were covered with wooden planks. The settlement was surrounded by a tall wooden wall, or palisade, set on a rampart made up of both wood and earth. The rampart was constructed of oak trunks that form boxes filled with earth.

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The rampart is more than 450 metres (1,480 feet) long and accompanied by a wooden breakwater in the lake. 6,000 to 8,000 cubic metres (210,000 to 280,000 cubic feet) of wood was used in the construction of the rampart.

VISIT BISKUPIN www.biskupin.pl Biskupin, Biskupin 17 (92 km south-west of Toruń) Opening hours: May – September: 9.00am - 6.00pm Admission fees: 15 zł PLN, reduced: 8 PLN Booking guides, entrance tickets, further details: kasa@biskupin.pl Guided tour lasts up to 2 hours. Price: 150zł (English, Russian, Dutch, German)

photo: M. Ciszewski polska.pl

BISKUPIN ARCHAEOLOGICAL FESTIVAL. Biskupin, Biskupin 17 www.biskupin.pl

Every year, usually during third week of September one of the greatest archaeological, popular-scientific festivals in Europe takes place in Biskupin. During 9 days within the 24 hectares area of Biskupin reservation different crafts, handiworks and various aspects of spiritual life from prehistory to the Middle Ages are presented to public. Concerts, dances, knights tournaments, slavonic-viking ship replica sailing, minting coins, bow and oxbow shooting, underwater archaeology, baking bread as well as smelting iron in furnaces – it is not even complete list of the festival's attractions. Experiments go on in three reconstructed pottery kilns, according to unearthed remains from the 1st Millennium BC.

Experiments with wood tar and pitch distilling processes have a long tradition in Biskupin experimental archaeology quarter, as well as horn and bone elaborating, weaving, dyeing textiles and other techniques of sometimes almost forgotten crafts. Except for Biskupin main Archaeological Festival also in May and June the presentations of selected prehistoric and early medieval craft techniques attract crowds of visitors not only from the region. It is worth to mention that a significant part of Biskupin popular-scientific activity is turned on to school children and youth. 09 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

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A NIGHT WALK AROUND KRAKÓW Experiencing Kraków at night should definitely be on you “to do in Poland” list! for travel.lovePoland Magazine Tadeusz Łyczakowski

Kraków in 2018 was visited by over 13.5 million tourists. About 10.5 million of them are domestic and about 3 million are foreign tourists.

adeusz, in my opinion, you show Kraków from a slightly different perspective. Also – most of the photos are taken at night. Is this the intended approach, or maybe the effect of searching for a different look at a well-known place? TŁ: Night photography has its own rules. Technically, it is more difficult than pictures taken during the day. The limited and in some sense imposed light gives you the opportunity to display details that we usually cannot notice during the day. Each image requires longer preparation and usually subsequent processing. I usually perform three exposures -1,0, + 1 Ev with subsequent processing in the ACR and the final recording of the intelligent image. Night creates a certain mood. It is free from the hustle and bustle of the day. Thanks to the kindness of good people, lots of whom can be found in Kraków, I was able to reach at night the places that are inaccessible to the public.

I assure you that I have never seen such a beautifullylooking Wawel Hill or the courtyard of Collegium Maius. Thanks to them, I can bring these pictures on Facebook page, or on my flog, on the flog.pl portal. In both of these places you will find my photos, both new and a bit older ones. tlP: During travels and excursions, some people visit "cult sites", the most recognised and most crowded places. Others prefer to wander where you do not have to stand in queues and where often more beautiful views await. Do you have such "hidden treasures" of Krakow, or maybe something of Krakow outskirts? Where would you recommend us to go? TŁ: Kraków in 2018 was visited by over 13.5 million tourists. About 10.5 million of them are domestic and about 3 million are foreign tourists. Nightlife was chosen by only 1.1% of them. Wawel, the Main Market Square and Kazimierz reign supreme in the rankings of attractions.

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As only 1% of tourists watch Kraków at night and moreover, the word "watch" seems here slightly too big, it's worth bringing this night's Kraków to them virtually. Hence my night photos of Kraków attractions. Later, I compose them into the cycles of my night tours around Kraków. I have already taken virtual tourists as well as Kraków residents on such night trips several times ; starting from Via Regia, Wawel, round the outskirts of Kraków's Market Square, or recently to Planty. I always try to add some description of the place shown, sometimes some tittle-tattles. I must admit that wandering the same way I get to know new, sometimes unknown places, although I've lived in Kraków for over 50 years. Sometimes, under the pictures, you can see the comments or remarks of "old Krakovians", experts on the history of Krakow, sometimes they mention something that I omitted in the description. But you cannot fit everything. For me, the hidden treasure is all of Kraków. I am not a guide and I cannot advise where to go. Kraków is quite safe and in my opinion it is safe to go anywhere. The purpose of your trip to Kraków decides about what you see in the city. tlP: Despite the German and Soviet bombings during the Second World War, many beautiful 19th-century buildings have survived in Kraków. One of them is a tenement house called ‘Kamienica pod Pająkiem’ (which means “Under the spider”) at the corner of Karmelicka and Batory streets, designed by Teodor Talowski. It's one of the most original architects of Kraków architecture. Is it still noticeable for someone who sees these places on a daily basis, or are they indifferently passed by? Do you have any of your favourite tenement houses, or perhaps the Kraków cellars? TŁ: Fortunately, Kraków did not suffer particularly during the Second World War. It eluded the destruction experienced by Warsaw, Wrocław and Gdańsk. Through Kraków, the front swept without damage. We did not have to "rebuild" anything and you can almost certainly say that what you see is original and comes from 100, 200 or 500 years ago. It is a sensation, not only in Polish scale. The architecture of Kraków shows how the city used to develop. Kraków within Planty, once surrounded by a wall, is the oldest part of it. The surroundings of the Old Town, e.g. Kazimierz, have their own history. Kazimierz used to be a place associated with a large Jewish community living here since the times of Casimir the Great (hence the name Kazimierz) to the Second World War, with their culture and tradition. Earlier, the Jewish community lived around the present St. Anna street, where reportedly the Jewish Gate to the city was located; later, the Jewish diaspora could be found around present Szczepański Sqr, and eventually it was forced into the centre of

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Kazimierz, surrounded by the Christian community with the dominant Corpus Christi church. Some streets were border streets, where Christians lived on the right side and Jews on the left. Currently, Kazimierz is a special place of Kraków, with its specific nightlife, but also with preserved old architecture and alleys straight from the nineteenth century. The architecture of the nineteenth century, which you mention in the question is the result of huge Austrian influence. As part of the Grand Duchy of Kraków, Kraków was part of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. The Galician tradition is very strong here. I think that even now you would find in some of the old Kraków apartments a portrait of His Majesty, Emperor Franz Josef I. Kraków was not the dominant city of Galicia. Primacy belonged rather to Lviv. You will find Talowski's architecture not only in Kraków, but also in Lviv. The tenant house ”Kamienica pod Pająkiem” is beautiful, but you could change the street name Retoryka to Talowski’'s because a large part of it is built by houses designed by Talowski, with the most beautiful one, which perhaps is the tenant house located at 1 Retoryka, called "Pod Śpiewająca Żabą" which means “Under singing frog”. In addition, several more houses on this street were designed by him and constitute a characteristic complex of the unusual Talowski style. In the 19th century, Kraków developed as if it were three periods. Until the "Spring of Nations" in 1848 it was a time of prosperity. The years 1850-1865 were a time of breakthrough with a huge fire of the city in 1850, which destroyed 160 tenement houses of old Kraków. After 1865, due to the fortifications of the city by Austrians, there were no construction sites. On the other hand, Austrian barracks buildings were erected, in which the Cracow University of Technology is currently located. The last quarter of the 19th century was the time of great changes in construction. Along Wolska Street (now Piłsudskiego Street), which became one of the main streets of the city, magnificent buildings were created, e.g. the Oginskis or Potulickis Palaces and where greatest architects used to create. Other public buildings were built in other parts of the city, still beautiful with the magnificence of 19th century architecture. These include the Collegium Novum, the City Hall building or even a home for the poor. Walking through the streets of Kraków every day, we often do not notice the beauty that our grandfathers left us. If you visit Kraków, try not to look under your feet (although it is important). Look rather up, you'll see more. You will be able to notice splendid portals and coats of houses at every step; different tenement houses – "Under Three Bells" or "Under the Squirrel".

Floriańska Gate

tlP: And what about the culinary? There is probably not as many confectioneries in any other Polish city as you can visit in Kraków. Where does a Cracovian go for a coffee? Does he also like to eat something "in town"? Do you have your favourite culinary places? For me personally Kazimierz would be the main direction of the search. I will never forget tea with jam on the Main Square. And what about you? TŁ: The culinary face of Kraków has changed very much. In my opinion, for better. You can easily find vegan restaurants, Mediterranean, kosher and rich Old Polish cuisine. I think you'll find restaurants serving food from almost all around the world. Through Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Georgian, Hindu or recently visited by me Basque cuisine restaurants to the renowned grilled sausage served after 9pm. at the square in front of the Market Hall on Grzegórzecka street, where there is always a queue and where all sorts of people, also those in very impressive cars, come to taste this dish. The favourite place is the place of your tastes. I prefer spicy cuisine, my wife is rather a vegetarian. It does not mean that we cannot go together and choose what we like. Kazimierz as a culinary place? Well, it can be. Restaurants appear and disappear. Just like fashion for places where you can have fun and eat. Currently Kazimierz has been such a place for years, it is always full of tourists. In recent years, young people choose pretty often the buildings of the former cigarette factory at ul. Dolnych Młynów as their favourite place of entertainment since the place was adopted for this purpose.

tlP: Once there were vodka bars in Kraków, there were craft beers. Now apparently, Kraków has exclusive cocktails. Often served in a hidden place, without a sign, only for the initiated. In slang they are called "speakeasy”. Not everyone would be able to get there. Certainly not straight from the street. Speakeasy effectively hide from the attention of passers-by, they do not have signs, advertising, large boards with written promotions. Have you ever been to such a place? TŁ: As for the hidden bars, I heard about them, but I have never been to them. "Speakeasy" is a rather unknown term for me. I will not speak out and pretend to know something because I could create some foolishness. I think, the last "speakeasy" ended up at Kleparz, where you could always meet a guy who would pour a small glass of pure vodka out of the bottle from his breast pocket to relieve your thirst. The snack was also available. Pickled cucumber. But as you can see, the times have changed. If you are interested, search. I'm sure you'll find them without difficulty. The current "speakeasy" in those grey communist times were called "dens." They also did not have signs and ads, but they were open 24 hours a day. They did not have alcohol from around the world and excellent, sophisticated bartenders. The vodka was simply a warm "grey" vodka sold by a "babka" (an old woman). Our advantage at that time was based on the already mentioned "mobility” of those “speakeasy" at Kleparz.

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Floriańska Street tlP: And what for those who love nature? At the beginning of the 20th century, Kraków was considered the ideal garden city with clean air and abundance of parks. Since then, many of them disappeared with the rapid urbanisation, but to this day there are more gardens in Kraków than you can see at a glance. Lots of them are hidden behind the walls, like royal gardens on the Wawel Hill, or in the backyards of tenements, like the one on Karmelicka Street. Do you visit or rest in Kraków's gardens? Do they remain an attraction as many years ago? Or maybe in recent years a lot has changed, especially for better? TŁ: As mentioned, I am not a tour guide. I am just a citizen of Kraków, a surgeon by profession, currently a beneficiary of a pension fund. That's why I have time and I can watch my Kraków when I want and how I want. I'm not in a hurry. Błonia is a special green place of Kraków. It's 48 hectares of meadow in the city centre. Around the circumference, it is over 3.5 km. The story of Błonia is as old as Kraków. Błonia's story is as old as Kraków. Until today, the Norbertine Monastery reminds us from time to time that it was almost 900 years ago when Błonia was donated to them by Jaksa from Miechów. Whatever it was then, now it is a beautiful meadow and I truly hope that nobody would dare to think of developing it differently than as a meadow. Another wonderful place of green Kraków is Planty. Green plantations were built in 1822-1830 and cover an area of about 20 hectares and a length of 4 km. They surround old Kraków with a green ring. They were built in place of demolished city 14 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

walls, a moat and an ordinary rubbish and waste dump. By a decision of 1820, municipal gardens, namely Planty, were formed. The word comes from the Polish word “plantowanie” that is, the alignment and ordering of the mess around the city. It is hard to imagine the effort of the founders of these gardens. I have recently received a book by Franciszek Klein from 1914 "Planty Krakowskie". It became a source for one more night photo tour dedicated to the Kraków Planty monuments. Separate greenery space, in addition to large parks; such as Jordan or Bednarski Park in Podgórze are monastery gardens in the city centre. Behind the walls, in silence and concentration, there is another world, inaccessible to the public. Some of them I only admired briefly, maybe I will be able to go back there. An unusual place is also the oldest in Poland Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University. Still in the same place with the entrance from Kopernika street number 27 – and still beautiful. . If we go a bit "outside the city" in the direction of Wola Justowska, it is impossible to miss the magnificent Villa Decius with the surrounding garden. Just Ludwig Decjusz was the secretary of the king Sigismund the Old. The current state of the villa is the result of the renovation of 1996. Great collection of sculptures by Bronisław Chromy in the gardens is certainly worth seeing. Finally, the Royal Gardens located in Wawel, their rich and turbulent history deserve elaboration. Currently, gardens are available to visitors.

A NIGHT WALK AROUND KRAKÓW

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TADEUSZ ŁYCZAKOWSKI

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A NIGHT WALK AROUND KRAKÓW PHOTOGRAPHY BY TADEUSZ ŁYCZAKOWSKI

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A NIGHT WALK AROUND KRAKÓW PHOTOGRAPHY BY TADEUSZ ŁYCZAKOWSKI

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PHOTOGRAPHY by Tadeusz Łyczakowski

The Kazimierz quarter source: www.krakow.pl

No visit to Kraków would be complete without a tour of Kazimierz. Numerous cosy art cafes, galleries and antique shops, paved street and monuments of Jewish culture draw tourists with a magnetic force. Kazimierz vibrants also with cultural life. The most famous cultural event which takes place here is an internationally renowned Jewish Culture Festival – each year attracts thousands of participants from all over the world. During the festival days streets of Kazimierz are full of multilingual talks, klezmer music and concerts – people dance and sing together. Sightseeing Kazimierz it is worth to use one of the tourist routes − St. Stanislas Route or the Jewish Heritage Route. First one leads from the Wawel Hill through the Skałka monastery and St. Catherine's Church to the Wolnica Square. Second one leads through the streets of the former Jewish town starting at the Jewish Cultural Centre on ul. Meiselsa 17 and leading to the New Jewish Cemetery on ul. Miodowa 55.

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A NIGHT WALK AROUND KRAKÓW PHOTOGRAPHY BY TADEUSZ ŁYCZAKOWSKI

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A NIGHT WALK AROUND KRAKÓW PHOTOGRAPHY BY TADEUSZ ŁYCZAKOWSKI

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A NIGHT WALK AROUND KRAKÓW PHOTOGRAPHY BY TADEUSZ ŁYCZAKOWSKI

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Kraków

PHOTOS BY TADEUSZ ŁYCZAKOWSKI

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VISIT 6 PLACES IN KRAKÓW www.krakowcard.com

Main Market Square Underground Today's Main Market Square has become a part of Kraków in 1257, when it was annexed to the city. The history of the Main Market Square began much earlier. In order to experience it you shall visit the Main Market Square Underground exhibition which is located on the side opposite to St.Mary's Church.

City Defence Walls Kraków After that, when in 1241 the city of Kraków was devastated by the Tatar invasion – it turned out that there is a need of building defensive walls around the city. Finally it occurred in 1285. In order to get into the city, you had to use one of the 7 available gates that were locked during the night. The moat that surrounded the walls was wide from 6 to 10 meters deep and 3.5 meters and was filled with water from Młynówka Royal.

Schindler's Factory Former factory of Oskar Schindler is an interesting place because of its exposure in the context of the history of World War II. It shows the daily life of the inhabitants of Kraków in their normal functioning and everyday war tragedies. The story of Schindler – a factory owner, was described by Spielberg’'s film Schindler's List.

St. Adalbert's Church Underground St. Adalbert Church is a historical place that commemorates the place where St. Adalbert preached. The church’s name was to honor the Polish saint. It is assumed that this building in its first version was created at the turn of the tenth and eleventh centuries. Since then it was rebuilt many times. The building we can see recently, was built on the ruins of older building from the second half of the eleventh century.

Sukiennice The Cloth Hall is historically the beating heart of Kraków's trade focused around the Main Market Square. In its first version it was built in the mid-thirteenth century. Initially it was a double row of stone stalls in the middle of Main Market Square. The Upper Hall serves as a Polish art museum.

The Barbican The Barbican, built by John Albert in 1498-1499, was for the long time the strongest northern fortification in Kraków. The complex was established due to the threat of Turkish-Italian invasion. The construction is a segment of a circle with an inner diameter of 24.40 m, and the thickness of the walls exceeding over 3 m. Built in a Gothic style, comprising seven turrets, was primarily connected to the St. Florian’s Gate, in aim to defend it.

The Kraków Tourist Card Search through our attraction to discover most interesting things to do in Kraków. You can enter all of them with Kraków Tourist Card How it works: www.krakowcard.com Buy the card online or at Tourist Info Exchange your voucher and get a brochure with list of places you can visit Choose the museum and get there by public transport free of charge, the card is your ticket Free 40 museum and attractions Free public transport Public transport from KRK Airport Public transport to Salt Mine Free entrance to Schindler's Factory Free Cancellation 23 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Collegium Maius Collegium Maius, located on the corner of Św. Anny and Jagiellońska Street, is the oldest university building in Poland In 1400 King Ladislaus II Jagiello bequeathed a town house to the University, purchased from the town councillor Piotr Gerhardsdorf (Gersdorf). Its remaining traces are the pieces of cobblestone wall in the current building's foundations and on its corner (both on Jagiellońska Street and in the courtyard).

JULIUSZ SŁOWACKI THEATRE IN KRAKÓW

The acting community in Kraków was vast and mobile. During

source: culture.pl

theatre's ensemble at any one time more than twofold. (....)

the tenure of a single artistic director, the number of actors who passed through the theatre outnumbered the size of the During the twenty-five-year history of this particular Kraków stage, about three hundred actors were in its ensemble at one time or another. Some stayed on for many years, most spent several seasons, some left quickly, others returned multiple times. There were also those who stayed on for merely a season. J. Michalik, The Krakow Theatre in the Years 18931918 in: The History of Polish Theatre, Polish Theatre in the Years 1890-1918.

Designed by Jan Zawiejski, the theatre was erected on Holy Ghost Square (Plac Św. Ducha) in place of the former 14th century church and monastery of religious order 'Duchacy' or Order of the Holy Ghost (hence the name of the square). The church had been converted into a residential building due to secularization of the Polish male branch of the cloister in 1783. The city council of Kraków decided to demolish it in 1886 in order to make room for a new theatre. The church was dismantled in May 1892 – an event which caused much controversy, notably the emotive declaration of Polish painter Jan Matejko, that he would never exhibit his paintings in Kraków again.

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and Mickiewicz's Forefathers' Eve. The latter was staged according to a concept by Stanislaw Wyspiański, who was the first to combine all parts of Mickiewicz's work in a single production (1901). The significance of the Romantic tradition and especially Słowacki's legacy found reflection in a festival of this writer's plays that was organised in 1909. It was at this time that the stage on Holy Spirit Square adopted the name of the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre. Ultimately, however, Wyspiański determined this Kraków theatre's place in Polish stage history and its status. After all, the Municipal Theatre had mounted world premiere productions of The Varsovienne (1898), The Wedding, Liberation, Protesilaus and Laodamia, Boleslaus The Bold (all 1903), as well as of Meleager, Sigismund Augustus, A November Night (all 1908) and The Legion (1911). After World War I, the theatre was headed in turn by Teofil Trzciński (1918-1926), Zygmunt Nowakowski (1926-1929), once again by Trzciński (1929-1932), by Juliusz Osterwa (1932-1935) and Karol Frycz (1935-1939). During the two inter-war decades, Kraków lost its status as the country's leading theatre center to Warsaw, but the Słowacki Theatre could still boast of having a very good ensemble and an interesting repertoire. Prominent actors like Stanisława Wysocka, Karol Adwentowicz, Marian Jednowski and Józef Karbowski appeared regularly on its stage, among scenery conceived by leading designers Karol Frycz, Iwo Gall and Zofia Stryjeńska. The theatre was simultaneously the first in Poland to stage the plays of writers like Claudel, Pirandello, Yevreinov and Kaiser. The Słowacki also staged the work of debut authors, among them Witkiewicz (Tumor Brainiowicz, 1921), Zegadlowicz (The Oil Lamp, 1924) and Wandurski (Death on a Pear Tree, 1925). Productions like Kochanowski's The Dismissal of the Greek Envoys (1923), performed in the courtyard of Wawel Castle, Słowacki's Lilla Veneda and Shakespeare's Hamlet featuring performances by Wysocka, and the world premiere of Rostworowski's Moving (1930) grew to be legendary. The same was true of special appearances by Hanka Ordonówna and of the theatre's production of Morstin's The Republic of Poets (1934), in which the author, under the guise of characters with strange pseudonyms, depicted a number of well-known Polish writers, including Tuwim, Staff and Lechoń. During the Nazi occupation of Poland, a German ensemble moved into the building of the Słowacki Theatre, which ultimately reopened in 1945 with a production of Żeromski's "My Little Quail Has Flown".

ERUTLUC

One of the most influential theatrical institutions based in Kraków The Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Kraków was initially called the Miejski (Municipal) and opened in 1893 in a new building erected on Plac Św. Ducha (Holy Spirit Square). The edifice, constructed according to a design by Jan Zawiejski, was modeled after the most beautiful theatres in Europe and is an exquisite example of Eclectic architecture. From Kraków to the National Arts reads the inscription on its marble façade, indicating how significant the founders of the newly created theatre's perceived the building to be, and how much they expected of the institution that would arise within it. The stage inaugurated its activities on the evening of October 21st with a program consisting of excerpts from Fredro's The Revenge, Słowacki's Balladyna and Mickiewicz's The Confederates of Bar. The theatre premiered its first full-length production, Fredro's Maiden's Vows, exactly four days later. Tadeusz Pawlikowski was the theatre's first director (18931899). He was followed by Jozef Kotarbinski (1899-1905) and Ludwik Solski (1905-1913) before once again resuming the position in the years 1913-1915. Lucjan Rydel ran the Słowacki for one season during 1915-1916 with Adam Grzymala-Siedlecki assuming the directorship for the years 1916-1918. Around the turn of the century, some of Poland's most outstanding actors were members of the theatre's ensemble. J. Michalik, The Krakow Theatre in the Years 1893-1918 in: The History of Polish Theatre, Polish Theatre in the Years 1890-1918. Kraków audiences have enjoyed performances of such artists as Kazimierz Kamiński, Ludwik Solski, Maksymilian Węgrzyn, Antonina Hoffman, Wanda Siemaszkowa, Stanisława Wysocka and Aleksander Zelwerowicz. Prominent theatre artists like Juliusz Osterwa and Kazimierz Junosza-Stępowski began their careers at the Słowacki Theatre, and actress extraordinaire Helena Modrzejewska (Modjeska) made numerous guest appearances. At the turn of the century, the province of Galicia was a center of modernist literature and art. Its theatres in Lviv and Kraków were the quickest to take on the new repertoire. The Kraków Municipal Theatre staged plays by Ibsen, Hauptmann and Maeterlinck and premiered a number of Polish plays that would become famous, among them Zapolska's "That One" (1898), Kisielewski's "In The Net" (1899) and Przybyszewski's "For Happiness" (1899). Simultaneously, the theatre on Holy Spirit Square became the birthplace of the theatrical concepts of the Young Poland movement. This was strictly related to the discovery of Romantic drama and the activities of Stanislaw Wyspiański. In Kraków the Romantic repertoire which contemporary commentators had judged to be 'non-theatrical' came to the fore. Thus, the theatre mounted the first-ever productions of plays by Słowacki The Golden Skull and Kordian (1899), Salome's Silver Dream (1900) and Reverend Marek (1901) as well as of Krasinski's Un-Divine Comedy (1902) and

VISIT THE JULIUSZ SŁOWACKI THEATRE IN KRAKÓW PL. ŚW. DUCHA 1, 31-023 KRAKÓW WWW.SLOWACKI.KRAKOW.PL

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WŁODZIMIERZ STACHOŃ

CASTLES

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/KARPATYMAGICZNAKRAINA

CASTLES IN POLAND PHOTOS BY:

Włodzimierz Stachoń Facebook: @karpatymagicznakraina text: travel.lovePoland and poland.travel

AFTER COUNTLESS WARS, PARTITIONS AND OTHER POLITICAL AND SOCIAL TURBULENCES, THE PRESERVED AND RESTORED CASTLES AND PALACES ARE NOW PART OF POLAND’S HISTORICAL HERITAGE.

Priceless monuments of the past remained untouched in many places. Others were restored or reconstructed with such meticulous care that they became works of art no less important than the original structures. By far, the boldest such undertaking was the reconstruction of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Whether preserved or restored, castles and palaces are full of life these days. They are homes to museums and/or education centres. They are venues for cultural events or outdoors events. They have been converted into luxury hotels with spa facilities. While restaurants in castles and palaces take you on journeys to the times of hunters’ parties and opulent feasts of the Polish nobility. Many layers of history are still waiting to be discovered. They are hidden in strongholds, in the Teutonic Knights castles, or in castles constructed by aristocrats to become family residences. Mysteries also remain to be uncovered in royal castles, late Renaissance family residences and in exuberant palaces of most exquisite designs. Palaces were often surrounded by sumptuous parks, gardens, frequently with romantic or downright fairy-tale gazebos and pavilions. And so they remain to this day.

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Niedzica CASTLE The castle holds secret treasures, ancient artwork and the ghost of a woman who appears nightly. Along the road leading up to the castle is a sign that warns visitors that they are about to enter a haunted location. The castle itself is located on a small peninsula into the river, making it ideal to defend against any sort of threat. The castle that stands today was originally built in 1325 by the Brezevichy family. There was a castle before this one, and it was named Dunajec Castle. It had about several owners in its existence, and there are now only walls that mark the original structure. The ghostly legends at the castle originate from one of the first owners of the castle, Sebastian Brezevichy. He traveled to Peru in South America, and he went on to marry a woman named Umina, who was an Inca royal. When war broke out between Spain and Peru in the 1860s, the Brezevichy family moved back to Niedzica, Poland. PHOTOS WĹ&#x201A;odzimierz StachoĹ&#x201E; https://www.facebook.com/karpatymagicznakraina/

They brought along with them the Inca treasure of the family so the Spanish would not be able to take it. The legend says that Umina was murdered in front of the castle by a treasure hunting thief, and the ghost of Umina appears every night to scare away anyone who comes close to the castle in order to protect her gold. Umina's father hid the treasure and he created a cryptic document so the treasure can be found again one day. However, no one has been able to break the code of the document up until this point. Umina is referred to as the "White Lady" of Niedzica Castle.

Castle serves as an archaeological museum with suites that can hold up to 35 guests.

The Niedzica Castle (up to the 19th century called Dunajec Castle) was build by the Hungarians in the first quarter of the 14th century. It stood long centuries as a frontier post on the Dunajec river keeping watch over the northern frontier of the Spisz territory, just opposite the Polish Castle Czorsztyn across the river. It belonged in turn to several Hungarian noble families, owners and colonisers of the Zamagurze region: the Berzevicsy, Drugeth, Zapolya, Horvath, Joanelli and Salomon. In a short period about the middle of the 16th century its owners were two Polish magnates: Jerome and Olbracht Łaski. After the I World War the Niedzica Castle was incorporated in the Polish State together with the northern part of the Spisz. Nationalized after the II World War it was entrusted to the Association of Art Historians and adapted for a hotel and a museum. The military functions of the castle affected considerably its architecture. Sieges, conquests, fires, mostly during the interior wars in the Hungarian Kingdom in the 16/17th centuries, brought the Upper Castle to ruin. The castle underwent a thorough restoration in 1950-1960. Consolidated in its ancient structures and fitted with all the necessary installations it lost nothing of its romantic aspect and atmosphere.

PH OT OS Wł o dz im ie r z S ta c ho ń www.fa c eb oo k. c om /k ar p at y ma g i c zn ak r ai n a/

NIEDZICA THE MUSEUM OPENING HOURS 01 May – 30 September: 9.00am-6.30pm 01 October – 30 April: 9.00am-3.30pm Mondays closed

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PHOTOS Włodzimierz Stachoń https://www.facebook.com/karpatymagicznakraina/

CZORSZTYN 49°26′13″N 20°19′35″E The ruins of Czorsztyn Castle are located in the southernmost part of Poland in Czorsztyn (Nowy Targ County in Lesser Poland), at Czorsztyn Lake within Pieniny National Park borders. On the other side of the Czorsztyn Lake is located Niedzica Castle. The Czorsztyn Castle stands at the top of the hill nearby Dunajec. According to Jan Długosz, in 1246 the owner of the castle was Piotr Wydżga. However that theory was never after confirmed by other historians, so the beginnings of castle functioning are dated on 14th century. 34 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Large development of the castle took place during the reign of Casimir III the Great. In years 1629–1643, when Jan Baranowski was a starosta of Czorsztyn, the castle was fundamentally rebuilt. In 1790 the roof of the castle burnt down due to a lightning strike. Afterwards, the castle was abandoned. open daily:

From 1 May to 30 September: 9.00am to 6.00pm Tickets: normal admission: 6,00 PLN reduced admission: 3,00 PLN car parking 5 PLN per hour

TROPSZTYN 49°47′47″N 20°38′42″E

THE MUSEUM OPENING HOURS:

The Tropsztyn Castle was probably built in the early 13th century by the Ośmioróg family. It was first mentioned in 1231, and remained in the hands of the family for 300 years. In 1535, following a royal order, Tropsztyn was handed to the castellan of Sandomierz, Piotr Kmita. Some time in the second half of the 16th century, it probably became the seat of highwaymen, as it was partially destroyed in 1574 by the owners of Rożnów, due to the “assaults, organized from the castle”. By 1608, Tropsztyn, which belonged to the Zborowski family, already was described as a ruin. First archaeological works were carried out here in 1863 by a Nowy Sącz historian Szczęsny Morawski. In 1970, it was purchased by Andrzej Benesz, and Tropsztyn was reconstructed in 1993. Now the castle is open to visitors in July and August. According to a legend, an Inca treasure is hidden somewhere in Tropsztyn, as its late 18th century owner, Sebastian Berzewiczy, went to Spanish Peru, where he married an Incan princess and his ancestors returned to Poland with the treasure. PH OT OS Wł o dz im ie r z S ta c ho ń www.fa c eb oo k. c om /k ar p at y ma g i c zn ak r ai n a/

Address: 33-314 Wytrzyszczka, Poland Saturday, Sunday 9.00am–7.00pm Monday-Friday 9.00am–5.00pm

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Muszyna The Poprad Valley: The Valley of Magic Photo:s © Konrad Rogoziński. Text: Zuzanna Długosz, Ewelina Natanek, Konrad Rogoziński. Project: Odkryj Beskid Sądecki (Discover Beskid Sądecki) www.odkryjbeskid.pl Facebook: www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid/

Muszyna - where exactly is it? Looking at the map of Poland, you may think that a town which is located near the border is at the end of the world, has its own flow and nothing happens there. Maybe it is true in some cases but not in the case of Muszyna for sure! The town, located in the south of Lesser Poland near the border with Slovakia, lives at a pace similar to the one which you can witness in the capital city. It is not a coincidence as a vast majority of tourists come here from Warsaw and Cracow (a former capital city of Poland). A harsh climate and landform were not easy on the development of industry, nonetheless, they contributed to the development of tourism.

Somebody who has never visited this place associates it with mineral water brands well-known not only in Poland, but also in Europe. Obviously, it is not a coincidence - the land of Muszyna abounds in the richest deposits of minerals which enrich the flavour of water and treat various diseases. It is highly recommended to either drink water from various springs or use it in baths and treatments. Due to this liquid gold, Muszyna became a popular destination mainly among the Polish in the thirties of 21st century. Recent years have shown that Muszyna attracts more visitors from abroad owing to tourist attractions which are constantly developed and reconstructed for instance Zapopradzie (a part of Muszyna on the Poprad River) which is famous for thematic gardens, swimming pools and springs of mineral water. You will also find here historical sights connected with multicultural and, at times, turbulent history. The fact that Muszyna lies near the border was connected with the need to erect buildings which played a defensive role such as a castle dated back to 13th century. In 14th century, the castle was destroyed by Hungarians who invaded this area. In the meantime, it played less important role being solely a fortress tower. Muszyna State (Państwo Muszyńskie), which existed from 14th century to 1770, constitutes a historical curiosity. With an area of 450 km2, it was Cracow Bishops’ land which had its own administration, judiciary system and army. At the same time, castle boroughs under the bishops’ supervision were erected. In 17th and 18th century crafts and trade flourished and Poles, Jews and Lemkos coexisted in harmony. Thanks to Lemkos, we may admire various historical, wooden Orthodox churches. Of course, Muszyna was never an independent state, nevertheless, it played a crucial role on the trade route from Hungary to Poland. Currently, thanks to the efforts of the local authorities, Muszyna rises from ruins.

Castle Boroughs in Muszyna Visiting Muszyna, you may find the most valuable historic sights hidden in Kita Street - a new seat of the Regional Museum of Muszyna State (covered with a real shingle!), a reconstructed Manor of Starosts (Dom Starostów) and the Guardhouse (Kordegarda). These completely different edifices remind us of the history of Muszyna State. The Guardhouse was dwelled by so-called ‘harnicy’ (the army of Muszyna State) and the Manor of Starosts was used until the turn of 16th century. Before, starosts had lived in the castle on the Baszta Hill. In the recent days, the ruins of the castle have been a subject of various works i.e. excavations and reconstruction. It is also more visible at night due to a creative illumination. For those who seek shadow during summer days, the House of Potter would be a great idea as you may find there a wide range of different workshops. It is a good idea to keep eye on the posters which contain information about current events such as fairs, concerts and many more.

What’s new? New Zapopradzie! For the last 15 years this recreational part of Muszyna, located by the Poprad River, has gained popularity among either local people or tourists. Thanks to huge investments, we may stroll in a variety of gardens. The Gardens of Senses or Sensory Gardens were created in order to provide people with a place where they can rest and relax. Moreover, they are designed in such a way to stimulate and intensify all the senses. The sense of taste can be also satiated in the ‘Garden Cafe’ - while sipping a cup of coffee, you can admire a beautiful landscape and, with a bit of luck, the Tatra Mountains in the distance. For those who are more active, there is an open-air gym and an observation tower. A little bit further, there are the Gardens of Fairy Tales and Legends and The Magical Garden. The first one introduces us to the world of regional stories and myths and the second one relocates us to sunny, mythical Greece. In the near future, there will be also an aviary. Zapopradzie Water Leisure Centre serves as a great place to cool off on hot days. Apart from traditional swimming pools and a paddling pool, there is a jacuzzi filled with healing water. Children will also enjoy a line park - the most recent attraction of the place. The amphitheatre is our next stop – for 20 years the Festival of Mineral Waters has been organised there. For three days in August, Muszyna transforms into a music capital as we may listen to the most popular singers and bands there such as Tatiana Okupnik, Kayah, Feel, Bajm, IRA, Bracia, Budka Suflera and Combi.

Project: Odkryj Beskid Sądecki Discover Beskid Sądecki www.odkryjbeskid.pl

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Orawa ŁUKASZ SOWIŃSKI

Polish Orawa WORDS BY

PHOTOS BY

intro: Muzeum Orawski Park Etnograficzny

Łukasz Sowiński | www.facebook.com/krajobrazysowinskifoto www.instagram.com/krajobraz.sowinskifoto.pl www.facebook.com/zsercaorawy

Łukasz Sowiński, born in 1988, permanently living in Zubrzyca Górna in Orava. He has been photographing for 10 years. He graduated from the School of Creative Photography in Kraków. He works as a wedding photographer, he is passionate about the landscape and documents the culture and customs of the region he comes from. His pictures can be seen in numerous publications related to Orava. His landscapes photography has been published at his website: www.krajobraz.sowinskifoto.pl

Orava (Polish: Orawa) is a historical region situated in Central Europe in the Orava river basin. The major part of Orava is currently located within Slovakian territory, while its smaller north-eastern part belongs to Poland. It surrounds the Tatra Mountains from the west and north-west, borders with Podhale and Liptov. The Polish part of Orava (Orava Basin) from the north and west is limited by the Beskid Żywiecki Chain and includes the western part of the Orava-Nowy Targ Basin. The eastern Orava border runs along the main European watershed, separating catchments of the Black Sea (by Black Orava, Vag and Dunaj) and the Baltic Sea (a small north-eastern section of this area lies in the basin of Czarny Dunajec). The Orava Basin is the largest region in Poland that belongs to the Black Sea Basin. Babia Góra (loosely translated as Old Wives' or Witches' Mountain) rises high above the whole region – this mountain is the queen of the Polish Beskids (1725 m above sea level), and its natural environment is protected within the Babia Góra National Park.The largest villages in the Polish part of Orava are Jabłonka (the informal capital of the region) and in terms of population – Lipnica Wielka.

In total, there are 14 villages included in Polish Orava. Jabłonka commune (Polish: gmina Jabłonka) consists of seven villages: Jabłonka, Chyżne, Lipnica Mała, Zubrzyca Górna, Zubrzyca Dolna, Orawka and Podwilk. Lipnica Wielka commune consists of two villages: Lipnica Wielka and Kiczory. The remaining five belong to the Podhale communes: Piekielnik, Podszkle and Bukowina-Osiedle to Czarny Dunajec commune, Podsarnie and Harkabuz to Raba Wyżna commune. There are almost 28.500 inhabitants living in Orava villages. The whole region belongs to the nowotarski district (Polish: powiat nowotarski) with its central office in Nowy Targ and to the małopolskie voivodeship with the capital in Kraków. A main road that passes through Orava is the national road no. 7 (DK7) leading from Żukowo near Gdańsk to the border with Slovakia in Chyżne. It is also a part of the European route E77 which connects Psków with Budapest passing through 7 countries altogether and having 1700 km. Another popular road is the voivodeship road no. 957 (DW957) connecting Orava with regions of Podhale and Ziemia Suska.

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tLP: I would like to start our conversation with the landscapes, maybe because we present such of your photographs in this issue. It is said that the landscape pearl of Polish Orava is Babia Góra – the highest peak of the Western Beskids Mountains. Do you agree with this opinion? What can you see from its peak? What other trips and landscape trails would you recommend? ŁS: I agree with the opinion that Babia Góra is such a gem. Babia Góra is visible from almost every corner of the Polish part of Orava, it accompanies every inhabitant in everyday life. Personally, I often look towards Babia to check what the weather will be like for the next few hours. There, you can see the earliest that rain clouds or storm clouds are gathering. This is where the first snow appears in autumn. Babia Góra as the highest peak of the Beskid's reigns over other surrounding mountains. Therefore, nothing obscures our views. From above, we will see the whole panorama of the Tatras growing over the Orawsko-Nowotarska valley and Orava Lake. We will see the Choczańskie Mountains, Pilsko, Żywieckie Lake, Luboń and even Kraków. I especially love winter in Babia Góra. Then, wind, snow and frost create unusual forms that may be very well depicted in photographs. In autumn and winter, the often observed phenomenon is the sea of clouds in the valley and the Tatra peaks emerging from it. With such a view, you can feel like in heaven. Choosing from marked hiking trails, you should go to Polica. The network of trails spreading over Orava leads through many nice, scenic places.

ŁS: In fact, we have large cultural wealth. Tradition is passed down from generation to generation, but many customs are slowly disappearing. I am glad, however, that recently there has been a fashion for regionalism and a part of the customs is being recreated. Involvement of institutions, but above all of the enthusiasts who devote their private resources and time, make the tradition come alive or at least not to die in such a fast pace. Thanks to such people, I was ‘infected’ with a passion for photographing and documenting tradition. When you see the energy, commitment and willingness of young people who are authentic, sincere and direct in what they do, I feel like grabbing the camera. This energy is easily shared. It is enough to mention the session with the Malolipnicanie ensemble, during which we recreated the old custom of so-called Śmigus Dyngus. Wellknown habit, but just for the record I will mention that the girls were poured by the boys with water, from a bucket, thrown into the river, etc. When it was necessary to recreate a few scenes from that day, I expected that it would be difficult to persuade someone to take on a few buckets of water. However, virtually all of the girls in the group got involved right away to the extent that during the session it was necessary to cool the enthusiasm down and divide them into smaller groups for particular photos. The girls took a few pails of water, landed several times in the river. As a result, many fantastic photos were created. This was very constructive.

However, as a landscape photographer, I am interested in places off the trail (outside the park it is legal). Often at dawn, I visit various places from which one can watch the mists dancing in the morning. An interesting place is Orawskie Lake. It is wild from the Polish side, which of course is a great advantage for the photographer. I focus only on the landscape, but I see great potential for people photographing animals. In the morning you can observe deer, foxes, lots of birds, and you can also see traces of beavers.

I will also mention the session when we played the traditional digging of potatoes (with us it is locally called "digging out turnips"). It used to be done in late autumn, with so-called "hoe", without machines. Due to the fact that Orava was rather a poor region, footwear was a luxury reserved for Sunday. Imagine today's youngest generation, often living under sterile conditions, that they suddenly have to take off their shoes and bare foot enter the wet, dug-out soil. In the age of machines, a breakneck task. However, the guys and girls from the band were quickly persuaded to perform authentic barefoot digging off potatoes.

tLP: Orava is a region very rich in culture. Traditions are passed from generation to generation, there are regional bands and ensembles here, as well as folk artists who preserve the Orava tradition. Many of your photographs are devoted to the documentation of traditions and customs. Is this due to the fact that you grew up in a culturally rich area? Please tell us about some of the most significant and still cultivated traditions in Orava.

I also recall the winter session of carol customs. Half a meter of snow, frost. The kids dressed in costumes of ancient carol singers, run with a smile in the deep snow, in the forest. Only sometimes someone mentioned that it was cold, but all of them participated patiently in the set of photos. Isn’t it authentic love for tradition? When you get such a group of enthusiasts, you are happy to think about new ideas for photos.

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ORAWA

view on

Jabłonka

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ŁUKASZ SOWIŃSKI WWW.SOWINSKIFOTO.PL WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/KRAJOBRAZYSOWINSKIFOTO

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tLP: In one of the first post-war Orava guides published in 1985 (!), I read that this region offers a very humble accommodation base. How much has changed since then? Will the tourist easily spend time in Orava and find a place to rest?

tLP: What major cultural events take place in summer in Orava? Probably one of them is the Orava summer in Jabłonka. What can you see during this event? Where else should you go to get to know Orava culture? Maybe Blueberry Day or Shepherd’'s Day?

ŁS: I think that a lot has changed since that time. From my parents' stories I know that in the past a tourist who came to Orava could use their accommodation, living like a family member at his host. This involved helping in agricultural work in exchange for accommodation and meals. These times are forgotten. At the moment, there are several boarding houses in Orava, a large number of private lodgings and agritourism farms. These of course have fully equipped rooms with bathrooms, often offering almost hotel conditions even for PLN 50 per night. The region has enormous tourist potential, fortunately at this moment, there is still no tourist commercialism. I mean that a tourist looking for peace, rest, also with children, hiking along the trails may come to Orava. There are no people looking for attractions such as discos, bars, galleries, "walking promenades". Nature, fresh air, views, peace are the great assets of the region. There are few such places in Poland. Orava is still such a peaceful place, but unfortunately this state may not last long.

ŁS: In fact, Orava Summer is a flagship event organised by the Orava Cultural Centre. During the event, everyone can take part in traditional competitions such as making butter, climbing the wooden post and so on. There are numerous performances by regional bands, folk artists' fair and eventually the final performance of musicians known throughout Poland. Shepherd's Day organised in Lipnica Wielka is also an opportunity to admire bands, talk to artists and local performers. This is an opportunity to take part in the competition of mowing the meadow (with scythe), chopping the tree on time, shooting from the shepherd.s whip. In turn, the Blueberry festival is the flagship event of the Orava Ethnographic Park. This is an opportunity to taste all kinds of blueberry products. The event is accompanied by numerous demonstrations of products, crafts, old customs. All this tales part in the open-air museum, among the old Orava buildings.

tLP: Orava is famous for several places: mainly smaller or larger villages. Where would you invite tourists to spend the day. To Jabłonka, Lipnica, Orawka or maybe to another place? What can you see there? It is worth going to the Orava Ethnographic Park in Zubrzyca Górna?

tLP: When looking for information about Orava, I must admit that I was a bit surprised. There are many sites devoted to the parts lying in Slovakia. There is a website of the Orava Ethnographic Park and several individual initiatives, but it is difficult to provide a well-prepared coherent information - especially in a foreign language. What do you think, what does it result from? Isn’'t Orava attractive as a whole and it is only worth focusing on selected parts of it, e.g. the Babia Góra National Park or its famous towns such as Jabłonka or Lipnica?

ŁS: In every village you can admire beautiful landscapes. Old chapels are scattered in every village. However, a tourist who wants to know Orava more closely must necessarily visit Zubrzyca Górna. Here is the Open Air Orava Ethnographic Park. In addition to the large number of objects of the old wooden architecture, the visitors have the opportunity to take part in various handicraft workshops. Zubrzyca and Lipnica are also starting points to Babia Góra, to Polica, and Hala Krupowa. You cannot miss Orawka. Here is St. John the Baptist Church, a historic chapel, one of the points of the wooden architecture route of the Lesser Poland voivodship belonging to the parish of St. John the Baptist in Orawka. Historic architecture, rich paintings with recorded history of Orava. In the Lenten period, you can see the so-called Lenten curtains, there are only a few of them in the world. Chyżne and Lepnica Wielka are the villages bordering directly with Slovakia. From these villages you can get to Orawskie Lake, but this s an attraction for those who like wild, undeveloped areas, or for anglers.

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ŁS: There are numerous books published also in recent years, describing, for example, costumes, customs, places, history, as well as albums with new and historical photographs. But actually there is no well-managed, coherent website in foreign languages on the Internet. Orava is attractive and has many advantages, often not used yet. There are numerous organizations, associations, and cultural units that create wonderful things. I have no competence in this field to review, but it seems to me that each institution acts as if it were on its own, which means that there are no joint cohesive activities. Only a common strategy would allow creating a solid tourist product promoted outside.

ORAWA

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Jabłonka

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ŁUKASZ SOWIŃSKI WWW.SOWINSKIFOTO.PL WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/KRAJOBRAZYSOWINSKIFOTO

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tLP: The Orava dialect still has many separate names, measures of volume, length, surface area or even measures related to the treatment of flax. It seems that many Orava inhabitants have a positive attitude towards using their dialect. Can you also use it? What does this matter look like in relation to the younger generation? ŁS: It is natural for those living here that they speak their regional language. Often you can even see the pride of using the dialect. An added value of using the dialect is the fact that the words in it sound more blunt. I realised that when we talk to people from outside the region, using pure Polish, we are still recognised as the mountains’ inhabitants. It's the effect of our dialect being melodic, accented differently than words in Polish. Although we use Polish, we can hear the mountain accent. I can still use the dialect. But certainly to a lesser extent than my grandmother. Every generation loses something. Unfortunately, the youngest practically do not use the dialect. It's probably the effect of television, Internet, new technologies. Children learn more from the media than from their parents. I live near the school, I observe such a situation that 10-15 years ago from the school pitch during the breaks I could hear some Orava words " podej", "cu robis?" "ka idzies." Today, the smallest ones do not speak with dialect. That is why there are now voices coming from the pitch, saying "podaj", "co robisz?", "dokąd idziesz?". The greetings "scynś Boze" is also getting less and less frequent. The child will often not understand the praises of "ales ty łopaterny" (you are resourceful, clever, or " wsturz to do stusa " (which means put it on the pile). There are still houses where the dialect is alive, but unfortunately, there are less and less of them. It is good that at Orava schools there are competitions of Orava dialect, reading in Orava dialect tournaments or some regional days organised. The publication by professor Kąsia of the Orava dialect dictionary, in several tomes, is invaluable. tLP: Is it true that the inhabitants of Orava think of the region primarily in terms of a small homeland; Polish or Slovak citizenship plays a secondary role and there are no distinct ethnic tensions. How does it feel to co-inhabit the land with Slovaks?

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ŁS: I think it is true that Orava inhabitants are strongly associated with the native land. Although many of them went to work to virtually every country in Europe, their homes are here. Some people move permanently to work. Most, however, come back, for holidays, at the weekends, whenever they are free at work. At the level of residents, there are no national or ethnic conflicts. Over the years, we have always been connected with each other. There were years when it was cheaper in Slovakia, we used to go shopping there, just for everything. Border trade flourished. At the time when the Euro currency was introduced in Slovakia, everything changed dramatically. Now, these are Slovaks who come to fairs, to stores in Poland. The number of stores that have been created in Jabłonka is stunning. This translates directly into the quality of life of everyone. tLP: To sum up: What determines the greatest strength of Orava, both in terms of tourism and culture? Orawka, rich tradition and still alive folklore are undoubted advantages, which are our strength, but also a commitment for the future. For me personally as a landscape photographer, however, it is the terrain first, with all its diversity, the morning photogenic mists that float from the lake up, the colourful sunsets at Babia Góra.

Thank you very much for the interview.

Directions The main road that passes through Orava is the national road no. 7 (DK7) leading from Żukowo near Gdańsk to the border with Slovakia in Chyżne. It is also a part of the European route E77 which connects Psków with Budapest passing through 7 countries altogether and having 1700 km. Another popular road is the voivodeship road no. 957 (DW957) connecting Orava with regions of Podhale and Ziemia Suska..

ORAWA ŁUKASZ SOWIŃSKI ZUBRZYCA GÓRNA- CHURCH FROM TOKARNIA

SOWINSKIFOTO.PL www.facebook.com/krajobrazysowinskifoto Church Our Lady of the Snows. Place of origin: Tokarnia. Place: ORAVA ETHNOGRAPHIC PARK IN ZUBRZYCA GÓRNA. Park presents the wooden architecture of the Polish part of Orava. Its most significant building is the Moniak Family Manor, an extended cottage typical for this region, featuring a dormer, an attic chamber.

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ORAWA ŁUKASZ SOWIŃSKI JABŁONKA

SOWINSKIFOTO.PL www.facebook.com/krajobrazysowinskifoto Jabłonka is a village in Nowy Targ County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland, close to the border with Slovakia. It lies approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) west of Nowy Targ and 67 km (42 mi) south of the regional capital Kraków. The village has a population of 4,400.

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ORAWA ŁUKASZ SOWIŃSKI ZUBRZYCA

SOWINSKIFOTO.PL www.facebook.com/krajobrazysowinskifoto

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ORAWA ŁUKASZ SOWIŃSKI PODWILK EARLY MORNING

SOWINSKIFOTO.PL www.facebook.com/krajobrazysowinskifoto

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ORAWA ŁUKASZ SOWIŃSKI ORAWSKIE LAKE

SOWINSKIFOTO.PL www.facebook.com/krajobrazysowinskifoto

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VIEW ON BABIA GÓRA The Babia Góra massif offers breathtaking views and outstanding ski pistes. Bears can be spotted in the reservation. The protected areas encompass a portion of the Babia Góra massif, including the highest peak in Beskid Żywiecki - Diablak (1725 m.a.s.l.), frequently called Babia Góra, as is the entire massif. It is Poland's second-most prominent peak (after Śnieżka in Karkonosze National Park), and thus dominates over the surrounding terrain. This impressive massif was referred to in the 19th century as 'Queen of the Beskids', but also 'Mother of Foul Weather' and 'Whimsical Girl', due to the extremely unpredictable weather at the summit.

VIEW ON LIPNICA MAŁA SOWINSKIFOTO.PL www.facebook.com/krajobrazysowinskifoto

We are the experts!

WWW.VISITPOLAND.ONLINE Check for the following services: Virtual guide to Poland. • hotels • resorts • restaurants • tourist facilities Visit Poland Online is a new and very innovative project – the tourist platform based on the Biggest Aerial Virtual Tour in the World. We plan to cover whole Poland with 1000 aerial panoramas in 2019. Now we work on the first stage of the project – East Baltic Coast with 3city and Hel Penisula as you can see on the map. There will be 15 destinations and 300 aerial panos this year. If you like our idea and would like to support promotion of Poland please follow our facebook profile where we publish all panoramas and share its content! We invite all who are interested in joining our platform – cities, hotels, restaurants or any other tourist objects. If you have your own panoramas, for example prepared for street view we can add your object quickly. If you do not have panoramas just contact us – we cooperate with local drone operators and photographers that can help – in Poland and in other countries as well.

check also: visit360.pl

Baltic Coast By: Visit360.pl, Project: www.visitpoland.online

Beaches of the polish Baltic coast are wide, soft and white or gold, some of them are utterly peaceful and almost not commercialised. They are hidden by densely coastal pine forests and therefore difficult to reach. From July onward, the sea water temperature is 16-18°C. For most people this is warm enough to cool down during the hot Polish summer. In the small villages you can enjoy fresh fish: smoked, roasted or baked. If you are lucky you can find amber on the beach, when the sea calms down after a storm.

the coast: THE LENGTH OF POLISH COAST IS ABOUT 700KM. IT STARTS IN ŚWINOUJŚCIE (WEST) AND ENDS IN KRYNICA MORSKA (EAST). THERE ARE MANY PLACES TO BE VISITED INCLUDING WILD BEACHES OR BIG CITIES AS GDANSK, GDYNIA AND SOPOT OR KOŁOBRZEG.

The Hel Peninsula is one of the most interesting areas of the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea. Actually, it should be called the Hel Spit. However, it is has generally been known as a „peninsula” for a long time so we will not diverge from this name. It is a narrow, 34-kilometer long spit, which was created by a sea current flowing from the east along the coast, carrying sand from the bottom. The entire Hel Peninsula belongs to the Seaside Landscape Park, which was established in 1978 to protect this unique part of Poland. It is the narrowest at the base, near Władysławowo, where it is only about 100 meters wide while its width at the end, near Hel, is about 3 kilometres. Therefore, when we look at the map of Poland, it resembles a "cow's tail". There is a railway line running through the entire Hel Peninsula and a convenient road with a bicycle path at its side.

Tourists staying here can enjoy beautiful, uncrowded beaches by the open sea or the beaches located on the Puck Bay. On the Bay, there are many campsites specialising in windsurfers and kitesurfers services as there are very good conditions for practicing these sports.

HEL is also a name for an old, Kashubian port city, a summer resort located at the end of the Hel Peninsula. The port of Hel is an excellent base for water sports enthusiasts, ships from here regularly sail to Gdynia, Gdańsk and Sopot. Hel is home to the Fisheries Museum, where you can climb the observation tower to admire the city skyline, Coastal Defense Museum and the famous Hel Seal Center. 57 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

BALTIC SUMMER ESCAPADES

HEL CONCEPT AND PHOTOS BY: JACEK BIELIŃSKI

VISIT360.PL, PROJECT: WWW.VISITPOLAND.ONLINE

Hel is home to the Fisheries Museum, where you can climb the observation tower to admire the city skyline, Coastal Defense Museum and the famous Hel Seal Center. An unquestionable attraction is also a lighthouse, open to visitors; climbing to the top of the lighthouse will reward the persistent ones with scenic view of the sea. Hel has the real charm and thanks to its unique location can boast with beautiful beaches. And we have two lovely beaches to choose from. One located above the open sea, mostly on the Hel Peninsula called the Big Beach and the one from the side of the Gulf of Gdansk – called the Little Beach (located next to the seal centre). 58 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

This bay beach, due to its location practically in the middle of the city, has an excellent tourist infrastructure. Numerous bars, restaurants and shops are nearby. In turn, to get to the beach on a spit from the side of the open sea you have to go through the forest section. But then we will reach a very wide and slightly less frequented beach. Until recently, this beach was a military area. Thanks to the military, it was possible to protect the vegetation growing on the Hel Peninsula, although probably some would like to build hotels or apartment buildings here. For its protection, the ‘Helskie Wydmy’ nature reserve was established.

JURATA

JURATA A well-known, pre-war resort, summer destination for the elite located in the middle of the Hel Peninsula, in the Jastarnia commune, between Jastarnia and the city of Hel. Jurata is located in a pine forest,Â creating a spa microclimate here. A special attraction of Jurata is a walking pier, from which one can admire the Puck Bay and the promenade (MiÄ&#x2122;dzymorze street), connecting the Baltic Sea with the Puck Bay. A bicycle trail running along the Hel Peninsula passes through Jurata. In Jurata you will find a wide range of accommodation and catering. We invite you for a holiday in Jurata. The beach in Jurata encourages tourists to relax in their charming surroundings. Its big advantage is white, fine sand and cleanliness. The beach is very neat. You can rent sun loungers, baskets and water equipment. The lookout tower in Jurata is one of the more eagerly visited attractions in this town. To get to the top of the tower, several dozen stairs have to be climbed. Admission to the tower is free. There are no opening hours as the tower is put into free use every day of the week throughout the year. 59 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

JASTARNIA

BALTIC SUMMER ESCAPADES

CONCEPT AND PHOTOS BY: JACEK BIELIŃSKI VISIT360.PL, PROJECT: WWW.VISITPOLAND.ONLINE

JASTARNIA – seat of the commune, tourist resort located in the middle of the Hel Peninsula between the towns of Władysławowo and Hel. The harbour in Jastarnia is an excellent base for water sports enthusiasts, from here you can catch regular ships and hydrofoils to Gdynia. There is a small airport in Jastarnia - scenic flights are organized here. Certainly worth seeing are the bunkers (well-described and made available for sightseeing) which during II World War were to be the Centre of the Jastarnia Resistance during. From the monuments of the Kashubian fishing culture, we can discover here the Fisherman's 60 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Hut, the private ‘Pod Strzechą’ Museum, and some specimens are also placed and made available for tourists in the port administration building. The museum shows the ancient life of a fisherman who used to live in this house. The Yachting Academy with headquarters in Jastarnia offers sailing courses on several types of yachts: a yacht sailor, a yacht helmsman, a yacht manoeuvre. The courses last on average about a few days. After their completion, the student receives a certificate entitling him to perform these activities. It is a great attraction for water sports fans.

sail away

sandy beach

In the bar in Jastarnia, just a stone’s throw away from the port, you can taste Pomeranian beer, try fresh fried fish, and listen to locals talking in Kashubian. Over the coast towers the lighthouse, one of the most obvious destinations for every visitor to the town.

Jastarnia is most famous for its sandy beach and dunes studded with pine trees, and some of these dunes are as much as nine metres tall. Jastarnia has what it takes to be numbered among Poland’s most popular coastal holiday resorts.

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KUŻNICA

KUŹNICA An old, Kashubian fishing village, which relatively recently turned into a peaceful summer resort. Kuźnica is located in the middle of the Hel Peninsula, 12 km from Władysławowo and 20 km from the city of Hel, between Chałupy and Jastarnia. The harbour and marina in Kuźnica is an excellent base for water sports enthusiasts. The beach in Kuźnica is clean, with fine white sand. On the beach, in the summer, there is a guarded swimming pool - Kuźnica Church. To reach the beach, you have to get across the train tracks. On the beach you can meet sometimes colourful fishing boats, which perfectly refer to the history of this place. The fishing church is a facility that was established by the residents of Kuźnica in 1933. The church was named this way due to the character of the village and the number of fishermen living in this place. The church was crowned with a wall painting depicting Jesus teaching from the boat and a wooden pulpit in its shape. There is a cycling path running along the Hel Peninsula. It reaches Puck at the other side of the spit. An additional advantage of this place is an opportunity of sea bathing, which can be practiced near the path. Crossing the cycle path, we can feel the fresh breeze blowing from the sea. 62 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

CHAŁUPY CONCEPT AND PHOTOS BY: JACEK BIELIŃSKI VISITPOLAND.ONLINE; VISIT360.PL

CHAŁUPY – an old Kashubian summer resort located at the beginning of the Hel Peninsula between the villages of Władysławowo and Kuźnica. On the bay for most of the summer there are very good conditions for water sports, especially windsurfing and kitesurfing. There are several campsites that specialize in providing services for windsurfers. There is also a small marina where you can rent bikes and eat fish. A clean and wide beach has attracted crowds of tourists for a long time. Currently, the village has changed its character a bit, becoming a Mecca for windsurfers and kitesurfers.

The quiet and calm waters of the Bay of Puck create excellent conditions for the lovers of the board with a sail both beginners and those who have been doing this sport for a long time. The village is famous for its deep fishing traditions. For more than 25 years, at the end of July, a big festival was held under the name "Kaszëbszczie bôt pod żôglame" (Kashubian boats under sails), during which you can admire the regatta of old boats, so-called. pomaranks, rowing, sailing and quant-boats, get acquainted with the old fishing craft and taste specialties of the Kashubian cuisine. 63 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

WŁADYSŁAWOWO

WŁADYSŁAWOWO It's a popular tourist resort, located by the Baltic Sea just at the entrance to the Hel Peninsula. Nice sandy beaches and unique surroundings attract crowds of tourists. In Władysławowo, or rather in nearby Cetniewo, there is the Centre of Olympic Preparations - in which Polish athletes prepare their sporting form. Near Władysławowo, you can visit the Cape Rozewie to visit the lighthouse Rozewie. The biggest attraction of this place is of course its sandy and wide beach, clean refreshing sea water and air rich in healing iodine. The beach here is a place that teems with life in the summer. In Władysławowo 5 guarded bathing areas have been designated. There are sun loungers available for tourists as well as water equipment rental. At the beginning of the summer season, inflatable rubber toys for children are placed on the beach. The port in Władysławowo is one of the most important fishing ports on the Baltic Sea. The port also has a sea border crossing to the sailing ports of Scandinavia, Lithuania and Latvia. In the summer season, we can admire sailing and sporting yachts mooring here. 64 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

JASTRZĘBIA GÓRA CONCEPT AND PHOTOS BY: JACEK BIELIŃSKI VISITPOLAND.ONLINE; VISIT360.PL

Jastrzębia Góra thanks to the picturesque location on the high cliff shore (67m above sea level) and the extensive accommodation and catering base attracts crowds of tourists every summer. The name comes from the highest hill on Kępa Swarzewska and predatory birds circling over it (Jastrzębia Góra means Hawks’ Mountain). In 2000 the place farthest to the north of Poland was determined and called the "Star of the North" – to mark this point, a commemorative obelisk was located there. From natural curiosities, it is worth seeing the Lisi Jar gorge, which once was about 10 km long, but the Baltic Sea absorbed a significant part of it.

The beach is a must-see place that should be visited while here. It is a very wide, sandy beach. In the summer, it is visited by loads of tourists. In the evenings, the sunbathers visit this place because of the beautiful, truly enchanting views. In Jastrzębia Góra as well as in the surrounding area, numerous Nordic walking routes have been created, which are now a great attraction for fans of active recreation. And if you like something stronger, then you can visit the Whiskey House. It is a place willingly visited by tourists. You can buy many different whiskey spirits that are not easily available in other places. You can also try them here. 65 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

SOPOT thanks to: Jacek Bieliński Visit360.pl, Project: www.visitpoland.online

SUMMER DESTINATION FOR THOUSANDS OF POLES AND FOREIGN VISITORS. for travel.lovePoland: thanks to Jacek Bieliński text source: poland.pl

Sopot is a seaside resort city in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. It lies between the larger cities of Gdańsk to the southeast and Gdynia to the northwest. The three cities together make up the metropolitan area of Tri-City. Sopot is a major health-spa and tourist resort destination. It has the longest wooden pier in Europe, at 515.5 metres, stretching out into the Bay of Gdańsk. The city is also famous for its Sopot International Song Festival, the largest such event in Europe after the Eurovision Song Contest. Among its other attractions is a fountain of bromide spring water, known as the "inhalation mushroom". Sopot is first mentioned in 1283, where it is referred to as a fishing hamlet. In the middle ages the village used to belong to the nearby Cistercian monastery in Oliwa. After the first partition of Poland in 1772, Sopot was incorporated into Prussia. Already from the 16th century, the town was known as a summer seaside resort, and from 1823, the French physician Jean Georg Haffner arrived in Sopot in the wake of the Napoleonic wars. He started to develop Sopot with public baths, a health resort and a pier. At the same time, holiday hotels emerged. The central areas in Sopot have been developing extremely quickly during the past decade, but most of the town remains unchanged when it comes to elegance and atmosphere, elements bearing witness of another era. 66 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER IN SOPOT: ADDRESS: DWORCOWA 4, 81-704 SOPOT PHONE: +48 733 535 205 HOURS: MONDAY-SUNDAY: 9.00AM-5.00PM

Many of the villas have been changed into boarding houses and even more people rent out rooms on short terms, while new restaurants and cafés seem to appear everywhere, and the quality clearly indicates that even though this is a tourist town, most of them make a living on the reputation and returning guests. Sopot is the home of quite a few excellent theatres, but obviously the performances are in Polish, and mostly they are booked a long time in advance. Some of the performances are experimental, and sometimes they go live at the beach. In addition we will find several big music events, among others the forest opera and live arrangements at the many bars. The most well known festival is probably the Sopot song festival, which takes place in the forest opera, and which has been taking place since 1962. Here we can watch huge, classical productions, performed by Polish as well as international top names, but also several radio and TV channels organize regular events in Sopot. Sopot and its pier have been inseparable for nearly 200 years. The first 31.5 metre-long pier was built here in 1827. It used to be taken apart before winter for fear of storms and then put back in place in the spring, its length growing each time a little bit.The pier served as a jetty for fishing boats and a venue for balls and parties; sometimes bankrupt gamblers from the nearby casino would throw themselves from it. Today with its 511.5 metres it is Europe’'s longest wooden pier. From the shore, it looks like a broad boulevard vanishing into the sea. Its railings, benches and lamps, whose white colour evokes sailor suits, contrast with grey deck boards and the dark blue sea. The pier has not changed much since the major overhaul in 1928. Today all repairs are supervised by a conservator.

SUN, SEA, SAND – A TASTE OF POLAND’S RIVIERA

He did not allow the replacement of the impressive wooden piles, which support the whole structure, with more resistant, concrete ones. He only gave his consent to covering the pier’s tip, continuously washed away by storms, with a reinforced concrete head during the general renovation between 1989 and 1991. In the following years, some of the old piles were replaced with new ones, also made of wood. Today's pier hardly differs from that portrayed in the pre-war photographs. A ship taking tourists for cruises around Gdansk Bay in the summer moors to the pier head. There is also a restaurant with a garden and a marina built in 2011. The pier offers stunning views of Sopot's elegant district, separated from the sea by a strip of the yellow beach sand. It overlooks Skwer Kuracyjny (Spa Square) with its historic fountain, and the glass facades of Dom Zdrojowy (Spa House) at the rear, with its restaurants, shops, a tourist information point, a conference centre and a spa. You can take a glass lift to the third floor, take the best seat on the balcony of the local café a and admire the view of the pier, having an espresso and a sip of brine from St Adalbert spring that spurts from 800m below (the tap and brine are freely available to the public).

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"SUN, SEA, SAND – A TASTE OF POLAND’S RIVIERA

On the left side of the square stands the building of the Balneological Institute from 1904 with its distinctive, cartoonlike tower. You can enjoy healing baths and massages there. As its commemorative plaque reads, the first institute was built in this place in 1823 by Jean George Haffner, an Alsatian from the town of Colmar and a doctor in the Napoleonic army. Thanks to him, Sopot became a famous resort, attracting visitors from all over Europe. Opened in 1920, the Sopot Casino brought prestige and popularity to the town and earned it its new name, the Monte Carlo of the North. It was for the Casino's clients that the Grand Hotel was built in 1927 on the right side of the square. The hotel was a sign of the extraordinary glamour and luxury and was famous for its bathroom taps running with seawater. Suite no. 226 hosted such personages as Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Charles de Gaulle, Fidel Castro and the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. After the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the Grand Hotel was the residence of Nazi leaders: Hitler, Göring and Himmler.

The pier continues on the shore as Bohaterów Monte Cassino (Heroes of Monte Cassino) street, referred to as Monciak, one of the most famous pedestrian zones in Poland. Its highlight stands at no. 53: Krzywy Domek, "Crooked Little House," with interesting architecture. Its designers were inspired by fairy tale drawings of the most famous Polish illustrator of children's books, Jan Marcin Szancer, and the Swedish graphic artist Per Dahlberg. The Crooked Little House does not have a single straight line and it looks as if it were melting from heat.

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Sopot

thanks to: Jacek Bieliński Project: Visit360.pl, www.visitpoland.online

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Sopot

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Visit360.pl, Project: www.visitpoland.online 71 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

M E D I A

S U P P O R T

O F

L O V E

P O L A N D

JACEK MALCZEWSKI Painter and illustrator, initiator and main representative of Symbolism in Polish painting at the turn of the 19th century. Born in 1854 in Radom, died in 1929 in Kraków.

Jacek Malczewski Museum in Radom Permanent exhibition of Jacek Malczewski works. Address: Rynek 11, 26-600 Radom, Poland Jacek Malczewski photo: Archiwum Ilustracji „Ilustrowanego Kuriera Codziennego” ze zbiorów NAC, 1910–1929

Daily opening time: various – check the website: www.muzeum.edu.pl Admission: all exhibitions: 20,00 zł, concessions: 12,00 zł

the most acclaimed artist

Jacek Malczewski is one of the greatest and most acclaimed artists in the history of Polish art. At the beginning of the nineties at the end of the last Century, his paintings introduced the Symbolism movement into the "Młoda Polska" ("Young Poland") school of painting, stimulating the rebirth of the Romantic tradition. Malczewski's father, Julian, had a major influence on shaping his son's worldview and personality. Julian Malczewski instilled into his son the ideas of patriotism and national messianism expressed most fully in Polish literature of the Romantic period. The strong sense of being Polish, sensitivity to the beauty of his country's landscape and a knowledge of national folk art were established during Malczewski's stay at the residence of his uncle, Feliks Karczewski in Wielgiem, where he was tutored by Adolf Dygasiński. Malczewski began his formal artistic education in 1872 in Kraków,

where he took drawing lessons from L. Piccard and audited a course by Władysław Łuszczkiewicz at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1873, advised by Jan Matejko, Malczewski entered the Academy of Fine Arts as a full-time student under the supervision of Władysław Łuszczkiewicz and Feliks Szynalewski. He supplemented his academic studies with private drawing lessons from Florian Cynk. Malczewski developed his artistic talent at École des Beaux-Arts in Paris between 1876-1877 at the studio of Henri Ernest Lehmann. He also attended the Académie Suisse. In 1879, Malczewski completed a master course on composition under Matejko which he started in 1875 at the Academy of Fine Arts. In spite of differences in understanding the idea of artistic form and expression, Matejko's art, filled with historiosophical conceptions, left a stamp on Malczewski's imagination. source: www.culture.pl

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Jacek Malczewski Figures borrowed from the repertoire of classical mythology have become an integral part of the plastic language of Malczewski. They carry ambivalent meanings associated with both the vitality of erotic instincts and compelling power of the senses, as well as with the conventional order of arts and artistic fiction embedded in the tradition.

JacekÂ Malczewski Museum in Radom www.muzeum.edu.pl 73 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

Malczewski's art concentrated on a few themes which were constantly developed, reshaped and interwoven. The artist's imagination circled around a few questions which he kept posing from different angles, exploring different aspects of the same matter; a matter which was as elusive as it was symbolic. The multiplicity of variants and nuances of a specific motif took part within a series and cycles of paintings devoted to it. Malczewski's oeuvre covers a few thematic series of a homogenous form, which coexisted and enriched one another by exchanging and interweaving its motifs. In 1903, the first individual exhibition of Malczewski's art was hosted by the Society of Friends of Fine Arts in KrakĂłw and Lviv, and by the Society for Encouragement of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

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Jacek Malczewski mistic art

Malczewski's self-portraits establish an autonomous and extensive trend in his art. Painted in a realistic convention, Malczewski's self-portraits depict his own image surrounded by the characters from his compositions – Eloe; Ellenai; Muses; Medusas; fauns; chimeras; girls wearing folk clothes – in an illusive, almost touchable manner. These works develop an autotelic motif and rise the questions of art, art creation and power of the artistic vision Self-portrait with Muse, 1906; My Models, triptych, 1909; Self Portrait with Tobias and the Moires, 1912; Farewell to Studio, 1913). The auto ironic tone resonates through the self-portraits, which confirm the artist's inability to liberate from the sense of a patriotic duty (On One String, 1908), and through paintings commenting metaphorically on moral choices and sensual fascinations in the artist's life (A Played Out Tune).

source: www.culture.pl

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love Poland

The Jagiellonian Fair in Lublin

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16-18 AUGUST 2019

The Jagiellonian Fair is a uniquely colourful event when the Old Town in Lublin vibrates with the incredible energy of people from many European countries. The festival invites folk artists, craftspeople from Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Belarus, Lithuania or Hungary. The artists are not random; they are carefully handpicked, authentic creators who continue the traditions of their families and regions. It is a great opportunity to get acquainted with traditional crafts and techniques, even more so because the artists run craft presentations and workshops at their stalls. At the Fair, we have a chance to get acquainted with the construction of looms and try our hands at weaving our own runners. When meeting potters, touching clay and potter’s wheel is guaranteed, and you can see that braiding does not take only the form of wicker but also straw, cattails, pine root or corn leaves. Every year, selected artists taking part in the Fair are distinguished by the jury as those who display high level of artistry and cultivate patterns and techniques characteristic for their regions. The winning artists are guaranteed a place at the next year’s festival. This is one of the ways in which the organisers assure high quality of presented items and signal the importance of cultivating traditions. So, here is the challenge for you – get to know around 300 artists, 300 stories, techniques and patterns. It is possible! The theme of this year's edition of the Jagiellonian Fair is beekeeping. The growing awareness of the need to protect bees and increasing education in this area have encouraged the organisers to build a programme focused on these amazing insects. By reaching for beekeeping traditions, both through academic perspectives and artistic inspirations, we will be able to learn more about bees, not just in the context of the honey they produce, but a much broader sense. We will learn about bees as insects creating an incredibly harmonised, ordered system. Their life and work inspire contemporary and folk artists. Bee motifs occupy an important part in parables, beliefs or ritual songs. The growing popularity of urban apiaries, the return to honey harvesting traditions, as well as numerous educational apiaries, conferences and bee protection initiatives show the desire to get to know them better. The Jagiellonian Fair is a uniquely colourful event when the Old Town in Lublin vibrates with the incredible energy of people from many European countries. The festival invites folk artists, craftspeople from Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Belarus, Lithuania or Hungary. The artists are not random; they are carefully handpicked, authentic creators who continue the traditions of their families and regions. It is a great opportunity to get acquainted with traditional crafts and techniques, even more so because the artists run craft presentations and workshops at their stalls. At the Fair, we have a chance to get acquainted with the construction of looms and try our hands at weaving our own runners. When meeting potters, touching clay and potter's wheel is guaranteed, and you can see that braiding does not take only the form of wicker but also straw, cattails, pine root or corn leaves.

Every year, selected artists taking part in the Fair are distinguished by the jury as those who display high level of artistry and cultivate patterns and techniques characteristic for their regions. The winning artists are guaranteed a place at the next year’s festival. This is one of the ways in which the organisers assure high quality of presented items and signal the importance of cultivating traditions. So, here is the challenge for you – get to know around 300 artists, 300 stories, techniques and patterns. It is possible! The theme of this year’s edition of the Jagiellonian Fair is beekeeping. The growing awareness of the need to protect bees and increasing education in this area have encouraged the organisers to build a programme focused on these amazing insects. By reaching for beekeeping traditions, both through academic perspectives and artistic inspirations, we will be able to learn more about bees, not just in the context of the honey they produce, but a much broader sense. We will learn about bees as insects creating an incredibly harmonised, ordered system. Their life and work inspire contemporary and folk artists. Bee motifs occupy an important part in parables, beliefs or ritual songs. The growing popularity of urban apiaries, the return to honey harvesting traditions, as well as numerous educational apiaries, conferences and bee protection initiatives show the desire to get to know them better. However, you would be mistaken to think that concerts are the final point of the programme of each day of the Jagiellonian Fair. From late evening till early morning, Lublin fills with the sounds of traditional music played to dance that blend with the rhythm of stomping on the hottest dance floor in the region. And all this courtesy of the dance stage that will see performances, among others, by The Jagiellonian Fair Orchestra, Janusz Prusinowski Kompania or Janusz Kmita’s band. Among the performers, we will meet both masters of the old generation - virtuosos of village music and their students and followers. Families with children will find an extraordinary space at the Fair. It is called The Jagiellonian Fair Playground and it presents many traditional games and folk toys that are bound to be a source of joy not just for children but also parents and grandparents, evoking memories of their childhood. Extra-large rocking horses, wooden tapping birds or hens moving down ramps are just some of the attractions to be found in Błonia near the Lublin Castle. The festival's family programme also includes music workshops conducted by experienced educators of tradition who teach the participants about old instruments or folk beliefs under the guise of play. The Jagiellonian Fair consists of three intense days. The festival is addressed to families with children and individuals. It is directed to enthusiasts of art, crafts and music. The educational programme filled with workshops dedicated to singing, crafts, dance or instrument playing will satisfy broad ranges of audiences, even the most demanding ones. Let's meet in Lublin and discover all the colours of tradition together.

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Photo: Ignac Tokarczyk

Let’s get to know the beautiful things. Join us! The Jagiellonian Fair in Lublin Workshops of Culture in Lublin

The Jagiellonian Fair in Lublin 16-18 AUGUST 2019

photos: Bartek Żurawski, Gutek Zegier, K. Bodys

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Tatra expedition High-quality services for your lovely tresses A STORY AND PHOTOS BY: JANUSZ WAŃCZYK

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JANUSZ.WANCZYK WWW.JANUSZ-WANCZYK.PL

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Janusz Wańczyk www.janusz-wanczyk.pl

We meet Janusz again. Previously, he showed us around his favourite mountains chain – Beskid Sądecki. This time the expedition goes much higher because we are going to visit Polish Tatra Mountains. Many (if not the vast majority) of your photographs depict mountainous landscapes.

tLP: Janusz, can you say that you are somehow connected with the mountains? And what is this relationship like? JW: Yes, I have been associated with mountains for many years. I am a native of Nowy Sącz and I was born over half a century ago, in Podgórska street. With photography, or actually with the art of taking photographs, I had already met in school times. It was traditional photography, black and white photos taken on film, developed in a developing tank and in an enlarger. Long hours spent in the light of a red light bulb and emotions when the first pictures appeared in a cuvette on a blank sheet. Then I captured in the photos the events of school trips, later from family life. I would like to mention my late Professor from the high electrician school in Warsaw, Antoni Ligęza. It was during the trips, rallies and holiday camps organised by him that we got to know the mountains, those close and those further. In a friendly and pleasant atmosphere we crossed the trails of the Bieszczady, then still almost virgin as well as the chains of Gorce, Pieniny and our Beskid Sądecki. To this day, my love for the mountains, admiring the beauty of the landscape and nature, has been vivid in my mind. These were the impressions I wanted to capture in the pictures – this is how a photographic passion was born. The so-called conscious photography started in 2003 when we won a local competition. tLP: I remember my first Tatra trip, probably when I was 8 years old. And do you remember when you first went to the Tatras? Do you think that we can say that these are mountains for everyone? JW: My first time in the Tatra Mountains was the school classic – a trip to Lake Morskie Oko, but my first adult trekking in the "real" Tatra Mountains was an expedition to the Ornak range from the Kościeliska Valley 25 years ago.

The infatuation remains and when circumstances and health allow me to spend some time in the mountains, I preferably choose the Tatras. Of course with the camera in the backpack. The Tatras can be for everyone but... the difficulty of the trails should be chosen according to our capacities. The time of year is also important. Trails which seem pretty easy in the summer, in the winter season are suitable only for the chosen ones with special training and equipment. There are also easy and very attractive scenic routes that can be offered to parents with small children, for example: Kościeliska Valley, Gąsienicowa, Morskie Oko, routes to the regal peaks: Sarnia Skała, Kopieniec or Gęsia Szyja. But I also saw small children on Rysy... tLP: In this issue, we present (besides the Tatra landscapes), the photographs of mountainous goats living in the Tatras. People and animals in the Tatra National Park share one, common space. During your trips, did you notice any changes in the nature of the Tatra Mountains? And what about other animals – did you meet in the Tatras, for example, bears or marmots? (I personally remember that many years ago I had to escape from a bear, jumping through the window into a shelter in the Roztoka Valley). JW: Wandering early in the morning, near the trail to the shelter of Murowaniec, on the glade called Równia Królowej, I saw a bear with two of her offspring, feeding on a clearing. It was there also in the evening when we were returning from the summits of Granaty . They were eating blueberries between the clumps of mountain pines Kosic, not paying much attention to the numerous groups of tourists observing them. I have met mountain goats many times on the Tatra trails. 79 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

TATRA MOUNTAINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANUSZ WAŃCZYK

At Ornak, a group of several goats blocked a crossing on the trail, eating tasty herbs. The observation could take over a dozen minutes before they graciously let us go. At the descent from the Starorobociański Summit to the Chochołowska Valley, the situation repeated itself on Trzydniowiański Wierch. I met and photographed the most numerous herds of goats on the trail along the summits of Czerwone Wierchy and in the Slovak Tatras: on the Wide Bielska Pass and in the Lamb Valley. I watched marmots and listened to their whistling melodies in the Dolina Pięciu Stawów valley but I was not lucky enough to photograph them. I have a large collection of photographs of Tatra vegetation. Recognition of plants’ bnames and their photographic documentation is my new passion. tLP: Janusz, you spent a lot of time in the mountains. You visit them at any time of the year. Please tell me a bit about the famous Tatra weather. After all, the fact that the sun shines in the morning does not mean that in the afternoon the visibility will not drop to 3 meters. The fact that the visibility has dropped to 3 meters and the wind is blowing, does not mean that it will be like that the following day ... How important is this moody weather for the photographer and for the tourist? JW: Yes, the mountain wind has often brought me to a horizontal position. At the same time, it gives a guarantee of incredible scenery in the sky and beautiful colours, especially

in the late evening. It is really dangerous and full of horror to encounter a summer unexpected storm in the Tatras. This adventure has happened to me several times, last time in August 2018 at the descent from the summit of Kozi Wierch to Dolina Pięciu Stawów. Earlier on Granaty and in Slovakia on the Lamb Summit. For the photographer, an earlier weather assessment is important. This is not always confirmed, consistency and persistence are needed. tLP: Some people in the Tatra Mountains 'scared of crowds'. Places like Morskie Oko, Giewont (I apologize in advance but I personally call it Fools’ Mountain) or even Rysy make a list of locations where you can always count on the "company"of other tourists. Does it bother you? And can you count on 'loneliness in the Tatras’ and communing in peace with the beauty of nature, a real experience of emotions? JW: The Polish Tatras are small and in the summer season while hiking you will never be lonely in good weather. The most popular routes are frequently visited: Morskie Oko Lake, the valleys: Kościeliska, Chochołowska, Gąsienicowa, the trails to Czerwone Wierchy, Giewont and "Orla Perć". My trips to Polish Tatras I try to plan in less popular months: May, June or September. In the summer high season, I choose trails on the Slovak side. Regardless, I set off very early in the morning.