Travel.LovePoland December 2020

M E D I A P A R T N E R

LOVEPOLAND.ORG

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w i t k a c y t h e a t r e i n Z a k o p a n e

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"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.

of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, December is a favourite month of many people in Poland. The name of the month – grudzień – comes from the Polish

Because

gruda, meaning frozen ground. The average temperature in December in Poland drops below zero: -0,16°C / 32°F. The average rainfall level in December in

word

D E C E M B E R & W I N T E R

I N P O L A N D

photo: Tomeyk

Poland is 38 mm (similar level to March and April).

text by Magdalena Piasecka

www.kidsinthecity.pl

Winter Weather in Poland

Wintertime in Poland: December – a month with the shortest day of the

year in Poland, January – the coldest month in Poland, February – the

least rainy month in Poland.

In 2020, astronomical winter begins on December 21 with the winter

solstice – is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in Poland in the

whole year. On a positive note – starting from December 22, the days in

Poland get longer and the nights shorter. The length of the day goes from

7 hours 42 min. on December 22 to 10 hours 50 min. at the end of

February.Winter in Poland is cold and usually snowy. To stay cozy in cold

weather in Poland, you will need a hat, coat, scarf, gloves, and winter

boots. The lowest temperature is recorded in eastern and southern

Poland. Remember that the temperature in the wintertime in Poland drops

significantly at night!

The weather during the winter in Poland differs. Usually, the

temperature is around freezing or a few degrees below, but it happens

that the temperature drops below -20°C (-4°F). Recent years have

seen an increase in average winter temperatures compared to

previous years. Trends also indicate that we can start getting used to

relatively warmer December in Poland and winter shifting for the

period from January to March. Because of Christmas and New Year’s

Eve, December is a favourite month of many people in Poland. The

name of the month – grudzień – comes from the Polish word gruda,

meaning frozen ground. The average temperature in December in

Poland drops below zero: -0,16°C / 32°F. The average rainfall level in

December in Poland is 38 mm (similar level to March and April). Sunset

on December 1: 3.27 pm, December 31: 3.32 pm.

January is the coldest month in Poland. The average temperature in

January in Poland is -1,5°C / 30,2°F. The average rainfall level in

Poland in January is 37 mm. The Polish name for January – styczeń –

comes from the word stykać meaning to connect old and new year.

Sunset on January 1: 3.33 pm, January 31: 4.20 pm. The average

temperature in February in Poland is still below 0 (-0,3°C / 32°F).

February is the least rainy month in Poland. The average rainfall level

in Poland in February is 31 mm. What does the word luty – February –

mean in Polish? The word luty in the old Polish language meant fierce,

very cold. Sunset on February 1: 4.21 pm, February 28: 5.14 pm.

06 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

December

December 6th

December 21st

24th December

25th December

26th December

St. Nicholas’ Day

(Mikołajki)

The name Mikołajki comes from

Mikołaj (Polish for Nicholas), meaning

little Nicholas. Children usually

receive little treats – candies or toys.

One of the traditions is to hide treats

in shoes. Children should clean them

the night before and the next

morning (on Mikołajki day) they

would find inside their shoe a small

Winter

The beginning of astronomical winter

and the shortest day of the year.

Christmas Eve (Wigilia)

Christmas Eve is not a public holiday

in Poland. However, most shops and

businesses are open no longer than 2

pm. Christmas Eve Dinner – kolacja

wigilijna – is the most important

Christmas celebration in Poland. The

Christmas Eve traditions include

waiting for a first star, the Christmas

wafer (opłatek), 12 meat-free

courses, an extra seat for an

unexpected guest, hay under the

tablecloth, a special midnight mass

(pasterka).

Christmas Day

Christmas Day is a national holiday in

Poland to celebrate the birth of

Jesus Christ. It is a festive event and

many people have the day off work

and school.

Banks, government offices and most

private businesses are closed.

Second Day of Christmas

Official public holiday to celebrate

the second Day of Christmas. Also

known as St Stephen’s Day or

Holy Szczepan, part of the

Christmas holidays. Churches host

special services on Boxing Day,

which is also a day for families to

meet up and spend time together.

Day activities include reenacting

scenes of the Nativity in a play, as

well as caroling with a crib

(szopka) or star to homes.

January

surprise.winter timeline

December 31st-January 1st

New Year’s Eve / Saint

Sylvester's Day (Sylwester)

New Year’s Day

(Nowy Rok)

Start of the carnival season in

Poland. People usually go out to

parties and balls. At midnight or

even before, fireworks shows

start, arranged by the city

authorities but also outside of

apartments, in parks,

playgrounds, etc. Stores are

usually open no longer than

5-6pm.

February

January 1st

New Year’s Day

(Nowy Rok)

A public holiday in Poland –

stores, malls, shopping centres

are closed, only some smaller local

convenience stores can be open

(eg. Żabka). You can do basic

shopping at gas stations.

January 6th

Epiphany / The Three Wise

Kings (Trzech Króli)

A public holiday in Poland, stores are

closed. Christian holiday

commemorating the three wise kings’

visit to infant Jesus. In towns and

cities, there are street parades.

There is a tradition to write with

chalk brought from the church above

the entrance of your home: K+M+B

(or C+M+B). The letters have two

meanings: they represent the initials

of Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar; it’s

also the abbreviation of the Latin

phrase Christus mansionem benedicat

(May Christ bless this house).

January 21 & January 22

Grandmother’s Day &

Grandfather’s Day (Dzień

Babci & Dzień Dziadka)

People visit or call their grandparents

to honor them. In kindergartens,

there are usually events for

grandparents.

February 11th

February 14th

February 16th

February 17th

Fat Thursday

(Tłusty Czwartek)

The last Thursday before the Lent

starts in Poland it’s a donut / pączek

day. In the morning, you can notice

long lines in front of bakeries and

cafes all over Poland. People all day

long eat pączki (donuts ) or faworki

(French dough pastry served with

powdered sugar) at schools, at work,

at home. There are contests for the

best pastry stores in the city and

some families have pączek eating

competition – who will eat the most

donuts on Fat Thursday.

Valentine’s Day

(Walentynki)

It’s a relatively new celebration in

Poland (not observed in Poland

during communism time before

1989), becoming more and more

popular. All restaurants are usually

full, you need to book your table in

advance;)

Last day of the carnival,

Śledzik (herring night),

Ostatki (last days of

carnival, Shrovetide

Tuesday)

The last chance to party (typically

with drinking and music) before the

start of Lent (which doesn’t mean

there are no parties during Lent in

Poland, just not as many). The party /

dinner is called in Polish Śledzik (little

herring) – during old-fashioned Polish

parties, it was a popular appetizer

washed down with alcohol.

Ash Wednesday (Środa

Popielcowa, Popielec)

The first day of Lent. People go to

churches where priests put ashes

(made from palm branches blessed

on the previous year Palm Sunday) on

people’s foreheads saying ‘Remember

that you are dust and to dust you

shall return’ (‘Z prochu powstałeś i w

proch się obrócisz’). It is a tradition

among the Roman Catholics in Poland

to avoid meat, alcohol, sweets, and

snacks on that day.


Shopping Sundays in Poland in December 2020

In December 2020, there are THREE shopping Sundays in Poland:

December 6th, December 13th, and December 20th. On December

2nd, the Polish parliament adopted a new law introducing an

additional trading Sunday on December 6th. You can learn more about

Sunday trade ban in Poland in our post: shopping Sundays in Poland in

2020 and 2021. Since our readers are asking about online stores

offering home deliveries we have prepared a post with the a of online

stores in Poland delivering groceries to home.

Things you can’t miss to survive !

– Hide the candy in the shoe of the person you live withIn Poland, on

December 6th, St. Nicholas’ Day (Mikołajki) is celebrated. The name

Mikołajki comes from Mikołaj (Polish for Nicholas), meaning little

Nicholas. On the night of December 5-6th, small gifts are secretly

given to children while they are sleeping. One of the traditions is to

hide treats in shoes. Children should clean them the night before and

the next morning (on Mikołajki day) they would find inside their shoe

a small surprise. Chocolate Santas can be bought in Polish stores

already at the end of November.

– Prepare an extra place setting at your festive table. One of the

greatest Polish Christmas traditions is to prepare an extra seat at the

table. One place more than the number of people gathered is placed

on the festive table (including a plate and cutlery). According to

tradition, an additional seat at the Christmas Eve table is intended for

an unannounced and unexpected guest. The unannounced guest has a

symbolic meaning – it is someone in need, poor, lost, lonely or without

family. This tradition is to remind us and oblige us to think about

others, about those in need. And to help others during the holidays,

but not only. In this way, we can also express the memory of our

loved ones who have passed away. The empty plate can also

symbolise someone from family or friends with whom we cannot meet

this year…

– Accept the 12-course dinner challenge! The tradition in Poland

requires that the Christmas Eve dinner (on December 24th) includes

twelve courses. 12 dishes may include for example bread, side dishes

or desserts. Everyone who associates Polish cuisine with meat dishes

will be pleasantly surprised – all dishes served on Christmas Eve must

be meat-free. Typically, the dinner includes carp fish (karp), beetroot

soup (barszcz czerwony), mushroom soup (zupa grzybowa) or fish

soup (zupa rybna), dumplings with mushroom or cabbage filling

(pierogi), cooked cabbage with mushrooms (kapusta z grzybami),

herring salad, cooked vegetable salad with mayonnaise dressing

(sałatka jarzynowa). Desserts are included in 12 courses: noodles with

poppy seeds, honey, nuts, and dry fruits (kluski z makiem, makiełki), a

dry fruit compote (kompot z suszu), poppy seeds cake (makowiec),

gingerbread cookies (pierniczki), cheesecake (sernik), kutia – made

with wheat or barley grain, ground poppy seeds and honey.

COVID-19 - always check for updates before travelling.

Current COVID-19 regulations and restrictions in Poland

Restrictions in Poland from November 28th to December 27th:

On December 24th (Christmas Eve, stores are usually open until 2pm), there will

be NO “senior hours” (stores from 10am to 12am open only to seniors 60+) in

stores.

Re-opening of libraries (1 person/15m2).

Events/meetings organised at home – with a maximum of 5 people/guests (the

limit of 5 people does not include the host and people who live with the host).

Re-opening of stores in shopping malls and furniture stores (including Ikea)

from November 28th. There is a limit of people in shops and shopping malls – a

maximum of 1 person/15 m2. The exception are playrooms in shopping centres

which remain closed.

Schools are closed (remote learning) until December 22nd (from December

23rd until January 3rd there is a holiday break – no online classes). This applies

to all primary school grades (grades 1-8; children 7+) and high schools. The date

of the winter school break in Poland has been changed. Usually, the winter

break (ferie zimowe) times differ for each Polish province/voivodship each year.

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government has decided that in

2021, winter break throughout Poland will be in the same 2-week period:

January 4-17, 2021. This means that the children will be at home until January

17th, 2021 (either with online classes or as part of the Christmas and winter

break).

Kindergartens and nurseries remain open.

Travel by international trains outside the EU's external borders is suspended

(rail traffic within the European Union’'s internal borders remains unchanged).

Restaurants, bars, pubs closed. They can only sell take-away meals.

Hotels are closed (hotels available only to guests on a business trip). Night clubs

and discos closed. Cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries, cultural centres are

closed. Swimming pools, aqua parks, gyms are closed. Amusement parks and

recreational parks are closed.

Beauty, hairdressing and tattoo parlors remain open in accordance with sanitary

rules.

From 8am to 4pm (Monday to Friday, on school days), children up to 16 years of

age are not allowed to be outside alone without an adult. This rule does not

apply on weekends and when the child goes to school or comes home from

school.

Public transportation: 50% of the seats or 30% of the total number of seating

and standing places. The limit of people in shops. 1 person/15 m2.

It is forbidden to organise weddings, funeral banquets, first communion

receptions. The limit of people in churches: 1 person/15m2. Sporting events

without an audience. Trade fairs, congresses and conferences can be organised

online.

Shopping hours for seniors. From 10am to 12am, from Monday to Friday, the

stores (grocery stores, drug stores, pharmacies) will be open only to seniors

60+. They apply to post offices as well. “Hours for seniors” do not apply to

clothing stores, household appliances stores, furniture stores etc.


photo: fotolupa

photo: emicristea

photo: martin-dm

photos:

On

page 5: Kraków

page 6: Kraków

page 9: top: Wrocław Old Town, photo: B. Budzo, in the middle: food market in Kraków, bottom left: Warszawa Old Town, bottom right: Market Kraków)


The Długa Street and the Długi Targ Street

The Długa and Długi Targ Streets which are also known as

Trakt Królewski (the Royal Route) rank among the most

beautiful streets in Gdańsk. The wealthiest Gdańsk

patricians used to live there and almost every tenement

house has its own interesting history to tell. The oldest

preserved houses date back to the Middle Ages, but most of

the buildings were erected in modern times. Tenement

houses on Długa Street are typical Gdańsk houses with

narrow facades topped with gables or attics, richly

decorated with coats of arms, allegoric figures and

silhouettes of ancient heroes. The most important secular

buildings - the Hall of the Main City and the Artus Court are

located on Długi Targ Street.

The Neptune Fountain

The Neptune Fountain has stood in front of the Artus Court

since 1633 and is a symbol of Gdańsk. It was built on the

initiative of the Mayor of Gdańsk, Bartłomiej Schachmann.

The model was prepared by Peter Husen and Johann Rogge,

and it was cast in 1615 in Augsburg. The design of the whole

fountain was prepared by Abraham van den Blocke. The

ornamented grill surrounding the fountain dates back to

1634. In the years 1757-1761 Johann Karl Stender

redecorated the basin and the base of the fountain in the

Rococo style, by adding a large array of sea creatures.

According to one of the Gdańsk legends it was Neptune

himself who contributed to the creation of the famous

Gdańsk liqueur called Goldwasser. He got angry at people

throwing golden coins into the fountain and hit the water

with his trident so hard that the gold fell to pieces, forming

small golden flakes which now shine in the herbal liqueur.

Main Town Hall

Built for over a century in the Middle Ages, the original

Gothic town hall, after a fire in the mid sixteenth century,

was rebuilt in Renaissance style. It was coped with a natural

size statue of King Zygmunt August. The full, lavish interior

in the style of Dutch mannerism: The Great Council

Chamber, the Small Council Hall called the Winter Hall as

well as the Great Hall of Court called the White Hall testify

to the power of Gdańsk at that time and its role in Europe.

The characteristic sundial located in one of the corners calls

to mind the relentless passage of time with the Latin maxim

“The shadows are our days”. This is the most impressive

secular building in sixteenth century Gdańsk enriched with a

wonderful chime.

Today, the Main Town Hall is famous for its replica of a set

of 37 wonderful concert bells. Gdańsk is the only city in

Poland boasting the possession of chimes, not just one, but

two (the second is located on the tower of St. Catherine’s

Church. Entrance to the observation gallery lets you enjoy a

beautiful view of the city with music ringing from the bells

every hour.

The Golden House

It is one of the most beautiful buildings in Gdańsk. It was

erected in 1609 by the Jan Speyman, the Mayor of the city

and at the same time a wealthy merchant and an openminded

patron of the arts, and his wife, Judyta (from the

Bahra family). The construction was based on a design

prepared by Abraham van den Blocke, who was also

responsible for a part of the sculptural decorations which

were completed in 1618. The house is famous for its richlydecorated

façade.

The legend goes that from time to time the corridors of the

house are frequented by a luminous creature. It is a ghost of

the beautiful Judyta Speymann whispering “Act justly, fear

no one”.

The Golden Gate

Built in the years 1612-1614 according to a design drafted by

Abraham van den Blocke, in the Renaissance style. Stone

sculptures adorning the attic date back to 1648 and they

were carved by Piotr Ringering. They present an allegory of

citizen’s virtues: Prudence, Justice, Piety and Harmony.

The building adjacent to the Golden Gate is the Manor of the

St. George’s Guild, erected by J. Glotau in the years 1487-

1494, in the late-Gothic style.

The Crane

The Crane over the Motlawa River is the most characteristic

and unmistaken symbol of Gdańsk. Back in the Middle Ages

it was the largest port crane in Europe handling cargo and

putting up ship masts.

It also served as an uncommon city gate. The reconstructed

driving mechanism inside, still in working condition, is an

immense wooden wheel originally propelled by men literally

walking in it.

Today the majestic Crane, a fine specimen of the historic

port facilities, sets an excellent background for the rich

collection of the National Maritime Museum.


St. Mary's Basilica

The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the largest brick

church in the world, went through several stages of

development over the period from 1343 to 1502. Its interior

displays many exquisite pieces of Medieval and Baroque art,

including the stone Pieta from about 1410, a copy of the

Last Judgement by Hans Memling, the original canvas dating

back to 1472, the astronomical clock built by Hans Düringer

between 1464 and 1470 and the main altar put up between

1510 and 1517. The church is 105 m long, including the tower

battlements, and the vaults soar 29m above floor level. The

solid main tower is 77.6m high and it is crowned with a

viewing gallery which enables visitors to enjoy a panoramic

view of the city. In order to get there it is necessary to

climb almost 400 steps!

St. Mary's Street

It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful streets of

Gdańsk. It leads from the St Mary's church to the Long

Embankment with the Medieval St Mary's Gate. The street is

an exquisite example of historic Gdansk urban planning with

terraced entrances and narrow, richly decorated facades of

houses which once belonged to affluent merchants and

goldsmiths. The picturesque scenery of the place has always

inspired writers and painters.

The Royal Chapel

It was founded on the initiative of King Jan III Sobieski to

serve as a temporary place of worship for the Catholics of

St Mary's parish church, which at that time was held by

Protestants. It is a masterpiece created by Barthel Ranisch,

erected between 1678-1681, according to the design of the

royal architect, Tylman of Gameren. The Baroque sculptures

on the facade were carved by Andreas Schlüter.

The Hall of the Old City

Erected in the period from 1587 to 1595 by Anthony van

Obbergen. The building displays the classic features of high

quality Mannerist Flemish architecture. The interiors feature

17th century allegorical wall paintings by Adolf Boy, and

allegoric ceiling paintings painted by the disciples of the

Herman Han's school.

The Grand Mill

Built around mid-14th century on the Radunia canal, it was

the largest Teutonic investment in Gdańsk. The structure

combined three functions: that of a flour mill, a granary, and

a bakery. It was equipped with 18 overshot water-wheels,

each 5 m in diameter, which represented a great technical

achievement for that time.

St. Catherine’s Church

It is the oldest parish church of the Old Town, erected

between 1227-1239. First founded by the princes of Gdańsk

Pomerania, it was substantially expanded in the 14th

century. Until 1944 the church used to daze visitors with its

internal decor brimming with Gothic, Mannerist, and Baroque

treasures. Unfortunately it was destroyed in 1945. This

historic building is now fully restored. Once inside, take a

look at the paintings by Anton Möller and Izaak van den

Blocke. A tombstone of the famous astronomer, Jan

Hevelius, dating back to 1659, can also be found here. The

76-metre high church tower supports a fine carillon. The

tower of the Church hosts the Museum of Tower Clocks.

The Oliwa Cathedral

This Holy Trinity, Blessed Virgin Mary, and St Bernard's

Church was first erected as a Cistercian shrine back in the

13th century. Reconstructed in 1350 after a great fire, it reemerged

in the Gothic style and has remained almost

unaltered ever since.

The Gothic interior was extremely damaged in the 1577 fire

and was replaced with the Baroque fixtures we can admire

today. Structurally, the cathedral is a triple-aisle, vaulted

basilica built on the plan of the Latin cross. The Oliwa

Cathedral is 107m long, which makes it the longest church in

Poland. Its splendid decorative gems include the Rococo

organ, dating from the period between 1763 and 1788.

The organ was manufactured by Jan Wulf and Frydryk

Rudolf Dalitz and when built, the instrument was considered

the largest in Europe.

Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers

Three majestic crosses with anchors – symbols of hope –

have been erected to commemorate the bloody victims of

the workers' strikes in December 1970. The demand relative

to erecting this monument at the shipyard’s gates was one

of the most important postulates of the shipyard workers

who went on strike in August 1980.

The crosses are 42 m high and weigh 140 tons. All official

delegations visiting Gdańsk lay flowers at the foot of this

monument.


Gdańsk New Port Lighthouse

A lighthouse in New Port is one of the most beautiful

lighthouses of Baltic Sea. It was commissioned in 1894, and

it showed the entrance to Gdańsk port till 1984. In its

interiors, beautifully kept historical optic devices and

exhibition “Gdańsk lighthouses within years”. Also the view

from its tower to Gdańsk Port, Westerplatte and the whole

Gdańsk Bay, Gdynia and Hel, is very attractive. 27 meters

lighthouse in New Port was built as a famous lighthouse

erected in 1871 in Cleveland (USA). It was used for three

purposes: as a lighthouse, tower of port pilots and basis of

time sphere, removed in 1929. The last was an unusual

instrument. Its rise and fall at noon, enabled precise setting

of marine chronometers, necessary for a precise navigation,

for the captains of ships being on roads. The lighthouse is

open for the visitors from May to September. You will get

more information at: www.latarnia.gda.pl

Monumental Painting Collection in Gdansk Zaspa – 54

murals

Zaspa is one the largest residential areas in Poland. Built in

the 1970s, the neighbourhood was to be the quintessence of

the modernist vision of a perfect housing estate. The first

murals were created in Zaspa thanks to Rafał Roskowiński,

who organised in 1997 the international festival of murals

commemorating the 1000th anniversary of Gdańsk.

The idea of creating a collection of murals in Zaspa returned

in 2009 in the context of Gdansk bidding for the title of the

European Capital of Culture 2016 and the organisation of

the Monumental Art festival curated by Piotr Szwabe aka

Pisz.

The collection today comprises 54 big-scale murals and 10

vestibules. The motifs vary: famous people, history, big

themes like love, freedom, or crisis. That is the oldest and

the biggest collection of murals in Poland.

Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre

The modern, multifunctional building designed by the

Venetian architect Renato Rizzi is the new pride of Gdańsk.

The stage can be transformed in Elizabethan, central or

Italian and the retractable roof, thanks to which

performances can be held in daylight, offers immense

possibilities for staging. The Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre

provides impresario activities, presenting outstanding

performances from Poland and around the world as well as

conducts extensive educational activities. It is also an

interesting place on the tourist route: unique attractions for

visitors are not only the retractable roof, modern stage

machinery or the mysterious alleys inside the theatre, but

also the walking trail surrounding the theatre’s walls and the

museum in the basement.

The Last Judgement

The Archangel Michael weighing good and evil, the saved

ascending to heaven on crystal stairs, devils throwing

sinners into the fires of hell. The bothersome vision of

judgement day by the brush of the great Dutch artist was

obtained accidentally, captured as the spoils of war by

Gdańsk's famous privateer Paweł Benecke. Hans Memling's

triptych “The Last Judgement” is the most valuable exhibit

of the National Museum in Gdańsk and his only work in

Polish collections. The painting, considered to be Memling’'s

crowning point (his authorship was not determined until the

mid nineteenth century!), is of an impressive size (height

242cm, width 360cm), with technical perfection and artistic

beauty, and its dramatic fate intrigues both with its

message and its rich symbolism, understandable only to

insiders. You can admire a copy of the work at St. Mary's

Basilica, where the original was first donated to the church.

European Solidarity Centre

Polish Baltic Philharmonic

The European Solidarity Centre is important institution on

the freedom trail in a new, experimental form: it is not only

a museum dedicated to the history of Solidarity and anticommunist

opposition in Poland and Europe, but also a

centre of dialog in the modern world; a meeting place for

people who are close to the values of liberty and democracy.

The heart of ESC is a grand exhibition arranged which

narrative allows everyone to find their own meaning and

emotions. The ESC is also a library, reading room, archives

and an education and creative workshops for young people.

The Polish Baltic Frédéric Chopin Philharmonic is the largest

music institution in the northern Poland, visited not only by

local music-lovers but also by people from all over Poland

and all over the world. This is a place for the ones who

desire to enjoy the art of the highest quality.

There are organised symphonic concerts, recitals, and

chamber music soirées performed by the most prominent

Polish musicians as well as worldwide-known artists.

Awarded in Polish and international contests and polls, as

one of the Europe's „must see” locations.


Motława river embankment

visit: www.gdansk.pl/en/

photo: Anton Aleksenko, Getty



photo: Badahos, Getty



photo: macniak, Getty

Herbst Palace Museum

B R A N C H M U S E U M O F A R T , Ł Ó D Ź

P R Z Ę D Z A L N I A N A 7 2 , 9 0 - 3 3 8 Ł Ó D Ź

Collection of Old Polish Masters

Photo: Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl

The collection includes a series of famous works of

Polish painters, in particular from the 19th and the

turn of the 19th/20th centuries, including several

paintings considered the masterpieces of Polish

painting, e.g., Portrait of the Artist’s Mother by

Henryk Rodakowski, Napoleon on a Horse by Piotr

Michałowski, Sleeping Mietek by Stanisław

Wyspiański, and also one of the earliest history

paintings by Jan Matejko Sobieski in Częstochowa.

The collection provides a representative overview of

the Polish painting starting from the Sarmatism

(Sarmatian portrait 17th–18th centuries by, e.g.

Józef Faworski) and Stanislaus Augustus era

(artworks by Marcello Bacciarelli, Jan Piotr Norblin)

through the mainstream of 19th-century arts (e.g.,

paintings by Wojciech Gerson, Witold Pruszkowski,

Józef Chełmoński, Aleksander Gierymski, Leon

Wyczółkowski) until the period of Młoda Polska

(Young Poland) (paintings by, e.g., Olga Boznańska,

Stanisław Wyspiański, Józef Mehoffer, Jacek

Malczewski, and a sculpture by Ksawery Dunikowski).

Valuable part of the collection includes the paintings

by the so called Polish artists in Munich, inter alia,

Maksymilian Gierymski, Józef Brandt, Alfred

Wierusz-Kowalski, and Jan Rosen. The collection also

presents the artworks of the artists of the 19th and

early 20th centuries connected with the emergence

of artistic community in industrial Łódź, also Jewish

artists (e.g. paintings by Leon and Samuel

Hirszenberg, Maurycy Trębacz, Leopold Pilichowski,

sculptures by Henryk Glicenstein); the group includes

a precious acquisition of a painting by Witold

Wołczaski, nowadays a little known painter, who ran

one of the first artistic schools in Łódź. Beginnings

of the collection date back to the period 1930–39. It

all started with a family collection of Kazimierz

Bartoszewicz, Kraków historian and publicist

donated to the city over the years 1928–30. The

donation included, inter alia, artworks by Jan Piotr

Norblin, Artur Grottger, Aleksander Kotsis, Witold

Pruszkowski, Józef Chełmoński, Jacek Malczewski,

and Vlastimil Hofman.

The core of the initial collection was supplemented

with a a few works from the former City Museum

and City Art Gallery, from the collection of Łódź

Municipality; the works of, e.g., Michał Elwiro

Andriolli, Kazimierz Sichulski, Aleksander Lesser,

Juliusz Kossak, Maurycy Trębacz, and Natan Spiegel,

added on to the collection were purchased by the

Municipality.



Another valuable contribution to the pre-war collection of Polish

painting was the gift of the Łódź industrial tycoon, Karol Eisert,

who donated the following paintings: Alchemist Sędziwój and

King Sigismundus III by Jan Matejko, Intermezzo by Jacek

Malczewski, and a Wounded Cuirassier and a Girl by Wojciech

Kossak. The list of donors includes also other names of Łódź

industrialists, such as, e.g., Stanisław Silberstein, Jakub Brat-Kon

or the heirs to Henryk Grohman. Collection of the newly

established museum was also expanding as a result of

subsequent acquisitions. Among the most precious purchases of

the pre-war period we can mention two portraits by Olga

Boznańska, the famous Portrait of the Artist’'s Mother by Henryk

Rodakowski, and the Self-Portrait by Piotr Michałowski. After

the war the collection was constantly expanded with donations

and purchases but also as a result of many transfers. Currently,

it is composed of more than 700 artworks, out of which almost

450 are oil paintings. Major sets of works are graphics by Jan

Piotr Norblin (84 works) and the paintings by Marian

Wawrzeniecki (28 oil works and gouaches). Latest acquisitions

include Adolf Herstein painting, considered lost, Landscape with

Peasants/Prayer, 1900 – purchased in 2007.

The Herbsts. Unfinished Stories

Newly discovered archive materials used to prepare the

exhibition allowed us to tell the history of two generations of

the Herbst family, which exerted significant impact upon the

development of Łódź. The exhibition in Herbst Palace Museum

unconventionally leads us through the history of palace owners

set against the background of the history of Łódź at the turn

of the 19th and the 20th centuries. The title „Unfinished

Stories” makes references to both family links with the city

broken by historic events and to still continued studies on the

history of industrial Łódź. The flourishing of the Łódź industry

turned a small settlement into one of the most powerful

industrial cities in Europe. Such a dynamic development

enabled some families, the Herbsts included, accumulate huge

fortune within a relatively short time. The Herbsts were not

only active by taking care of their business and amassing

wealth. Both Edward and Matylda engaged themselves in public

and charity activities. They supported new hospitals, donated

significant amounts for the construction of churches of

various religions and were involved into the life of the city.



charming book about love for your country with a captivating story that will interest children

A

Polish as well as English.-A. Gradzka, a pediatrician, mom of Ania, Tomek and Ola.

learning

MAMO, JAK

DALEKO JEST

POLSKA? MOM,

HOW FAR IS

POLAND?

Written and illustrated by:

Aga Blue

About

A bilingual book for kids who live away from their homeland. Beautiful illustrations,

short comic book dialogues, and everyday situations used as a starting point in

teaching important values such as family and patriotism. ‘Bartek lives abroad and

sometimes misses Poland... He doesn't know what kilometres are, but loves to eat

pierogies. How far is Poland and can you measure that distance in pierogies? Bartek

thinks Poland is far, but his mom says it's actually really close…’

Available on Amazon worldwide.

a book for children

GET YOUR COPY AT:

Hardcover: 36 pages

Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.25 x 11.02 inches

Publisher: Aga Blue (November 15, 2020)

Language: English & Polish

Reading level: 3 - 7 years


winter wildlife Biebrza

book available at:

empik.com, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie,

Świat Książki.

Please note: the book has been

published in Polish only.

ELKS IN MARSH MARIGOLDS.

WHAT IS BIEBRZA SILENT ABOUT.

s t o r y a n d p h o t o g r a p h y b y : M a g d a l e n a S a r a t

a n d Ł u k a s z Ł u k a s i k

How it Started - the begining.

We wrote a book on nature photography. "Elks in marsh

marigolds. What is Biebrza silent about?" This could actually

be the beginning and end of this text because the title

speaks for itself. But the matter is not as simple as it seems,

for one reason only. For us, nature photography is not only a

way of spending free time, it is our philosophy and our whole

life. "Fotoczaty" is a team of two people from opposite ends

of Poland: Silesia and Podlasie. How did it happen that we

met? The reason was a passion for photography. For many

years we have both been fascinated by nature photography,

mainly mammals and birds, although we do not despise the

beautiful landscape. We both used to track our dream shots,

often in the same places. So it was only a matter of time

when we ran into each other. Actually, it happened in the

Biebrza swamps. Since then, we have been creating a

photographic couple privately and professionally. We visited

probably the majority of the most interesting corners of the

country in search of adventures. Today we laugh that the

book began to write itself, from our first meeting, although

we didn't have such an idea then. Each of our photographic

challenges involved many hours of preparation. Lugging

heavy and uncomfortable equipment, sitting in lookout points

for hours. Waiting for the dream shots. We often came home

with nothing or gaining only additional bruises or scratches.

We got entangled in bushes, stumbled over sedges, or poured

water out of our wellingtons. We fought an uneven battle

with the alarm clock and swore ‘never again’. But, whenever

there was a chance to go out into the field, we did all of this

over and over again. In the meantime, we wrote about our

adventures in various nature newspapers. We described the

species we photographed and introduced the readers to their

behaviour and habits. Finally, a sizeable library developed out

of it. The idea emerged to write a real book, but not just any

book. We wanted the one that will encourage readers to

learn about our nature, arouse their interest, expand their

knowledge, and make them smile. One that will show how

much we love our nature and how much it is needed. Two

more years have passed since the idea for the book

appeared. There were lots of photography trips, workshops,

and just a lack of time to write. In fact, we even forgot about

it for a while, and new materials were accumulating on

computer disks. It was only the pandemic that stopped us.

We spent this not-so-good time in the Biebrza swamps,

hidden in the complete wilderness or in front of the

computer, writing down everything that happened to us

during our photo sessions. Since we do not like to sit only in

front of the computer, our second "child", Siubaya, was

created just by coincidence (also related to nature, but this

time with handicrafts). This year we have combined two

passions – photography and handicrafts. See for yourself how

it went!

A Real Cunning Fox

A fairy tale about Foxy Loxy has already been written. All my

life I have believed in the literary fiction of this cunning, until

suddenly, the clash with reality happened. Spring was

supposed to be feathery, as every year. A man would

traditionally chase feathers that come down at a specific time

and place. Species that are predictable with their behaviour

would be the first choice. Later on, those quite unpredictable,

and finally the pipe dream category. The first successes and

euphoric states would therefore gently turn into a phase of

disorientation and frustration. The end result, in the form of

an emotional breakdown, would traditionally close the spring

season and gently lead us into summer laziness. A known

pattern, unchanging, and not causing cognitive anxiety. After

such a prelude, there are always some interesting photo shots

on the memory card and motivation for the next year in mind.


As it often happens in nature, you should never, ever take

anything for granted. The first thing to break out of the pattern

were the feathers. The feather friends came as they wanted,

which was completely different from what I expected. Then the

fatal idea came to my mind to get on with fur. If I had suspected

how it would end, I would have been sitting in the swamp waiting

for the birds as long as possible.Topic number one: elks in marsh

marigolds. That is easy. Elks- there were some. Marigolds- there

were some as well. You need to know that the rhizomes and

leaves of these plants are a real delicacy for the four-legged

inhabitants of swamps, which they consume in delight, wading

among the spring backwaters. The only obstacle was the fact that

despite all my struggles, I could not meet them in the same place

and at the same time. As a result, the marsh fawn faded and elk

moms hid in inaccessible swamps to give birth to the next

generation of weirdos in peace. I will cover the subject of the

teddy bear expedition with a veil of silence, saying quietly that I

could not go on it... grrr. The only thing left for me to do was to

bravely fight with the foxies, which was the thing I had a huge

appetite for. After less than an hour of searching, we found a

beautiful burrow in a flowery meadow. We didn't even have to

wonder if it was inhabited. Right at its entrance, two red balls

were playing delightfully. There was nothing else to do but wait

for the afternoon light and start shooting. The redheads were still

so small that they should not be afraid of our discreet presence.

In front of the burrow, single feathers and remains of bones

littered around clearly indicated that the toddlers were feasting

on the prey brought by their mother. Over time, this mess will

become bigger and bigger. This is what distinguishes a fox from a

badger, which is exceptionally clean and regularly tidies the area

around its apartment. After an almost perfect order around the

burrow of extreme littering, you can probably guess who its

owner was. Emotionally, we completely ignored the first sign that

it would not be easy. The second one gave us a bit of food for

thought, but was quickly muffled by the vision of wonderfully lit

foxes playing on a small hill among flowers. The third was lurking

behind our backs to finally finish us off, but more on this later.The

afternoon lookout session ended in a total bust. The little foxies

scuttled into the burrow. And although we hypnotised the

entrance with all our power, no one dared to show up again.

Maybe if an ant, a mosquito, or a black fly tingled me, I would

somehow move. But there was nothing. I froze motionlessly.

Breathless, probably, and certainly totally thoughtless. Nothing!

We gathered our cameras and with the tails between our legs,

swearing like sailors, we decided to return at dawn. At four-thirty

the alarm clock ruthlessly roared to the whole house I'll Go

Barefoot (that's the title of a pretty popular folk song). I only

managed to tell it that it must be crazy, as it's still too cold to go

barefoot anywhere. So, I got up. On the way between the bed and

our Honda, I managed to put my shoes on, and off we went for

National Geographic-worthy photos.

A few minutes after five, I sat down at the set-up camera, with

my teeth chattering rhythmically. After an hour I was able to

chatter the whole gamut, after another thirty minutes I mastered

half the anthem. Still nothing in front of the camera! When the

first rays of the sun finally began to heat us gently, something

quivered. A nose appeared in the hole, then an eye, and then the

red ball moved towards us with a decisive step. One and a half

meters in front of the lens, the redhead stopped and placed a

good-sized poo. Then, by the same route, only a little faster he

returned to the burrow. It's simply fantastic – I already have the

Wildlife Photographer of the Year in my pocket. Winner in the

wildlife category of ‘Fox Toilet’. Or actually ‘A Fox in the Toilet’.

The subtle dawn passed like a golden dream and on the memory

card. It is a shame to talk about.At half-past seven we were

disturbed by a slight movement. The little ones, surprisingly,

decided to tilt their heads out of the ground. One by one they

stuck their noses towards us, pricked their ears, and after a

while, they ran to the hill we had noticed before to play. It took a

while for all six of them to take their plump bumps into the sun.

As we usually do, we only rubbed our hands and threw ourselves

to the cameras with the intention of filling up the cards, when the

foxes, after the initial play and stretching, left our dream scene

one by one. After a few moments, the little ones spread across

the meadow like ants. One crawled almost like an earthworm on

our legs, the other, Indiana Jones, boldly rammed the bushes. Two

more jumped up after their siblings. Only the sloths were left,

curled up in the sunlit hole and even their ears could not be seen.

However, this did not put us off at all. After all, how long can such

youngsters stay away from the safe den? They will probably be

disturbed by something and will run back to its vicinity.Meanwhile,

we watched as all four explorers frolic playfully in the meadow.

Unfortunately, completely beyond the range of our lenses,

something was clearly wrong! Delighted by the discovery of the

burrow, we didn't even check where the other exits were. After

all, it is always the case that the fox apartment has a number of

emergency exits! From one living room, which can be up to three

meters underground, these clever animals lead a whole complex

of corridors and spare exits. The fox was once called cunning for

a reason. It also outsmarted us and in what a style! I was entitled

to an award for wool-gathering, not for my photos.I will not

describe what the foxes did in the vicinity of the second entrance

to the burrow, because it makes my blood boil. Let me just

mention that immediately after this revealing thought, we started

crawling to the frisky kids. Did this work? Well, I was successful

right after I almost knocked my teeth out with a tripod and

blackened my eye with the camera while crawling, sweeping

everything I found beneath me with a net on the way. As a result,

I reached the foxes as a decent scum of all weeds. Additionally,

huffing and spitting with ants and various meadow vermin. There

is nothing like a quiet, relaxing rest and hobby in nature!


story and photography by: Magdalena Sarat and Łukasz Łukasik


Elks in marsh marigolds. What is Biebrza silent about.


China Moses fot. Sylvain Norget



China Moses fot. Sylvain Norget


In the past few years, there were

different issues with winter. In the

mountains, one can say, there is winter

almost every year, however, in other

areas – different things happen.

Włodzimierz Stachoń

WINTER SKIRMISHES

THE PEARL OF THE POLISH WILDLIFE

WORDS & PHOTOS

Włodzimierz Stachoń

www.facebook.com/karpatymagicznakraina

Włodzimierz Stachoń - lives and works in Gromnik (Tarnów county). For almost 25 years, he has been involved in nature photography and

journalism. Over 5,000 photographs of his authorship have been published in over 20 national magazines (nature, forest, fishing, hunting,

sightseeing and others). The next thousand photos can be found on the pages of six albums showing the beauty of nature in south-eastern

Poland. More about the author's creative work on www.wlodzimierzstachon.pl on the profile of Karpaty – Magiczna Kraina.

In the mountains, one can say that there is winter

almost every year, however, in other areas different

things happen. Regardless of the intensity of the

phenomena typical of the winter season, there

comes a time in nature (approximately from

November to March) when animals compete more

intensively with one another for food, since at that

time there is much less of it than in other times of

the year. Food competition intensifies with the

advent of snow and frost. Attracting numerous

amateurs, the food found then is the cause of

arguments and often spectacular skirmishes, which

are probably the easiest to be observed among

some birds of prey. Perhaps the behaviour of

common buzzards would be the best example of

this type of winter habit. These birds not only look

for live prey in winter, but also eagerly eat carrion,

which they can locate surprisingly quickly in their

vicinity. Since such a discovery is usually announced

to all and sundry with a characteristic exhortation,

other winged competitors appear soon after the food

is found. This is when spectacular fights most often

occur. They are not dangerous for the birds, but delay

the satisfaction of their appetites. The moments when

common buzzards fight is not time wasted in nature.

They create occasions for other birds to catch a bite

of nutritious food – on these cold winter days it can

save their lives. With a bit of luck, less common

species can also be observed near the carrion.

Sometimes an easy prey will attract the majestic

white-tailed eagle or a trained eye will spot a

newcomer from the north, a rough-legged buzzard,

flying among common buzzards. Yet other times, a

Northern goshawk, which usually leads a secret life

under the cover of the forest, will sit in front of the

camera lens. For a nature photographer stuck in the

frost in the hideout, these are the moments that allow

you to forget about the inconvenience and freezing

cold. They are inseparable companions of winter

photos taken from hideouts.

From year to year, it is

becoming increasingly less

common to admire birds in

truly winter scenery.


photos: Włodzimierz Stachoń

Top photo: A winged patrol in the river valley: the arrival of the white-tailed eagle causes panic among wintering waterbirds.

Middle left: A buzzard repels the attack of an incoming competitor.

Middle right: A feature typical for buzzards is a large variation in colour. This time an individual with very bright plumage appeared in front of the lens.

Bottom left: Wings, claws, and beaks go into action when the game is about nutritious bites

Bottom right: A characteristic feature of a rough-legged buzzard are feathered legs, clearly visible in the birds taking off to fly.

WINTER BIRDS

Most of the birds that decide to migrate leave our

country between September and November.

However, for some of them, Poland is the final

destination. Although we will not see swallows and

storks for a few winter months, other species

occupy their place. Some of them can be observed

even in the cities, especially in parks and gardens

where they often look for food. To see a little more

special species, however, you have to go to more

secluded places where nature dominates over

urbanised life. During the winter you can observe

birds at feeders, to which you can lure over 20

species, including such rarities as the hawfinch,

bullfinch, brambling. At this time, we are also visited

by the birds which cannot be seen at any other time

of the year, as waxwings or bramblings. Winter is

also a great time to photograph birds of prey.

White-tailed eagles, buzzards.

On photo: Long hours spent in the hideout result in

new photo shots of various species in different

sceneries. One morning, during a snowstorm, a

common buzzard appears in front of the lens.

Another time in the same place, I photograph a

much less common visitor from the north, a roughlegged

buzzard.

photos: Włodzimierz Stachoń

www.facebook.com/karpatymagicznakraina


AUSTRIAN-RUSSIAN WAR

CEMETERY NO.51 ROTUNDA

PHOTOS KRYSTIAN KIWACZ

www.krystiankiwacz.pl

www.facebook.com/Krystian-Kiwacz-Fotografia

This war cemetery contains 54 war graves: 42 Austro-Hungarian and 12 Russian soldiers

who fell in March 1915.

Lesser Poland, low Beskid

War Cemetery No. 51 at Rotunda is a historic cemetery from the First

World War. The necropolis, one of the most beautiful in the Low

Beskids, is located on the top of Rotunda (between Regetówka and

Zdynia valleys).

The facility was established by the Austrian authorities in the years

1915-1918, in the region of Galicia. Among all the military cemeteries

from World War I, located in the Low Beskids, the one in Rotunda

certainly deserves special attention. It results from the extraordinary

beauty of the necropolis, its location, history, and the atmosphere of

mystery and uniqueness that surrounds the monument.

Rotunda

Rotunda Hill, Regietow 38-315, lesser Poland

Open:

all year long, open air, free entry

Duration of the visit: about 30 minutes

Trekking or sport shoes recommended. Access to the site is

not easy, as there's at least 1:30 hour walk on from west

(Regietów) side or less steep but much longer walk from

east (Zdynia) side.

Reaching the cemetery is not easy and finding it may take a long

time. The monument is hidden among trees, thick grasses and

shrubs. Perhaps, it is the whole aura and surroundings that make

the necropolis even more intriguing – and thus it makes a huge

impression on tourists. The necropolis was designed by Duszan

Jurkovic and it is the most impressive and most interesting of the

group of 31 necropolises created by this architect, in the so-called

Żmigród district.


photos: M. Ciszewski, polska.pl

At the war cemetery No. 51 at Rotunda, 42 soldiers of Austro-Hungarian

origin were buried. They belonged to: 1st Imperial Tyrolean Rifle Regiment,

36th Infantry Regiment of Mlada Boleslav, 59th "Rainer" Infantry Regiment,

1st and 25th Landwehra Infantry Regiments. There were also 12 soldiers of

Russian origin buried there, serving in 193rd Swijażaski Infantry Regiment.

Originally, the cemetery was built on a circular plan and was surrounded by

a stone rampart wall. A wooden gate in the form of a shingle roof on poles

led to the necropolis from the east. In the centre of the cemetery, there

were five tall wooden towers covered with shingles. At the top of each of

them there was a huge wooden cross, additionally covered with semicircular

canopies, which were attached to the arms of the cross. The roofs

of the towers were "slender shingled, broken at the base, with small shed

eaves at 2/3 of the height." The tower that stood in the middle was 16

meters high. Four lower towers surrounded it, "arranged in a square with

diagonals coaxial with the central tower". There were 20 tombstones

around, as well as 4 mass graves. On the graves, there were simple, wooden

beam crosses, "one and two-armed, with the upper arm covered with a

small board roof". In addition, at the intersection of the arms of the

crosses, there were wooden shields, rectangular in shape and with

truncated lower corners. In 1980, the war cemetery No. 51 at Rotunda was

the first among the Beskid necropolises to be entered into the national

register of monuments. Unfortunately, it does not go hand in hand with the

"appropriate" condition of the cemetery, where no thorough works have

been carried out, and even the simplest protection has not been provided.

It should be emphasized that originally the monument was visible from a

considerable distance, because the top of the mountain was not forested.

Currently, the top of Rotunda – and therefore also the

cemetery, is surrounded by numerous trees and shrubs.

Cleaning works in the necropolis were organised for several

times and they mainly involved the removal of unnecessary

vegetation, and cleaning up trees and shrubs. The stone wall

surrounding the historic area was also cleaned. Thanks to these

works, the outline of the graves as well as the remains of

several crosses were revealed. Only the skeletons of the

structures have remained of the wooden towers till now.

Additionally, one of the towers was completely destroyed. It is

important that the inscription stone with a forged Maltese

cross is in good condition.

There is an inscription on the board in German written by Hans Hauptmann.

„Klagt nicht daß unser Grab der Sturm umheult

Auf dieser einsam menschenfern Höhe,

Hier sind dem Ruf der Ewigkeit wir näher,

Und früher wirft allmorgendlich die Sonne

Ihr Purpurbahrtuch leuchtend über uns.”

The translation of the inscription is as follows:

Do not cry that we lay here, so far away from people, and the storms have taken their toll on

us more than once - after all, the sun wakes us up here earlier every morning and covers us

sooner with the purple of its glory.

In 2004, thanks to the efforts of the Social Committee for

the Reconstruction of the War Cemetery at Rotunda, as

well as the financial support of the Austrian Red Cross, 24

new tombstone crosses, plaques with the names of the

murder victims, and an architectural project for the

reconstruction of the cemetery were made.


Ochodzita

by

Michał Piorun

www.facebook.com/piorunografia


In the north-east, below, there is the Żywiec Valley, closed by the

range of Beskid Mały (one can distinguish, among others, the

highest peak of the Andrychów Beskid- Łamana Skała). To the east

and south-east, there is the Żywiec Beskid range with Romanka,

Lipowski Wierch, and the dominant Pilsko, occluding Babia Góra. To

the right of Pilsko, there is the border ridge of the Żywiec Beskid.

Above the deep depression of the Glinka (Ujsolska) Pass and in

favourable weather conditions, the panorama is completed by the

soaring wall of the Tatra Mountains. Closer, you can see Mańcuł,

covered with forests. To the right of it, there is Rycerzowa with its

two summits and behind it, spreading Rachowiec. Velka Raca rises

to the south. The horizon is closed by the Lesser Fatra with the

dedicated to John Paul II. The ceremonial opening took place on

August 11, 2010, during the Second World Congress of Polish

Highlanders in Koniaków. The commemorative plaque is a gift from

the highlanders to Pope John Paul II on the 10th anniversary of the

World Congress of Polish Highlanders, which took place in Koniaków

in 2000. It was consecrated by priest Damian Suszka, the chaplain of

the Department of Silesian Highlanders from Koniaków. It is worth

sitting on a nearby bench to enjoy the panorama. In the

neighbourhood there is a statue of John Paul II, built in 2018 to

commemorate the 40th anniversary of the election of the Polish

Pope. Next, there is a cross. The Chapel of Our Lady of Beskids -

Queen of the Mountains is hidden in the trees. The initiator of its

highest peaks – Rozsutec, Stoh, and Veľký Kriváň. On the northern

slope of Ochodzita, in the 1950s, as a result of heavy rainfall, a great

landslide emerged. Its dimensions, considering the Beskid conditions,

were impressive - 150 meters wide and 450 meters long. Traces of it

can be seen in the field to this day. A stay at the top of Ochodzita

should not be limited only to the views. It is worth spending a few

quarters of time to take a closer look at the attractions nearby. On

June 28, 1990, at the top of Ochodzita, a 34-meter-high RTV

transmitter was built. Just below the peak there is a small chapel,

the work of Ludwik Kubaszczyk, a folk artist from Koniaków. A bit

further, a T-bar lift. On the southern slope there is a beautifully

carved Wallachian gate, which is a point on the Wallachian Culture

Trail. Next to it, there is an obelisk with a commemorative plaque

construction was Fr. Romuald Waldera. In May 1972 it was completed

by Jan Waszut and Józef Legierski. The figure of the Mother of God

was made by a local artist, Jan Krężelok. In 2000, the chapel was

extended and solemnly consecrated. A short walk around Ochodzita

should end at the very top with a short rest on a bench, admiring the

panorama.

Ochodzita is easily accessible to every tourist. You can get to its top

dome by provincial road No. 943 from the villages of Laliki, Koniaków

and Istebna. It is best to leave the car near the Ochodzita Inn.

Further on, there is a convenient road lined with concrete slabs. It

takes less than 15 minutes to complete this part of the way.

However, this is not the end of Ochodzita tourist attractions. It is

worth mentioning that many films were made in the shadow of


the mountain. In Tri-Village, the scenes of the last episode of

Czterej Pancerni (Four Tank-Men and a Dog), a famous TV series

from 1969, were filmed. In the landscapes of Rajcza, a village

situated nearby, a fabular movie "Nauka latania" (Flying lessons)

was recorded, while in Ujsoły in 1983 they filmed "Żeniac". Also in

Ujsoły, as well as in Sopotnia Mała, Rycerka Dolna and Rajcza, in

1984 the film "Sprawa się rypła" (Things go sideways), was made.

The aforementioned Rajcza reappeared in the frames of the

document about Fr. Józef Tischner from 2012, entitled "Jego

oczami" (In his eyes). However, the most beautiful Beskid

landscapes of Istebna with Ochodzita are presented in the comedy

"Oh, Karol 2". In the film, you can also admire a little church

The young count lost his mind out of longing and burned down the

castle on the hill. Nobody heard of him anymore. They say that in a

nearby quarry, at night, you can hear the cries of a young man who

weeps after losing his beloved.

There used to be a sandstone quarry on the north-west slope of the

Koczy Zamek hill. Currently, at the top, there is a cross and a stone

dedicated to the soldiers of the Polish Army, the Home Army and the

Grey Ranks, who died during World War II.

A short hike around Ochodzita is just an incentive to get to know the

nearby tourist attractions. It is worth visiting the capital of Polish

lace, Koniaków, for a walk to the so-called Trzycatka, the border

between Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

in Stecówka. In addition, some scenes were also recorded on the

road and in the tunnel in Laliki.

Being in Ochodzita, it is worth spending several dozen minutes to

visit the neighbouring peak called Koczy Zamek. It is situated only

1.5 km eastwards, above the road from Koniaków to Laliki. The

origin of the name of this mountain is interesting and it is told in

one of the legends. It mentions a Hungarian count named Kocsi,

who left his homeland because his father tried to match him up

with a not-so-pretty, albeit rich maiden. Wandering around the

Beskids, the young man met and fell in love with a beautiful

highlander girl, native to Koniaków. He married her and built a

small castle. The news reached his father who, out of rage,

decided to kidnap and murder his daughter-in-law.

Finally, climb up Barania Góra, from where the Vistula flows out. I

invite you to discover this picturesque corner of the Silesian

Beskids on your own.

Ochodzita

Michał Piorun, December 2020


PLACES AND CUSTOMS

by Katarzyna Skóra

Katarzyna lived almost all her life in the Low Beskids. She is particularly interested in everyday

life in the former Lemko region. The imagination plays an important role in her life, helping to

feel the atmosphere of the visited places. She is into handicrafts, and specifically crocheting.

Working on various projects allows you to relax, in a sense it has become a way of life. She is

also passionate about photography. She tries to capture in her frames inanimate nature,

landscapes and the transience, in the broad sense of the word. Weekly photo trips have

already become a tradition.

Old Lemko traditions and Christmas Customs

www.magurskiewyprawy.pl

Living in their mountains, the Lemko community was often cut

off from the world by snow or rain. Due to limited interaction

with outsiders, their old rituals and customs were more easily

preserved for longer and in a fuller form. The most important

among all Lemko’s holidays was Christmas, called Rizdwo. It is

recognized as one of the twelve great holidays. Preparations for

this holiday began well before January 7th (Christmas in the

Eastern rite is celebrated then, due to the use of the Julian

calendar). In the period preceding this great feast, during

Advent, people used to gather to spin flax together. These

meetings were called weczirky. As a precursor to the holiday

itself, there was a game called Łomanyk. According to the rules

of this game, boys used to join the girls gathered at the flax

spinning, dressed as Jews, Gypsies, bears, and rams. The youth

had fun in such a way that the boys grabbed the girls lying on

the floor by their legs and dragged them back and forth. A

particularly important day was Christmas Eve, or Światyj Weczir.

There were many traditions associated with this day and one

had to be careful not to omit any. It was believed that the

disregard of the prohibitions and orders would cause fate to

take revenge on people or the entire household the following

year.

First, Lemkos used to fast on this day, just like we do. It was

forbidden to eat fresh vegetables and fruit as they were

believed to cause ulcers. Particular care had to be taken when

lighting the fire, as blowing on the fire could cause pimples in

the coming year. Some would go to the forest or to their

neighbours to steal wood. It was not about stealing in the literal

sense, but about bringing at least a stick hidden, so that no one

would notice it on their way back home. It was also believed that

borrowing money from a Jew on that special day was a

guarantee of happiness.While cooking Christmas Eve dishes,

women made sure that their children did not steal anything

from the pots, as it was believed that wolves would snatch

sheep in the summer. When the bread was put into the oven, the

hostess took out a few coals and assigned the names of grains

to each of them. The piece of coal with the thickest layer of ash

was regarded to be a forecast of the abundance of that

particular grain in the upcoming harvest season.

When it was getting dark, the whole family would go barefoot to

the river or stream to wash in it, "to be as healthy and as swift as

the water current". Sometimes they even went naked during such

dips! Consider the fact that in the past, the winters were harsh and

cold, not like today. These days, if someone decided to take such a

bath that was supposed to bring health, they would most likely get

sick! Then, from the cold deluge, people used to hold water in their

mouths on the way back home, and after entering the house, they

spit it out on the stove. All of that was to avoid suffering from a

toothache during the coming year! To protect the animals’ health,

they were given bread with garlic to taste in their stable.While

preparing for the supper, an unthreshed oat sheaf was placed in

the corner of the room. The host would spread hay on the table,

then sprinkle it with oats, so that there would be a lot of money in

the house. Then, a tablecloth would be put on the table prepared in

this way. There had to be a few loaves of bread on the table, salt

on the plate, garlic, and a pot with all kinds of grains and a candle.

Under the table, the host put a scythe, an axe (so that the legs

would not hurt) or other objects. The items under the table were

supposed to bring good luck. For example, the flail was there to

ensure abundant crops to thresh next year. Twelve dishes were

then cooked for the supper. Three spoons of each dish were placed

in the milk pail (dijnyczok) and later given to the cows, so that the

witch would not take the milk from them. The hostess would cut a

lot of bread and place it on a plate in a pyramid so that the host,

sitting on the other side of the table, would not be seen through

the bread slices. He would say, "May nobody see me in our crops in

the fields."During Christmas Eve, the Lemokos would first eat

cloves of garlic dipped in salt and then the family members drank a

glass of vodka for all the present and absent ones. Next, they

served cabbage, noodles (called bobalki) with poppy seeds, cabbage

rolls with mushrooms, whole potatoes, potatoes with yushka

(Lemko dried fruit compote), baked apples, peas, broad beans,

beans, pearl barley, groats with plums, and Lemko sour soup called

kiesełyca (made of oat leaven). The dishes were served with homemade

oil and, of course, they were eaten from one bowl. There

were also a few rules to follow. First of all, it was not allowed to sit

down at the table with unpaid debts, and one could not lean on the

table so that the grain would not "collapse".


The first day of Christmas, or Rizdwo, started the weather

forecast for the whole year. Each subsequent day was supposed

to forecast the weather for one month of the year. Interestingly,

in the foothills area, the elderly still practice such weather

forecasting. Every year my grandmother writes down the weather

for 12 days after "Russian holidays". Does the forecast come

true? Maybe in a small part, but what matters is the tradition and

the willingness to continue it.

On the first day of Christmas, Lemkos washed their faces with

water, into which they had previously thrown small coins.

This custom was to ensure wealth. There is also such a tradition in

Pogórze, but this ritual is performed on Christmas Eve. In some

villages, the farmer would bring a sheep or a horse into the room

in memory of the adoration of the new-born Jesus by animals.

Among Eastern Rite Catholics, carollers are very important on the

first day of Christmas, they used to visit homes early in the

morning.

The second day of Christmas was called wymitny (which may be

translated as "swept") because on that day, for the first time since

Christmas Eve, it was possible to sweep the floors. This was

supposed to be done very early in the morning. Girls threw garbage

from the floor in the least frequented place in the orchard and

there, while pouring it out, they used to cry out in a special way,

used by shepherds (which was called hiłkanie). The echo was

believed to indicate the direction from which her future fiancé would

come. It is difficult for me to say what the Lemko holidays look like

now, but their Christmas tree is certainly a little more modest than

ours. There must be lights, candies and nuts on it. There is no

nativity scene in the church, but an icon of the Nativity of Christ.

Each believer bows in front of it and kisses it as well. Such icons are

also hung at homes.After the appearance of the first star, the head

of the family begins a prayer and then shares prosphora with

everyone, which is an unleavened kind of bread, blessed in the

church, which serves as the Christmas wafer that we know.




The custom of sharing prosphora in homes has emerged recently as

a result of the influence of Western culture. During the Christmas

season, the faithful take part in church services. Lemko and

Pogórze traditions are very similar. Hence, I have known many of

them since my childhood. We also gave a little bit of every dish to

the cows and we also used to have an axe under the Christmas Eve

table. During the supper, it was forbidden to get up from the table

or put the spoon away (because we used a spoon for each dish). We

ate and we still eat from one bowl. We always have a sour soup for

Christmas Eve and it has always been made on oat leaven. To make

leaven for such a sour soup, we need about half a kilogram of

wholemeal oat flour, which we pour over with warm, boiled water

(some people add bread crust to it). We set it aside for a few days

in a warm place. After about 2 days, it should start to bubble. Then,

we boil about 2 liters of water with a bay leaf, allspice, and of

course garlic and dried mushrooms. Then, mixed leaven is poured

through a sieve into the boiling water and here it is necessary to

watch it so that it does not bubble away from the pan. This is not a

recipe for an original kiesełyca, but for an oat sour soup

traditionally prepared in my family home. When I was a child my

mother would always say, "Like Christmas Eve, like the whole year.”

She used to repeat that we should be polite and not to disobey or

argue if we do not want to do this throughout the coming year.

This, of course, also had a purely practical advantage - peace of

mind when preparing the supper. It is a pity that with time many

traditions either disappear or lose their serious character, turning

into something funny, a reason for jokes and mockery. As for

Lemko traditions, customs and annual rites, they were cultivated

until the end of World War II. On the other hand, the subsequent

turmoil and displacement had an impact on the Lemko culture.

Today, probably some of the aforementioned customs, especially

superstitions or omens, are forgotten. Even those Lemkos who

returned to their former neighbourhood no longer subscribe to

these ancient practices. Seeing this, it is no surprise that our

traditions disappear, although we have not encountered difficulties

related to displacement or otherwise.

Katarzyna Skóra


church in Berest, photoKEMSAB

church in Nowica, photo J Kadaj


church in Smolnik, photo M Jucha


Tylicz TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Text: www. en.krynica.pl

Mineral waters – highly carbonated waters with high calcium were

known here several hundred years before but not until they were

investigated and described by L. Zejszner, their full potency was

realized. In the 90 s of twentieth century A special mine area ”Tylicz”

was created here and “Multico” company obtained a concession to

exploit local mineral water in world wide scale. All sources and wells of

local mineral waters as well as symptoms of exhalation of CO2

concentrates in the area on the left bank of Muszynka, Bradowiec and

Syhowny streams. Only one source is permanently adapted to wider

usage. It is the well on left riverbanks of Muszynka, down below historic

Greek Catholic church in the park. It is the source already mentioned of

highly carbonated mineral water with high calcium and iron content very

much valued by inhabitants. There are several more temporarily

adjusted for tourist (for example two sources can be found on the

educational path “Na Rakowsku”).

Educational path of nature ”Na Rakowsku” It is one of the first initiative

of the whole program which aims to protect and use better the specific

microclimate of forest around Krynica. The local government and the

management of the forest want to protect it’'s unique environment as

well as use it more productively and create high standard conditions for

tourists who would like to see the forest in it's natural beauty. Another

aim is to promote ecology. The path leads through southern side of

“Bradowiec” mountain to it's peak.

It starts next to the small spring situated about 2km from market place

in Powroźnik direction (next to “Multi Vita” factory). There is a board

with all sorts of information about the path, the map with places of all

interesting objects marked by Arabic letters on it. The path is easy to

follow. For anyone interested there are brochures and folder available in

local libraries or at the forestry.

Tourist's trials

Tylicz - Szwarcowa - Huzary (863 m above sea level) – Pulaski’'s Mound.

Total time: 2 hours for going there and 1h 40 minutes for come back.

The route starts at the end of bp Tylicki’'s street. It leads onto country

road in north direction, at places quite steeple up the hill. After reaching

the first peak we can observe a beautiful panorama of Tylicz, Muszynka,

Tylicz Pass and Lackowa mountain. We can also notice the mountains in

Slovakia on the horizon. Later the route leads through the forest, at the

beginning quite easy, but closer to the top of Huzary mountain it is

more steeple at places. After passing the Peak of Huzary we enter the

yellow track from Jakubik Mountain and it leads us down in bends to

asphalt road and the Pułaski's Mound next to it. From this place we can

go to the centre of the Krynica or follow the yellow signs to the

Parkowa Mountain.

photo: Konrad Rogozińksi

Cross-country skiing trails:

In Tylicz, on the grounds of ‘Huts in the Forest’ Tourist Settlement there are two trails: 2.5 km and 4 km long. They are dedicated to beginners and intermediate skiers. It is worth mentioning that the trails are regularly groomed

with a trace. There is a car park for cars and coaches, a modern rental of cross country skis (Rossignol) and a cross country skiing service.


Tylicz – Szalone – Bradowiec – Rakowskie – Powroźnik – total

time 3 hours. The track goes across the peaks which surround

the town from the west. It starts in the Krynica Centre or at

the Parkowa Mountain. It goes mostly trough the forest and

peaks about 800m high. Near Bradowiec where the woods

aren’t so thick we can admire the view with Greek Catholic

church and numerous ski lifts near Tylicz. The track ends in

Powroźnik at the bus station.

Muszynka- Kamienny Horb (827m) – Wojkowa – total time 3

hours. The track starts in the village south – east from Tylicz. At

first it leads up the hill across the pastures then through the

woods which are the historic reserve “The Trenches of

Confederates of Bar” then along the Poland border. On the way

there are several places where you can observe beautiful

panorama of the Slovak Mountains. The route ends in Wojkowa

village, 8 km away from Krynica.

Muszynka

Muszynka is a former Lemko village, situated at an altitude of

650 meters above the valley of the same name, located just 2

miles from the Tylicz Pass. It was established in 1356, by King

Casimir III, the Great. In XIV and XV centuries it played a very

important role due to it's location at the busy trade route

because it was situated on the way to Hungary. After WWII 70%

of Lemkos were moved by force to The Soviet Union. In the

middle of the village stands Greek Catholic church of old under

the name of St. John, the Evangelist. It is wooden, built in

Orthodox style in 1689, roof covered with metal sheet. Inside in

one of the altars there is a picture of St. Barbara which was

brought here from the Confederates’ Camp. Iconostasis is

connected with side doors and dates from eighteenth century.

Until 1947 the church was a Lemko’'s parochial church, but

nowadays it is a filial church of Catholic parish in Tylicz.

The historic reserve “The Trenches of Confederates of Bar”

requires also some attention. It memorise the presence of the

troops of Kazimierz Pułaski here in the end of eighteenth c.

which resulted in Partition of Poland and lack of independence.

The Confederates fought in those woods against enemy's

armies and lost. The yellow trail leads to the top of Jawor,

past the obelisk commemorating the Confederates and further

leads through high Berest to Wojkowa. The red track goes

along the Poland’s frontier starting at the Tylicz Pass and

leading in direction of Dzielec and Laskowa peaks.

Sights

Greek Catholic church of SS Kosmas and Damian situated next

to the road to Muszynka. It was built between 1738-1744 and

renovated in 1780, 1938 and 1982. It's wooden of framework

construction, timbered. The tower is partly covered with

wooden tiles and partly with sheet metal.

Market Square in quadrangular shape with perpendicular

streets – is a reminder of former Tylicz glory – all the market

gatherings were held here and in the Town hall the Criminal

Court used to preside (nowadays a Rural House of Culture

stands here). Not long ago you could still observe eaves of

houses in the form of arcades characteristic for this type of

architecture, but unfortunately they do not exist here any

more. From centuries the surface of the market square was

paved with so-called “cobblestones”. In the park near the

church stands small brick shrine from 1808.

The church of SS. Peter and Paul founded by Bp. Piotr Tylicki

and built in 1612. Entirely wooden and boarded, with sheet

metal roof. It consist of one narrow nave and presbytery in

triangular shape, next to which the vestry is attached. The

tower was attached in 1936 over the old vestibule.

photo:Konrad Rogozinksi

Tylicz - always good but in winter time the best!

Tylicz is a place located in the south of the Beskid Sądecki. In summer – the richness of forests, walking trails and natural mineral water springs. In winter – ski stations and a plethora of cross country skiing trails in the

vicinity. Tylicz is an excellent starting point to do this sport - professional equipment rentals, service stations and regularly maintained trails attract more and more cross country skiers.


photo:Konrad Rogozinksi

Tourist Settlement "Huts in the Forest’" (Domki w Lesie) Tourist Settlement is located 6km from the center of Krynica-Zdrój, in a picturesque valley in Tylicz, in the Poprad Landscape Park protection zone. The huts are surrounded with trees

and the vicinity of cross country skiing trails and a high standard are the main values of the Settlement. On the grounds of the Settlement, there are two trails: 2.5km and 4km long. You will find out more about them on the next page. There

is also the only in the region cross country skiing school and you will find necessary equipment, also for the youngest ones, in a nearby rental. You will find essential details at www.domkiwlesie.pl.


photo: Konrad Rogoziński

www.odkryjbeskid.pl

www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid

photo: Konrad Rogoziński

www.odkryjbeskid.pl

www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid

Tatra Mountains

by Łukasz Sowiński

To discover natural beauty of Poland at its finest, you

should head to Tatra National Park.

Tatra mountains are the most beautiful Polish

mountain range, visited by thousands of tourists each

year.

Tatra Mountains differ from the Alps for sure in

However,

of their lengthiness. At similar peak heights (circa

respect

metres) the mountain range is very short and narrow.

2300

length of Tatra Mountains as the crow flies amounts to 53

The

whereas the length along the main ridge on

kilometres,

entire length both along the tourist route as well as

almost

border between Poland and Slovakia, 80 kilometres. The

the

of the Tatra Mountains is "up to" 30 km. On the territory

width

Slovakia and Polish Podhale there are many places, from

of

it is possible to admire their full splendour with no

which

The impression of fairy-tale character of the

difficulty.

and the vastness of the mountains is enhanced by

scenery

peculiar geological landscape construction. Both on the

the

and on the northern side there are large tectonic

southern

with gentle 1000 meter hills behind them. Tatra

valleys,

seen from Podhale and lighted up by the morning

Mountains

actually constitutes the most beloved theme for Polish

sun

photographers.

landscape

TATRA MOUNTAINS ŁUKASZ SOWIŃSKI

RIDE THE WILD WIND

PHOTOS

Łukasz Sowiński

www.facebook.com/zsercaorawy

www.facebook.com/krajobrazysowinskifoto

We invite you to get to know the Polish Tatra Mountains in the photography of Łukasz Sowiński. You have already known his photos from

Orava, not only the landscape ones, but also those related to Polish and Orava traditions. This time, Łukasz will take you to the Tatra

Mountains.

On the shores of streams, on the outlet of big Tatra valleys,

there are both deciduous riparian-type forests as well as

beach wood forests with a dash of pine tree. They quickly

give place to spruce and fir forests, transforming into a

strip of dwarf mountain pine, alternating with rowanberry

and lofty Swiss stone pines, subsequently turning into

mountain pastures or large meadows used to pasture the

sheep and in winter serving as an excellent ski area. There

are no glaciers in Tatra Mountains. On the height where

there is actually cold enough during the whole year the

slopes are to steep, so that they could hold any larger

amounts of snow. The remaining of the ice age is a group of

200 unusually picturesque mountain lakes. Chochołowska

Valley – with crocuses. Because the whole area of the

mountains is protected by Poland and Slovakia in national

parks it is not possible to cross ridge on other way than on

foot or in winter on ski. However, It is possible to round

Tatra Mountains on a bicycle. This trip is about 230 km long

and due to stunning views belongs among the most

beautiful in Europe. Tatra Mountains have been the most

popular destination of wanders for more than 150 years.

Both in Polish and Slovak part the chain of tourist

shelters and ski slopes is well developed.

For skiers the most important thing is the recently

modernised cable-car railway from Zakopane to

Kasprowy Wierch as well as ski lifts complexes

located in Goryczkowa Valley and Gąsienicowa Hala.

They facilitate to do the ski slope on the highest

world level. Even though mountain rescue system in

Tatra Mountains is very well organised, still every

year there are many lethal accidents.

Due to the protection of nature and numerous

threats resulting from the difficult territory,

walking is restricted exclusively to the routes

designated by the administrative organs of

respective National Parks. It needs to bear in mind,

that routes in Slovak part of Tatra Mountains are

closed for winter.

One glance on the map of Tatra Mountains is

enough to tell, that the names of the valleys on

both sides of the main ridge of the Tatra Mountains

sound almost the same. Despite the fact, that Tatra

Mountains have been divided with a political border

"since forever", people dwelling Poland, as well as

the historical "Upper Hungary" have always been

close and related. Until the present day highlanders

from Slovakia use similar dialect and usually deal

with very similar branches and sectors of economy.

Regional, characteristic dairy products from Tatra

Mountains are smoked sheep milk cheese "oscypek"

– made in the Tatra Mountains and "bunc", and the

handicraft products are sheep's fur and hand-made

shoes called "kierpce" i.e. shoes with pointed toes

traditionally worn by Polish highlanders and vests.


We hope that you decide to go to Poland and spend your free

time in the Tatra Mountains – and of course you would like to

enjoy the snow and space. It is possible that your goal is not

only to exercise in the fresh air, but you would also like to

explore wildlife. On skis, snowshoes or just on foot (we write

about it in the next article).

There are many possibilities – the choice is yours. You will not

be alone. Think: three million tourists each year and only a

hundred of chamois. In the Tatra National Park, each animal has

many more opportunities to meet a human being than a man to

meet an animal. In order to observe animals without frightening

them, you need to remember some rules and precautions. First,

you need to know the laws that govern mountains in winter. It

is difficult for people to imagine how much effort it costs

animals to live in the mountains all year round and what

dangers await them. The difficult life of mountain animals is

worthy of our respect. By following a simple code, you can

enjoy your stay in the mountains without harming the local

nature.

Winter tourism and wild animals

After the tour you will return to a warm apartment. Chamois

and black grouse will stay in the mountains, trying to survive

the next cold winter. Their survival depends largely on one

thing: saving energy.

Snow covers the daily food of the animals. Both herbivores and

predators find it hard to find anything to eat. So animals have

to rely on the fat stored under the skin. Food is scarce and the

energy requirement is enormous - it is difficult to navigate in

deep snow, and the low temperatures and wind make the

necessity to maintain a constant body temperature really

energy-consuming. So even the slightest move comes at a cost.

Unnecessary energy consumption, for example as a result of

flight due to accidental scare, can lead to the death of the

animal from disease and exhaustion.

The animals, weakened by unnecessary escapes, also become

easy prey for predators.To save energy, the black grouse often

hide from wind and frost in a snow igloo. If you get too close,

you can disturb them and make them take off. It will cost them

to deplete their life reserves. One short flight may seem

harmless, but the total effort of frequent scare can be fatal.A

chamois, escaping through the snow, uses many times more

energy than when it was calmly nibbling on frozen lichens and

dry grass a few minutes earlier. Tomorrow, it may run out of

this lost energy.The man who scared the chamois, did not

intend to harm them, he only wanted to take a nice picture ...

Winter tourism and safety

The life of animals and plants in the mountains is difficult. But

of course, the laws that govern the mountains in winter also

apply to us. So we also have to think about our own safety.In

winter, the blue sky and beautiful sun can easily make us

forget that:

The temperature quickly drops by 10-15°C – after sunset,

when we enter the shade or when the wind breaks and the

spring thaw suddenly turns into a winter blizzard. The

weather can change rapidly in both summer and winter.

Therefore, take the appropriate equipment and clothing with

you in anticipation of changing conditions. Also, consider

taking a thermos flask with a warm drink and enough food to

replenish the calories lost during exercise and needed to keep

your body warm.Avalanche risk must be taken seriously. Don't

be fooled by the friendly landscape and wary even if the road

looks safe.In winter, the days are short and dusk falls quickly.

This is a very important factor when planning a trip. Don't

wait with going back home for the sun to set.

There are many guides where you can find more detailed

information on mountain safety. Remember to check the

weather forecast and the current avalanche report before the

trip. If in doubt, seek help from a qualified guide. Its task is to

help you discover the mountains safely.

The Tourist Information Point is located

at the Jana Pawła II roundabout

(the so-called ‘Kuźnickie rondo’)

in Zakopane.

The point provide all useful tourist information,

every day from 7.30 am to 3.30 pm.

You can also contact the Point

by phone: 18 20 23 300

or by e-mail: infotur@tpn.pl.

Feel free to contact Tourist Information Point

before you set off on the trail.

The tourist announcement on our website

is constantly updated.


Near Kasprowy Wierch – waves

Łukasz Sowiński



High Tatras, "unreachable"

Łukasz Sowiński



view from Kasprowy Wierch

Łukasz Sowiński



winter escape

active in tatra

Kraków

Tatra Mountains


in Poland, we encourage you to visit Zakopane and the Tatra

One

Recreation can be both active and calm, as well as full of

Mountains.

food and entertainment. There is something for everyone!

good

recent years, increasing numbers of tourists have decided to

In

the Tatra trails on skis. Ski touring, which can be described as

explore

combination of traditional cross-country and downhill skiing, is

a

popular. For people who love skiing, the Tatra Mountains

extremely

a very attractive place to spend their free time. The dense network

are

hiking trails and ski lifts enables everyone to choose what suits

of

best. Natural snow cover, long, interesting slopes, and unique

them

make the ski runs there excellent. Due to those factors, a large

views

of winter visitors to the park are skiers, mainly skiing in the

number

Zakopane and Tatra mountains:

something for everyone!

Ski Trail Markings

area of Kasprowy Wierch summit.

Winter in the Tatra Mountains is all about

skiing!

Ski tourism in the Tatra National Park can be practiced on

tourist routes and ski trails. A dense network of ski trails is

located in the upper part of the Bystra Valley, more precisely

in the Goryczkowa and Kondratowa Valleys. The next trail is

the former ski slope leading from the Gąsienicowa Glade to

Kuźnice. Yet another one is located in the Chochołowska

Valley. There are summer markings on hiking trails, which are

often invisible in winter. On forest trails, the signs can be

partially visible and their course can be easily guessed.

It is not that simple in the areas located above the upper

forest border. These routes are not maintained, nor

additionally marked or secured. Therefore, during the period

of snow cover, the use of trails located above the upper forest

border requires precise knowledge of their course.

The issue of the winter marking of the Tatra Mountains is not

new. The great ski lover Józef Oppenheim writes in his 1936

ski guidebook: "Szlaki narciarskie Tatr Polskich" all winter

marking are only indicative, showing the highest direction, but

cannot be strictly taken as in summer. Marking in the field,

where insolation, wind, and the variety of precipitation can

create unpredictably variable conditions every day, must be

treated by the skier as a signpost of the direction – never as a

route that must be slavishly followed. This issue was discussed

many times. Ultimately, a rule was adopted not to mark the

trails above the upper edge of the forest. Remember that in

Oppenheim's time, few people took up tourism in winter, so it

was easier to educate this group. Today, it is already known

that placing poles anywhere in the Tatra Mountains will cause

a string of tourists to follow the exact trail marked by them,

and that can be fatal. Ski routes, when they are made

available, are marked with orange signposts and pictograms.



Cross-Country Ski Trails in Zakopane and the

Surrounding Area

Cross-country trail at the Krupowa Plain, in the very center of

Zakopane: This trail is in the vicinity of Krupówki and has

numerous twists that make up about 5km of an easy route,

ideal for beginners.Biały Potok (White Stream): This is a

picturesque, 5km cross-country trail (not always open) that is a

bit difficult, due to a few quite steep descents (beginners can

unbuckle their skis before the descent and go down on foot

next to the marked trail). The route begins and ends at ul.

Piłsudskiego just below the entrance to the Wielka Krokiew ski

jump.Ski- running route of the Central Sports Centre: This trail

is marked out in the area of the sports stadium and under the

jumps, along Bronka Czecha street. It is the perfect training for

more advanced runners. Note: Using the route is payable and

priority should be given to training athletes. It is best to ask the

caretakers of the facility in advance what times training takes

place on the route and come for a run when the athletes are

not there.Cross-country trail in Kościelisko: Kościelisko Chotarz

is THE BEST, well-prepared trail. It is 10km long, very varied,

and has a beautiful view of Giewont. The trail was created by a

group of ski enthusiasts from Kościelisko. Well done! Crosscountry

trail on Siwa Polana: This trail is a picturesque route

marked out around the mouth of the Chochołowska Valley, at

the glade called Siwa Polana (photo in the header) and on the

White Stream (Biały Potok) Clearing. Unfortunately, it was not

prepared last season, but if there is enough snow, you can go

for a cross-country walk to the Chochołowska Valley and go up

as far as the shelter. There are cross-country trails at the ski

centres Kotelnica in Białka Tatrzańska and in Jurgów.

Practical Rules and Recommendations

Ski tourism can only be practiced when the snow cover protects

the vegetation and soil from the effects of skiing.

The principle of right-of-way for pedestrians applies on hiking

trails open to ski tourism.

Tourist paths: Myślenickie Turnie, Kasprowy Wierch, and the

Gąsienicowa Valley (Dolina Sucha Stawiańska) Liliowe are

accessible only to the ascent because they are located near ski

runs, which can be easily used for skiing down.

It should also be remembered that from December 1st to May

15th, the following sections of routes are closed to tourists, and

therefore also to skiing:

Pass of Przełęcz w Grzybowcu- Wyżnia Kondracka

Tomanowa Valley – Chuda Przełączka Pass

The Valley of Five – Polish Ponds – Świstówka Roztocka –

Morskie Oko

Right-hand traffic applies on tourist routes. This is especially

true for the valleys where there is a lot of tourist traffic.

Before going to the Tatra Mountains in winter, you should

always check the current level of avalanche risk and read the

recommendations for hiking for a given level of risk. You should

also check the TPN tourist information. Wandering on the Tatra

trails in winter requires appropriate knowledge, the use of

equipment and accessories that enable movement in such

conditions, as well as the ability to assess the risk of an

avalanche in the field. You can also always use the services of

an authorised guide.

During the operation of the chairlift in the Goryczkowa Valley,

access to the lower station of the chairlift is made available for

pedestrians and skiers on the section between Gonciska –

Wyżnia Goryczkowa Plain.

During the operation of the chairlift in Dolina Gąsienicowa, the

winter variant of the tourist trail is available for pedestrians

and ski tourers on the section between the lower station of the

chairlift in the Sucha Stawiańska Valley (the Gąsienicowy

Cauldron) and Sucha Przełęcz.

On the ski and hiking trails available for ski tourism, the right of

ascent traffic applies.

Above the upper edge of the forest, ski tourism may deviate

from the course of summer trails, but only when walking along

the trail would endanger safety, mainly due to the risk of

avalanches.

Some of the ski trails are unidirectional and one must move in a

certain direction. The applicable regulations prohibit ascending

the slope, which is to be used only for the descent. Moving in

the opposite direction poses a danger to both the descender

and the person climbing up the slope.

You must use skis while on a ski trail.


Tatra OUTDOOR



trails and areas available for ski tourism constitute a very

The

communication network and there is no need to designate

dense

The inaccessible areas of the park constitute a refuge for

more.

for which winter is a particularly difficult period.

fauna,

Ascending the Ski Run

Due to the great popularity among ski-tourists of Kasprowy

Wierch, the ski trail from the Niżnia Goryczkowa Plain to the

top of Kasprowy Wierch is marked when the ski slope in the

Goryczkowa Valley is available.

While ascending, follow the edge of the route, along with the

orange direction signs. It is not allowed to ascend using the

central part of the trail.

During the period of non-availability of the ski slope in the

Goryczkowa Valley for downhill skiing, ski tourism can be

practiced within the ski slope in the Goryczkowa Valley,

provided that there is snow cover protecting the vegetation

and soil against the impact of skiing. The use of this area

requires thorough knowledge of its boundaries, as the area

is not marked.

Note: Skiing is not allowed in all areas!

Other Activities

Walk: Palenica Białczańska to the Shelter at Morskie Oko

This activity is for complete novices and is aimed primarily at

beginners in mountain trekking. I must admit that we

followed this trail, but in the summer. In winter, Morskie Oko

itself did not encourage me to visit. The trail starts from

Palenica Białczańskie, where you can get to by your own

means of transport or by bus from the center of Zakopane

(one-way ticket costs about PLN 10 per person). In winter,

there are fewer buses, so it is worth hitting the trail as early

as possible and remember that around 4.00 pm it is already

dark (and cold!).

From Palenica, you take the red trail. It will take you 2 to 2.5

hours to reach the shelter. The trail runs for 9km along a

boring, asphalt, winding road covered in the winter with a

thick layer of snow (slightly uphill). With heavy ice, non-slip

pads/crampons will be useful. On the way, we pass boards

informing us about the avalanche danger in a section of

about 2km. We should neither stop in these places nor take a

trip on days with a high risk of avalanche. The return trip in

winter should not take more than 4-5 hours.



Walk: Chochołowska Valley to the Shelter in the Chochołowska

Glade

The green trail to the shelter on the Chochołowska Glade

(Polana Chochołowska) begins its run from Siwa Polana. We get

there using our car or by taking a bus from the center of

Zakopane. The Chochołowska Glade itself is an extremely

beautiful place. The peaks of the western Tatras rise above it.

Wołowiec looks particularly impressive. We are about a good 2

hours walk away from Polana Chochołowska along the green

trail, which leads us successively through the Huciska Glade,

Dudowa Valley, Starorobociańska Valley, and Trzydniówka Glade,

reaching finally the Chochołowska Glade. Until the Huciska

Glade, the trail leads us along a boring asphalt road. Then we

walk along a flat gravel path, and then up a stone "sidewalk".In

terms of time, the trail is almost identical to the trip to Morskie

Oko from Palenica. In winter conditions it will take you from 4 to

5 hours.

Walk: Strążyska Clearing and Siklawica Waterfall

You can start the trip near Wielka Krokiew, at Cafe Roma, where

the entrance to the Strążyska Valley is located. A leisurely walk

from Wielka Krokiew takes 30 minutes to reach Droga pod

Reglami. There is also a small parking lot for cars. The Strążyska

Valley is one of the most popular valleys near Zakopane,

situated between the valleys of Dolina ku Dziurze and Dolina za

Bramką. It leads to the walls of Giewont massif. The trail goes

along a flat and wide road to the Strążyska Clearing, which,

according to the signpost, takes 40 minutes.

After a few minutes, we reach the first bridge over the stream

called Strążyski Potok. There, you can hear the soothing noise

which will accompany us at the bottom of the valley. In the

Strążyska Clearing, there are some chalets, a buffet for tourists,

and benches. Those willing can continue along the yellow trail

that will take them to the Siklawica Waterfall in about 15

minutes. The yellow trail leads slightly uphill over large stones.

They can be extremely slippery in winter, so we advise you to be

careful and use additional protection under your shoes.

Siklawica, a 23-meter waterfall, descends at an 80-degree angle

(13 meters high lower wall and 10 meters high upper wall). The

name of the waterfall is derived from Siklawa in the Valley of

Five Polish Ponds.

Walk: Kościeliska Valley, Smreczyński Pond, and the Shelter at

the Ornak Glade (Hala Ornak)

Another winter suggestion is a walk along the Kościeliska Valley

to the Smreczyński Pond (the only one in the western Tatras)

and on the way back, a stop at the shelter at the Ornak Glade.

We start the trip in Kiry, where again you can get to by your

own means of transport or using a bus, going from the center of

Zakopane. The trail is almost 13.5 km long and the estimated

time of its passage without breaks is only 4 hours. Remember to

add the obligatory relaxation time by the pond and a stay at the

shelter in Hala Ornak. The Kościeliska Valley, 8km long and 34

square km in area, is considered to be one of the most beautiful

in the whole Tatras.

Walk: White Stream Valley

Another suggestion is a walk through the White Valley along the

yellow trail, which begins not far from Wielka Krokiew and the

Strążyska Valley. As I mentioned earlier, both trips can be

connected to make a loop, visiting Sarnia Rock.

The valley is characterised by dolomite walls and numerous rock

gates, which gives it a unique mysterious character. Going

through the subalpine forest valleys is the shortest distance to

Zakopane. The trail continues along the White Stream and its

relaxing, humming sounds. The trip is not long, as it takes about

2 hours. An alternative is to extend the hike to Kalatówki and

the Kondratowa Glade on the way back to Kuźnice (or return

along the same route). This is an option for an approximately 5

hour walk with beautiful views.

Zakopane offers a lot of opportunities to relax for visitors. We

recommend to try:

relax after hiking

Sleigh Rides

Horse-drawn sleigh rides and evening sleigh rides in Zakopane

with torches, often ended with a bonfire with sausages, are a

very popular winter attraction in every mountain town.

Zakopane, unfortunately, does not have a prepared route on

which a horse sleigh could move freely without disturbing cars

or even pedestrians. The organisers of sleigh rides and the cab

drivers face a dilemma every year. That is whether to enter the

pavement, where there is usually a lot of snow, by breaking the

regulations or whether to tire the horses and sheer the

pleasure of passengers while riding down the normally snowfree

street. We recommend the Kościeliska Valley and the

Chochołowska Valley for sleigh rides in Zakopane.

Dog Sled Rides

For several years, dog sled rides have been very popular among

tourists visiting Zakopane in the winter. Both adults and

children enjoy this attraction. We recommend husky sled rides

to entire families spending their time in the Tatra Mountains.

Dog sledding is the best winter attraction for groups.

Aquaparks and Therms

Thermal baths and water parks in Zakopane are really

important places during trips for a reason. They are amazing

attractions for children who love to swim and parents who want

to amuse their toddlers.


W W W . M U Z E U M T A T R Z A N S K I E . P L

newest branch of the Tatra Museum

the

Zamoyskiego 25 Str.

Zakopane,

Zakopane

gallery art

T H E G A L L E R Y O F 2 0 T H C E N T U R Y A R T A T O K S Z A V I L L A


In both periods, Zakopane had its own original conceptions

and achievements in its quest for a national style; during the

period of Tatra Young Poland, it was Stanisław Witkiewicz's

Zakopane Style. In the interwar period this search for a

‘Polish’ style continued with the participation of the leading

artists of the time (Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, August

Zamoyski, Leon Chwistek and Rafał Malczewski) in the avantgarde

movements as well as Zakopane being established as

an interesting modern centre of sculpture and graphic arts,

initiated by Karol Stryjeński at the School of Wood Crafts.

The exhibition „Artists and Art in Zakopane” is based on the

Tatra Museum's own collection, complemented by a few

loans. It embraces painting, graphic arts, drawing, sculpture

and photography, as well as applied arts and posters.

The Zakopane colony is usually described as an artistic and

literary colony, as some of the artists, such as Stanisław

Witkiewicz (father) and Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (son),

Leon Chwistek, August Zamoyski and Rafał Malczewski, also

had considerable literary achievements, which have been

important for Polish culture.

Art, literature and poetry were interwoven in Zakopane’s

artistic (and social) life, complemented mutually and linked

with other types of creative work – music (Mieczysław

Karłowicz, Karol Szymanowski), artistic dance (Rita Sacchetto)

and theatre (the Formist theatre of Stanisław Ignacy

Witkiewicz).

Many of the displayed art works and their authors have

interesting literary references and contexts.


The display includes artworks by Leon Wyczółkowski, Wojciech Weiss, Zofia Stryjeńska, Jan Rembowski, Rafał Malczewski, Stanisław Gałek and Jan Gąsienica Szostak;

psychological portraits by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz; sculptures by Konstanty Laszczka, Wojciech Brzega, Stanisław Sobczak, Jan Szczepkowski and pupils of the

School of Wood Crafts; kilims and lacework, artistic woodcarving and many others exhibits.

We would like to also encourage you to visit two other branches of the Tatra Museum:

the beautiful, historic Highlander house situated at Droga do Rojów 6, which along with its interiors constitute the ideological model

of the Zakopane Style, now the Museum of the Zakopane Style – Inspirations; Koliba villa, ul. Kościeliska 18, which was the first house

built in the Zakopane Style, designed by Stanislaw Witkiewicz, and which now hosts the Museum of the Zakopane Style. Both these

places are connected to the exhibition at Oksza villa by many threads, and only by visiting all of them can you fully grasp the main

movements and issues of art in Zakopane until WW II.



The exhibition presents the output of the artistic community and artists who were temporarily connected with Zakopane at a time when the village was Poland’s leading

centre of artistic excellence. All of them drew inspiration from the Tatra mountains and the Tatra Highlander culture. The display is presented in the interiors of Oksza

villa, designed by Stanisław Witkiewicz in 1894 in the Zakopane Style, which was restored by the Tatra Museum in 2010.


"Ecce Homo"

Hermitage St. brother Albert

Address: Droga Brata Alberta Str. 215, 34-500 Zakopane, Poland

SAINT BROTHER ALBERT

CHMIELOWSKI

The Painter Who Became an Advocate for the Poor.

Two small monasteries are located in the mountain forests in the vicinity of

Kuźnice of the Albertine Sisters and the Albertine Brothers. Both were

established thanks to Brother Albert – Adam Chmielowski. First, the Albertine

Brothers’ Monastery (on the left side of the road and trail from Kuźnice to

Kalatówki), with a wooden hermitage of St. Albert, were erected in the end of

the 19th century. In 1902 the Albertine monks moved to a new building

constructed nearby, and they gave the old monastery to the Albertine Sisters.

Karol Wojtyła often visited the heritage, since he highly admired Adam

Chmielowski’s work. Wojtyła's drama, Our God’s Brother, was based on Brother

Albert’s life. As Pope John Paul II, he initially conducted Chmielowski's

beatification and then canonized Brother Albert. He visited Saint Albert's

Tatra hermitage for the last time in 1997.

True cultural connection is the Holy Grail for brands if they want to create

an enduring emotional relationship with people.


In Igołomia, on the outskirts of Cracow (Poland), the noble family of Adalbert Chmielowski

and Josephine Borzysławska announced on August 20, 1845, the birth of their son Adam

(Brother Albert). Mr Chmielowski together with his wife, raised their children in an

atmosphere of patriotic ideals, strong faith in God and a Christian love for the poor.

Orphaned at an early age, Adam and his two brothers and a sister were raised by relatives

who also provided them with an excellent education. At the age of eighteen, while Adam

was a student at the Polytechnical Institute at Puławy, he lost his leg while taking part in

the 1863 uprising. Because of the political repression following the uprising, he left Poland.

In Gand (Belgium) Adam studied engineering; however, having discovered his artistic ability,

he devoted his time and studies to the arts, especially painting, in Paris and Munich,

Germany.In 1874 he returned to Poland as an accomplished artist. Slowly, with the desire

"to dedicate his thoughts and talents to the glory of God", Adam began to paint subjects

with a religious theme. One of his most famous artistic works was "Ecce Homo", the result

of his recognition of God's love for man, which led Chmielowski to a spiritual

metamorphose. n Cracow's public dormitories Adam saw the material and moral misery of

the homeless and the derelicts, and for the love of Christ, whose countenance he

recognised in their foresaken manhood, he decided to abandon his career, to live among

the poor and needy and to accept a beggar's life and lifestyle.


On August 25, 1887 Adam clothed himself in a grey habit and assumed a new name,

Brother Albert. The following year he professed religious vows and founded the

Congregation of the Brothers of the Third Order of St Francis Servants of the Poor,

(Albertine Brothers). In 1891 he founded a similar Congregation of Albertine Sisters whose

aim was to provide assistance to poor and needy women and children. Brother Albert

organized shelters and homes for the crippled and incurables, soup kitchens for the poor,

nurseries and institutions for homeless children and youth. He sent sisters to work in

military hospitals and lazarets. In the shelters, the hungry received bread, the homeless

found a place to live, the naked were clothed and work was available to the unemployed. A

helping hand was extended to everyone, regardless of one's religion or nationality. While

trying to meet the basic needs of the poor, Brother Albert with a fatherly love concerned

himself with the spiritual welfare of those to whom he ministered. He instilled within them

a proper respect for one's dignity and brought them to reconciliation with God. Brother

Albert drew his strength to fulfil these acts of charity from his love for the Eucharist and

for Jesus on the Cross. Brother Albert died on Christmas day 1916, in Cracow, in the shelter

founded by him, poor among the poor. The legacy he bequeathed to his spiritual brothers

and sisters was the complete gift of himself to God in the service of the poor and needy, a

life of evangelical poverty according to the example of St. Francis of Assisi, unconditional

trust in the Providence of God, prayer and union with God in the work of every day.

"You must be as good as bread, which for everyone

rests on the table and from which everyone, if hungry,

may cut himself a piece for nourishment" is the lesson

Brother Albert's unselfish life teaches us.The spiritual

heritage of Brother Albert was joyfully accepted by the

members of his Congregations, who today continue his

mission to the poor and needy in Poland as well as

other countries of the world. Recognising the sanctity

of Brother Albert, his contemporaries referred to him

as "the greatest person of his time". Seen as the

twentieth century Polish St. Francis, Brother Albert

was beatified by Pope John Paul II on June 22, 1983 in

Cracow.In proclaiming him among the saints on

November 12, 1989 in Rome, the Church presents

Brother Albert to a world in need of this witness of

God's mercy by one who opened himself to the needs

of others, in the spirit of evangelical goodness.

source: www.albertyni.opoka.org.pl


Brother

Saint

Albert

True cultural

connection is

the Holy Grail for

brands if they

want to create

an enduring

emotional

relationship

with people.

Chmielowski


photo:


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PHOTO GALLERY

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- CHRISTMAS STORIES BY KAMILA ROSIŃSKA -

"ADVENTURE IN THE ATTIC"

Everything that I am about to tell you really happened

one day...

...and it was like this... it was a grey, winter day, outside the

window you could see lazily falling snowflakes, one by one,

evenly, one on top of the other, creating a down duvet on

everything they sat on. Father Frost tried to get inside through

the cracks in the windows, but at home, the dancing sparks

from the fireplace, along with the flames of the fire, made sure

that everyone was safe, warm and cosy. As always at that time

of the day, and it was right after lunch, old Cat Theodore and

Mouse Clementine were having a little game of tag, and no one

suspected what would happen soon. Right next to the living

room with a fireplace, there was a winding, creaky staircase

that led to the attic. The Mouse Clementine, escaping from Cat

Theodore, ran up the stairs with her tiny paws, until she was in

the attic. There, she saw many things, forgotten by the

members of the household, covered with a layer of dust and a

spider's web. However, her greatest attention was drawn to

the sight of an old piano standing right under the roof hatch.

Suddenly, the Mouse heard Cat Theodore running up the stairs

and, in time to hide from him, jumped on the piano's keyboard

and onto the roof-window sill. Immediately, there was a

beautiful sound and Clementine heard the notes from the piano

whirl in the air, with grace and elegance. Surprised, Theodore

stood dumbfounded and listened as well, because the sound

was so soft and subtle that even the slightest rustle could

disturb it. The whole event was also seen by Szczepan the

Cricket who left his house, awakened by a lovely sound. The

Cricket often played the violin, but no one ever heard him,

because to hear a tiny cricket you have to be really quiet... but

what is that?!! One of the Notes hooked her foot on Szczepan's

violin and the next notes began to swirl with the sisters. They

were very tiny and very soft notes, but they sounded so

beautiful that all the animals were quiet to hear them better.

Szczepan the Cricket was very happy to have such listeners.

Cat Theodore liked this concert so much that he moved to the

rhythm of the music with his fat, shaggy tail so rhythmically

that he swept the dust and cobwebs from the entire attic.

On the other hand, Clementine the Mouse, as enchanted, stared

at Szczepan the Cricket, when he gently and gracefully played

his tiny violin and listened and listened to it until she fell asleep

and dreamed that she was a tiny note, lifted by a breeze,

dancing and swirling in the air like snowflakes, shining in the

moonlight like a star.

...since then, Theodore the Cat, together with his friend little

Clementine Mouse, often go to the attic to listen to Cricket

Szczepan's concert in silence and concentration, and Szczepan

eagerly plays for his new friends.

...who knows, dear children, whether you, being quiet, will not

hear Szczepan the Cricket's concert.


PHOTO GALLERY







"CHRISTMAS AND THE NUTCRACKER"

One starry evening, when everything was bathed in

moonlight and all household members were already

sleeping well in their beds, a wooden Nutcracker jumped

out of the old wardrobe in grandma's room. He had a

beautiful red uniform and a cap, high black boots, a white

beard slightly plucked by the children, and a torn arm.

The Nutcracker lived in a drawer of an old wardrobe all year

round, and only when Christmas was approaching, would he be

removed from the drawer. Then, he would be placed under the

Christmas tree next to a wicker basket full of hazelnuts

because no one could handle hard nuts like him. This time, the

Cracker was looking forward to Christmas and decided to

stretch his old rotten bones. Suddenly, there was a noise in the

living room! Through the slightly open window, snow stars fell

on the scratched floor and piled on top of one another. But,

what was that?! There was a star that was different from the

rest of the snowflakes, shining bright and much larger than the

rest of them. It flickered and glowed. The Nutcracker had

never seen such a miracle and such a brightness before, even

on the most beautiful Christmas tree, and he had seen a lot of

Christmas trees in his cracker-nut life. “Who are you?” the

Nutcracker asked in surprise (it should be noted that the

Nutcracker was not a curious person and never asked

unnecessary questions). “I am the Christmas star,” replied the

frightened beauty in a soft voice.The Nutcracker could not

take his eyes off the mysterious guest. She lit the room so

much that she woke up other Christmas decorations sleeping in

the wardrobe. The toys immediately jumped out of their boxed

houses. “Ooh, who is that?” the curious Jack-In-The-Box

asked. “It's the Christmas Star!” the Nutcracker answered.

“What a beauty!” the round Christmas ornament exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Christmas Star started to become weaker and

weaker. Everyone could see that her glow was fading. “What

happened, Christmas Star, why are you here?! You should shine

in the sky! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and there will be no

Christmas without you,” said the big, colourful Lollipop.“Oh, I

need some help! I was playing tag with the other stars and

tripped over Aunt Comet's tail! I fell straight into your room. I

injured my leg and I can't jump back into the sky,” answered

Star. “Christmas Star, you cannot stay with us! If people do not

see you shining in the sky, there will not be Christmas or

Christmas Eve. You are the Christmas Star, someone special!” the

Nutcracker said anxiously. “The leg will not heal so quickly and I

will not be able to jump very high on one leg,” Christmas Star

answered in a sad, soft voice. Tears flowed from her beautiful,

shiny eyes that were as round as pearls.The toys sadly watched

the beautiful guest who unfortunately could not stay with them.

“What are we going to do now?” the Gingerbread Boy asked. “We

have to confer,” the Nutcracker replied.The Christmas

decorations gathered in the corner of the room. They began to

discuss, consult, and whisper among themselves. Only the soft

rustling of their coats could be heard. The Nutcracker, as the

oldest of the toys, assigned tasks to everyone because the only

way they could help Christmas Star was by working together.

“We have a plan, we are ready, and we will help you get back to

the sky,” the Nutcracker said to Christmas Star. There was a

cheerful sparkle again in the eyes of the Star. On the old

wardrobe in the room, there was little Leopold's bow, so two

Christmas tree angels with a Christmas tree chain flew into the

air on their tiny wings and landed on the wardrobe. The chain tied

the bow immediately, and the little angels carried them down,

just next to Christmas Star.“Christmas Star, you will fly to the

sky. I made an arrow from a Christmas tree twig, you only need

to hold on tight,” the Nutcracker said, handing a small star a

piece of twig finished with spruce needles.The Star did as the

Nutcracker told her and the Christmas tree decorations

stretched the slightly frightened bow of little Leopold. Using the

Christmas tree branch, they shot the Christmas Star straight into

the sky. The Christmas tree bells rang softly like drums and the

little Christmas tree reindeers were kicking their feet in the

excitement.“We did it!!!” the toys called with one voice. The sky

seemed to shine brighter and the little Star winked at her friends

on the ground as a sign that she arrived home. A friendship had

arisen in their hearts, in which there is no place for fear and

anxiety, and the little hearts of friends are full of good deeds.

“It's time to rest, my dears. It's Christmas Eve tomorrow and a

lot of work awaits us,” the Nutcracker said to his Christmas tree

friends. They all returned to their boxes in the old wardrobe.It

was a magical evening, full of warmth, goodness, and love. No

one else, apart from Christmas decorations and a little Star,

knew about it.


PHOTO GALLERY







"LITTLE PINE TREE"

A long time ago, in a hut on the edge of the forest, the old

woodcutter Joseph lived with his wife, Aniela. Their

granddaughter Margaret lived with them. They were

poor, but very good people, and they loved one another.

Old Angela's health was deteriorating. The old woman's lungs

had long been in poor condition. They could not afford the

doctor's appointment and expensive medicines, Joseph, a

woodcutter, worked all days, but it didn't help, there was

barely enough money for food. Christmas was approaching,

winter was beautiful that year. The tiny windows in the

wooden hut sparkled like diamonds in the sun. Frost drew

coniferous twigs and leaves on them. Old Aniela's condition was

deteriorating, and Joseph was very worried about it, only the

smile on Margaret's face made the grandfather feel better.

Finally, it was Christmas Eve.

- Joseph, you would have to bring a Christmas tree from the

forest - old Aniela told her husband.- All right, my Angel, I will

leave tomorrow morning and bring us the most beautiful, green

tree that I can find in the forest - old Joseph replied.At dawn,

when old Aniela and little Margaret were still asleep, old Józef

put on his shabby trench coat, tied his worn shoes with straw

to keep his feet from getting cold, pulled a holy hat over his

ears and set off to the forest for a Christmas tree. The milky

mist was breaking from the fields into the forest, and the snow

was pouring down as hard as if someone in the sky was flicking

duvets, one snowflake after another. It was freezing cold that

day. The thicket of the forest did not want to let any

Christmas trees get seen. Joseph had wandering for a long

time. It became quiet in the forest, the wind stopped. Only

snowflakes were gently falling down, covering trees, fields and

roads. Between the old, large oaks, Joseph noticed a little pine

tree, its needles were green and long, and it smelled so

wonderful that he didn't want to look any longer. Joseph's cold

hands could barely hold the heavy axe when he suddenly heard

a voice. Joseph, Joseph, please don't cut me down. I am a living

pine tree and I don't want to die. If you spare my life, I will

repay you - the pine tree said. Joseph thought for a moment

and said:

- I will not cut you down, I will not kill you, but I will take you

with me, because without you the house would be empty for

Christmas and my Aniela would not forgive me.

Who knows how much longer we would live together. When

Joseph was digging a pine tree out of the ground, she asked him

to tell her about his wife's illness, so he did it. It was already

dusk, the frost was getting stronger, tired Joseph trembled

with cold, but the thought of the joy of little Margaret cheered

him up. When he reached the yard of his hut, he dug a deep hole

right by the window and planted a pine tree there.

"You will live here," he said to the tree.

- Joseph, this is the most beautiful gift I could receive this

Christmas - the tree replied.

- Please, listen carefully - the pine tree continued - every day

open the window in Aniela's bedroom, and I promise that this

time next year there will be no trace of your wife's illness. Old

Joseph listened to the tree, covered its roots with a lot of earth

and wrapped it in a slightly perforated burlap sack so that the

poor plant would not get cold. At home, he told everything that

had happened to him. Old Aniela only smiled, and little Margaret

ran to decorate her green friend with a beautiful, hand-made

chain. She was glad that she would have a Christmas tree not

only for Christmas, but for the whole year.

Time passed, seasons changed quickly, and another winter came.

As requested by Pine Tree, Aniela opened the window in her

bedroom every day. And surprisingly, she felt better and better.

It was Christmas Eve, white snow covered the earth. Old Joseph

was sweeping the snow in front of the hut entrance when he

heard the voice of the Tree.

- Joseph, is your wife feeling better?

Joseph had almost forgotten what the tree had told him a year

ago when he spared its life.

- Yes, my Aniela seems to have recovered. How did you do that?

The old man asked.

- It wasn't me. It was you who saved both of us, Joseph. Thanks

to the fact that you did not take my life, I was able to clean the

air at your farm and blow some healthy, forest air into your

cottage.

- I will continue doing it for many years to come, and then my

children, sisters and brothers will do it - the pine said. Many

years have passed since that event, but the old hut of my

grandparents, Aniela and Joseph, is still standing in the pine

forest, and the smell of pine needles intensifies before

Christmas, reminding us of those who are no longer with us.


PHOTO GALLERY






PHOTO GALLERY






PHOTO GALLERY






photos: KAMILA ROSIŃSKA



photos: KAMILA ROSIŃSKA



BOŻONARODZENIOWE OPOWIEŚCI - CZYTAJ PO POLSKU

Kamila Rosińska

"PRZYGODA NA STRYCHU"

Wszystko to co Wam zaraz opowiem, zdarzyło się naprawdę...

A było to tak...

Był szary, zimowy dzień, za oknem widać było leniwie, spadające płatki

śniegu, które układały się równo, jeden na drugim, tworząc na wszystkim na

czym tylko usiadły, puchową pierzynkę. Dziadek Mróz próbował przez

szczeliny w oknach, dostać się do środka lecz w domu, tańczące w kominku

iskierki, wraz z płomykami ognia, dbały by wszystkim było, bezpiecznie,

ciepło i przytulnie. Jak zawsze o tej godzinie, a było to tuż po obiedzie, stary

Kot Teodor wraz z Myszką Klementyną bawili się razem w berka i nikt nie

podejrzewał co się niebawem wydarzy. Tuż obok salonu w którym był

kominek, znajdowały się kręte, skrzypiące schody, które prowadziły na

strych. Myszka Klementyna, uciekając przed Kotem Teodorem, wbiegała

swoimi malutkimi łapkami schodek po schodku, aż znalazła się na strychu.

Zobaczyła tam wiele zapomnianych przez domowników rzeczy, które

pokrywała warstwa kurzu i rozciągająca się po wszystkim pajęczyna. Jednak

jej największą uwagę, przykuł widok starego fortepianu, stojącego tuż pod

dachowym okienkiem. Nagle Myszka usłyszała, biegnącego po schodach Kota

Teodora i by zdążyć mu się schować, wskoczyła po klawiaturze fortepianu,

na parapet okienka w dachu. W jednej chwili rozległ się przepiękny dźwięk i

Klementynka usłyszała, jak nutki z fortepianu wirują w powietrzu, z gracją i

elegancją. Zdziwiony Teodor stał jak osłupiały i również słuchał, bo dźwięk

ten był tak cichy i subtelny, że każdy najmniejszy nawet szelest mógł go

zakłócić. Całe zajście widział również, Świerszcz Szczepan który wyszedł ze

swojego domku, obudzony ślicznym dźwiękiem. Świerszczyk często grywał

na skrzypcach, ale nigdy go nikt nie słyszał, bo żeby usłyszeć maleńkiego

Świerszcza trzeba być naprawdę cichutko... ale cóż to?! Jedna z Nutek

zahaczyła nóżką o skrzypeczki Świerszcza Szczepana i kolejne nutki zaczęły

wirować z siostrami. Były to bardzo malutkie i cichutkie nutki, ale tak pięknie

brzmiały, że wszystkie zwierzątka były cichutko, by móc je usłyszeć.

Świerszcz Szczepan, bardzo się ucieszył, że ma takich słuchaczy. Kotu

Teodorowi tak się ten koncert podobał, że ruszał w rytm muzyki, swoim

tłuściutkim, kudłatym ogonem tak rytmicznie, że aż pozamiatał kurz i

pajęczyny z całego strychu. Myszka Klementyna natomiast, jak oczarowana

wpatrywała się w Świerszcza Szczepana, gdy delikatnie i wdzięcznie grał na

swoich malutkich skrzypeczkach i tak słuchała i słuchała, aż zasnęła i śniło

jej się, że jest malutką nutką którą unosi wietrzyk i która tańczy, i wiruje w

powietrzu jak płatki śniegu, lśniąc w blasku księżyca jak gwiazda... od tego

czasu Kot Teodor, wraz ze swoją przyjaciółką mała Myszką Klementynką,

często chodzą na strych posłuchać w ciszy i skupieniu koncertu Świerszcza

Szczepana a Świerszcz Szczepan chętnie gra dla swoich nowych przyjaciół...

Kto wie drogie dzieci czy Wy będąc cicho nie usłyszycie koncertu Świerszcza

Szczepana.



Kamila Rosińska

"SOSENKA"

Dawno temu, w chacie na skraju lasu, mieszkał stary drwal

Józef ze swoją żoną Anielą. Razem z nimi mieszkała

wnuczka Małgorzatka. Biedni to byli ludzie, ale bardzo

dobrzy i kochali się wzajemnie.

Stara Aniela podupadała na zdrowiu. Płuca staruszki od dawna

były w złym stanie. Nie stać ich było na wizytę lekarską i

drogie leki. Drwal Józef, całymi dniami pracował, lecz i to na

nic się zdawało, pieniędzy wystarczało ledwie na żywność.

Zbliżały się Święta Bożego Narodzenia, zima tego roku była

piękna. Maleńkie okienka w drewnianej chacie skrzyły się w

słońcu jak diamenty. Mróz narysował na nich iglaste gałązki i

liście. Stan Starej Anieli pogarszał się, a Józef martwił się tym

bardzo, tylko uśmiech na twarzy Małgorzatki poprawiał

dziadkowi humor.

Nadeszła Wigilia. Józefie, trzeba by przynieść choinkę z lasu –

powiedziała stara Aniela.

- Dobrze Anielciu, wyruszę jutro z samego rana i przyniosę nam

najpiękniejsze, zielone drzewko jakie znajdę w lesie –

odpowiedział stary Józef.

O świcie, gdy stara Aniela z Małgorzatką jeszcze spały, stary

Józef włożył swoją nędzną kufajkę, obwiązał zniszczone buty

słomą, coby mu nogi nie zmarzły, naciągnął na uszy dziurawą

czapę i wyruszył do lasu po choinkę. Mleczna mgła wdzierała

się z pól do lasu, a śnieg sypał tak mocno, jakby ktoś w niebie

pierzyny trzepał, jeden płatek śniegu za drugim. Mróz tego

dnia był bardzo silny. Gęstwina lasu ani myślała drzewek

choinkowych ukazywać. Józef wędrował już długo. W lesie

zrobiło się cicho, wiatr ustał. Tylko płatki śniegu delikatnie

opadały, przykrywając drzewa, pola i drogi.

Między starymi, dużymi dębami, Józef dostrzegł sosenkę,

igiełki miała zielone i długie, a pachniała tak cudownie, że nie

chciał już szukać dłużej.

Zziębnięte ręce Józefa ledwie mogły utrzymać ciężki topór,

gdy nagle rozległ się głos.

Józefie, Józefie nie ścinaj mnie proszę. Jestem żywym

drzewkiem sosnowym i nie chce umierać. Jeśli darujesz mi

życie, odwdzięczę Ci się – powiedziała sosenka.

Józef pomyślał chwilę i mówi:

- Nie zetnę Cię, nie pozbawię życia, ale zabiorę ze sobą, bo dom

bez Ciebie na Święta byłby pusty, a moja Aniela by mi tego nie

darowała. Któż to wie, ile nam dane jeszcze z sobą pożyć.

Gdy Józef, wykopywał drzewko sosnowe z ziemi, to poprosiło,

by opowiedział o chorobie swojej żony, co też uczynił. Zapadał

już zmierzch, mróz stawał się coraz silniejszy, zmęczony Józef

drżał z zimna, ale myśl o radości małej Małgorzatki dodawała

mu otuchy. Gdy dotarł na podwórze swojej chaty, tuż przy

oknie wykopał głęboki dół i usadowił tam sosenkę.

Zamieszkasz tutaj – powiedział do drzewka.

Józefie, to najpiękniejszy prezent, jaki mogłam otrzymać w te

Święta – odpowiedziało drzewko. Proszę, posłuchaj uważnie –

mówiło dalej sosnowe drzewko – uchylaj codziennie okno w

sypialni Anieli, a obiecuje, że za rok o tej porze nie będzie śladu

po chorobie Twej żony. Stary Józef wysłuchał drzewka,

przysypał mu korzenie dużą ilością ziemi i zawinął jutowym,

lekko już dziurawym workiem po mące, aby biedaczyna nie

zmarzła. W domu opowiedział wszystko, co mu się przytrafiło.

Stara Aniela uśmiechnęła się pod nosem, a mała Małgorzatka

pobiegła przystroić zieloną przyjaciółkę w piękny, ręcznie

zrobiony łańcuch. Cieszyła się, że będzie mieć choinkę nie tylko

na Święta, ale na cały rok.

Czas płynął, pory roku zmieniały się szybko i nadeszła kolejna

zima. Zgodnie z prośbą Sosnowego Drzewka, Aniela codziennie

uchylała okienko w swojej sypialni. I o dziwo, czuła się coraz

lepiej. Nastał wieczór Wigilijny, biały śnieg pokrył ziemie. Stary

Józef zamiatał, śnieg przed wejściem do chaty, gdy usłyszał

głos Drzewka. Józefie, czy Twoja żona czuje się lepiej?

Józef już prawie zapomniał o tym, co powiedziało mu drzewko

rok temu, gdy darował mu życie. Tak, moja Anielcia jakby

wyzdrowiała. Jakżeś to zrobiło? – zapytał staruszek. To nie ja,

a Ty uratowałeś nas obie Józefie. Dzięki temu, że nie odebrałeś

mi życia, mogłam oczyścić powietrze przy waszym

gospodarstwie i tchnąć zdrowe, leśne powietrze do waszej

chaty. Jeszcze przez wiele lat będę to robić, a później będą to

robić moje dzieci, siostry i bracia –powiedziała sosenka. Od

tego zdarzenia minęło wiele lat, lecz stara chatka moich

dziadków, Anieli i Józefa, nadal stoi w sosnowym lesie, a zapach

igliwia nasila się przed Świętami, przypominając o tych, których

już z nami nie ma.



Kamila Rosińska

"GWIAZDKA I DZIADEK DO ORZECHÓW”

Pewnego rozgwieżdżonego wieczora, gdy wszystko było

skąpane w świetle księżyca, a domownicy już smacznie

spali w swoich łóżkach, ze starej szafy w babcinym pokoju

wyskoczył drewniany dziadek do Orzechów.

Miał piękny czerwony mundur i czapkę, wysokie czarne oficerki,

lekko wyskubaną przez dzieci białą brodę i naderwaną rękę.

Dziadek do Orzechów mieszkał w szufladzie starej szafy przez

cały rok i tylko, gdy zbliżały się Święta Bożego narodzenia,

wyjmowano go z szuflady i stawiano pod choinką tuż przy

wiklinowym koszyku pełnym laskowych orzechów, bo nikt tak jak

on nie radził sobie z twardymi orzechami. Tym razem Dziadek nie

mógł się już doczekać Świąt i postanowił rozprostować swoje

stare spróchniałe kości. Nagle w salonie rozległ się hałas, przez

lekko uchylone okienko, na obdrapaną podłogę wpadały śniegowe

gwiazdki i układały się jedna na drugiej.

Ale… co to?! Pomiędzy drobinkami śniegu leżała gwiazdka inna od

reszty, lśniąca i dużo większa od pozostałych. Migotała i lśniła.

Dziadek do Orzechów nie widział nigdy wcześniej takiego cudu i

błysku, na najpiękniejszej nawet choince, a przecież widział sporo

choinek w swoim dziadkowo-orzechowym życiu. Kim jesteś? –

zapytał ze zdziwieniem dziadek do orzechów, a trzeba zaznaczyć,

że Dziadek do Orzechów do ciekawskich nie należał i nigdy nie

zadawał zbędnych pytań.

Jestem Gwiazdką Bożego Narodzenia – odpowiedziała

cichuteńkim głosem wystraszona piękność. Dziadek do Orzechów,

nie mógł oderwać wzroku od tajemniczego gościa, który

rozświetlał pokój tak mocno, że obudził inne ozdoby choinkowe,

śpiące w szafie. Zabawki w mig wyskoczyły ze swoich

pudełkowych domków.

Ooooo a któż to taki? – zapytał zaciekawiony Pajacyk. To

Gwiazdka Bożego Narodzenia! – odpowiedział Dziadek do

Orzechów. Jaka piękna! – powiedziała pękata Bombka.

Tymczasem, Gwiazdka Bożego Narodzenia opadała z sił i widać

było, że jej blask przygasa.

- Co się stało Gwiazdko, dlaczego tu jesteś?! Powinnaś błyszczeć

na niebie, jutro jest Wigilia, bez Ciebie nie będzie Świąt –

powiedział duży kolorowy Lizak. Oh, potrzebuję pomocy, bawiłam

się w berka z innymi gwiazdkami i potknęłam się o ogon ciotki

Komety, no a dalej to już wiecie, spadłam i wpadłam do waszego

pokoiku. Skaleczyłam nóżkę i nie mogę podskoczyć by wrócić na

niebo – odpowiedziała Gwiazdka. Gwiazdko, nie możesz z nami

zostać, jeśli domownicy nie zobaczą Ciebie błyszczącej na niebie,

to nie będzie Świąt i Wigilii, jesteś Gwiazdką Bożego Narodzenia,

kimś wyjątkowym! – powiedział zatrwożony Dziadek do

Orzechów. Nóżka, nie wygoi się tak szybko, a na jednej nie uda mi

się podskoczyć tak wysoko – smutnym, cichym głosikiem

odpowiedziała Gwiazdka Bożego Narodzenia, a z jej ślicznych

błyszczących oczek popłynęły, okrągłe jak perełki, łzy. Zabawki

ze smutkiem przyglądały się pięknemu gościowi, który niestety

nie mógł z nimi zostać. Co teraz zrobimy? – zapytał Piernikowy

chłopczyk. Musimy się naradzić – odpowiedział Dziadek do

Orzechów. Ozdoby choinkowe zebrały się w rogu pokoju. Zaczęły

dyskutować, naradzać się i coś szeptać między sobą, słychać było

jedynie delikatny szelest ich kubraczków. Dziadek do Orzechów,

jako najstarsza z zabawek, wszystkim przydzielił zadania, bo

mogli pomóc Gwiazdce tylko wspólnymi siłami. Mamy plan,

jesteśmy gotowi i pomożemy Ci wrócić na niebo – powiedział do

Gwiazdki Bożego Narodzenia, Dziadek do Orzechów. W oczkach

Gwiazdki znów ukazał się błysk. Na starej szafie w pokoju leżał

łuk małego Leopolda, dwa choinkowe aniołki wraz z łańcuchem

choinkowym wzbiły się na swych malutkich skrzydełkach w

powietrze i wylądowały na szafie. Łańcuch w mig obwiązał łuk, a

małe Aniołki zniosły ich na dół tuż obok Gwiazdki Bożego

Narodzenia. Gwiazdko, polecisz do nieba, zrobiłem strzałę z

gałązki choinkowej tylko musisz się mocno trzymać – powiedział

Dziadek do Orzechów, podając małej gwiazdce kawałek gałązki

zakończony igiełkami świerku.

Gwiazdka zrobiła tak, jak mówił Dziadek, ozdoby choinkowe

wspólnymi siłami naciągnęły lekko już struchlały łuk małego

Leopolda i na gałązce choinkowej wystrzeliły Gwiazdkę prosto w

niebo. Dzwoneczki choinkowe z wrażenia, dzwoniły cichutko

niczym werble, a małe choinkowe reniferki przebierały nóżkami.

Udało się!!! Zawołały wspólnie zabawki. Niebo rozbłysnęło jakby

jaśniej, a mała Gwiazdka mrugnęła oczkiem do swoich przyjaciół

na ziemi, na znak, że dotarła do domu. W ich sercach zrodziła się

przyjaźń, w której nie ma miejsca na lęk i strach, a małe

serduszka przyjaciół pełne są dobrych uczynków.

Czas odpocząć moi mili, jutro Wigilia i czeka nas wiele pracy –

powiedział Dziadek do Orzechów do swoich choinkowych

przyjaciół, wszyscy udali się do starej szafy do swoich pudełek

Był to magiczny wieczór, pełen ciepła, dobroci i miłości. Nikt inny,

poza ozdobami choinkowymi i małej gwiazdki, o nim nie wiedział…


PHOTO GALLERY






the past

Nativity scene from Wieliczka

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

Author: unknown

Date of production: 19th/20th century

Place of creation: Wieliczka, Poland

Dimensions: height in total: 136cm, base length:

115cm, base width: 46cm

Museum: The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic

Museum in Kraków

Material: wood, metal, cardboard, tinfoil, paper,

rye, stearin

Object copyright: The Seweryn Udziela

Ethnographic Museum in Kraków

"A model of a puppet nativity scene, symmetrical, with two storeys and five towers, provided with carrying handles on its sides. The entire structure is

made of wood, the base and the upper floor of boards, and the frame from strips of wood. The walls are made of cardboard; the ground floor is covered

with red paper with “bricks” painted with black ink and the walls of the upper floor and towers are covered with paper cut-outs in the shape of windows

and star ornaments. The floors are separated with a decoration of horizontal, multicoloured stripes with silver teeth on the sides.Side towers with eight

walls reinforced at the outer edges with round, silver pillars with spiral belts with Gothic helmets in the form of slender octagonal pyramids topped with

silver balls and flags, above them: red, fluttering to the centre (central), and white-blue (outer), waving outside. The central tower — set on a four-sided

building, nine-sided, with the same pyramidal cupola — is topped with an eight-pointed star with a tail, which according to popular imagination represents

the star of Bethlehem. In the centre of the floor, between the walls with symmetrical cut-outs in the shape of six-petal flowers, there is a niche covered

with silver paper, and inside, there are colourful figures printed on paper, cut out by contours. Inside, there is a printed fragment of wall on a blue

background with yellow stars, in the window, there are two cats, and against the background — a bird. In the middle there is a Nativity scene, with the

baby Jesus in the manger, the Virgin Mary and Joseph leaning over him, while behind them, there is a donkey and ox, and in front of them and at their

sides: bunnies and adoring figures — Three Kings, residents of Kraków, Highlanders, Miners with children. Above them, angels are carrying a scarf with

the words MERRY CHRISTMAS and in the background, there is a five-pointed star with a tail. At the front, pieces of a Christmas tree chain made of silver

and red aluminium foil hang under the roof like garlands. Originally, most of the

figurines were located on the ground floor, set inside, against a background of crumpled grey paper imitating rock (currently there is a highlander with

sheep, probably secondary figurines, pasted during maintenance, as part of the figurines from the floor). This is an earlier method of showing a stable

shed in the Nativity scene as a rocky cave, and its location on the ground floor of a puppet crib. Only figurines of shepherds and sheep

were on the 1st floor. There is also an entire Christmas scene under the roof made from ears of grain, supported by two round pillars, which is supposed

to represent thatch in the stable in Bethlehem.

This museum exhibit is an example of a carolling puppet crib unique to Poland — a portable theatre derived from the Christian tradition of Nativity, which

means arranging Christmas scenes and images depicting a newborn baby Jesus in the surroundings of the Holy Family and people adoring them in

churches. According to Jędrzej Kitowicz:

“We have a message from the Gospel that Christ, born in a stable, who was placed in praesepio. Praesepe means manger in Latin. A farmstead under a

manger is called Jasła, where the servant put the straw under the horses; whoever first invented the nativity play (...) understood that the manger and

jasła are the names which mean the same as the Latin word praesepe, and therefore gave his dolls and children's epigrams, with which he expressed

Nativity, the Polish name for jasełka [a nativity play]”.

.../.../...

description: www.muzeumkrakowa.pl, Elaborated by Małgorzata Oleszkiewicz (The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Kraków)

© all rights reserved

traditions

Christmas hay and plant elements in the decor related to

Christmas Eve decoration of houses and tables.

In the Polish tradition, straw and hay were one of the basic

elements and materials associated with the traditional decor of

a Christmas home, but they also had their religious significance.

The hay placed under the tablecloth symbolises the poverty in

which Jesus was born, and the white tablecloth refers to his

garments. Hay is a symbol of modesty, but it is also supposed

to bring prosperity to the household. In some parts of Poland,

stalks of hay are pulled out from under the tablecloth. The

person who pulls out the straight, longest stalk will be

successful in the following year. The one who pulls out the

broken, short stalk can expect trouble. In the old days, hay

from the Christmas table was later given as feed to animals to

keep them in health. The practice of putting hay under the

tablecloth has been criticized by some. Opponents of this

tradition consider it a superstition. The pagans offered hay as

an offering to their god, Ziemiennik, who looked after the

wastelands.

Apart from hay, other elements of natural origin were also

used. The walls of the houses were covered with straw stars

and crosses, as well as the so-called "dziady", or bunches of

straw. The hay and straw in the house were not only to favour

the aforementioned abundant harvests, but were also a symbol

of Jesus' poor birth, who was placed on hay and straw in an

uncomfortable manger, replacing the cradle. In the southern

part of Poland, grains of cereals, peas, poppy seeds, and lentils

were thrown on the table prepared for the supper, before

arranging pots and bowls with food. Without it, the harvest of

plants the seeds of which were not on the tablecloth, as well as

those that were ingredients of twelve dishes on Christmas Eve,

i.e. cabbage, mushrooms, peas, barley and buckwheat groats,

turnips, potatoes, dumplings with traditional filling, could be

poor. Currently, little is remembered about these elements of

the festive interior. Our ancestors, constantly taking care of

the good harvest, placed various items in the room. For

example, iron things, e.g. plows and scythes, were placed under

the table. It was supposed to scare away pests damaging crops.

The table legs were tied with chains to keep the bread in

abundance.

Fir, spruce and pine branches were also popular. Many things

were decorated with them, such as walls, picture frames,

entrance doors. They were also nailed to the gates to the barn

and cowshed. In the area of Nowy Sącz and the Rzeszów

Foothills, during the Christmas season, short spruces brought

from the forest by the household members appeared in front

of the house - for good luck and good harvest, successful plant

vegetation, and at the same time for a nice, festive decoration.

Another green ornament that resembles common Christmas tree

but is much older is the forked tip of a spruce (or pine) tree. This

type of decoration was popular in southern and south-western

Poland, in such areas as Podhale, Pogórze, Cieszyn Silesia, the

lands of Nowy Sącz, as well as Kraków, the vicinity of Jarosław,

Rzeszów, Lublin and Sandomierz. They were hung over the

Christmas Eve table. Wire hoops (e.g. from an old cutter),

wrapped with green branches, or shields made of straw,

decorated with fir, were attached. On them, in turn, home-made

cookies, red apples, golden oat seeds, paper decorations and

cutouts in the shape of discs, stars and crescents made of wafer,

as well as a large, colourful "worlds" (“światy”), from wafers

glued together, were hung.

Depending on the cited region, this ornament had its own special

name. It was believed that the decoration called "podłaźniczka"

suspended from the ceiling not only looks beautiful, but also

brings goodness home: it protects from bad luck and disease,

provides abundance, understanding and love, and for the virgins -

short looking for husbands and successful marriages. After drying

out, it was crushed and added to animal food and buried in the

furrows of the fields to improve the harvest. Ornaments that

were traditionally hung on "podłaźniczka", i.e. wafer stars and

"worlds”, homemade cookies, nuts and apples, also appeared on

the first Christmas trees. In the past, they were also decorated

with hand-made long chains, paper baskets for hazelnuts and

dried fruit, pendants, peacock eyes and angels, cut out of a

colorful and shiny template.


Photos: THE MAZOVIAN COUNTRYSIDE IN SIERPC


Christmas kitchen KUTIA

(sometimes called kutya) is one of the

Kutia

popular dishes during Christmas, present

most

both Catholic and Orthodox tables.

on

kutia is not prepared in every region

Although

Poland, because its origin is typical for the

of

parts of the country and the

eastern

it is one of the most basic dishes

borderlands,

the Polish Christmas Eve style.

of

kutia

The way it is prepared has changed over the decades. I

remember my mother, who often prepared wheat with

my help for many days – it had to be soaked thoroughly

and then, after placing it in a cotton sack, carefully

cleaned by hitting the sack for hours with a wooden

hammer. Today, although it is easy to buy carefully

cleaned wheat in a store, its taste remains largely

unchanged.

Simply put, kutia is a combination of wheat and poppy

seeds with nuts and dried fruits, sweetened with honey.

However, its significance at Christmas is considerable.

In the Slavic folk tradition, the poppy was a plant that

allowed people to cross the border between life and

death. Kutia, i.e. the combination of wheat with the

addition of honey and poppy seeds, symbolically linked

the past with the future and emphasized the passing of

time on Earth. In Christian legends, poppy flowers were

supposed to grow in places where drops of the blood of

the crucified Christ fell.

Since ancient times, honey has been considered a magical

substance in which supernatural powers reside. It was

believed that it protects against evil, provides joy and

abundance. Consumed on Christmas Eve, it was to ensure

the favour of supernatural forces, as well as prosperity

and long life.

Kutia is boiled in water until soft, preferably so that it

solidifies together with the rest of the stock into one

mass after cooking. The cooked kutia is combined with

boiled, three-time-ground poppy seeds, honey, raisins and

chopped walnuts. And this is the secret, because just like

in the rest of the world, there are no two identical

snowflakes - there aren't two identical kutia either. Each

housewife prepares it in her own way, has her own secret;

so the final outcomes of kutia can differ with consistency,

sweetness, amount of dried fruit, thickness of chopping

nuts. Gourmets say that the first choice begins with the

decision which honey to use: whether the safest one, i.e.

multi-flower, or, for example, buckwheat or lime.

ingredients:

Ingredients for approx. 1.5 litre

150g of poppy seeds (can be ground)

½ cup of wheat for kutia (without husks)

½ cup of honey (or more if you like)

130g of nuts, preferably mixed (= 1 cup)

60g peeled, chopped almonds (= ½ cup)

60g raisins (½ cup)

50g of candied orange peel

4 dried figs

milk for blanching poppy seeds (approx. 500ml)

preparation:

Rinse the kutia wheat, pour water over it and leave it to soak

overnight.

Pour hot milk over the poppy seeds (a little more milk than to cover).

Cover the pot with poppy seeds and milk with a plate and let it cool.

The next day, drain the wheat, pour fresh water and cook until

tender. (It takes approx. 30 minutes or longer depending on the

grains. After cooking, wheat should be tender but not overcooked.

Drain and cool.

Drain the poppy seeds in a sieve lined with muslin or a cloth and

squeeze well. If it is not ground, grind it at least twice in a meat

grinder using a fine mesh strainer. (The ground poppy seeds are

ready, after pressing, for further preparation).

Chop the nuts.

Add honey to the poppy seeds and mix. Add chopped nuts, almonds,

raisins, chopped orange zest and diced figs. Finally, stir in the wheat.

If necessary, add more honey to taste. Chill kutia in the refrigerator

before serving.


photo: Magdalena Tomaszewska-Bolałek

visual guide

Highlight of Ski resorts in

Poland

guide by:

lovePoland

In Poland , you can look forward to around 500 kilometres of

slopes: the ski resorts are served by approximately 700 ski lifts.

Located in the heart of Europe, Poland is home to impressive

mountain ranges, from the Table Mountains to the High Tatras and

the Carpathian's range. With much more affordable ski resorts

than Austria or Switzerland, Poland is a perfect destination for you

if you want to avoid high prices and large crowds, so check out

where to ski for a perfect winter holiday.

1. Szczyrk Mountain Resort, Silesia (Województwo śląskie)

This is one of the biggest and most popular winter sports centres in Poland.

It is covered with snow from December through to April. There are 14km of

routes to choose from – starting with the FIS championship route, the

famous ‘Bieńkula’ and ‘Golgota’, ending with trails for children and beginners.

Over 30 lifts including a chair lift on Skrzynka guarantee quick transport to

the starting line. Szczyrk also knows how to entertain its guests, ‘après ski’ .

The skiing area of Szczyrk welcomes you and your family warmly to spend

your winter-holiday on and around its slopes. Being one of the larger ski

areas of Poland the skiing resorts offer you numerous well groomed and

prepared slopes.The overall skiing area may be divided into four parts. Put

into descending order in terms of the total length of the slopes they are

Skrzycyne, Bila, Czyrna-Solisko and Ski Salmopol. Szczyrk will be of special

interest to all snowboarders, as it is provides great, curvy descents as well as

a number of different jumps.

2. Białka Tatrzańska, Kotelnica/ Kaniówka/ Bania, Lesser Poland

(Województwo małopolskie)

It is a 17th century village in the south of Poland close to the Slovak border

which operated a small ski hill with a couple of drag lifts in the 20th century

but rapidly expanded in to one of the largest and most popular in Poland

during the first decades of the 21st century and now has very impressive

uplift linking up three former smaller centres Kotelnica, Kaniówka and Bania.

Of slope facilities include a modern spa. The Polish ski resort of Białka

Tatrzańska is in the Polish Tatras at an altitude of 680m, with 17km of

marked runs. Białka Tatrzańska is one of the larger Ski Resorts in Poland and

has direct access to 17km of downhill skiing, served by a total of 2 ski

lifts.The skiing is at relatively low altitude, so snow cover can be variable.

3. Szymoszkowa, Lesser Poland (Województwo małopolskie), Zakopane.

The ski resort Szymoszkowa is located in Zakopane. For skiing and

snowboarding, there are 4 km of slopes available. 2 lifts transport the guests.

The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 865 and 1126m.

beginners: B - blue marked slope of 400m /60m elevation difference with a

four-person chair lift.

intermediates: A - red/blue marked slope of 1.500m /280m elevation

difference with a six-person chair lift.

Ski school: yes, English speaking ski and snowboard instructors, ski and

snowboard courses for children and adults.

Lighting: Yes. High season slopes are open until 9pm

4. Kasprowy Wierch – Zakopane, Lesser Poland (Województwo małopolskie)

Zakopane

Being the most popular skiing mountain in Poland, with a height of 1.987 m ASL,

Kasprowy Wierch is located almost in the centre of the Tatra mountain range

and thus has excellent conditions to admire the Tatras as well as to practise

winter sports.Two ski runs start from the top of Kasprowy Wierch.The first one,

leading to the Hala Gąsienicowa pasture, meets the FIS requirements, and the

skiers may use a four-person chairlift with a capacity of 2400 persons/hour.The

second one leads to the Hala Goryczkowa pasture. It is possible to ski down to

Kuźnice from both the Hala Gąsienicowa and Hala Goryczkowa pastures.

Kasprowy Wierch / Polskie Koleje Linowe S.A.Kuźnice 14, PL-34-500 Zakopane

5. Zieleniec, Lower Silesia (Województwo dolnośląskie)

Zieleniec Ski Arena is the capital of alpine skiing in the Kłodzko region. This is

mainly due to 23 kilometres of beautifully situated and picturesque ski slopes,

varying in length and, in particular, in the level of proficiency. The more

demanding skiers and snowboarders will love it – the longest trail in Zieleniec is

2800 meters long; there is also a black trail called “Na krechę” (Straight down

the slope), but also families who want to try skiing, or just spend their free time

in a nice and active way in the open air will find something for themselves. It is

also worth mentioning that most of the ski trails in Zieleniec Ski Arena (22 trails

to be precise!) have artificial lighting, so that you can ski on our slopes until

21:00.

6. Szklarska Poręba – Szrenica, Lower Silesia (Województwo dolnośląskie)

Ski Arena Szrenica offers 12 km of trails with a snowmaking system covering

nearly 100% of the area intended for downhill skiing. Trails of varying levels of

difficulty will give a lot of satisfaction to both experienced and beginner skiers.

Capacity of cable cars and ski lifts is 10,000 people per hour.

7. Śnieżka – Karpacz, Lower Silesia (Województwo dolnośląskie)

The ski resort Śnieżka – Karpacz is located in Lower Silesian Voivodeship. For

skiing and snowboarding, there are 5.8 km of slopes available. 6 lifts transport

the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 820

and 1,350 m.

8. Czarna Góra – Sienna, Lower Silesia (Województwo dolnośląskie)

Black Mountain is a modern ski resort built in 1996 and located in the town of

Sienna. Through good planning wide slopes and the ski areas, the construction

of a suitable and efficient system of lifts and snowmaking system developed

Black Mountain is now a leader in the Sudetenland, and even in Poland.

Web: http://czarnagora.pl

9. Biały Jar – Karpacz, Lower Silesia (Województwo dolnośląskie)

The ski resort Biały Jar in Karpacz offers three downhill runs with a total of 2.5

km of slopes. All three slopes (two red, one blue) start at the top station of the

6-seater chair lift, which is equipped with bubbles and heated seats. For

beginners and children there is also a magic carpet in the area of the top

station.In the main season until the end of February, the lift runs until 9 pm. In

the evening hours the slopes are illuminated for night skiing.Not far from Biały

Jar, the Karpacz ski resort offers other downhill skiing opportunities.


Wrocław

6. Szklarska Poręba

9. Biały Jar – Karpacz

7. Śnieżka – Karpacz

5. Zieleniec

created by lovePoland

*Accurate: November 2020. We did try to make it as accurate as

possible but always check for a possible changes.

update:

Poland will enter a national quarantine from Dec. 28-Jan. 17 that will

include the closure of hotels (including most business trips), ski

slopes and shopping malls. Please check for further updates.

8. Czarna Góra – Sienna

10. Beskid Sport

Arena (Szczyrk)

1.Szczyrk

14. Pilsko-

Korbielów

3. Szymoszkowa

4. Kasprowy Wierch

Kraków

12. Śnieżnica –

Kasina Wielka

13. Jaworzyna Krynicka

11. Słotwiny

2. Białka Arena

Tatrzańska,

Kotelnica/

Kaniówka/ Bania,

15. Ski station Park

Magura

10. Beskid Sport Arena (Szczyrk), Silesia (Województwo śląskie)

The Beskid Sport Arena near Szczyrk offers four downhill runs with a total of 3.2

km of slopes. Beginners practice their first turns on piste no. 4. After that, the blue

run no. 1 takes you back down to the valley. If you are already confident on your

skis, try the red piste no. 2 or the black piste no. 3, which runs below the chair lift.

The 6-seater chair lift is equipped with weather protection hoods.

11. Słotwiny Arena, Lesser Poland (Województwo małopolskie)

For skiing and snowboarding, there are 2.2 km of slopes available. 3 lifts transport

the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 697 and

861 m. All slopes are regularly groomed, are equipped with a snowmaking system

and are illuminated in the evening. There is also a restaurant for your physical wellbeing.

There is also a hotel right next to the ski lift, so that skiing fun can begin

right on your doorstep! There are 10 slopes in total.

Słotwiny Arena - Krynica-Zdrój. Słotwińska 51A Str, 33-380 Krynica-Zdrój

12. Śnieżnica – Kasina Wielka, Lesser Poland (Województwo małopolskie)

For skiing and snowboarding, there are 2.9 km of slopes available. 2 lifts transport

the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 610 and

902 m.

Season: 19.12.2020 - 28.03.2021, Operation: 09.00 - 22.00

www.kasinaski.pl

13. Jaworzyna Krynicka, Lesser Poland (Województwo małopolskie)

In Jaworzyna Krynicka there are perfect conditions for practicing winter

sports: downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. The snow

cover stays here for at least 4 and often even 5 months a year. On the

slopes of Jaworzyna Krynicka, there are 8 ski runs with a total length of

over 8.3 km, four of which have FIS approvals. There are plans to mark out

more ski slopes.Skiers in the winter season, apart from a 6-seater gondola

lift and two 4-seater chairlifts, also have five T-bar lifts. The ski runs have

varying degrees of difficulty. On route 6 there is a large snow park and a

400m slalom track with time measurement.

14. Pilsko – Korbielów, Silesia (Województwo śląskie)

For skiing and snowboarding, there are 8 km of slopes available. 11

lifts transport the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the

elevations of 750 and 1,557m. Current season: 2020-12-12 - 2021-04-05.

General season: early December - early April. Opening times: 09.00 - 16.00

15. Ski station Park Magura, Lesser Poland (Województwo małopolskie)

Small but cute. For skiing and snowboarding, there are 1.4 km of slopes

available. 1 lift transports the guests. The winter sports area is situated

between the elevations of 553 and 813m. Opening times: 09.00 - 20.00.

Location: Małastów 27, 38-307 Sękowa


L O V E P O L A N D . O R G M E D I A P A R T N E R

Travel.LovePoland December 2020

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