SUB-CARPATHIA (PODKARPACIE)

Sub-Carpathia (Podkarpacie) is a region encompassing the south-eastern parts of Poland, at the foot of the Western and Eastern Carpathians. For tourists  it's one of the country's most attractive parts. Visitors come here mainly for the mountains - the Bieszczady and the Beskid Niski (Low Beskid) which together make up the Eastern Beskidy. The Bieszczady is more popular, having most of the region's rambler's routes.

These lands were colonised in the 15th-16th century by the Boiko and Lemko (Rusyn or Russniak) People, descendants of Vlach (Wallachian) shepherds who, wandering from the Balkans along the Carpathian arch, adopted elements of the language and culture of the East Slavs, developed into two intriguing peoples and eventually settled in this part of the Beskidy. Nowadays they are regarded as distinct ethnic groups related to the Ukrainians. Little has remained of their culture in Sub-Carpathia. During the Second World War the area had been used as an inaccessible hideout by guerilla groups of Ukrainian nationalists who continued their operations after the War. In the late 1940's the Soviet authorities deported a large part of the local population of Uniate Byzantine-rite Christians to the Soviet Union, while Poland's Stalinist authorities resettled the rest to the northern and western regions of Poland (this infamous operation was code-named Akcja Wisla). In this way, almost all the native inhabitants of the Beskid Niski and Bieszczady were forced to leave their homes. Few of them have managed to return. Once overpopulated, the Bieszczady suddenly became desolate.

After the fall of Communism in Poland, Operation Vistula was officially condemned. An open letter on this issue was signed by nearly 500 Polish intellectuals and artists. This does not change the fact that a highly original culture was destroyed and the whole region became dramatically depopulated and underdeveloped. Today the main source of income for the locals is tourism, which is growing thanks to the region's numerous hotels, campsites, restaurants and agrotourist farms.

ENCHANTING NATURAL WILDERNESS

The Beskid Niski: a land of serenity

The Beskid Niski (Low Beskid) is the most extensive range in the Polish Carpathians and also, as its name implies, the lowest (the highest summit, Mt Lackowa, is 997 m). It stretches between the Beskid S¹decki and the Bieszczady, forming a complex system of low ridges separated by long valleys. The mountains are mostly wooded, with a few meadows and clearings offering vast panoramas. More open terrain is to be found in the desolate valleys where overgrown orchards, wayside crosses and wooden Eastern-rite churches are the only vestiges of these settlements once bustling with life. Another special feature are the numerous First World War cemeteries (about 400 of them), scenically located on hillsides or hidden in forest thickets. The eastern front ran across this territory, leaving very heavy casualties.

Facts

The Beskid Niski is the cradle of the world's oil industry. In 1854 Ignacy Lukasiewicz drilled the world's first oil well at Bóbrka near Krosno. Today you can see the original shaft from the 1860s on-site and visit an open-air museum of the oil industry; and the vintage lamp collection in the Sub-Carpathian Museum, Krosno. 

The range is hiker-friendly and ideal for easy walks. The Beskid Gorlicki alone, which makes up just one-fourth of the Beskid Niski, has an impressive 345 km of clearly signposted rambler's routes. The profusion of paths and dirt roads makes it extremely easy to plan your own route. The most valuable area with the most representative wildlife species has been designated the Magura National Park. Bordering to the south with Slovakia, it is one of the most charming places in southern Poland. Gently undulating hills, the scenic Wisloka Valley and villages with sun-bathed Eastern-rite churches rising above the roofs of the old cottages, all contribute to a landscape that is both eye-catching and exotic. A walk through the dense forests and vast valleys will give you an excellent opportunity to take a good look at the local natural and cultural environment. This Park is very young - established in 1995 - and covers 19,962 ha, of which 96% is afforested. There are two vegetation belts with different tree species, roughly the same in surface area.

The ex-orthodox church in Beskid Niski Photo: www.poland.gov.pl

The clusters typical of the foothill zone (below the 530m level) are natural alder carrs, while the lower regiel (above 530m) is dominated by beechwoods. Much of both belts is covered by mixed fir-and-beech woods (with some stands over 140 years old), although they have a sparse distribution of spruce. The Park was also created to protect the headwaters of the Wisloka. This stretch of the river is typically mountainous, meandering scenically, though without carving out any deep gorges.
Dense forest and inaccessible brushwood provides a habitat for an amazing variety of animals that make the Magura National Park one of the Beskid's richest areas for wildlife. Some 200 species are under strict protection. Of the 44 species of mammals, by far the most numerous are deer, roe deer and wild boar, but there are also many predators: wolves, foxes, and lynxes. Martens are a relatively common sight and if you're lucky, you may spot a wildcat, although there are very few of them left. Other denizens are otters and beavers, which make a great attraction for patient explorers and watchers. Occasionally a bear may make a trip here from Slovakia or the Bieszczady. The rivers are home to about ten species of fish.
A relatively small area of the Park is a bird-watchers' paradise, sanctuary for as many as 137 bird species. It is the habitat of most of the buzzards and lesser spotted eagles living in Poland as well as of one-third of the country's population of Ural owls. Endangered species such as the golden eagle, eagle owl and honey buzzard are also under strict protection.

The Bieszczady Mountains: brown bears and polonina pastures

The westernmost part of the Eastern Carpathians, the Bieszczady, stretches from the Lupków Pass (664 m) to the Vyshkovskyi Pass (933 m) in Ukraine. The range is subdivided into the Western Bieszczady, between the Lupków Pass and the Użocka (Uzsok Pass - 853 m), with Mt Tarnica (1,346 m) as the highest peak; the Central Bieszczady, running from the Uzocka Pass to the Tukholskyi Pass with Mt Pikuy (1405 m) in Ukraine; and the Eastern Bieszczady with Mt Charna Repa (1228m), also in Ukraine. The Western Bieszczady is the only stretch entirely within Poland.

The Bieszczady is Poland's only area of this size where nature has managed to return to its original form and natural balance, although the process hasn't finished yet and will continue for decades, if not hundreds of years. Almost the entire High Bieszczady is home to substantial populations of bears, European bison, wolves, deer, goshawks, and eagles, once so plentiful in Carpathian forests.
The flora and fauna of the Bieszczady is extremely rich and diversified. There are some 1,100 flowering plants, including 28 alpine and 36 subalpine species, over 250 mosses, over 350 lichens and over 1,000 species of fungi.

Facts

The Bieszczady has Poland's southernmost point, Mt Opolonek (1028 m) near the Uzocka Pass.

Bieszczady Photo: www.poland.gov.pl

The mountains have steep slopes and the vegetation belts differ slightly from those in the Western Carpathians: there is no upper regiel with spruce forests and no dwarf mountain pines. Only three zones can be identified: the foothills, the lower regiel, and the high polonina pastures, which is largely a result of the climatic conditions. Warm, dry winds from across the Hungarian Plain are not favourable to spruce, which prefers humid and cool air. Grey alders, willows, sycamores and ashes are to be found in the lower parts . The tree line is marked out by beechwoods which at 900 m above sea level take on bizarre forms, dwarfed and twisted by the wind.

At 1050 m above sea level  the high mountain pastures known as poloniny begin, the biggest attraction in the Bieszczady. They have been formed as a result of natural processes, although the once intensive grazing, particularly of cattle, may also have contributed to the lowering of the tree line and extension of the pastures. Nowadays all the poloniny, including the highest Polonina Wetlinska, Polonina Carynska, and Tarnica, are encompassed by the Bieszczady National Park. At 1200-1300m above sea level, the pastures feature characteristic screes interspersed with alpine-type grasses. Lichens,  many of them rare and protected, cover the rocks.
The Bieszczady is home to numerous birds of prey. Buzzards hover in the sky; sometimes you can see a lesser spotted eagle or even a royal golden eagle (only 10 couples nest in the whole range). More common are goshawks, ravens, northern hobbies and sparrow hawks. Big eagle owls and Ural owls rule at night. The small number of waterfowl is due to the lack of lakes. The only body of water - Lake Solinskie - is subject to big water-level oscillations and therefore has not become a nesting place for birds, all the more so as it has no rushes or dense shore vegetation. Consequently, Lake Solinskie is more friendly to people than to animals.
A common sight in the forests early in the morning are herds of grazing roe deer and Carpathian deer displaying their impressive horns. You have to be cautious and quiet so as not to frighten them off. Other mammals living in the Bieszczady are European bison (some 100 specimens), bears (about 80) and wolves.
In the 1960s the Bieszczady and the Beskid Niski saw a large-scale operation to control the population of wolves. For every  animal killed a reward was paid and wolf commissioners were appointed to track and exterminate the predators by all means possible: hunts, chases or even putting them down with luminal. As a result, in the 1970s and 1980s the population of Carpathian deer increased enormously and they began to destroy crops and saplings, mainly of fir, thwarting the decades of hard work the foresters had put in. Since 1995 the wolf has been protected by law. Currently the Bieszczady population of wolves numbers about 100 animals. They largely live off deer, supplementing their menu with roe deer, wild boar and domestic animals (mainly sheep). Most of their prey are weak and sick animals.

A few years ago elks came to the Bieszczady (along the Valley of the San); now there are over a dozen of them in the area. Dignified while clumsy at the same time, they may stray even into big cities. Thanks to foresters' efforts, beavers have also appeared, their population now exceeding 50 animals along several rivers and mountain streams, notably in the upper San.

It is hard to estimate how many lynxes and wildcats live in the region, as they are very difficult to observe. In 1999 scientists started a large-scale research project using sophisticated techniques like telemetry which may help them learn more about these elusive animals. The Bieszczady National Park has a lynx head for its emblem.
The Bieszczady National Park was created in 1973 and since that time  has been extended four times: in 1989, 1991, 1996 and 1999. Currently it covers 29,000 hectares and is Poland's third largest national park (after the Biebrza and Kampinos Parks). It protects one of Europe's last patches of primaeval forest unaffected by human activity. Woodland accounts for some 80% of its area, with another 6% covered by the poloniny. Large populations of various animals live here in a state of natural balance. In 1998 the Council of Europe awarded the Park with the European Diploma for protecting particularly valuable natural resources.

Facts

In 1992 the UNESCO-sponsored East Carpathian International Biosphere Reserve  was created, which in 1999 became the world's only tripartite (Polish-Slovak-Ukrainian) biosphere reserve. Its total area is 208,000 hectares, of which 108,000 hectares lie in Poland, either within the Bieszczady National Park or two natural landscape parks, one encompassing the Valley of the San and the other the area around Cisna and Wetlina. One of the main aims of the biosphere reserve is the protection of Europe's largest natural beechwoods and their wildlife (bears, wolves, deer, European bisons) as well as the unique mountain pastures called poloniny.

The park and its surroundings may be visited in many ways, depending on your fancy - on Hucul horses (these can be hired in places like Wolosate, Ustrzyki Górne, and Tarnawa Niżna), driving a 4WD (from Lutowiska and Dwerniczek), by sleigh, horse cab, narrow-gauge train, on skis, and of course on foot. The National Park itself offers 4WD rides for groups of tourists, combined with bird and animal watching.

Facts

At the village of Wolosate, the Park has a breeding station with a few score Hucul horses. The origins of this breed haven't been fully traced. Most likely it is a result of crossing descendants of the tarpan with horses related to Mongolian breeds. But the main factor contributing to its emergence was the harsh environment. Stocky and sturdy, these genuine mountain horses are also exceptionally friendly. They stand 130-140 cm at the shoulder and are usually of bay, black, chestnut or mouse colour. They make excellent pack and draught horses and are often used in hippotherapy and for mountain rides.

CITIES AND SITES: HIKING AND SIGHTSEEING

Sanok: a gate to the Bieszczady

Built in the 13th-14th century on a lofty hill overlooking the  River San, Sanok is the region's major cultural, industrial and transport centre. The steep hillside is tightly packed with old houses next to a 16th-century castle which houses Poland's biggest and most precious collection of some six hundred icons. Stepped lanes lead from the Old Town down to the banks of the San.

Facts

Sanok is the starting point for the Icon Trail, a 70km loop through the villages of Tyrawa Solna, Ulucz and Wujskie, taking in two museums and ten lovely wooden Eastern-rite churches. The one in Ulucz, dating from 1510, is the oldest Eastern-rite church in Poland. The trail can be travelled on foot, by horse, bike or partly by boat up the Valley of the San.
Icons are Eastern-rite holy pictures on a linden, oak or fir board, depicting saints or scenes from the Bible. They are of Byzantine origin, the oldest surviving examples dating back to the 6th century. Some of them are adorned with precious or semi-precious stones; from the 16th century onwards, they would be clad in silver or gold dresses . The art of icon painting developed chiefly in Greece, the Balkans, and Russia (Novogrod, Moscow), culminating in the14th -17th century.

At Biala Góra on the opposite river bank, you'll find Poland's biggest open-air museum of traditional wooden buildings from the Bieszczady area, with separate sectors devoted to the various ethnic groups that once lived there. The exhibits include huts, inns, wayside shrines and Eastern-rite churches. In 1994 the museum was damaged by a fire; 13 precious buildings were destroyed, but the collection is still impressive and, most importantly, continues to be enlarged with new items.
On the afforested slopes around there are two well-preserved ancient forts and a cemetery with a few hundred burial mounds. Similar vestiges of various peoples that lived here centuries ago may be found in the Beskid Niski. Archaeologists are still arguing about the identity of these tribes. What has been proved beyond all doubt is that by the turn of the 10th century they had created a supratribal organisation, a predecessor of the early state, which in the mid 10th century covered a vast territory from Sandomierz and Lublin through Przemysl and Biecz to Sanok. Along the San ran a salt trail controlled by a chain of forts and a system of mysterious mounds, apparently used for signalling purposes. Settlements were strategically located to defend the entrance to the narrow river valley.
Beyond this point, the San begins to meander scenically, making a great attraction for all lovers of canoeing, fishing and river bathing. The little-developed valley has retained its natural character like so many other places in the Bieszczady.

Lesko: Poland's finest synagogue

Founded in the second half of the 15th century, Lesko may be proud of a remarkable achievement - despite its long history, it remains a lovely and respectable litlle town. It is neither expanding nor declining. Scenically situated amid hills, it makes a great base for trips into the Bieszczady. The old centre occupies a hill overlooking the San and has been inhabited for at least 2,500 years. A park nearby  is dominated by a 16th-century castle, today housing a hotel.
Lesko's most interesting building is the fortified Mannerist synagogue ranked among the finest examples of Jewish architecture in Poland. A unique combination of Late Renaissance features with defensive and religious functions, it bears a Hebrew inscription that reads, "This place overwhelms you with fear as it is God's house." Before the Second World War most of Lesko's urban residents were Jews. On a hill nearby, there is an extensive Jewish cemetery, one of the most impressive in the country. Many of its matzevot (tombstones), dating from the 16th century and exquisitely sculpted, are simply priceless. The oldest of them is from 1548.

Lake Solinskie: water sports and therapy for neurological disorders

Along the shores of Lake Solinskie, and next to it on Lake Myczkowskie, both created when the dam was built on the Rivers San and Solinka, lie a number of summer resorts with holiday homes and camps, offering accommodation, restaurants and water-sports facilities. Visitors coming here fall into two categories: hikers, who traverse the mountains from east to west or in the opposite direction, and bathers, who either tan or sail on their gently rolling boats.
25 km long, with a shoreline totalling 160 km and an area of over 2,000 hectares, Lake Solinskie is the most capacious artificial lake in Poland. One peculiarity are the strong oscillations of its water level - in summer only by about 1 metre, but over the whole year by as much as 16.5 m. As a result, in winter on its shores  you can see the remains of old villages, fragments of a submerged forest, and even stone chapels that disappear again as summer approaches.
Although man-made, Lake Solinskie looks spectacular and makes a great tourist attraction. You can swim in it (the water is of the first/second class of purity), sail, go boating, kayaking or fishing, as it abounds in river and lake trout, barbel, pike, perch, bream, and carp.
Beyond lies Lake Myczkowskie, much smaller but equally picturesque. The most developed areas are on the western shore of Lake Solinskie and the eastern shore of Lake Myczkowskie. The resorts of Solina and Polanczyk are certainly worth a visit. Facilities include hotels, campsites, marinas with water-sports rentals, restaurants and agrotourist farms.
The old village of Solina lies at the bottom of the lake (60 m); the new one is a complex of holiday camps neighbouring on the impressive dam - Poland's biggest (664 m long and 82 m high) - definitely an exciting place for a stroll. Polanczyk, located on a peninsula, is regarded by many as one of the most scenic resorts in the country. It boasts the biggest number of spa health centres and holiday homes in the Bieszczady region. Its gentle microclimate and mineral springs have earned it the status of a spa, for the treatment of respiratory and neurological disorders. Polanczyk lies on the border between two climatic zones: Carpathian and Sub-Carpathian. The main factor affecting its climate is the large distance to both the Baltic and Black Sea, making this area the most continental part of Poland. The spa is also a lively centre for water sports, and the surrounding hills are lined with hiking, biking and horse-riding trails.

Przemysl and Krasiczyn: a fortress and a castle

Straddling the banks of the San, Przemysl is a pleasant historic city situated on the borderland between Poland and Ukraine, where East meets West. It was a prominent trading post already in the early Middle Ages and consequently changed hands many times, and was fought over by Poland, Ruthenia and Hungary. In the late 19th century the Austrians built  an enormous fortress complex here, Europe's third largest (after Antwerp and Verdun), whose remains can still be seen today. You can penetrate the individual forts, scattered over the surrounding hills and villages, by following a signposted trail. The best-preserved are the inner defences, within the city limits. The outer ring of fortifications, 4-10 km off Przemysl, was severely damaged during the First World War, but is still a great attraction. Some of the surviving forts are colossal, supplemented with a labyrinth of underground tunnels and passages.
Another place of interest is the hilltop castle. The first wooden stronghold on this site was up already in the late 10th century. In the 14th century a stone Gothic castle was erected, and subsequently converted in a Renaissance style. Little has remained of this construction, and the partially ruined castle draws visitors mainly when it plays host to various cultural events. The semi-wild slopes below, with ancient trees, a warren of paths and a little spring, are ideal for a romantic stroll.
Don't fail to visit Krasiczyn, not far away from Przemysl and priding itself on having one of Poland's finest Renaissance castles, built at the turn of the 17th century by the Krasicki family. Vandalised by the Soviet army during the Second World War, in the late 1940s it went into a long process of refurbishment, interspersed with a few breaks and not finished yet, although recently work has intensified considerably. This Renaissance gem still can be seen only from the outside, but even this deserves a detour. Its towers and walls are topped with splendid attics while the elevations are adorned with sgraffiti of hunting scenes and other motifs. The grand, if slightly unkempt, park around the castle features rare species of trees and bushes. Its shaded driveways winding between ponds and canals are perfect for a walk. Apart from the magnificent castle and park, Krasiczyn boasts a scenic area on the River San, belonging to the Pogórze Przemyskie Natural Landscape Park, which encompasses a total of 61,862 hectares of wooded East Carpathian Foothills.

Lancut: a renowned stately home

There are no mountains around, but it's still Sub-Carpathia. Lancut is one of the region's most charming towns, noted mainly for its grandiose stately home (actually a castle), ranked among the finest and best-preserved mansions in the country.
Lancut was founded by King Casimir the Great. Pope Gregory IX's bull of 1378 mentions a Dominican monastery on this site, which indicates that it must have been a significant settlement. At that time Lancut had a lavish castle visited by lords and royalty. In the 16th century it went into decay, but from the 17th century onwards it began to flourish again as the residence of grand aristocratic families, first the Lubomirski, and then the Potocki. Originally it was a strong fortress with 80 cannons, ramparts, earthworks and a dry moat. These defences contrasted with its opulent interiors - the owners spared no money on the services of great architects and decorators. Then the mansion underwent another metamorphosis. The formidable castle was converted into a palatial stately home renowned far and wide and attracting all kinds of artists and prominent visitors from all across Europe.
Today the mansion is a museum of interiors, noted for its splendid architecture and decorations (a fabulous collection of furniture and works of art). The museum is well-maintained and rivals other aristocratic mansions in Europe. In May Lancut Castle plays host to a famous festival of  early  music, held since 1961 and attracting top-class performers from Poland and abroad.
The Castle grounds include a beautiful park with maindenhair trees, plane trees, tulip trees and Chinese junipers, all uncommon in Poland. Various outbuildings and garden features including an orangery, rosarium and orchid house are laid out amid the lush vegetation. A 19th-century coach house holds Poland's biggest collection of antique carriages, cabs, coaches and sleighs. Another highlight is a collection of icons, one of the biggest in the country.

Source: www.poland.gov.pl