Holidays in Poland

Gdańsk

noreply@blogger.com (Lukasz) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 01:15:00 +0000

'Danzig in the Spring of 1944 had an atmosphere quite unlike that of any other German town I visited. It was not unlike Edinburgh, for both had been left untouched by the destruction of war... As I walked up the broad, cobbled streets, with their set-back painted facades and with trams squeezing under the low brick arches, I found it hard to believe that this was the match that set Europe alight.' The recollections of this British soldier on his escape from Marlag stand in stark contrast to the dramatic finale of the war. Danzig bore the brunt of the damage on the Baltic coast, and following the Soviet 'liberation' in 1945, the 470,000 German inhabitants of the region were forced to resettle in the new Germany.

At the decree of the Great Powers, the city that re-emerged from the rubble was Polish, and the controversial matter of the Danzig corridor - 'the match that set Europe alight' - was settled. Thus a city that had been founded by Polish King Mieszko I in 980 - but which had been firmly out of the Polish orbit since 1792 - was re-christened with its original name, Gdansk, and a vast rebuilding project was begun.

Situated on the coast of the Baltic Sea, Gdansk is now the capital city of Pomeranian Voivodship. Together with two other cities, Sopot and Gdynia, it forms a conurbation known as the Tricity with a total population of 750,000 (Gdansk itself has 456,000 inhabitants). While Gdynia serves mainly as a port and Sopot as a seaside resort, Gdansk is popular among visitors with its thousand-year history and impressive architecture.

Its Old Town attracts almost as many people as that of Krakow or Warsaw. In the past the city enjoyed a high degree of autonomy, which together with its participation in Hanseatic League, led to great prosperity. During its Golden Age, the turnover of Gdansk was bigger than that of London's East India Company. Later periods in Gdansk’s history were complicated and sometimes even dramatic.

Here is a short tour through most of the treasures in Gdańsk.

01 - Main Train Station

Gdansk main train station by Darek81

It was built between 1894-1900. The tower 50m tall was added in 1903 after 3 years construction. It was a hidden water tower, composed into the whole structure. Historically, railroads that used steam locomotives required a means of replenishing the locomotive's tenders. Water towers were common along the railroad. The tenders were usually replenished by water cranes, which were fed by a water tower.
Before the outbreak of World War II Gdańsk Główny station was named Danzig Hbf. At the end of the World War II Soviet forces burned the station building almost completely (as they did with the rest of the city), and it had to be rebuilt after the war (the water tower avoided destruction though).
The same design was used in the construction of Colmar's principle train station in Alsace, France. Thus the buildings are twins of one another.

02 - Town Hall of Old City

Gdansk Old Town Hall by Jerzy Czubak

This marvellous 16th-century Renaissance building was once home to the office of the astronomer and city councillor in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Johannes Hevelius, whose statue can be found in the park in front of the building. The former headquarters of the Council of Gdansk, the Old Town Hall served as the headquarters of the Soviet Army during the dying days of WWII, probably because it was practically the only building left standing in the city at the time. Today the building is open to the public and has become the focus of much creativity. Concerts are held upstairs, and the superb Baltic Sea Cultural Centre now has their offices there. There's also a cellar restaurant (Irish Pub), and a good bookshop on the ground floor.

03 - Jan Heweliusz Monument

Jan Heweliusz monument by izzy_pl

Johannes Hevelius (28 January 1611 – 28 January 1687) was a councilor and mayor of Danzig (Gdańsk), Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. As an astronomer he gained a reputation as "the founder of lunar topography" and described ten new constellations, seven of which are still recognized by astronomers. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of his birth, 2011 was celebrated in Poland as the "Year of Jan Heveliusz”. Hevelius is regarded as having been the greatest astronomer in Poland after Copernicus.

04 - Radunia Canal

A channel built in XIV century (1348-1356) by Teutonic Knights to provide water and power to operate the Great Mill.

05 - The Great Mill

Gdansk The Great Water Mill by Shmija

Built by the Teutonic Knights in 1350, this magnificent edifice with its rising tiled roof is the grandest civil construction in Gdańsk. 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. Until 1356 when the Radunia Canal was built, the mill was powered by slaves turning 18 huge wheels. It was the largest industrial plant in Europe during the Middle Ages and functioned until the end of WWII. Though it has since been turned into a shopping centre, there's a small exhibition of old equipment from the mill. The surrounding grain and flour stores, dating to 1400, are home to a few small shops.

06 - Miller’s House

Gdansk Miller's House by popekpawel

Originally built in 1734 initially served as a sit for Miller’s Guild. Destroyed completely in 1945, was only rebuilt in 1997. Together with the Great Mill, they stand on the Radunia Channel.

07 - St Catherine’s Church

Gdansk St. Catherine's Church by Sydney2305

With its three aisles and its separated three-aisled presbytery, is probably the oldest sacred building in Gdansk, erected between 1227 and 1239. It was founded by the princes of Gdańsk Pomerania and considerably expanded in the 14th century.. Old Slavic tombs from the tenth century can be seen in a crypt in the presbytery. The massive tower of this church is topped with a “Polish type” dome and the interior of the church features 10 different types of vaulting. It is also a place where Hevelius was once church administrator and it’s his final resting place. You will find his tomb (dating back to 1659) at the rear behind the altar along with an epitaph funded by his grandson nearly 100 years after the great man's death. However, this church is more than just pleasing to the eyes, as there is a set of 49-bells which were reconstructed by both the German and Polish nations as part of the Unity and Friendship program they engaged in, to help heal relations between the one time enemies.

The tower of the church also hosts the Museum of Tower Clocks.

08 - Museum of Tower Clocks

This Branch of Gdansk History Museum is located in the tower of Saint Catherine’s Church in Gdansk. This is the oldest parish church in Gdansk, whose origins date back to the 12th century. The Museum collects and preserves tower clock mechanisms that are significant for this field of science. At the end of the 1960’s, the production of mechanical public clocks was discontinued in favour of electrical mechanisms controlled by quartz resonator and then directly by radio waves.

The disappearing clock mechanisms, even those from the first half of the 20th century, are important monuments of material culture. The accumulated collection spans the entire period of development of clock-making from the 15th to the 20th century. Now it contains absolutely unique cross-bar balance clocks that predate the invention of the pendulum; numerous cast iron mechanisms, mainly of Gdansk origin from the end of the 17th and the 18th centuries; splendid factory made clocks manufactured in the 19th century, the era of steam and electricity; and electro-mechanical clocks from the 20th century. The Museum staff are also responsible for looking after a number of historical clocks in situ all over Poland.

09 - Old Market Hall

Gdansk Market Hall by marekangiel

Built in 1896, there had been a Dominican monastery dating back to XII cent, destroyed during military offensive in 1813 (Prussian and Russian fire), was never allowed to be reconstructed. Therefore it still ran as a ruin for the next 26 years, until demolition in 1839-1940. The empty place was used for military drill purposes, then as a city market place from 1881.

10 - The Church of St. Nicholas

Gdansk St Nicholas Church's nave by racibo

It was built between 1348 and 1390 on the site of an even older temple from the late twelfth century. The windows of the church are very large for such a big building built so long ago and give the building a unique appearance. The primarily Baroque and Rococo interior is completely original as this church was the only church to make it through WWII unscathed. Framed with gold and highly decorative, most of the art inside the church depicts scenes from the life of Christ. There is also a magnificent chandelier crafted in 1617.

11 - Jan III Sobieski Monument

A monument commemorating King Jan III Sobieski, which may well be regarded as one of the most interesting monuments in Poland. It commemorates the triumphs of the Polish army, whose history symbolises the difficult and complicated history of the Polish Republic.

It is a large bronze statue built in 1897 in memory of the Polish king who reigned in the 17th century and famously defeated the Turks at the gates of Vienna, thereby saving Europe from the Ottoman hordes. Originally displayed in Lviv, the monument was moved to Warsaw in 1950 before finally being shifted to Gdansk in 1965. During martial law the monument became the starting point for several demonstrations and marches.

12 - The Coal Market and St. Dominic’s Fair

Gdansk Coal Market by Marianek

St. Dominic’s Fair, together with Weihnachtmarkt and Oktoberfest, is one of the biggest trade and cultural open-air events in Europe, organized in the Main City – the representative part of Gdańsk.
With 750 years of successful tradition, the history of the Fair goes back to the year 1260, when it was established by the decree of Pope Alexander IV. However, it was the Dominican Order (founded by Spanish preacher Dominic of Osma), that came up with the idea of the event and, for this reason, the Fair was named after them.
St. Dominic’s Fair became an important event for the city, attended by gentry and even by the king himself. The most memorable fair for the citizens was the one from the year 1310, when, during the absence of the king Władysław the Elbow-high, the Teutonic Knights plundered the city for the first time, killing many merchants and other participants of the Fair.
St. Dominic’s Fair had been organized annually for the centuries. However, the outbreak of the Second World War caused the Fair to disappear from the city for 33 years. In 1972, owing to the efforts of Wojciech Święcicki, a journalist from a popular Gdańsk evening paper “Wieczór Wybrzeża”, the tradition of the Fair was restored. In the 1970s the Fair was mostly viewed as a trade event, providing the opportunity to buy desired goods. During special fashion shows commonly called “Live Journal” the latest Polish fashion collections were presented.
Targ Węglowy (Coal Market) is one of the places where Dominikański Fair takes place.
On the left hand side of the picture above, where the tenement houses are, there would be also The Great Armoury's back side.

Gdansk Wielka Zbrojownia by Maciej Szester

The Royal Route

When the king of Poland travelled from Warsaw to Gdańsk, he would enter the city through the Brama Wyżynna (Upland Gate), continue through the Złota Brama (Golden Gate), and then head along ulica Długa (Long Street) and Długi Targ (Long Market) to the Zielona Brama (Green Gate). Although he didn't make this journey often, it was highly profitable for him to visit Gdańsk due to the enormous tax revenue the city commanded through its trade. In turn, Gdańsk's predominantly Germanic city dwellers would negotiate with the Polish king for greater rights, gaining substantially more privileges from him than they ever would from the Prussians in the 18th century.

Gdansk Dluga Street by Mirosław Rdzanek

The Royal Route rank among the most beautiful streets in Gdansk. The wealthiest Gdansk 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.

Gdansk Dluga Street by -Sjeng

Tenement houses on Dluga Street are typical Gdansk houses with narrow facades topped with gables or attics, richly decorated with coats of arms, allegoric figures and silhouettes of ancient heroes. Unfortunately when houses on Ulica Dluga were modernized in the mid-19th century, all the stepped terraces that originally fronted the entrances to the houses were removed. After the carnage of World War II, almost all buildings on Ulica Dluga were left in ruins. Many of the houses were later reconstructed, but only the finest buildings were rebuilt in architectural detail. The most important secular buildings - the Hall of the Main City and the Artus Court are located on Dlugi Targ Street.

13 - Upland Gate

Gdansk Upland Gate by deejeepee

The traditional entry point for kings was Upland Gate, at the western end of the Royal Way. It was built in 1574 as part of the new fortifications, which were constructed outside the city's medieval walls to strengthen the system. Authorities weren't happy with the original structure, so in 1586 they commissioned Flemish artist, Willem van den Block, to embellish it, covering it with sandstone slabs and ornamenting it with 3 coats of arms: Prussia (unicorns), Poland (angels) and Gdańsk (lions).
It was here where the Polish king was welcomed and given the keys to the city. The gate was originally surrounded by a 50m moat and was named for its 'upland' location above the water level. The metal pulleys used for raising and lowering the drawbridges are still visible beneath the coats of arms of Poland, Prussia and Gdańsk.

14 - The Torture House and Prison Tower

Gdansk House of Torture and Prison Tower by Jerzy Czubak

Originally built as part of the city’s fortifications in the second half of the 14th century, the complex was rebuilt by Antoni van Obberghen between 1593 and 1604 with the smaller of the two buildings becoming a torture chamber and courthouse while the larger tower became the prison. It was here that executions were carried out until the middle of the 19th century. Damaged during WWII, it has been extensively renovated and how houses the Amber and Torture Museums and you can view the old town from their viewing tower.

15 - The Golden Gate

Gdansk St George Brotherhood Court and The Golden Gate by Daniel Pavlík

This magnificent two-storey high arch of triumph was built in the early 17th century to mark the entrance to the grand Long Street. In the olden days the gate passages would see monarch and their corteges making their entrance to Gdańsk. The facade tops are finished with stone statues symbolisin the virtues the locals would hold in high esteem for ages: peace, freedom,wealth, fame concord, justice, piety, and reason. The houses flanking Long Street, today a popular pedestrian track, originally belonged to rich and influential Gdańsk families. The patriciate residences with their grand facades compete with one another with abundance of forms and originality of decor.
It was raised in 1612–14 in place of the 13th century gothic gate (Brama Długouliczna). It is located at one end of Long Lane (Długa street, German: Langgasse), where, together with Upland Gate and Prison Tower, it forms a part of the old city fortifications.
It was designed by architect Abraham van den Blocke and was constructed by Jan Strakowski. The architectural style of the gate is Dutch manierism. Next to it is the late-gothic building of the Brotherhood of St.George.
Both sides of the gate have attiques, with figures symbolising citizen's qualities. They were designed in 1648 by Jeremias Falck ("Polonus"), and reconstructed in 1878 due to the originals being damaged by time and climate.

16 - St George Brotherhood Court

Standing at the gate is the St. George Brotherhood building which was constructed between 1487-94. At the top of the tower there is a sculpture representing the patron of the Brotherhood fighting a dragon. This building was used as a meeting place, for sword fighting and archery practice, and for occasional celebrations. It was in use up to the dissolution of the Brotherhood in 1798.
The Court (also referred to as the Burgher Court) was built after 1489 in the Old City intramural area between the Guardhouse Tower and the Teutonic castle moat dam. Allegedly, the material used to build the court came from the remains of the Teutonic Castle. The first floor contained an archery range and storerooms for archery equipment. Members of the fraternity met on the Great Hall on the first floor. The hall was also used for ceremonies, for sword fighting and archery practice, meetings and banquets and for the performance of plays. It was in use up to the dissolution of the Brotherhood.

17 - Great Armoury

Gdansk The Great Armoury by Krystyna SIEG

The Great Armoury was built in 1600-09 on the medieval line of the city walls. A working arsenal until the 1800s, the armoury remains the finest example of Renaissance architecture in the city. It was designed by Opperghen and is the most impressive of his works in Gdańsk. The well-like structure in front was used as an elevator to transport gunpowder and cannon balls from their storage place in the basement. The armoury was badly damaged in WWII and rebuilt. It is now closed to the public.

The nearby imposing and ornate edifice of the arsenal represents the most exuisite example of the Dutch Mannerism in Gdańsk. Its richly adorned front and back walls facing the Coal Market and the Weaver Street rouse admiration for their composition and ornamentation. Its stately interiors would once brim with guns, cannon balls, and arms of all kinds. Today, the ground floor is developed into a shopping mall, and the upper storey accommodates the Academy of Fine Arts.

18 - Uphagen House

Gdansk Uphagen House by Łukasz H.

Uphagen house is the only one in Poland and one of only a few 18th century merchant town houses in Europe open to visitors. Johann Uphagen purchased this town house in 1775. Over a few years (by 1787) the town house was completely modernized and adapted to the needs of the new wealthy owner. Uphagen lived in the house until his death in 1802 when the house became the property of successive heirs of the family, staying throughout the 19th century in the hands of the same family (which was a rarity in those times).
The house at 12 Dluga Street hosts a museum now with a permanent exhibition showing Uphagen House in old photographs.

19 - The Main City Hall

The main town hall is a Gothic-Renaissance building, located at the corner of Dluga Street and Dlugi Targ, dominating the panorama of the Royal Route – the most representative route of the listed part of the city.

Gdansk The Main City Town Hall by Michał Galbas

The origins of the Town Hall, which from the very beginning was the seat of the authorities of the main Gdansk area, from the 14th century referred to as the Main City, go back to the early Middle Ages. From the mid 15th century it became the center of power for the entire area located on the Motlawa river. It served this function for a few centuries, and throughout this time was the main municipal building. The exact date of the creation of the building is unknown. According to 17th century Gdansk chronicler, Stephan Graua, the construction of the Town Hall was started in the spring of 1327 and completed in December 1336. The Gdansk chronicler did not however provide the source of this information. In the 14th century the Town Hall was probably a small one-storey building constructed as a frame structure from bricks and wood. As The Gdańsk merchants were becoming increasingly rich on trade and strived to accentuate the city’s position by giving appropriate splendour to the interior of the Town Hall. At the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century, this interior was decorated by artists of the golden age of Gdańsk arts, including such masters as: Izaak van den Block, Hans Vredeman de Vries, Willem van der Meer, Anton Moeller and Szymon Herle. Overall administration of the works was managed by Dutchman, Anton van Obberghen, who at the time held the position of town builder.
The first floor became the most representative storey. It accommodated the most important rooms of the Town Hall – the Great Council Hall, also called the Red Hall (with its enormous painting-sculpture complex, the creators of the program presented – generally speaking – the moral norms and the rules of conduct for the city authorities), and the Great Wety Hall, from the 19th century called the White Hall. Beautiful rooms were also created inside the annex, to which two wings (northern and eastern) were added in the 16th century, which include the Small Council Hall (also called the Winter Hall) and the Small Wety Court Hall (the Fireplace Hall). The annex and the side wings formed a rectangular internal courtyard.
Reconstruction of the town hall, started in 1946, was a difficult project and is regarded as one of the outstanding Polish post-war conservation achievements.
The specific atmosphere of Gdańsk is also created by its bells. In 2000 a new outstanding 37-bell carillon was installed in the town hall tower The carillon was built by the Dutch bells and carillon manufacturer, Royal Eijsbouts in Asten. The Town Hall’s chiming bells are the background and at the same time a sort of rival to events held in the city.

20 - Neptune Fountain

Gdansk Neptun Statue by popekpawel

A symbol of Gdańsk, the Neptune Fountain has stood in front of the Artus Court since 1633. It was built on the initiative of the mayor of Gdańsk, Bartłomiej Schachmann.

The figure of Neptune refers to the bond between Gdańsk and the sea. The fountain was modeled by Peter Husen and Johann Rogge and cast in 1615 in Augsburg. The design of the whole fountain was created by Abraham van den Blocke. The exquisite grille surrounding the fountain dates back to 1634. In the years 1757—1761, Johann Karl Stender modified the basin and the pedestal of the fountain in the Rococo style by adding an extensive 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. Indignant at people throwing golden coins into the fountain, he hit the water with his trident and the gold fell to bits, forming small golden flakes which now shine in the wonderful herbal liqueur.

21 - The Artus Court

Gdansk The Artus Court by Mial

The Artus Court was in many respects the epicenter of Gdansk's mercantile galaxy. Named after the mythical British King Arthur, it provided an arena for the movers and shakers of Gdansk to strut their stuff in knightly style. The enterprise was inspired by the courts of King Arthur, and the merchants endeavoured to emulate the chivalrous, brotherly ideals that were espoused in the Arthurian legends.

Originally founded in 1350, the edifice got a sumptuous baroque make-over in the seventeenth century, although nearly all was lost in 1945. Thankfully, large sections of the interior had been spirited away, and these are amongst the highpoints of this splendidly reconstructed treasure. On the front wall of the Court there is a memorial board from 1965 commemorating the 20th anniversary of placing the Polish flag on the Artus Court by the soldiers of the 1st Armoured Brigade. Currently the interior of the Artus Court is open for visitors - there is also the department of the Gdansk History Museum.

The interior is one big Gothic hall. Since 1531 it has been completely redecorated - the walls have been covered with wainscot and friezes of mythological and historical character. The richly ornamented furniture and numerous paintings add to the splendour of the hall. The most famous ones are, among others, the works by anonymous artists from the late 15th century - Siege of Marienburg, The Ship of the Church, Orpheus among animals by Hans Vredeman de Vries from 1596 and Last Judgment by Anton Möller. The last painting caused much controversy, as the artist has used the scenery of the city and depicted some significant figures of the period as allegorical characters, such as Pride or Faithlessness. The hall was decorated not only with paintings but also tapestries, ship models, armours, coats of arms, or a cage with exotic birds. The other interesting decoration is the 11-metre high furnace made by Georg Stelzner between 1545-1546. It is covered with 520 tiles depicting the greatest European leaders, both the Protestants - supporters of the Schmalkaldic League, and the Catholics, among which are portraits of Isabella of Portugal and Charles V. The likenesses are interspersed with coats of arms, personifications of virtues, and planets.
The Artus Court was designed as an exclusive meeting venue for the local elite. Only in 1742, at the request of the town's mercantile companies, the Council agreed to change the Court into the exchange and the city lost its most famous inn.

22 - Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit house

Ogarna 95 Street - (24 May 1686 – 16 September 1736) was a German citizen of Gdansk, physicist, engineer, and glass blower who is best known for inventing the alcohol thermometer (1709) and the mercury thermometer (1714), and for developing a temperature scale now named after him. Born in Danzig (Gdańsk), the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but lived most of his life in the Dutch Republic. The Fahrenheits were a German Hanse merchant family who had lived in several Hanseatic cities. Fahrenheit's great-grandfather had lived in Rostock, and research suggests that the Fahrenheit family originated in Hildesheim.

23 - Golden House

Gdansk Golden House by Rainer I

The nearby 1618 Golden House, designed by Johan Voigt, has the richest façade in the city. In the friezes between storeys are 12 elaborately carved scenes interspersed with busts of famous historical figures, including two Polish kings. The four statues waving to you from the balustrade at the top are Cleopatra, Oedipus, Achilles and Antigone. One of the other figures is possibly Shakespear.

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 open-minded 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 richly-decorated 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”.

24 - Green Gate

Gdansk Green Gate by Sprato

Together with the Golden Gate and the Upland Gate it was used to span the Long Street and Long Market, called the Royal Route. The Green Gate is a building which is clearly inspired by the Antwerp City Hall. It was built between 1568-1571 to serve as the formal residence of the Polish monarchs and it stands on the site of the most ancient gate in Gdansk, the Koga Gate. It is a masterpiece by Regnier (or Reiner van Amsterdam), the architect from Amsterdam and reflects the influence of the Flemish architecture in the city. This gate was built to serve as the formal residence of Polish monarchs, but was only used for that purpose once in its history. There are four arched passages through this gate and there is a symbol over each: The eagle of the Prussian Kings, and the emblems of Poland, Gdansk, and Royal Prussia.
Today the Green Gate houses the National Museum in Gdańsk. Various exhibitions, meetings, conferences and shows are organized here. In one room, the office of former President Lech Wałęsa is located.

25 - Granary Island

Once joined to the mainland, Granary (Spichlerze) Island was created when the New Motlawa Canal was dug in 1576. A centre of trade developed here at the end of the 13th century.

Gdansk former granaries by popekpawel

These granaries - no more than a skeletal set of ruined brick walls today - were the most important source of income for Gdańsk in the 16th century, contributing to its status as the largest Baltic harbour and one of Europe's richest cities. In the 14th century over 300 granaries operated on Wyspa Spichrzów; only one survived WWII, following which 20 were rebuilt. A moat was built around the area in case of fires. The granaries had names like Gloria and Bear Dance and serviced over 200 ships a day, supplying 300,000 tonnes of grain a year. Plans to restore the ruined granaries have repeatedly stalled, and they remain a moving reminder of the devastation of WWII and make for a nice walk.

26 - The Chlebnicka Gate

The Chlebnicka Gate built in 1450 marks the end of Chlebnicka street and opens up onto the Motlawa River. Built in the Gothic style, the gate is made of brick and has a pointed arch, but the true sign of its age is the symbol carved on the Motlawa side.

The symbol, a shield with two crosses but no crown, was the oldest crest of Gdansk and can’t be seen anywhere else in the city! On the opposite side, a stylized lily greets travellers and gives the gate its second name: the Lily Gate. In the nearby rivers and canals there are some rare varieties of lily, so after seeing the stone version, hop in a canoe and paddle on out to see some of the real things.

27 - House Under the Angels (or English House)

The building is located on Chlebnicka 16 street and is one of the most magnificent tenement house in Gdańsk, built in the XVI century in the Renaissance style. It has the impressive 15,5 metres wide and 30 metres high facade in eight storeys, crowned with four tops and slender tower ornamented with a cupola and a spire. Currently it serves as a seat of the dormitory of the Gdańsk Academy of Fine Arts.

28 - The Mariacka Gate

The charming and truly unique Mariacka Street is closed off on one end by the towering Mariacka Church and by the Mariacka Gate on the other. The gate allows pedestrians passage from the Motlawa to the cobbled roads of the Old Town and the famed porches of ul. Mariacka.

This defensive structure was built in 1485 and is built of dark, almost brown, brick. Two towers rise up from the top of this fort, and the windows are small and secretive. When one is walking along the Motlawa, enjoying the vendors or restaurants, he or she might hardly notice the exceptional and almost out-of-place look of this building, but to see it from Granary Island you’ll notice that its dark, Gothic style sticks out like a sore, impenetrable thumb.

29 - The Crane (Żuraw Gate)

The Gdansk Crane (Żuraw) over the Motlawa River is the most characteristic and unmistakeable symbol of Gdansk. Back in the Middle Ages it was the largest port crane in Europe handling cargo and putting up ship masts.

Gdansk The Crane (Gate) by Dariusz Checko

The Crane was built in the 14th century and renovated in 1442-1444, when it acquired its present appearance. The crane had a defence function. It consisted of two brick towers with a wooden lifting mechanism installed in between. The reloading equipment consisted of two pairs of wooden wheels which were put in motion by port workers. The crane was used to put up masts and reload goods. It was also a city gate. The Żuraw belonged to the city and was managed by a crane master.
The crane was destroyed by fire in 1945. As part of the rebuilding programme after World War II it was repaired and reconstructed, together with its internal mechanism. 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.

30 - Mariacka 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. It has also used as the scene of films.

Gdansk Mariacka Street by rafklos

Closed from the west with an over thirty meters high St. Mary's Church (the 82 m high spire of the church can also be seen from the street), from the east - with Mariacka Gate and the tower of the Archeological Museum (former Natural Sciences Society), Mariacka Street seems to be a separate world. That impression in increased by the fact that it is the only street where the entrance terraces were not destroyed. A narrow lane, resembling a ravine with entrance terraces and high, usually four-storey houses on its sides begins with the Gothic arch of the Mariacka Gate and ends with the main entrance to St. Mary's Church. On the entrance terraces, in the basements and ground floors of the houses, there are numerous restaurants, cafés, pubs and shops, mainly amber shops (Gdańsk is the world's capital of amber). In summer, especially during St. Dominican Fair, the street is visited by thousands of tourists, musicians play the works of old masters and artists sell their paintings and drawings. During the other seasons of the year, the street can be completely empty - the silence is interrupted only by the sound of the bells of St. Mary's Church and that of the carillon of the Old City Town Hall, or the sound the ships make when going along the Motława river, situated behind Mariacka gate.

31 - St. Mary’s Church

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 Duringer between 1464 and 1470 and the main altar put up between 1510 and 1517.

Gdansk St. Mary's Basilica by Tomasz Sienicki

From 1529 to 1945 St Mary's was a Protestant church. Like so many other parts of Gdansk, it was rebuilt after World War II. The interior contains furnishings in the Gothic, Mannerist and Baroque styles. The church is 105 m long, including the tower battlements, and the vaults soar 29 meters above floor level. The solid main tower is 77.6 meters 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.

32 - Royal Chapel

Gdansk Royal Chapel by alex verdi

It was founded on the initiative of King Jan III Sobieski to serve as a temporary chapel 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. It was erected between 1678 and 1681, according to the designs of the royal architect, Tylman of Gameren. The baroque sculptures on the facade were created by Andreas Schlüter.

33 - Polish Post Office and the monument to the defenders of the Polish Post

In the Polish Post Office was one of the first acts of World War II in Europe, as part of the invasion of Poland. The Polish Post Office was the scene of some of the most dramatic events of the first days of World War II. At daybreak on 1 September 1939, German troops attacked the Polish Postal Administration that had its base here, in what was then free city of Gdansk.

For 15 hours the postal workers resisted the onslaught, but they were finally overwhelmed. German soldiers were not able to take control of the building despite their great superiority in numbers and the support of howitzers and armoured vehicles. The defenders gave up only when threatened that the building would be soaked in petrol and burnt to the ground. All but four of the defenders who escaped from the building during the surrender were sentenced to death by a German court martial as illegal combatants on October 5, 1939 and executed. Their heroism is commemorated in the Post Office Museum and by a monument depicting an injured postal worker atop scattered mail, handing over his rifle to Nike, Greek goddess of victory.

Gdańsk Fortress - Culture Park of City Fortifications

The areas of the Grodzisko Fort are managed by a special municipal unit called:"Gdansk Fortress" Culture Park of City Fortifications. The Grodzisko Quarter is a small part of the centre of Gdansk, unique because of its history and an architectural shape which has remained almost unchanged for the last one hundred years or so.

The most important historic and urban complexes located here include the fortifications of the Grodzisko Fort together with the fortress park, a former Corpus Christi hospital with a very precious church and a compact complex of prison buildings located at the Kurkowa Street, where the Investigation Prison is now located. Particularly recommend are the following vantage points: Jerosolima Bastion with Millennium Monument and Napoleon vantage point with a table and a map of Gdansk siege in 1807, vantage point with a view to the Old Town, the building of Napoleon Redoubt, Cemetery of Non-Existing Cemeteries ; the Group of Corpus Christi, Post-fortress park, Natural path, Ecological grounds and the workshop of artistic farrier’s art and metal-work . Grodzisko fort is opened for the whole year for all those who are interested in finding out more about this great corner of the ancient fortifications located nearby the city centre.

Wisłoujście Fortress

Gdansk Wisloujscie Keep by Piotr Romer

A unique monument of the fortification works, Wisloujscie Fortress, is located in direct proximity to the Westerplatte peninsula. This was an important area from a strategic point of view, as the movement of ships entering and leaving Gdansk harbour could be controlled from this place.

The former Gdansk harbour was located on the Motlawa river, a few kilometres from the seashore, which made Wisloujscie a key place protecting Gdansk from the sea and protecting the city and harbour from a surprise enemy attack. Its strategic importance was appreciated long ago. It is quite possible that a guard post was already located there under the reign of the Pomeranian dukes. Over the following years, constant building, often by prominent fortification engineers of the time, steadily enlarged the fortress. It withstood several sieges and was often used to accommodate visiting royalty.

Westerplatte

Gdansk Westerplatte by Holger Weinandt

Westerplatte is famous for the Battle of Westerplatte, which was the first clash between Polish and German forces during the Invasion of Poland and thus the first battle of the European theater of World War II.

The Germans expected the capture of the Westerplatte to take a matter of hours, but the 182-man garrison under Major Henryk Sucharski resisted for seven days, their defence becoming a symbol of Polish resistance in the struggle against the Nazi invasion. The ruins of the defenders' barracks and guardhouses are still there. After the war, one of the guardhouses was converted into a museum. A Monument of the Coast Defenders was unveiled in 1966.

Monument to the Defenders of the Coast

An immense monument to the Defenders of the Coast commemorates the Polish soldiers who, in autumn of 1939, made a heroic effort to fight with the superior forces of Hitler's well-equipped army.

Close to the monument we can also see historic structures related to the heroic defence of this post in 1939, the tombs of heroic soldiers and the T-34 tank belonging to the Polish Armoured Brigade named after the Westerplatte Heroes.

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.
There’s a European Solidarity Centre under construction, though it is possible to visit some part of the exhibition placed underground and some other shipyard buildings.

The Piast Castles Trial and surroundings

noreply@blogger.com (Lukasz) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:48:00 +0000

One of the ramblers' attraction in Poland is the Piast Castles Trial - either the remnants or restored to their full glory castles of the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The rule began in the 10th century and lasted through out the period of rise and fall into division amongst one the rulers' sons... to be reunited again under Władysław I rule in 14th century. His son, Casimir III, was the last of the Piasts to rule Poland, leaving country united, reforming its law system, founding the first Polish university - the University of Kraków.

This ramble may be divided into two stages - 2 days stay in Wałbrzych to visit one end of the trial. The rest of the trial can be done by excursions from Jelenia Góra, which may be joined together with wandering in Sudety Mountains (the Sudetes) - with Karkonosze Mountains range known as a good centre for winter sports - with their skiing resorts becoming a budget alternative to the Alps.

While staying in Walbrzych, you can get a bus to Grodno Castle and start your trip. This first part of The Piast Castles Trail is 25.3 km long - you should be able to finish it in 6.5 hours, though that doesn’t include time spent on wandering around castles or visiting the interiors. It may turn out that you need another day for visiting Książ Castle itself due to its size.

Grodno Castle

The oldest events relating to the castle’s history are not known. Oral tradition attributes construction of the castle to Boleslaw Wysoki (Boleslav the Tall) in 1198, with extension carried out by Bolko I, at the end of the 13th century. After the annexation of the Duchy of Świdnik-Jawor by the Czechs, the castle became the property of the Czech crown. From there it passed into private hands. Beginning in 1545 the castle was systematically extended, though during the Thirty Years War the castle was sacked by the Swedes, who largely destroyed it. The ensuing owners neglected the building, which gradually fell into ruin. They finally left in 1774. In 1869 the tower burned down due to lightning strike. Following WWII the building underwent several bouts of reconstructive works.

Today

Grodno represents a fusion of the Gothic style, as we can observe in the upper part, and a renaissance style visible in the lower extensions. The sundial built in 1716 presents an attraction for the visitor. Thanks to conservation works begun in the 19th century, we can today see a renovated tower and castle walls, where there is a restaurant with castle fare.
The entrance to the castle is paid - 9 zł.

Stary Książ Castle

The former name: Alt Fürstenstein.
Following the green trail, 18.3 km further (around 5 hours walk) is Stary Książ Castle (it’s around 1 km away from Walbrzych). Finding this site is very difficult, because it is hidden in the forest, and for the question about the castle the residents direct to Książ Castle. Through around 90% of the route the access to the castle is moderately gentle, but runs through the bumpy path, while the last 10% are the sharp climbs and descends.

Although it is hard to believe, 'the discovery' of Stary Książ Castle was not made until the years of 1991-1992. Till that time it was thought that local ruins were the remainder of the building from the 18th cent. As a result of thorough explorations it turned out, however, that already at the turn of the 9th and 10th cent. the castle existed there, which at the turn of the 13th and 14th cent. was converted into the brick castle. The stronghold, however, was not used too long, since probably at the end of the 15th cent. was abandoned. But around 1794 the remainders of the castle were converted into the romantic residence on the orders of duke Hans Heinrich VI Hochberg.

Along green trail, some 2.8 km away (30 minutes), there is Książ Castle. This trip may be much shorter and cut to 10 minutes walk by using the black trail – which is not hard at all in this area.

Książ Castle

A former name: Fürstenstein

The Książ castle was built in the 13th century presumably on the initiative of Bolko I, however the first mentions of the castle come only from 1337. As early as the 14th cent. until the 16th cent. the stronghold was very often changing its owners. In 1509 it ultimately came into hands of the Hochberg family (who lost it earlier for a moment to the Schellendorf family) and since then until the World War II it was in their possession. These were exactly them who contributed in large measure to a present appearance of the castle making numerous reconstructions. In the time of the World War II the castle was a residence of military institutions, whereas under the castle the prisoners from the neighboring camp were forced to build tunnels. After the war the castle was devastated, and its reconstruction did not begin until 1966. The works lasted for a few dozen years and currently we can admire the castle in all its glory.

Take a virtual trip to see some of the places in and out of the castle. For the choice of trips, scroll down the website.

The entrance to the castle is paid – as the castle is huge, there are three thematic routs. Please, check the link for up-to-date prices.

And here is the official website

Cisy Castle

The next castle – Cisy Castle – is 4.2 km away from Książ Castle, which should take less than an hour walk.
A former name: Fröchlichsdorf, Zeisburg castle

The first reference to the Cisy Castle, also called the castle of Cis family or simply Cisy, originates in 1243. It was then presumably a wooden-earth defensive building, transformed into a brick castle at the turn of the 13th and 14th cent. by a duke of Świdnica-Jawor, Bolek I. After the death of a duchess Agnieszka, Bolko I’s successor – Bolko II’s widow, the stronghold came into hands of the Czech Republic and was the residence of the following families. The castle was destroyed probably during the Hussite wars, next it was quickly rebuilt, and in 1466 was demolished again. It did not discourage, however the then owners who rebuilt it again, and in the 16th cent. extended a defensive foundation. In 1643 the stronghold was destroyed by the Swedes, as to become again, at the end of the 17th cent. a property of the Czetryc family, who were one of the next families ruling over the castle after taking it over by the Czech Republic in the 14th cent. The last owner of the castle was in 1830 a landgrave of von Zieten family, to whom only ruins already belonged, since at the turn of the 18th and 19th cent. the authorities ordered to destroy the castle.

The access to the ruins is difficult and requires overcoming lots of rough terrain, steep climbs and lush brushwood. But after raining the access is even more difficult as you have to struggle through mud.

That would be the first group of castles on this trail. The next one is located around 16 km away from Cisy Castle and what I suggest is to either follow the trail – if you are a really keen on walking, or simply move to Jelenia Góra, which is situated in Jeleniogórska Valley, right at the bottom of Karkonosze Mountains (a traditional winter sports centre in Central Europe). By making the city your base for excursions you can finish visiting castles in the Piast Castles Trail to the east and north from the city, and also have some days-long trips in mountains, where finding a mountain shelter won’t be a problem – trails are really well signed (that does not mean you can forget about taking a map).

You can try your language skills and get to Jelenia Góra on your own (though finding anyone speaking English should not take much time, and if you speak German, that should be even easier), or you can leave it to us so you don’t need to be bothered with organizing a transfer.

Continouing your trip along The Piast Castles Trail let’s leave Jelenia Góra (following the green trail) toward Grodno Castle (the one from the beginning of this trip) and you will visit:
- Łomnica palace – 7.2 km (from the inter city bus station in Jelenia Góra; around 1.5 hour walk)
- Wojanów Palace (former castle) – 0.5 km (around 7 minutes walk)
- Sokolec Castle – 7.4 km (1 hour 40 minutes walk)
- Bolczów Castle - 5.3 km (1.5 hour walk)

Łomnica palace

The castle dates back to the 14th century. Starting in 1738 it belonged to the Manzel family. In 1800 they built a classical style structure, a few metres from the palace, called the “Small Palace” or the “Widow’s House.” After 1945 the large palace was furnished as a school, while the smaller building became the head offices of the local trading company, PPH Wojanow. In 1980 the large palace began to fall into ruin.

A small hotel and restaurant have been located in the “Widow’s House” since 1997. In addition, regular cultural events have been taking place here as well as in the large Palace of Łomnica, since 1999. These events include: exhibitions, readings, concerts, seminars, conferences, the circulation of folders and public information as well as consultation and activities aimed at supporting local historical buildings. The Stowarzyszenie Pielegnacji Kultury i Sztuki Slaskiej (Association for Preservation of Lower Silesian Culture and Art.) is active from the site.

The palace is around 11 km away from Jelenia Góra (about 3,5 hours walk) and though not included in the Piast Castles Trail, there is no need to trail off.

Wojanów Palace (former castle)

The palace in Wojanów arose in 1607 as the Renaissance mansion. Its construction was commissioned by Nikolas von Zedlitz und Nimmersatt. Several years later, during the Thirty Years' War the mansion was burned down by the Swedes. In 1667 it was rebuilt in a new style.

In the following centuries the building changed hands frequently, and was rebuilt many times. After the World War II, the palace was looted to become later the administrative building of the PGR (PGR - Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne, A State Agricultural Farm, was a form of collective farming in the People's Republic of Poland (created in 1949 and liquidated in 1991), similar to Soviet sovkhoz and to the East German Volkseigenes Gut). In 1995 it was bought by a private company, however the fire from 2002 thwarted the investment plans. Bought in 2004 by another company, the palace was rebuilt in the years 2005-2007.
Currently it houses the hotel, therefore the entrance is restricted, though asking about any available room and prices might be a good opportunity to have a look at a bit of interiors.

Sokolec Castle

Not much is left from the castle nowadays, which fell into ruin probably in XV century. Before the cstle was put up, there probably had existed a pre-Slavian settlement from VII century and the castle itself was constructed around 1207 by duke Henryk Brodaty, though first known documents mentioning the construction date back to 1369, when it was inherited.

In 1508 it was mentioned in documents as the castle in a state of ruin, probably since the first half of XV century, when it had been destroyed by Hussites.
Although there is not much to visit (just some stones, remains of probably the walls or one of the residential buildings),

climbing up Krzyżna Góra (Krzyżna Mountain) may give you an opportunity to see Jeleniogórska Valley and Śnieżka Mountain in Karkonosze. You may also try rock climbing in one of many places around Krzyżna Góra.

Bolczów Castle

Bolczów Castle (in German: Bolzenschloss) is located near Janowice Wielkie. Building of the castle is attributed to Clericus Bolcze (Mikołaj Bolcze), a courtier of duke Bolko II in the year 1375. Captured by Hussites, it was destroyed in 1433 by the punitive expedition of Wrocław and Świdnica burghers. Since the 16th century, the castle was owned by Justus Decjusz (Jobst Ludwig Dietz), a courtier of Sigismund I the Old. He reconstructed the ruined castle and developed copper mining in the surroundings. After Decjusz's death, the castle became property of the Schaffgotsch family. It was destroyed again during the Thirty Years' War, when Swedes, looking for its treasures, seized and burnt it in 1645. After this invasion, Bolczów Castle never regained its splendor, even though it was partly reconstructed in the 19th century.

Bolczów Castle is around 5.3 km away from Sokolec Castle and moving from one place to the oher should take up to 1.5 hour.

The next castles (located between Bolczów Castle and Cisy Castle) you can leave for another trip for the next castle is nearly 13 km away.
Instead, you can stay over night in Szwajcarka mountain hut, built in 1823 and offering now rooms for 2, 4, 12 and 14 people and price per night per person is between 20 and 25 zł, depends on a room. Meals are also served and the price range is from 4-6 zł for soups and bigos to 10 zł for Ruthenia dumplings (Red Ruthenia or Ruś Czerwona, a region formerly belonging to Polish Kingdom (until 1789), it’s where the name of these dumplings comes from).
Szwajcarka mountain hut is on the way up the Krzyżowa Mountain and you have probably passed it on the way to Bolczów Castle.

If you are not tired and ready to continue your walk, let’s turn south, to Karpacz, visiting some villages on the way (18.2 km):
- Karpniki – 2 km
- Bukowiec – 4.9 km
- Kowary – 4 km
- Karpacz – 7.3 km

Karpniki – a small village where you can find ruins of evangelical church in Karpniki

There is also a castle, unfortunately closed to anyone, not only tourists.

Bukowiec – another village with residential buildings typical for the region of Sudety Mountains...

... and ruins of an abbey, located a bit off the main road, in a forest.

Following the route you will enter soon Kowary, a small town with some more tourist attractions.

"Nowy Dwór" ("new mansion") palace. Erected in 1570 by the count von Schaffgotsch, remodeled in XVIIct. Around the mansion a very interesting park arranged in XIXct. Visiting it possible only after acquiring the owner's permission.

The palace itself has a long story. The building erected around 1570 Kasper von Shaffgosch for his younger son. The children of Kasper and his wife Anna von Siebental started three separate branches of the Schaffgotsch family out of which the Schwarzbach branch possessed the New Mansion until the Thirty Years War.
After execution of Hans Ulrich von Schaffgotsch in 1639 the property was purchased by count Prokop Czernin who descended from a very famous family - the Czernins. They were of the old Czech nobility. For centuries they belonged to associates of rulers, first Czech kings, then the Austrian Emperors. Originally their family town was Chudenice but becoming richer and richer they were buying many more estates. Probably in the late XV century a side line of them settled in Silesia. In XVII century they owned estates in Karkonosze including Kowary.

After Silesian Wars, in 1747, the mansion was purchased from the Czernins by the king of Prussia, Frederick the Great. At the beginning of XVIII century the kings sold it to the Kopsi family.

In 1820, because of an economic depression, it came to a division and sale of the Kowarian estate. The very mansion was bought by Henry LXXIV Reuss-Schleiz-Kosterlitz who in turn passed it to his son Henry IX. Henry IX enlarged the estate by purchase of former knights' lands comprising villages of Gruszków and Wysoka Łąka.

At the beginning of XX century the New Mansion was in ruin. Only in 1913 it was meticulously renovated. In the last year of First World War the duchess Feodora von Reuss designed some rooms of the mansion for wounded German officers.
The mansion was in possession of the the Reuss family until 1939. After Second World War it served as a rest house, then was held in lease by the health resort Cieplice and nowadays it is in private hands.

Lower Silesia Monuments’ Miniatures Park

In the area of Carpet Factory the "Miniatures Park of Monuments of Lower Silesia" has been made. The goal of this undertaking is to create a show-place as well as a new information centre of Euroregion Nysa. Visitors to this park have the possibility to acquaint themselves with some architectural structures of Lower Silesia (Dolny Śląsk) such as palaces, cloisters, churches, old centres of silesian towns etc minutely imitated precisely in the scale of 1 : 25.
These miniatures have been produced according to the newest technics from a weather conditions-proof stuff which makes them suitable for exposure in the open air. Much of green colour, a beauty of surrounding landscape, a very minute imitation of details, they all render the already beautiful monuments even more attractive. The evening floodlights of park together with the soundtrack put visiting Gulliwers in a most wonderful mood. The slogan of this place is "Smile because right for You we have created Your land of fantasy".

Entrance prices:
• adult: 17 zł
• seniors and students: 15 zł
• adolescent person with an older from 14 to 18 years: 13 zł
• kids till 14 years: 12 zł, up to 1 meter tall entrance free

And here are some pictures taken in the Old Town of Kowary.

Karpacz

Next stop is in Karpacz, a spa town and ski resort and is located at 480 to 885 metres (1,575–2,904 ft) above sea level. South of Karpacz on the border to the Czech Republic there is Mount Sněžka-Śnieżka (1,602 m).

The first settlements in area of Karpacz are noted by the official website of the city as being of probable Celtic origin and date to IV-III BC when they inhabited the region as part of gold digging taking place in the area. The first mention of permanent location within the current boundaries of the town is dated to the beginning of XV century and connected to destruction of village called Broniów, whose inhabitants moved to settle the area currently located at the altitude of town's railway station.

The settlement is mentioned in 1599 because of lead and iron mining. Since the construction of Krummhübel's first railway connection in 1895 history was connected with the development of metallurgy industries and with the progress of tourism. The village was part of Germany between 1871-1945. Krummhübel's German population was forcibly expelled from the village between 1945 and 1947. The town was subsequently repopulated with ethnic Poles and renamed Karpacz.
In Karpacz Górny a gravity hill is located where bottles appear to roll uphill. There is also a Norwegian stave church, moved here from Vang, Norway in the mid-19th century.

The Vang stave church (Świątynia Wang in Polish) was built at the turn of the 12th century in the south of Norway, in the town of Vang situated at Vangsmjösa Lake, hence its name. Around a thousand of such wooden churches were built in those days. Only 31 have survived in Norway and one is located in Karpacz Górny (former Brückenberg).

In the 19th century the Vang church turned out to be too small and needed expensive repairing, so it was decided that the church would be sold. The local parish needed the money to pay back the loan that had been taken out for a new church. Thanks to the efforts of Johan Christian Dahl, a Dresden-based Norwegian painter, the precious Viking architectural monument was purchased by King Frederick William IV of Prussia for 427 marks. After the royal architect had prepared the documentation, the church was dismantled and shipped in boxes to Stettin (now Szczecin) and then to the Altes Museum in Berlin in 1841. The king discarded the plan to re-erect the monument on the Plaueninsel in Potsdam and started looking for a place, where the church could be used by parishioners. The idea to move the church to the Karkonosze Mountains in order to be used by the Lutherans of Krummhübel (now Karpacz) and nearby villages came from Countess Friederike von Reden. In the spring of 1842, the church was transported on river barges down the Oder and 9 wagons. The construction site was given by Count Christian Leopold von Schaffgotsch of Warmbrunn. It is the slope of Czarna Góra (885 m above sea level), halfway between Lower Karpacz and the peak of Śnieżka. In order to get a few hundred square meters of land for the church, a presbytery, a school and a graveyard, rocks were blown up and a six-meter gravity wall was erected. On August 2, 1942 King Frederick William IV himself laid the foundation stone and two years later, on July 28, 1844, the church was officially opened and consecrated, in the presence of the king and his wife, Prince Frederick of the Netherlands and other prominent figures. Bells rang in the steeple of this highest located church of Silesia, announcing that the same church service as in Norway would go on.
The Vang church follows the example of the best Scandinavian sacral wooden architecture, being a priceless work of old Nordic art. It was built to resemble a Viking ship, assembled with the use of only treenails and wooden daps, without any metal nails. The stave church was made of Norwegian pine, which is saturated with resin and therefore very durable. The external door frame with its characteristic attached columns is richly decorated with a tangle snakes and plants. Stylized lions stand upon the capitals, guarding the gates. It seems unthinkable that with so few technical tools in those days, including flintstone, bone and fishbone, it was possible to carve the detailed images of the lions’ heads, legs and hair. Contrary to the others, the lions have their heads turned outwards.

Place of a gravitational anomaly

When over 300 years ago Isaac Newton rested in an orchard and the famous apple fell on his head, he did not suspect that the law of gravity that he then discovered would have any exceptions.
Gravitation is common all over the globe. Everyone can feel its power by trying to carry a package weighing several kilos to the fourth floor.
However, there are places on Earth, where the laws of gravity do not seem to work as usual. An empty bottle or a can, spilt water, or a car with its engine turned off roll on their own, without any cause, up the hill. Such anomalies occur in different places of the world, in Australia, Barbados, Brazil, near Gold Hill in Canada, in the Gansu Province in China, Languedoc in France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, or near the summer residence of the pope at Lago Albano on Via del Laghi in Italy, even in Poland on a road leading up the hill of Żar in the Little Beskids. The Sudeten Mountains have got a few interesting and rare places as well.
In Karpacz, enthusiasts of unusual attractions will be interested in a section of Strażacka street, which leads toward Karkonoska street and the Dziki Waterfall. Going past the Piecuch Hotel, before the bridge on the Łomnica River, they will witness a remarkable phenomenon.
Observers think that the road goes gently downwards toward the Łomnica River. On this straight section of the road you can often see cars with their engines turned off, yet going up the hill, tourists spilling water that somehow goes upwards, just as bottles, balls or cans roll up the hill.

For many years, guides have been coming to this place with coaches full of tourists. They always ask drivers to turn off the engines and run at idle. To the astonishment of the tourists, the vehicle moves slowly and then quicker up the hill.
According to many scientists, it is just an optical illusion. The landscape around the hills, a curved horizon, and the way the trees grow, make us see the actually descending slope as a road upwards. No point of reference does allow us to assess the shape of the ground properly. Our sense of sight can even beat our sense of balance.
According to some research, there is a zone of anomalies on Strażacka street, where the gravity value is decreased by 4%.
So see it for yourselves, passers-by!

Dziki Wodospad

The Dziki Wodospad (‘Wild Waterfall’) is located near the lower station of the Kopa chairlift and was formed as a result of backwater on the Łomnica River. It is a place, where tourists like taking photographs against the background of water falling from a few meters.

The Łomnica is a wild mountain river, which has occasionally demonstrated its devastating force. In 1816 a cloudburst in the mountains resulted in massive destruction in Miłków and the entire Jelenia Góra Valley. The loss was estimated to be as high as 109,496 thalers. 28 years later, a gigantic avalanche went down into the cirque of Mały Staw, making ice crush and water flow out. The resulting wave, which carried ice floats, trees, rocks, stones and huge amounts of water, destroyed the watermill in Karpacz Górny.
The Łomnica River starts at an altitude of 1,407 m above sea level. Its sources lie in the area of Wielki Staw and Mały Staw. Its slope is very rapid (especially in the upper section), where the altitude difference is 927 m (source at 1,407 m, mouth at 480 m above sea level). In the village of Łomnica, the river joins the Bóbr River as its left tributary.

The river basin of the Łomnica is about 118 km2 and its length is about 19 km. During heavy rains and spring thaws, the Łomnica has frequently overflowed and destroyed everything on its way. Especially tragic was the flood of 1897, when numerous houses in Karpacz, Brzezie Karkonoskie and Miłków were taken away by the river current and kilometres of roads were ruined. Huge moving rocks and rubble were ruthless to everything on their way, causing immense destruction.
Therefore, the authorities decided to build facilities that could stop the destructive force of huge masses of water and rock waste. One of them was built on the Łomnica River in 1910-1915. This dam, now called Dziki Wodospad, proved to be effective in 1997, when another flooding struck the area. Thanks to the constructions built over a hundred years earlier, Karpacz did not suffer much damage caused by the river. Today, every tourist can visit the Dziki Wodospad, where the falling mountain water will provide refreshment on hot days.

200 m below the Dziki Wodospad (‘Wild Waterfall’), below Strażacka street, there is one of the greatest geological curiosities in the Karkonosze Mountains. The Łomnica River forms a natural cascade, 2 m high, at the bottom of which there is a massive plunge pool in the solid granite bed, 8 m in diameter and over 2.5 m deep. Most probably, the river carved it in its own bed with the water falling over the rock edge. Such a riverbed indicates that a waterfall might have existed here a long time ago.

Yet the biggest surprise waits for tourists on the left bank of the Łomnica River, about 0.5 m above the water level of the plunge pool.
There is a pothole, which resembles the plunge pool, but it is much smaller and has reversed proportions – its depth is greater than its diameter.
Up to this day, the process of forming potholes have not been entirely explained. Theoretically, potholes are created due to the rotary motion of rocks, which are turned around by whirlpools. The rocks carve into the riverbed, forming a sort of well. According to geomorphologists, such a well could have been formed at the end of the Ice Age, when enormous masses of water flowed down the Łomnica River from the glaciers of Wielki Staw and Mały Staw.

In 1892 the first scientific expedition went to examine the site. From the bottom of the pothole about 30 round granite stones were extracted, the biggest of which weighed about 25 tons. The most beautiful stones went to the museums in Jelenia Góra and Berlin. Exactly a hundred years later, another expedition explored the pothole, and according to Mr. Kusiak, several regular, round pebbles were taken out of the pothole. After the pothole had been cleaned, the pebbles were sank back to the hole.

The Łomnica pothole is the biggest in the whole Sudeten range. It is a regular well, 0.73-0.86 m in diameter, with a maximum depth of 2.25 m and a volume about 0.8 m3.
It is especially precious, because it is now above the water surface and well visible. During thaws or freshets the pothole is still active and can catch anything that goes its way.

This excursion, starting in Jelenia Góra, may be finish in Szwajcarka mountain hut, either before approaching Bolczów Castle (around 15.5 km) or after visiting the site (25 km). A good meal of whatever you would like to try from Polish cuisine should be a good finish at the end of a day as well as a good start for the next day. The distance from the mountain hut to Karpacz is around 18 km but the time spent on the way may be much longer due to many more tourist atractions.

Staying in Karpacz, or in other towns on the way, is not expensive at all – prices for a night (per person) varies from 30 – 150 zł, but most of the places offer their their rooms in the lower price range (30-70 zł). That does not include any meals – usually those places are self-catered, so you can interact with Polish in shops (though it’s quite hard to have any interaction when passing your shoppings for scanning at a counter and reading price on a till display).

There are, of course, places to stay where full or half board service is provided (a private house owner may be very flexible on this matter, you just need to talk to them about your plans a day before or in the morning) and prices for breakfasts and suppers varies from 10 to 25 zł, dinners are usually more expensive 20 – 60 zł. Again, everything depends on a place you choose to stay; and do not be put off by low prices – often it is the owners’ second source of income and the houses are kept clean and tidy, they might be even stylish. Anyway, it is always possible to see pictures of such places beforehand and if you feel more comfortable with english speaking owners, let me know and I will find you a good place.

If you still feel like walking and not stopping in Karpacz, and if you are up for walking up the mountains to stay for a night in another mountain hut – see below for the next part of this trip.

Śnieżka – Szrenica

Starting off from Karpacz you can choose one of the few trails going up the Karkonosze Mountains (the highest mountains range of the Sudetes) and following one of them after sometime (depends what trail have you chosen) you reach the highest peak in Karkonosze – Śnieżka (and Sněžka in Czech) 1602 m (5256 ft). Along the main ridge runs Czech-Polish border (as both countries are in Schengen you do not need to worry that you may cross the border). On both sides of the border, large areas of the mountains are designated national parks (the Krkonoše National Park in the Czech Republic and the Karkonosze National Park in Poland), and these together constitute a cross-border biosphere reserve under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program.

1) Silesian Route to Śnieżka (2.5 h – 3 h)

This route starts in Karpacz Biały Jar and runs through:
- Biały Jar (120 min) – there used to be a mine since the Middle Ages until XIX century

- Kopa (15 min)
- Pod Śnieżką Plain (15 min) and Dom Śląski Mountain Shelter

- Śnieżka (30 min)

Silesian Route is no recommended for the winter and spring time.
On the Polish side of the mountain a disc-shaped observatory and restaurant was built in 1974, a weather station and the St. Lawrence chapel. On the Czech side are the remains of the Bohemian hut, a post office, and a chairlift station, connecting the peak with the town of Pec pod Sněžkou at the base of the mountain.
In early 2009 the Polish observatory suffered serious damage to the upper disc as a result of extreme weather and structural failure. Fast response from Technical University of Wrocław saved two remaining disc from taking any further damage. The restaurant and meteo offices were reopened soon after the construction team had finished clearing the debris and securing what was left of the observatory. After detailed expertise it was decided that no further damage should occur and the building will be restored to its previous state.

And here is a view toward western part of Karkonosze, where you will be travelling for next 2-3 hours

And a view toward the Czech Republic

2) Another way to get up the mountain is along a yellow trail starting at the Karpacz train station and going through:

- Wilcza Poręba (20 min)
- Nad Łomniczką mountain shelter, where the red trail joins (75 min)

- Pod Śnieżką Plain, where it joins the previous trail - Silesian Route (20 min)
- Śnieżka (30 min)

This route takes 2h 30min to 2h 45 min and is also closed in the winter.

3) And the third choice – taking from 2h 30min to 3h 20min – easy trail, partially unavailable in the winter and spring but with a diversion, so it is possible to go up the mountains.

- Karpacz Górny
- Polana (80 min)

Down from Śnieżka to Karpacz

Up the way to Śnieżka, The Small Tarn Valley

- Mały Staw (The Small Tarn) Valley and Samotnia Mountain Shelter (40 min)

- Strzecha Akademicka Mountain Shelter (10 min)

- Spalona Strażnica (35 min)
- Dom Śląski Mountain Shelter (25 min)
- Śnieżka (30 min)

Going back down Śnieżka Mountain to the Pod Śnieżką Plain you will now follow the red trail to Szrenica. That may take up to 5h 40min. There are mountain shelters on the way so there is a place to sleep or to stay and eat. Also, this track is considerably easy, you are moving along the main mountain ridge where mountains’ slops are not steep at all, thus the time designed for reaching Szrenica Mountain may be shorter.

... to be continued.

Beskid Niski - discovering Poland

noreply@blogger.com (Lukasz) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:19:00 +0000

It’s not that I like or love going there, especially on holidays. I had spent a great deal of years in my short life in that country (as yet), and though I should have seen lots of places around Poland, I usually tended to visit cities.
There is, of course, much more to these hackneyed polish cities – Warszawa, Kraków and Wrocław. Not to mention about the famous city I come from – Łódź (or Lodz for those who operates on Latin alphabet only). Has anyone ever heard about it? I’m sure I will mention about it later on.

So, skint and tired with city life... and work of course, I chose to go to mountains. Not into high mountains, I am not a masochist. And on the other hand, Poland has just a very short mountain range which we can classify as high mountains. That is usually packed with with tourists – a sort of people wishing there were roads to the all the mountain’s peaks, trains running there every 15 minutes, and five stars hotels, so they can have a very nicely fattening meal or two – Royal Burger, hot dog, pizza – a royal one will do – or have a drink or ten, so it’s easier to roll down on the way back down a slope. And obviously there must be bedrooms large and spacious, with clean sheets, so they probably can get laid.

There are also medium size mountains, some sort of higher knolls like those in Wales and Scotland.

OK... Not knolls but just nice mountains – nice for an afternoon stroll.

I have been in some places in these mountains locked on the southern Poland’s border (well, more like south-western). It is indeed very nice in there, lots of forests and burnt forests (like the one above Szklarska Poręba), many castles and fortresses.

But I got older and grew very inactive – you know, work, work and buses available on request, bus stops placed every few steps. I’m lucky I’m not fat so far. So I had chosen even lower mountains. A sort of The Pennines. Low enough to call them a range of hammocks – easy enough to climber on any hill top, where it is hard enough to get lost and surprisingly very quiet, so one can hear only the wind wheezing in the ears.

I left for Kraków from the Leeds/Bradford airport, stayed there for few hours to visit friends and chatter a bit, to see no change has been done since I had been there last time (and it wasn’t just a year before), and I left for Gorlice, where I hoped to find a bus to the village I was heading for. Well... It’s always better to have your own transport. Otherwise you may find out there are two buses a day going to a place you are going to. And all of them had left before you got to a bus station.

Anyway, I got to Gładyszów same day I left Kraków. As I had booked a room in a house with family living in, I made a phone call to ask them for a little help while I was struggling in Gorlice.

So finally I found myself in a bed, sleeping tightly. In the morning – a breakfast. A choice of food, mostly diary products to wake you up and give a bit of power for the rest of a day. I thought I would have to get back early for a dinner to fill my stomach with some more stuff again but it wasn’t the case. I made a walk to the Polish-Slovakian border, seeing no-one there I crossed it to feel as a proper European – no annoying borders limiting people to their cages of nationalities and chauvinism. Although we may become European chauvinists now.

I got back to my place just in time to have a dinner. Before setting off for my first excursion, I had been asked by the family what time I think they need to prepare a dinner for me, so everything was set up. And I got my dinner – plenty of food and only one, little stomach. Everything hand-made, nothing pre-made or ready for cooking bought in a shop, it was a delicious choice of the local, Łemkowski (Lemkos) cuisine. Oh yeah... I had a nap after all. And I guess I was really tired as I woke up the next day, got ready for a breakfast quickly and took off for another trip.

Thought it was unusual but both days I haven’t met many people. And, anyway, most of them were living there. So there was me, in a forest where one can go for mushroom picking, collecting a wide range of mushrooms to dry them off or simply to pickle them. Only I was interested in anything but food growing beneath my feet. Some picturesque views, unwinding stillness and crowd-less tracks – well more like completely empty. Although I wouldn’t say they weren’t beaten tracks – it must have been that September, everyone back at work and schools. And if my ramble lasted a bit longer and I got starving, there were mountain lodges to have a stopoff and fill in my rumbling guts.

During one of such excursions, I have found another guesthouse. Looking more like a professional one, though prices were not much higher and everything was still affordable. Stylised an old, Łemkowski house, it looked gorgeous but was hidden from a view in a valley behind a not too high earth elevation. Probably the owners had chosen that place for its mobile network availability. It used to be a village sometime ago, before Polish former lovely authorities had expelled and dispossessed people from the region, just because they weren’t Polish enough. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had no reason to be Polish after what had happened. Of all the houses nothing has been left... I think. Lucky Americans. Thankfully to communist authorities in Poland, Slovakia and other countries (back in 1950-1980’s), they got some most interesting personae – Andy Warhol’s family came from the same region but on Slovakian side. I guess, those lived here were successfully suppressed and their talents flew away.

Never mind. That second guesthouse was also a family-run business and since it is in rural areas and people rely on their own livestock, most of these places are agricultural households. Not just a bed and breakfast or a guesthouse, though you are not forced to pick up fruits of their work or to milk the cows or goats. One can simply ask for such entertainment if they fancied it. There is also the Hucuły (Hucul/Carpathian pony) stud farm and Gładyszów is one of just a few breeding centres... But I didn’t fancy a horseback. I was too lazy I think. Food over there was gorgeous as well. I even have spent a half of a day in the kitchen, watching the process of cooking those deliciousness. Not that I wanted to find a hole in it, I just got on with these people and practiced my Polish – almost forgot that language after 4 years living in the UK (I wish!).

And then, I decided to spent a day or two in a spa resort in Wysowa-Zdrój – just few mountain valleys away. I thought about hiking there with my rucksack – if it was the only bag I had. In the end, I got a lift to a town where I could easily catch a bus. And, yeah... The mountains were definitely higher and steeper and even more beautiful. I’m sure I could enjoy the time over there, if only I enjoyed leisuring in spas, having massages done (well, I lie, I love it!), having my body waxed or getting lost in steam. But mineral waters were good. There are some natural springs. Not that I needed some special treatment – I’ve tried them for their taste.

Anyway, it was time to go back home. Well, to visit my parents first for more than just a 7 hours overnight stay, like I did on the way on holidays. I just popped in their house, no-one expecting me there so only mother was staying there. My sister was having a lousy time drinking somewhere on a party, my father went with work somewhere away for that weekend.

Well then, I will write about travelling through Poland, too. I’m sure. It’s always an unforgettable experience. The British will immediately love their railways.