Customs and traditions MAŁOPOLSKA 14 UNESCO World Heritage List sites 255 attractions on the Wooden Architecture Route Wadowice – town of birth of Pope John Paul II Salt mines in Wieliczka and Bochnia 9 spa resorts 6 national parks 6 geothermal pools Rafting down the Dunajec gorge 2600 km of bicycle trails 3360 km of mountain trails 65 ski stations www.visitmalopolska.pl fb.com/lubiemalopolske The project has been funded by Małopolska Region Rejkiawik IS MAŁOPOLSKA Capital of the region: Kraków Major cities: Tarnów, Nowy Sącz, Oświęcim Surface area: 15,190 km2 (about 5% of the surface area of Poland) MAŁOPOLSKA Population: 3.4 mil. (about 8% of the population of Poland) Customs and traditions Landscape: FIN Helsinki the tallest peak – Rysy: 2499 m asl N Oslo S mountains – Tatras, Beskids, Pieniny, Gorce Sztokholm Tallin EST RUS isiting Małopolska is a unique opportuni- foothills – Carpathian Foothills Ryga ty to see real highlanders wearing their folk uplands – Kraków-Częstochowa Upland LV Dublin DK costumes: woollen trousers with the embroi- lowlands – Vistula valley IRL Kopenhaga LT Wilno dered parzenice, a hat with a feather, and the main rivers – Vistula, Dunajec, Poprad, Raba, Skawa, Biała GB RUS Mińsk NL Vcharacteristic shoes called kierpce. One can also ad- water reservoirs – Czorsztyński, Rożnowski, Czchowski, Dobczycki, Londyn BY Amsterdam Klimkówka Berlin mire the rakish Kraków folk costumes with an exquisite Bruksela Warszawa D PL peacock feather attached to a red, four-cornered cap, the highest located, cleanest lakes – Morskie Oko, Czarny Staw, the lakes B Kijów L Praga KRAKÓW of the Valley of Five Polish Lakes Paryż Luksemburg UA as well as the glistening bodices and flowery skirts. But the largest and deepest cave – Wielka Śnieżna Cave: over 22 km CZ there is much more to the traditional culture of the re- SK Bratysława of corridors, 824 m deep F FL Wiedeń Berno MD gion than just folk costumes. There are a number of Vaduz Budapeszt CH A H Kiszyniów original religious rituals and customs, which are still Lublana SLO www.visitmalopolska.pl www.muzea.malopolska.pl RO Zagrzeb cultivated by the locals during important festivals. The San Bukareszt Marino HR AND Monako BIH Belgrad legends and tales about the olden days, as well as the P E MC RSM Andora Sarajewo SRB Lizbona I Madryt MNE Sofia mysteries and ghosts, are part of the rich cultural her- Priština BG Rzym Podgorica RKS Skopje itage of Małopolska. Other important components of Publisher V Tirana MK Department of Tourism, Sport and Promotion AL this heritage are local products and original local dish- at The Office of the Marshal of the Małopolska Province GR TR es created with their use. Regional Tourism Information System Team ul. Basztowa 22, 31-156 Kraków Ateny The still existing folk culture is the strongest expression [email protected], www.visitmalopolska.pl of the variety of Małopolska, whose every region has M its own particular costumes, customs, traditions, dish- New release: 2017 es and delicates. Małopolska Organizacja Turystyczna Rynek Kleparski 4/13, 31-150 Kraków [email protected], www.mot.krakow.pl Project coordinator: Agnieszka Bratek Text Krzysztof Bzowski Publishing Amistad Sp. z o.o. – Program ul. Stolarska 13/7, 31-043 Kraków tel./faks: + 48 12 4229922 [email protected], www.polskaturystyczna.pl fot. D. Zaród Production management: Agnieszka Błaszczak, Małgorzata Czopik Project coordination: Katarzyna Thor Publishing concept: Anna Niedźwieńska Editor: Aurelia Hołubowska Proofreading: Agnieszka Szmuc Cover design, graphic design: PART SA Maps: Wydawnictwo Kartograficzne Daunpol sp. z o.o. Typesetting, preparation for print: Michał Tincel Translation and proofreading: EuroInterpret Dominik Moser Third edition: K. Syga, Virtual 3D Kraków 2017, ISBN 978-83-65249-91-3 The authors and publishers have made every effort to ensure the text is accurate, however, they cannot be responsible for any changes that took place after the materials have been prepared for publishing. Materials prepared as of: 28 February 2017. FOLK Folk costumes Everyone must have seen at one point the famous costume of a Cracovian, with a peacock feather proudly attached to a four-cornered cap, or a highlander’s hat rimmed with shells and adorned with a feather. Richly sequined bodices, thick strings of beads, vividly coloured skirts, meticulously embroi- COSTUMES dered parzenice on the highlander’s trousers… The folk costumes of Małopolska sparkle with boldest colours and amaze with their variety of design and ornamentation. The most famous folk costumes are worn by the Cracovians and the highlanders from Podhale. Very different traditions were cultivat- ed by the Lemkos and the Rusyns from Beskid Sądecki and the Low Beskids. Still different costumes were worn by the highlanders of Spisz, Orawa and Lachów, near Nowy Sącz. The Cracovians are famous for their costumes. The traditional man’s costume consisted of a white linen shirt and red-striped trousers tucked into high boots. The top was a black or dark navy blue tunic, adorned with red weeds and metal circles, girded with a belt and covered with a long, white, woollen russet coat with a red-weed pattern. The costume was complete with a celender hat, a woollen ma- gierka cap or the characteristic red-cornered cap with a peacock feather and colourful ribbons. Wom- en, in turn, used to wear a white embroidered blouse and a black or navy blue bodice, which was the most ornamental element of the costume – adorned with wide, colourful ribbons, buttons and fan- cywork. They would put on a flowery skirt and a white embroidered tulle apron on a white petticoat, and high boots on their feet. The costume of a married woman was complete with shawls, whereas maidens appeared with their hair uncovered and arranged in a long plait. The Lendians inhabit a major part of the Beskids and the area around Nowy Sącz in particular. Their costume is very original, although not very well known – it combines elements of the Kraków and the highlander costumes. It is characterised by its ornamental richness. Men used to wear navy blue trou- sers and embroidered tunics with numerous brass bosses and coloured woollen weeds. Underneath, they wore a white shirt girded with a wide highlander-style leather belt, or sometimes with a high- lander’s stud. Women wore velvet bodices and skirts, usually of navy blue colour. The Lemkos from the Low Beskids and the Nowy Sącz area created a completely different costume. Men wore the so called czucha – a long, brown linen overcoat with a characteristic fringed back collar. Underneath, they used to put on a short navy blue waistcoat, a white shirt and white trousers. Women, in turn, would wear thin white shirts with colourful embroideries around the collar and the cuffs, navy blue or black bodices with embroidered flower-patterns. The percale skirts were dark and decorated with vertically arranged colourful ribbons. The last component of their costume were kierpce shoes. Cracow Regions inhabitants, photo by K. Bańkowski Lach folk costume element, photo by K. Bańkowski Highland girls on horseback, photo by K. Bańkowski 2 3 FOLK COSTUMES The highlanders from Podhale, who live at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, are very proud of their beautiful traditional costume. That is why Podhale is the place where folk costumes are so com- monly seen. And a marvellous sight it is, too! Women wear meticulously crafted flat leather shoes (known as kierpce), colourful skirts with a linen apron and a petticoat underneath. A linen shirt with white embroidery is covered with a red or black velvet bodice, often adorned with coloured embroi- dery presenting a carline or a Turk’s cap lily. Finally, there are the obligatory thick strings of beads and a sheepskin coat for when it gets cold. Men put on a white shirt with an ornamental metal collar stud and a waistcoat called gunia or a loose woollen jacket known as cucha – both ornamentally embroi- dered. A wide leather belt, which used to serve as a pocket for pistols, holds up the white cloth trou- sers with a black stripe and the decorative embroideries called parzenice. The costume is complete with the leather kierpce, a cane called ciupaga and a black felt hat adorned with shells and a feather. The highlanders from Pieniny wear a white shirt, a glaring-blue, richly embroidered waistcoat and the traditional white trousers with parzenice. The last necessary element of the costume is a black hat with a little strap imitating a string of shells. In the past, highlanders also used to put on a white or brown embroidered cucha as an overgarment. The traditional woman’s costume was similar to those worn in other regions. Its characteristic elements included a white shirt with a large embroidered col- lar, a black or red bodice, a flowery skirt, embroidered aprons and the kierpce shoes. Babiogórcy, the highlanders from the area around Zawoja, used to wear white trousers with much more modest parzenice and brown, knee-long gunie, worn as an overgarment. Women wore navy blue skirts with a little white pattern and the so-called jadwiśka – a close-fitting jacket. On the other side of the Babia Góra mountain, in Orawy, women used to wear elbow-sleeved blouses with a wide lace frill around the cuff and neckline. They also gladly put on bodices and skirts made of the same flow- er-patterned material. Here men also wore white trousers with parzenice, as well as a black waistcoat with white buttons and a brown gunia. The highlanders from Spisz, also known as Spiszacy, live east of Podhale. Their costumes vary Highland music, photo by K. Bańkowski a lot, even from village to village. However, they used to wear white trousers with parzenice, a waist- Highland belt, photo by K.