Little Poland and the Carpathian Mountains - South East

Introduction

We cordially invite you to visit the beautiful land stretching over the southern part of our country. The tourist is warmly greeted and received here the year around and can always participate in various forms of tourism and relaxation. The mountains are the most important element in the landscape of southern Poland. Stretching out here is the western fragment of the long chain of the Carpathians with their highest belt - the Tetra, mountains of an alpine nature. Further to the east, we have the vast region of the Beskids, with their less severe outline. For the most part, they are covered with beautiful forests, and many river valleys divide them into smaller mountain groups, Silesian Zywiec, Insular, and Low Beskids (Beskid Slaski, Zywiec, Wyspowy and Niski). The Bieszczady Mountains extend furthest to the east. They are characterised by astonishingly variable landscapes, vast panoramas, colourful nooks of mountain valleys, and nature in all its richness. Many old settlements with a thousand-year history that boast many priceless relics of architecture and culture await tourists in this part of the country. Among them is Cracow - one of the most famous and beautiful cities of Europe. Southern Poland is worth visiting if only to get acquainted with this city. Yet, there are many other attractions here. To those looking for rest in the summer or lovers of winter sports we suggest the renowned and well-organised tourist centres in the Silesian Beskids or Zakopane and its vicinity in the Tatras. The area is vibrant with activity the year around, though lovers of quiet and virgin nature will find them in the Bieszczady, in the Niepolomice Forest, or in the Low Beskids. We have magnificent relics of architecture and museums not only in Cracow. You can follow the trail of the oldest wooden Orthodox churches and sacred buildings of exceptional charm, go to see the most beautiful Polish palaces in Baranow Sandomierski, Krasiczyn, Lancut, Nowy Wisnicz, Pieskowa Skala, Pszczyna, or visit the industrial towns of Silesia, the pit of a modern mine in Ruda or an old one in Tarnowskie Gory, or finally the salt mine in Wieliczka. Those of you who love folklore and the performances of folk bands will find the most colourful examples of this art among the highlanders, especially at various festivals (e. g. in Przemysl, Rzeszow, Zakopane, Zalipie near Tarnow) or at campfires, sledging cavalcades and picnics organised by our agency. We suggest excursions through the colourful nooks of this land, rest and therapeutic stays in famous Beskid health resorts, participation in cultural and folklore events. You can visit the entire southeastern region of Poland or go hunting, mushroom pickinging, or fishing. You can take an active part in a canoe race or sail with highlanders down the beautiful Dunajec River valley in the Pieniny Mts. or take a boat ride on Roznow Lake or Solina Lake. You can also go horseback riding or in a carriage or take a few riding lessons in one of the horse stables in the Tarnow region.

Cracow - The Town at the Foot of Wawel Hill Among the cities that have had the greatest influence on the development of European culture, Cracow is always mentioned. This historic town developed on the Vistula at the foot of Wawel hill. The former capital of Poland, centre of science, culture and art cherishing a thousand year-long traditions, it is a great treasure - house of national relics and also plays an important part in the economy of the country. After the last war, large, new industrial works were constructed here, among them the Lenin Steel Works, around which a huge residential area developed called Nowa Huta. Cracow is still developing and today has more than 700,000 residents. It is a large centre of education, with young people studying at 11 schools of higher learning. Several theatres are active here, including the most renowned ones: The Old Theatre (Stary Teatr) and the Slowacki Theatre. There are several dozen museums and art galleries, an opera and operetta. Many artistic events are held here, some of international significance (e.g. festival of Short Feature Films, Biennial of Graphics). The great cultural traditions of Cracow inspire the creative efforts of modern Polish artists, among whom Krzysztof Penderecki and Tadeusz Kantor have gained world renown. Cracow is also a large centre of domestic and foreign tourism. Every year more than 2,000,000 tourists visit the city. The history of the town goes back to the days before the formation of the Polish state, when it was the ducal capital of the Vislane tribe. There are legends that tell of the founder of the town, duke Krak, and his daughter Wanda, and the sinister dragon from the cave of Wawel Hill. Cracow became more important at the beginning of the 11th century, when it became the capital of the entire Polish state and played this role till the beginning of the 17th century. The town continued to develop despite the destruction caused by Tatar raids in the 13th century (in memory of one of which each June an amusement called "Lajkonik" is held). The Cracow Academy (now the Jagiellonian University), the second oldest university in Europe, was founded here in 1364. Many architectural relics from that time have been preserved. Cracow experienced its "golden age" during the reign of the Jagiellonian dynasty (1386-1572). As the capital of a powerful state, it became a flourishing centre of sciences and the arts admired by foreigners and extolled by poets. Famous artists left the products of their talent here. When the royal residence was transferred to Warsaw at the end of the 16th century, the importance of Cracow began to decline. Not until the period of the partitions of Poland, when the Polish state disappeared from the map of Europe for more than 120 years, did Cracow once again become a national symbol, the centre of Polish culture and art. Famous painters, poets and writers worked here: Jan Matejko, Stanislaw Wyspianski, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, Stanislaw Przybyszewski, Jan Kasprowicz, Juliusz and Wojciech Kossak. Cracow became the main centre of Polish modernism (Young Poland), whose greatest representatives were Wyspianski and Przybyszewski. Here and in Warsaw national liberation movements began. It was at the Cracow Market Place that Tadeusz Kosciuszko, Poland`s national hero, in 1794 took his famous oath, which initiated the uprising against the invaders, and in 1846 Cracow once again took up arms. The defeat of this outburst led to a loss of the remnants of autonomy of the so-called Cracow Republic. After Poland regained her independence in 1918, the Jagiellonian Library, National Museum, and Mining and Metallurgy Academy were built here. During World War II, the German authorities of the so-called General Government resided here. The residents of the city shared the fate of other Poles. Many perished. Professors and scientific workers of the Jagiellonian University were deceitfully summoned to a meeting and sent to a concentration camp. Relics and monuments of national culture were destroyed and plundered. However, the walls escaped serious destruction during the tragic war years thanks to a manoeuvre by Soviet forces that prevented the blowing up of the city. In 1978 UNESCO placed the historic architectural section of Cracow on the list of the 12 most precious world monuments. The renovation of its Old Town has been in progress for several years, which will restore the former splendour of the ancient relics (there are more than 3500 of them) and make them even more beautiful. It is difficult to describe the unique charm and harmony of edifies created for centuries, hiding within their walls the most precious works of art. Surrounded by precious relics is the vast Market Place, whose central part is occupied by Clothiers' Hall (a former covered market, presently the seat of tourist and business agencies and the Gallery of Polish Painting). Colourful crowds come and go throughout the entire day around the Clothiers' Hall, the famous Krakow flower vendors spread out at the base of the Adam Mickiewicz monument, and it is also here where the great competition of Cracow Christ-child's cribs, famous at home and abroad, is held in December every year. Some of them in their shape remind people of the Gothic St Mary's Church, built in the 14th c., standing by the market Place. Inside one can admire the famous altar carved by Wit Stwosz. In the main scene, depicting the dropping off to sleep of the Virgin Mary, the figures are of natural size and rendered with unbelievable realism. On 18 bas-reliefs the artist has also presented scenes from the Bible. From the tower of this church every hour there resounds a bugle-call from the Middle Ages. Every burgher's house at the Market Place has its own rich history, to mention only the famous "Wierzynek" restaurant, where according to tradition, Charles IV the Great, kings and dukes who were attending a congress in Cracow. The entire Old Town complex, surrounded by the green Plant belt, is bewitchingly rich in architectural styles. Here at every step and in every corner something new appears. Everything here has its own historic climate. The fragment of town walls with St Florian's Gate and several towers along with the Barbican are the remnants of medieval fortifications, one of the few still surviving in Europe. The cultural richness of Cracow is highlighted by the collections of 28 museums, among which the National Museum houses famous collections of painting (e.g. Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt), sculptures, goldsmith's works, and documents. The Jagiellonian Museum in the Gothic Collegium Maius has the collections that document the history of the university and also mementoes of its most famous alumnus - Nicholas Copernicus. The interiors of palaces, churches, old burghers' houses of Cracow are astonishing in the richness of their architectural details, polychromy, stained-glass windows, painting and sculptures, furnishings. Wawel Hill with the Royal Palace and the cathedral are complex of buildings that have the greatest importance for the history and culture of the Polish nation. The church contains the graves of Polish Kings, the works of famous artists such as Wit Stwosz and Santi Gucci, and in its vaults - graves of such famous Polish leaders as Prince Jozef Poniatowski and Marshal Jozef Pilsudski as well as the poets Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Slowacki. Among the 18 chapels of the cathedral, King Sigismund`s Chapel is remarkable for its beauty, and it is regarded as one of the outstanding Renaissance works in central Europe (work of the Florentine artist Bartolommeo Berrecci). Five bells hung in the belfry of the cathedral; among which the largest is "Sigismund" (diameter 2.5 m, height 1.95 m) was cast in 1520. The Royal Palace at Wawel was built in the 14th c. and then rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th Renaissance style. Today it contains the National Art Collections (rich collections of tapestries, period furniture, Polish and European paintings, military accessories, and in the treasury - the royal insignia). Oriental art is presented in the permanent exhibition "The East Wawel Collections" (i.e. a rich collection of Turkish tents and military accessories). There are also other priceless relics in Cracow. An interesting complex is the oldest part of the Kazimierz district, where besides the town hall and the churches of St. Catherine and Corpus Christi, there are also relics of Jewish culture. In the Old Synagogue (originally Gothic, rebuilt in the 16th c.) there is a Judaic museum, containing relics, religious objects, works of art and handicrafts, books and manuscripts. The Remu`h cemetery, established in the 16th c. is nearby.

Magnum Sal or Wieliczka This town is not far from Cracow (13 km). The greatest tourist attraction here is the antique salt mine, placed in 1978 by UNESCO, beside Cracow, on the list of the 12 most priceless world monuments. It is among the oldest and largest complexes of this type, with a total of about 20,000,000 tons of salt having been mined here in the course of 700 years. The length of the headings and excavations on 9 mining levels amounts to more than 300 km. The oldest part of the mine is open to visitors. The 4.5 km-long route leads through galleries and chambers on three mining levels. Here one can see 17th and 19th c. chapels and the natural, world-unique Crystal Caves. The underground part also contains the Museum of Cracow Salt-Works, whose exhibition presents the history of Polish mining. On display are original mining tools and implements placed so as to give the impression that the miners have just finished their work. Open since 1964 in the mine is the underground sanatorium "Kinga", which for therapeutic purposes (treatment of asthma) makes use of a specific microclimate. It is located 200 metres below sea level. Trips From Cracow In the vicinity of Cracow there are also several other interesting places. Niepolomice (distance 20 km). A town located at the edge of the Niepolomice Forest, which in the past was the place of residence of the royal court during great hunts. Here, tourists can admire a royal palace with a courtyard modelled on the one at Wawel as well as a Gothic church from the 14th c. In the wilderness, there is a sanctuary for aurochs. Dobczyce (distance 28 km). A town on the Raba river, with the colourfully situated ruins of a 14th c. castle. In its preserved tower: there is a regional museum (archaeological, historical, and ethnographic collections). Nearby a Skansen museum of folk architecture is being constructed. Myslenice (distance 30 km) on the Raba River is a popular recreation centre for Cracovians (recreation and sports areas around a lagoon). Tourists can see a 15th c. church, several antique buildings (among others, Greek House), a former merchants' inn that now houses a regional museum (historic and ethnographic collections) and an interesting flour-milling museum. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (distance 36 km) is a small town that since the 17th c. has been the centre of a religious cult and pilgrimages. A Bernardine monastery complex in the mannerist style was built here in the years 1603-1609. There are more than 40 small churches and chapels that make up the Way of the Cross spreading out on the colourful slopes of hills. Twice a year, before Easter and in July, great indulgences and colourful religious festivities are held here. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is also a well-known furniture-making centre. Wadowice (distance 50 km) is a town in the valley of the Skawa River at the foot of the Little Beskids. The greatest dignitary of the Roman Catholic Church, John Paul II, the first Polish Pope, was born and spent his youth here. In the market place there is an antique church, whose oldest part dates back to the 15th c. Nearby, you can visit the pope's home (now a museum devoted to his life and works) and the secondary school that he attended.

Oswiecim (distance 70 km) is a large centre of the chemical and machine industry. Since World War II the name of the town has become a symbol all over the world of the martyrdom of the victims of Nazism. In 1940, the largest concentration camp - Oswiecim-Brzezinka (Auschwitz-Birkenau) was built here, in which more than 4,000,000 prisons of 28 nationalities lost their lives, among them Polish social and political activists, Soviet prisoners, and the largest number - Jews who were brought here from all over Europe. The prisoners lived here in inhuman conditions, died in masses as a result of slave labour, hunger, illnesses, torture, and executions. From 1942 the genocide in this camp reached its greatest dimensions: at times as many as 24,000 persons daily died in the gas chambers. The corpses of the victims were burned in crematoria or on pyres and then buried in mass graves. On the turn of 1944 the Germans blew up the crematoria and part of the camp buildings to cover up the traces of their crimes. The camp area has been designated as a Monument to the Martyrdom of the Polish and Other Nations. Since 1947 there has been a National Museum of Martyrology here. An impressive Monumet to the Victims of Oswiecim has been built on the grounds of the camp in Brzezinka.

Upper Silesia The Upper Silesian Industrial Region is the largest and most important concentration of industry in Poland. The basic wealth here is hard coal, which is extracted in 50 mines; also important here is the iron and steel industry (the "Katowice" steel works are the largest in Poland) and non-ferrous metallurgy, the power engineering, chemical, automobile, electro- machine, metal industries as well as many others. About 1,000,000 persons work in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, and the number of residents is 2,500,000. With such a large concentration of population, the cities here run into each other, creating a huge complex called a conurbation. This entire region is surrounded by a wide forest belt that somewhat abates the harmful environmental effects of industry. The largest city of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region is Katowice, an industrial, scientific, and cultural centre. The town has 5 colleges, scientific research institutes, 3 theatres, and a philharmonic orchestra. In the centre of the city a Monument to the Silesian Insurgents has been built dedicated to those who fought to incorporate Silesia into Poland after the regaining of independence in 1918. In the immediate vicinity of the monument there is a large sports and entertainment auditorium that can accommodate 12,000 persons. The Provincial Park of Culture and Relaxation - a large complex of recreation and entertainment buildings stretches on area of about 600 ha between Katowice and Chorzow. Among the other towns of Upper Silesia worth mentioning are: Sosnowiec a large centre of mining, metallurgy, the machine and textile industries, with the famous "Zaglebie" Theatre. Bytom a centre of mining and the iron and steel industry, which also boasts the Silesia Opera and Upper Silesian Museum, containing historical, ethnographic, and natural collections; Now, Bedzin with a 13th-14th c. castle rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style in the 19th c. is the seat of a regional museum (archaeological, historical, and ethnographic collections). Tarnowskie Gory lies south of Upper Silesia. It is a centre of the mining and machine industries. It boasts a centuries-long tradition of ore mining. Visiting the antique mine and the Tunnel of the Black Trout (trip by boat) is a great attraction. There is also a Skansen Museum of Steam Engines. The annual Miners' Days (September) are a colourful event. It is also worth visiting the collections of the regional museum that documents mining traditions. As early as the middle of the 19th century, Pszczyna was the centre of the estates of the Pszczyna Dukes, one of the richest houses of Europe. In the palace (originally Gothic, then rebuilt several times), there is a Museum of Antique Furnishings that has many precious exhibits from various epochs - from the Renaissance to the 20th c. Chamber music concerts are held here.

Along The Trail Of Eagles' Nests A colourful region of the Cracow-Wielun Upland stretches to the Northwest of Cracow. In the Middle Ages, a chain of small yet well-fortified castles was built here on the sides and tops of elevations. Nearly all of them were destroyed in later centuries, but their ruins are still visible on the limestone crags in the shape of eagles' nests. Two marked tourist trails run from here: Eagles' Nests and Jurassic Strongholds. They lead through the most charming areas and link all of the old castles. Ojcow lies closest to Cracow (distance 24 km). There is a natural history museum and regional museum. There are also the ruins of a 14th c. castle. The beautiful valleys stretching on all sides and caves carved in the limestone crags as well as rare specimens of plants are protected in the Ojcow National Park. At the edge of the park tourists can visit Pieskowa Skala (27 km from Cracow). On a steep hill over the valley of the Pradnik River, there is a 14th c. castle, rebuilt in the 16th c. into a Renaissance residence. Now it contains the Museum of the National Wawel Art Collections. On the ground floor there is a period restaurant called "Zamkowa". In the vicinity of the palace, there is a characteristic rock called the "Club of Hercules". It rises to a height of 25 metres. On the Trail of Eagles' Nests running to Czestochowa it is worth visiting the ruins of small castles in Ogrodziniec, Mirow, Bobolice, and Olsztyn. A fantastic landscape of limestone rocks comes into view around the village of Podlesice. Beautiful forests stretch around Zloty Potok, where the famous poet Zygmunt Krasinski stayed in a palace devoted to his memory.

The largest tourist centre in this area is Czestochowa, a large city and industrial centre (metallurgy, textiles, chemicals, wood, food), the centre of the cult of the Virgin Mary and place of numerous pilgrimages from Poland and the entire world (the largest 15 and 26 August). The beginnings of the monastery at Jasna Gora go back to the 13th c. when the Paulite order settled here. The painting of the Mother of God of Czestochowa is a 15th c. copy of the original painted in the first centuries of our era and which in 1430 was stolen and seriously damaged by the Hussites. The painting quickly gained a miraculous reputation, and Jasna Gora became an important centre of a religious cult. The monastery was rebuilt and in the 17th c. so strongly fortified that it was able to withstand a siege by Swedish forces in the middle of that century. The famous defence of Jasna Gora contributed still further to spreading the cult of the Virgin Mary in Poland. The fortress and monastery complex of the Paulite fathers is one of the most precious sacral buildings in Poland. The oldest fragments of buildings together with the chapel of the Mother of God come from the 14th c., the others from the 16th and 17th c. The characteristic high tower was built at the beginning of this century. The basilica is distinguished by rich decorations and many architectonic details. A valuable collection of old books and manuscripts has been gathered in the monastery library; also worth special notice is the Treasury, where visitors can see some of the works of art and mementoes of famous historic personalities donated to the monastery. Since the middle of the 19th c., Czestochowa has been developing as an industrial centre. To the west of Czestochowa tourists can relax in large forest regions, among which lies Koszecin - seat of the world famous "Slask" song and dance folklore ensemble. In the northern part of the Cracow-Wielun Upland one can admire the gorge of the Warta, protected within a landscape park. In the vicinity of Wielun there are several antique buildings and a museum with historical, natural, and ethnographic collections.

At The Sources Of The Vistula The largest Polish river flows from the slopes of Barania Gora (alt. 1220 m), one of the highest peaks in the Silesian Beskids. This region, with a well-developed tourist infrastructure, is a marvellous relaxation area for Upper Silesia. Fir-beech-spruce forests cover the majority of mountain belts, and on the slopes and in the valleys there are numerous tourist centres. The long period of snow cover makes this a good winter sports area. There are numerous cable railways and ski lifts, including an official FIS downhill route in the region of Szczyrk - skiing centre. Well-known resort areas are Wisla and Ustron, which have outstanding climatic features. From here there are trips to the centres of Beskid folk art and folklore, among which to the famous lace-making towns of Koniakow and Istebna, where there is a museum of sacral art in a 18th c. church and in the Kawulok highlanders' cottage (19th c), where tourists can admire many mementoes of the family and hear concerts on pastoral instruments. To the east of the Silesian Beskids in a valley, tourists can visit the town of Zywiec famous for its brewery and the numerous events of the "Beskidian Culture Week" held in August. Further to the east, one should not miss the chains of the Zywiec Beskids with marvellous conditions for winter sports with a famous centre in Korbielow. Keeping guard on the border with Czech Republic is Cieszyn famous for a centuries-long history and precious architectural relics. One should not miss seeing a Romanesque rotunda and the Piast Tower (14th c.), a former hunting castle of the Habsburgs, and the Larish palace (today housing a museum).

Under the Peaks of the Tatras The Tatras are the highest Polish mountain belt, also the highest in the long chain of the Carpathians and the only alpine-like mountains in Central Europe. The peak of Mount Rysy rises to a height of 2499 m. The entire massif slopes down steeply in the northern direction and more gently to the south. The mountain peaks are broken up by several broad valleys (e.g. Chocholow, Koscielisko, Mala Laka Valleys). The Tatras have an alpine climate, with most precipitation in the form of snow. The winter here lasts from November to April. The main feature of the landscape are the sharp peaks, precipitous mountain-slides overgrown with forests, and numerous tarns, among which the largest are Wielki Staw Polski (Big Polish Lake), Czarny Staw (Black Lake) in the Gasienicowa Valley, and Morskie Oko Lake. The entire area was turned into a national park in 1954 to protect the nature of the Tatras. With their outstanding climatic, scenic, and sightseeing features, the Tatras and the regions at their base have been a popular tourist area for more than 100 years. Well-developed facilities ensure a successful vacation the year around. Trips by cable car to the peaks of Mounts Kasprowy Wierch and Gubalowka should not be missed. A large number of trails, skiing fields, ski lifts and jumps make this an excellent winter sports area. Sledge cavalcades are popular in the winter, while in the summer rides on horse-drawn droshkies often combined with folk entertainment by a campfire. These events are the best opportunity to become familiar with the still living highland folklore. Many thrills await tourists hiking along the Tatran trails (about 300 km of marked trails), the majority of which are accessible to all, and the more difficult - to the more dextrous and properly prepared. Roaming through the mountains is simplified by 9 chalets located along the trails. The Volunteer Mountain Rescue Services (GOPR) watches over the safety of visitors. Zakopane lies at the base of the Tatras. It is a tourist centre, weather station, and centre of winter sports and mountain tourism. The town has many antique structures of regional wooden architecture in the so-called Zakopane style, several museums (Tatran Museum, Karol Szymanowski Museum - devoted to the great composer, Kasprowicz Museum - in memory of the famous poet, and the Lenin Museum in nearby Poronin). Many mementoes have been preserved here of Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, called Witkacy, who spent the best part of his life and wrote many of his works by the Tatras. Cultural events, exhibitions of painting, sculpture, and photography are often held in Zakopane. Every year in September, there is a cycle of events called "Tatran Autumn", which includes the International Festival of Highland Folklore. Among the many sports events that take place on the slopes of the Tatras one should mention the annual Bronislaw Czech and Helena Marusarzowna Memorial. We suggest trips by car to Morskie Oko Lake, to the Koscielisko and Chocholow Valleys, to the Skansen museum in Zubrzyca Gorna, and also to Cracow, Wieliczka and Oswiecim. We also invite you to take a cable car trip to the peak of Mount Kasprowy Wierch and a ride down the Dunajec River combined with a visit to the small church in Debno.

A trip to Zubrzyca Gorna will introduce the visitor to the region of Polish Orawa, characterised by beautiful landscapes and interesting examples of regional wooden architecture. The most valuable structures have been gathered on the grounds of a Skansen museum. Closer to Zakopane, one can visit the "living Skansen" of Chocholow, where the very layout of the village itself is antique, and there are also many beautiful wooden cottages built in the 18th and 19th c. Debno lies in the Dunajec valley. The village contains a precious 15th c. small larch church - a relic of international class, an excellent example of the carpentry of local builders. Inside there is beautiful wall-painting from 1500. Two historic castles: in Czorsztyn and Niedzica lie on both sides of the Dunajec. The former fell into ruins during the last century, the latter houses a museum of the Spisz region. Here in 1946, the sensational discovery was made of the "testament" of the Incas, written in the Kipu language (this was a bunch of leather bands covered with nodulous writing). A large dam built in this place divides the Dunajec valley, forming a sizeable reservoir at the foot of the Pieniny.

In The Dunajec Valley The most beautiful fragment of this river, which flows out of the Tatras and into the Vistula, is its part that cuts through a small mountain belt - the Pieniny. It is distinct for the great variety of its colourful landscapes and richness of nature, which is national park. We offer an excursion to the Pieniny in order to visit many interesting places within the Dunajec valley and take part in an unusually attractive event - shooting the rapids on highlanders' rafts. Shooting the rapids takes place on rafts over a distance of about 15 km in the spring, summer, and autumn. The Dunajec cuts through the mountains in a deep valley with steep walls. It has many sharp turns and two loops. Along the way, one passes the most picturesque fragments of the Pieniny range. This is one of the most beautiful river gorges in Europe that offers many thrills and unforgettable aesthetic experiences. The shoot ends in Szczawnica, a popular health resort. Somewhat further, there is an important tourist resort - Kroscienko, where many natural collections are worth seeing at the Pieniny National Park Museum, including a rich collection of butterflies. Then there is Lacko, the centre of a large fruit-growing region. Each May a colourful folklore festival is held here - Holiday of the Blooming Apple Tree. In the fork of the Dunajec and the Poprad rivers tourists can visit the small town of Stary Sacz, which for several centuries was centre of the estates belonging to the nuns of the order of St. Clare. The former urban arrangement and several precious antique structures have been preserved (i.e. the defensive convent complex, medieval fortifications, residential buildings with arcades). A Festival of Old Music is held here in July. In Nowy Sacz, you can admire ethnographic and Orthodox Church art collections exhibited at the Sadecki Museum. The Sadecki National Park presents regional architecture and folk art. Several popular tourist resorts are also located on Lake Roznow, which was formed after damming up the waters of the Dunajec around the village of Roznow. The trip along the Dunajec valley ends in Tarnow, a large industrial and cultural centre located on route the E22. The oldest part of the town has preserved the typical medieval arrangement. A thick network of small streets, squares and alleys have a unique charm. A Renaissance town hall, a late Gothic cathedral along with several other churches, and the ruins of an old castle with the fragments of its defensive walls are among the many relics worth seeing. The Regional Museum (historic collections, works of art) and the Gypsy Museum have interesting collections, while the Diocesan Museum (Gothic sculpture and painting) is especially rich. The environs around Tarnow are also attractive. We highly recommend seeing the famous "painted village" - Zalipie (farmers' cottages and buildings painted in colourful folk patterns). Concerts are held amid the antique interior furnishing of the castle in nearby Debno. Beskid Health Resorts The numerous sources of mineral waters with a complex chemical make-up and valuable therapeutic properties have led to the development of many health resorts in the Beskids that were already famous in Europe in the last century. They are generally beautifully located and have healthy climatic conditions. Sorrel, salt baths, and bilberry are used for therapeutic treatment against illnesses of the respiratory tract, the circulatory and digestive systems, anaemia, and nervous disorders. Krynica, one of the most famous Polish health resorts, has numerous sanatoria and physiotherapy spas. There are also excellent conditions for winter sports (ski trails, ski-lifts, a sledge route, an artificial ice rink). Rabka, nestled in a colourful valley on the Raba River, has exceptionally favourable climatic features. From here, there are many openings to the tourist trails of the Gorce Mountains, which are protected as a national park. And here there are also facilities for winter sports. Szczawnica - a renowned health resort, lies at the foot of the Pieniny Mountains. Several others are located along the Poprad valley (Piwniczna, Zegiestow, Muszyna), while in the eastern part of the Beskids there are beautiful spas: Iwonicz and Rymanow.

Bieszczady Landscapes There are several places worth seeing in the extensive depression at the foot of the Bieszczady Mountains. Krosno, surrounded by an oil field, is an industrial centre (i.e. world famous glass works). The town is old and rich in relics, among which the most precious is a 15th-16th c. monastery complex with the beautiful chapel of the Oswiecim family. In the Regional Museum, there is an extensive collection of oil lamps. As early as in the middle of the last century, Ignacy Lukasiewicz, inventor of the oil lamp and pioneer of the world petroleum industry, explored for oil in the vicinity of Krosno. The Skansen museum of oil drilling structures and equipment, a place that is remarkable on a world scale (another one is in Pensylvania, USA), is located in Bobrka 12 km away. 11 kilometres from Krosno is the village of Haczow. It must be seen for its period wooden architecture: cottages and a late Gothic 15th century church with valuable polychrome wall paintings. Sanok lies at the edge of the Bieszczady Mountains. The town is full of charming old streets and has a Skansen museum of folk architecture and regional museum that houses the richest collection of icons in Poland. The most beautiful excursion route in this area leads through the region of the Bieszczady, a mountain chain stretching out in the San River basin. Rather sparsely populated, it is characterised by a certain wildness and exoticism. These colourful landscapes and the richness of nature are the greatest attraction of this area. A trip here in the fall is unforgettable when the forests seem to "burst into flames" with leaves of many colours. This is also a great area for skiing enthusiasts, especially for those who are looking for peace and quiet and wish to avoid the crowded well-known resorts. The most beautiful fragments of the mountains are protected in the Bieszczady National Park. The entire mountain belt is easily accessible, but the best-developed facilities are located in Solina, a tourist spot on the edge of an artificial reservoir called Lake Solina, where good conditions have been created for relaxation and water sports. Between the Vistula and the San The region includes the Carpathian Foothills and extensive lowland covered in large part by the woods of the Sandomierz Forest. The largest town in this area is Rzeszow, an industrial and cultural centre. Every three years, it hosts the World Festival of Polonia Folk Groups. The town contains several antique buildings, among which a late Baroque monastery complex is the most precious. There are also two interesting former synagogues and a museum with a rich collection of folk costumes. At a distance of 17 km to the east of Rzeszow we have Lancut with a 17th c. palace complex that was later rebuilt in the French Neo-Baroque style. The former property of the Lubomirskis and then the Potockis, it is one of the most magnificent lordly residences in Poland, now a museum of interior decorations with a rich collection of furniture, goldsmith's work and paintings. Within the bastioned fortifications, there is a beautiful regular park surrounding the palace. The exhibition of a coach museum with several dozen vehicles from the 18th and 19th c. is highly interesting. Every year in May, a festival of chamber music, with the participation of Polish and foreign artists, is held within the beautiful palace chambers. Still further to the east, along the route E22, you can drive to Jaroslaw with many relics of Renaissance architecture. There, you can see the town hall, the Orsetti house (now a museum). Then, you can visit Przemysl, a large town and industrial centre that boasts a thousand-year history. There are many antique buildings (i.e. Baroque cathedral, late Renaissance castle, Franciscan church). You must not miss the historical, ethnographic, and art collections of the Regional Museum and the art collections of the Diocesan Museum. On the turn of the 19th century, Przemysl was transformed into a powerful stronghold surrounded by a ring of forts. Some of them can now be visited. To the east of the town, there is a large railway junction and freight-handling centre in trade with the former Soviet Union. We recommend night's lodgings and longer stays in the tourist resort in Krasiczyn, a village on the San River. It has a 16th-17th c. Renaissance castle, a rectangular structure with an arcaded courtyard and four towers at the corners. The elevations are covered with colourful graffito wall paintings. Rare specimens of trees grow in the park. Lezajsk with an antique monastery complex built at the beginning of the 17th c is another town worth visiting. In the church, there is a magnificent organ with a unique sound from the end of the 17th c., so organ music concerts are an attraction in Lezajsk. Spreading out in the Vistula valley, Baranow Sandomierski is famous for its precious castle, one of the most beautiful examples of Renaissance architecture, sometimes called "Little Wawel". It was built in its present shape in the 16th c. according to a design by the royal architect, Santi Gucci. There are galleries around the courtyard. The original attic is noteworthy. The castle contains a hotel, a coffee shop, and a sulphur museum. There are rich deposits of this natural resource in the vicinity.