LET'S EXPLORE POLAND

Copyright 1997 by the AngloPol Corporation

This series will take us through the cities, towns, villages and countryside of Poland, 
as well as give us insights into the rich history and culture of the nation.

Part 20

MAZOVIA AND EASTERN POLAND

(Continued)

THE BIALOWIEZA FOREST

Visitors to Eastern Poland can make an exciting excursion to Bialowieza Forest (Puszcza Bialowieska) situated close to the border, northeast of Warsaw. The Polish part of the forest has an area of 580 sq. km. In past centuries Bialowieza was a favorite hunting ground for Kings; today, it is mainly a research ground for nature scientists. However, excursions are allowed to enter some parts of the forest.

The fauna and flora of the Bialowieza Forest are very rich. In this area one can meet many uncommon species of plants, insects, birds and animals, and, naturally, "the king of the forest," European Bison [Wisent], very rarely encountered roaming freely.

The excursion to the Bialowieza National Park, strictly a nature reserve, should be supplemented by a visit to the Nature and Forest Museum in the village of Bialowieza. The excursion program can be enlivened by grilling sausages over a bonfire, rides through the forest in horse driven carriages and sleigh ridges in the winter.

A few days visit to Bialowieza is particularly recommended in the winter, when it is covered with snow, or in the summer, when the whole of nature is at its fullest.

BORDERLAND VARIETY

From Bialowieza it is not far to the historical region of Podlasie. For centuries these borderlands were the grounds of interaction between the cultures of many ethnic groups. A sizeable minority of White Russians now lives in the vicinity of Bialystok; there are also villages inhabited by Polish Tartars. There are Orthodox churches in Hajnowka, Bielsk Podlaski and Bialystok, and two mosques along the "Tartar Route" in Kruszyniany and Bohoniki.

Another forest, Puszcza Knyszynska, with an area of 800 sq. km. (larger then Bialowieza) stretches to the north and east of Bialystok. Here you can meet deer, wild boar, lynx, fox, badger, genet and many species of birds, including the falcon, wood- grouse, black-grouse and a variety of water birds.

It is also worthwhile to take a look at Suprasl, a town at the edge of the Knyszynska Forest with a renovated orthodox church and visit Bialystok, a large provincial capital and a growing industrial and cultural center. In Bialystok one can visit a palace, formerly of the Branicki family, now the seat of the Medical Academy. In the 18th century, during the era of its splendor, the palace was nick-named "the Versailles of Podlasie." The historical Town Hall in Bialystok now houses a Regional Museum. Also of interest are two old Orthodox churches and a Military Museum. Incidentally, Ludwik Zamenhof, the inventor of Esperanto, was born here.

Janow Podlaski, a small town in Podlasie is famous for its stud farm of Arab horses sold to many countries of the world at yearly auctions, which are held in the autumn. During recent years the auctions have become an important place for business and social gatherings of buyers and horse lovers from all over the world.

Wyzyna Lubelska (Lublin Upland) and Roztocze are a real treat for lovers of beautiful landscapes and famous art works. The countryside with long and narrow rectangular fields on the gently sloping hills reminds the traveler of a giant, colorful chessboard. Rains and rivers have cut complicated networks of winding ravines in the soft, fertile loess soil.

The most spectacular examples of the loess landscape are found in the vicinity of Kazimierz Dolny and Naleczow. Nearby Roztocze is an elongated stretch of upland mainly covered with forest. Roztocze National Park has been created for the protection of many endemic species of flora characteristic to the steppe environment.

The countryside between Leczna and Wlodawa, to the northeast of Lublin, is sprinkled with clear-water lakes, which are excellent for recreation and water sports.

Lublin, a sizeable industrial, scientific and cultural center is the most important city in the region. Its Old Town is full of architectural monuments of the past: the Krakow Port, now a museum; the old Town Hall in the Mark Square; the Dominican Monastery; the Cathedral; Renaissance dwellings; and numerous palaces and churches.

The Regional Museum is housed in a castle built in the 14th century and reconstructed in the 19th century. The adjacent Gothic chapel was built in the 14th century; its walls are adorned with very precious polychromes painted by artisans from Russia at the request of King Wladyslaw Jagiello.

The former Nazi death camp in Majdanek on the outskirts of Lublin holds the remains of 360,000 men, women and children murdered there during World Wart II. A Mausoleum-Pantheon has been erected to the memory of the victims from many countries of Europe.

A large artificial lake to the southwest of the city center has facilities for water sport. The Open-Air Ethnografic Museum by the Warsaw highway presents examples of traditional architecture and material culture of the region.

Two small, but very interesting towns, Naleczow and Kazimierz Dolny, are located to the west of Lublin. Naleczow is a famous health spa specializing in the treatment of heart diseases. The surrounding countryside is covered by lush vegetation and dissected by picturesque ravines.

Kazimierz Dolny, situated on the slopes of the high escarpment of the Vistula, is a very popular recreation center, especially among artists, who find inspiration in the beautiful landscape. A yearly nationwide Festival of Folk Singers and Folk Bands takes place there in July. The Renaissance burgers' dwellings with richly decorated facades are the landmark of the town. A short, but steep, slope with a ski lift offers recreation possibilities in winter. In summer steamboat excursions on the Vistula are very popular.

Zamosc is another interesting city. At the end of the 16th century a famous Italian architect, Bernardo Morando, designed a completely fortified city at the request of a Polish nobleman, Jan Zamoyski. Zamosc is a unique example of a pure Renaissance city layout and architecture. The Town Hall, Collegiate Church, the Synagogue and numerous burgers' houses are of particular interest. Systematic reconstruction of the entire city is restoring the Renaissance architecture to its former beauty.

Krasnystaw, a small city north of Zamosc, is situated in the middle of the hop-growing country. A colorful folklore event, "Chmielaki," is held here every autumn at the end of hop picking. Fine examples of Gothic and Baroque architecture have survived in the city.

In the village of Krupe, between Krasnystaw and Chelm, one can visit the ruins of the once formidable Renaissance castle built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Cathedral, the Bishop's Castle and a former monastery are places of historical interest in Chelm; tourists also enjoy a walk through the corridors of an abandoned chalk mine, which once operated under the city. Chelm has played an important role in the modern history of Poland. In 1944, it was the first piece of Polish territory liberated from Nazi occupation.