Polish mountains perfect for active people!

Maybe this short intro-like article should have been posted earlier? It gives a bit of idea of what to do in the Polish part of the Carpathians. Let’s see…

Poland is a lowland country. Mountains, located in the south, occupy only a few percent of its surface, but it is a very interesting and diverse area, perfect for an active tourism. A myth is that the active tourism means only doing sports – it is also exploration of the natural and cultural values ​​of the region.

Hiking in the Tatra Mountains, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

The most popular activity in the mountains is hiking. In the Polish Carpathians we can find lots of well-marked paths, friendly shelters and unforgettable views. They are suitable for the day trips as well as multi-day trekking. Forested hills in the Beskidy, grassy mountain pasture in the Bieszczady or steep rocky peaks in the Tatras - at any time of the year Poland has a lot to offer tourists.

Mountain-biking, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Cycling has developed in the Polish mountains recently, but it has already gained a large group of fans. Cyclists mainly use hiking trails but also some cycling paths are prepared specially for them. Bike makes possible visiting things we won’t reach by car or on foot. Exercise will give us a lot of pleasure and satisfaction.

Climbing, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Other forms of active tourism in the mountains are also horse riding, kayaking, rock climbing and others. All these activities are complemented by learning the region - its natural and cultural heritage.

Highlanders jazz

My latest discovery - stars of the Polish music scene together with highlanders music band give an outstanding jazz concert in Warsaw!

Click and listen: JAZZ CONCERT.

 Zbigniew Namysłowski (sax), Leszek Możdżer (piano), Zbigniew Wegehaupt (bass) Cezary Konrad (drums) and Jan Karpiel Bułecka Folk Mountain Band.

You'll find here good jazz mixed together with some folk melodies. It's awsome howe they play with music motives with such ease. Love it!

Saints and robbers – painting on a glass

Dance at the bonfire by Jan Gąsienica-Szostak, 1922 [1]

Few days ago a picture Dance at the bonfire by Jan Gąsienica-Szostak attracted my attention. What has intrigued me is the secretiveness of the two mountaineers figures dancing around the fire. The hidden faces make them anonymus, we just feel the energy coming from their dance.  The colourful fire seems to be very lively too. It fascinates me. I also like the gentleness of the sky and grass. The picture is an example of regional art popular in Podhale - paintings on a glass.

Few words about it...
Nowadays Zakopane and surroundings are considered to be the center of the glass painting. You can find here many artists more or less inspired by a traditional art, recalling traditional motives and technics or searching their own solutions. But the first paintings made by anonymous authors from 18^th and beginning of 19^th century came from Slovakia, Moravia, Czech lands and Silesia. They originated nearby glass factories. Polish mountaineers used to buy them from wandering glaziers. In the 2^nd half of 19^th century they were replaced by the cheaper chromolithographs. 

Before the World War I and right after it the glass painting became the subject of researches in Poland. Some artist fascinated by this type of art tried to bring it back. The real heyday of a glass painting in Poland came after the World War II and still continues. 

Pietà, 19^th  [1]

The first paintings represented scenes from life of Christ and His Mother, saints, angels, religious symbols and miracles from the Catholic Church’s tradition. They had important religious functions – protected house and its inhabitants, saved from illnesses and disasters. The icons were put on a special places – a wooden lath in both white and black room (room for guests and room for everyday life).

 Beside the sacral themes one could find the laic motives. Those were mainly highwaymen. How comes highwaymen next to saints? The Carpathian highwaymen in local tradition were the heroes taking care of justice, helping the poor and robbing the reach ones (like Robin Hood, see the legend about Janosik). That is why their images could be placed next to saints.

What inspired me to write about the painting on a glass?

Temporary exhibition of Ewelina Pęksowa works, posters, The Tatra Museum in Zakopane

Few days ago I visited two exhibitions. One is the permanent exhibition in the main building of the Tatra Museum. It presents works of different artists from various periods. They are a part of etnographic exhibition. The second is a temporary one placed in The Museum of the Zakopane Style - Inspirations. It shows works of the famous glass painter Ewelina Pęksowa. It is really worth seeing.

[1] Source: Złota legenda. Malarstwo na szkle ze zbiorów Muzeum Tatrzańskiego, Muzeum Tatrzańskie im. Dra Tytusa Chałubińskiego, Zakopane 2005

Chamois

Chamois (Polish: kozica, Slovak: kamzík) - a fascinating mountain animal which lives in the Carpathians. Do you know how to recognize them? Where and when can you meet chamois? What is the most important form of chamois adaptation to life in a harsh environment? Find out more in the text below.

 

Female with a young, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

A chamois is a goat-antilope species living in the European mountains including the Alps, the Carpathians, the Blakans, the Caucasus and some mountain ranges in Turkey. South Island of New Zeland is a place where this mammal has been introduced by men. Chamois is a gregarious animal which lives above the tree line in flocks of 5 to 20 individuals. Sometimes you can observe a herd of chamois including 50 and more animals. Adult chamois is about 80 cm high, 130 cm long and it's weight is more or less 30 kg. Males are bigger and heavier but females are always head of a heard. Both of them have horns which grow up to 30 cm. 

Big heart and lungs is a chamois adaptation to life on high altitude (between 800 and 3600 m a.s.l.) where people have problems with breathing bacause of low content of oxygen in air. Strong legs give a possibility to overcome steep mountain slopes. Special structure of hooves allow moving in difficult places like steep crags or hard snow. Other chamois mountain adaptation is double layer of hair which provides thermal comfort regardless of the season. Colour of the hair changes in time from brown in summer to black in winter.

Chamois pregnancy lasts about 180 days. Young animals are fed on mother's milk but after 5-6 weeks they can forage for themselves. They feed on grass and herbs selecting the most valuable species.

 

Old he-goat, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Chamois is the first protected species of animal in the world (in the Tatra Mountains since 1868). Before that decision it used to be a popular game animal. Because of hunting the number of chamois was decreasing between 18th and 20th century. People were using every part of hunted animal as a food, in medicine and in leather craft. As a result of poaching at the turn of 19th and 20th century chamois in the Tatra mountains was threatened with extinction. In every mountain ridge settled by chamois, this friendly animal had similar problems. Now the most dangerous for them are still people who starle chamois when they are hiking, climbing, skiing.

Pictogram of a chamois is on the logo of the Tatra National Park, both Polish and Slovakian part. In the Carpathians you can meet this animal in many mountain ridges including the Tatra Mountains, the Lower Tatras, the Greater Fatra, the Retezat Mountains, the Rodna Alps, the Fagaras Mountains, the Parang Mountains and so on. Every season of the year is good to observe chamois but the best time for it is a sunny autumn. Then you can meet big herds of this animals formed before the mating season. Be carefull, don't frighten them, make observations from the distance using binoculars! 

All over the world there are thousands of chamois – maybe you will meet some of them in the Carpathians? Good luck!!! :)

Young chamois in the High Tatras, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

How to get to Zakopane, Tatra Mountains, Poland

The most popular way to get to Zakopane is road from Cracow called Zakopianka. It is 102 km long and it takes approximately 1,5-2 hours to travel it by car. It's first part is an international road number 7 and second part a national road number 47. In the rush hours and on holidays you may stuck in a traffic jam at the entrance to Zakopane or Cracow.

Zakopianka road, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

From Katowice the best way to get to Zakopane is to go to Cracow and then take Zakopianka. There is also another possibility via Bielsko Biała - Korbielów - Slovakia - Chochołów. You can try this when you want to avoid traffic jam on Zakopianka.

From eastern part of Poland you can go via Nowy Sącz to Nowy Targ and then take Zakopianka to Zakopane.

There is also a possibility to get to Zakopane from Slovakia. There are 3 main car border crossings close to Zakopane:
- Łysa Polana - Javorina,
- Chochołów - Sucha Hora, 
- Jurgów - Podspady,
- Chyżne - Trsténa.

In the Tatra Mountains also exist the pedestrian border crossings. The state border crossing within the Tatra National Park may only be crossed in a places where the tourists trails of the Polish and Slovak National Park meet, i.a.:
- Rysy,
- Kasprowy Wierch, 
- Wołowiec,
- Grześ.

  

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

From WARSAW:

1. By train:
- departs from Warsaw Main Station or East Station, arrives at Zakopane train station
- duration: 6,5 - 10 h
- you can check the timetable here

2. By bus:

• 'Polski Bus':
  - 3 times a day, one night bus, customized for passengers with disabilities, wi-fi, air-conditioning, toilet
  - duration: 7,5 h
  - tickets - reservation online
  - departs from Warszawa Metro Wilanowska; arrives in the center of Zakopane
• 'Polonus':
  - 1 or 2 times a day, a night bus, wi-fi
  - departs from West Bus Station, Warsaw; arrives at bus station in Zakopane

The express train from Warsaw (6,5 h) is the most convenient way to get to Zakopane, but it is also the most expensive (130 PLN). 'Polski Bus' is a high standard bus, not very expensive (60 PLN) and trip duration is quite short.

From CRACOW:

1. By train:
- several times a day
- departs from Cracow Main Station
- duration: 3 1/4 - 4 h
- you can check the timetable here

2. By bus:
- busses depart 3-4 times per hour between 4 AM and 10 PM
- departs from Regional Bus Station in Cracow, arrives at bus station in Zakopane
- the best are direct busses like: 'Szwagropol', 'Trans Kos', 'Majer'
- you can check all bus connections here
- tickets: you can buy at the driver. If you plan to go on friday afternoon or on the beggining of holidays in Poland, it is better to buy tickets earlier.
- ticket price: 20 PLN

The best way to get from Cracow to Zakopane is by bus - it is faster and cheaper.

From KATOWICE:

1. A direct bus from Katowice to Zakopane.

 2. A bus from Katowice to Zakopane with a change in Cracow (see connections from Cracow) - more frequent connections.

From other Polish towns and cities:

Bus connections between Zakopane and: Wrocław, Gliwice, Gdynia, Zielona Góra, Jelenia Góra, Poznań, Lublin, Toruń and many others.

To search connection click here.

From SLOVAKIA:

1. Direct bus connections from Poprad (Slovakia) to Zakopane: 'Strama' - check the timetable and make a booking.

2. You can take a local bus from towns and villages in the southern foothills of the Tatra Mountains (Slovakia) to the border crossing in Javorina. Then take a small shuttle bus from Łysa Polana to Zakopane (if you want to stop a bus - wave your hand:).


About hitchhiking in Poland and Slovakia read here.

Velka Fatra - weekend in Slovak mountains

While browsing my photo-folders I came across the pictures from a Fatra-weekend. We did a hiking tour along the Greater Fatra mountain range. The mountains are medium-high - the highest peak is Ostredok (1 592 m = 5 223 ft), which was on our route. We started from Stare Hory village, climbing up the slopes in mist and chill. Once we got the top, a breathtaking view appeared unto our eyes - a sea of fog.

 

The Greater Fatra, photo by Andrzej Śliwińśki

The ridges of the Greater Fatra are quite flat, so after reaching the first summit it was rather a stroll than a serious hiking. Sometimes the ridges are so flat that even one of the peaks is called Ploska what means 'a flat one'.

Our first break was on the top of mountain Krížna, nearby a military comunication tower. We met there some people, almost the only ones during our trip. After a small second-breakfast, full of energy, we continued hiking.

The Greater Fatra flad ridges, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Krížna, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Our aim was to find a wooden hut for a place to sleep. We decided to live our tents at home, convinced of finding an open shelter. And we were lucky! There were two empty huts on our trail, so we occupied one of them for a night. In some of Slovakian mountains is a possibility to sleep in such a wooden huts called utulnia. Usually they are very simply equiped with a poor standard, but you thank for having a roof over your head. Some of the huts are restored and in better condition. Not all of them are open for turists, some are private. You can use utulnia for free.
In a shelter most often you mayfind a simple fireplace and some matresses. The most wonderful thing is when after a whole day of hiking you can seat at the fire and warm up. Especially when you are soaking wet :) The problem appears when it is necessary to bring some wood and find a spring with water. There was no water in a spring close to our hut. What then? We studied a map and tried to find another one. Succesfully.

Utulnia, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

The next day we stood up very early in order to admire the sunrise on Ploska - it was worth seeing! At the horizon we could recognise other mountain ranges in Slovakia and Poland like the Tatras, Little Fatra or the Choč Mountains. It was freezing cold so we quickly decided to move ourselves. Later on we passed a regular mountain shelter - chata pod Borišovom.

The last mountain on our way was Rakytov. Beside the cross on the top you can find there a metal box with a pen and a notebook inside - you can sign your name and whatever you want. It's a kind of commemorative book. Of course we signed in!
After a short break we started getting down the mountains to a village Liptovská Osada. The last point of our trip was a local bar :)

Velka Fatra, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Velka Fatra, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Velka Fatra, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Utulnia, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Mountain shelter - chata pod Borišovom,
photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

The first panorama of the Tatras - wooden church in Trybsz

St. Elizabeth's Church in Trybsz, photo by eM

St. Elizabeth's Church in Trybsz is a part of the Wooden Architecture Route in Małopolska Region (Lesser Poland). It probably arose in 1567 funded by the local peasants or a head of a rural subdivision. The church was built using log construction with the walls, as well as the roof, covered by a wooden shingle. 

The most important and characteristic feature of the church is late-baroque polychrome from 1647. It covers walls and ceiling with a paintings presenting biblical and Marian themes. They originated due to reintroduction of the Catholicism in Spiš. 

The ceiling is covered with two scenes: the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the Last Judgement. A background of the first one is the panoramic view of the Pieniny Mountains and of the second one - the Tatra Mountains. This is the first known representation of those mountains in Poland.

The Pieniny Mountains in St. Elizabeth's Church, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

The Tatra Mountains in St. Elizabeth's Church, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

The elements of the furnishings are also: fragment of the altar (XVI), a pulpit decorated with paintings and a wooden baptismal font.

Trybsz is a small village located 12 km south-east of Nowy Targ, 25 km north-east of Zakopane. The best way to get there is by car. You can also use a local transport - buses run from Nowy Targ (timetable). In order avoid a situation that you are standing in front of the church's closed door, you can visit it on sunday - after a mass in a nearby new St. Elizabeth's Church ask a priest for opening the old church.

  The altar in St. Elizabeth's Church, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

The painted pulpit in St. Elizabeth's Church, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Gypsy music underneath the Tatra Mountains

Finally I had a chance to listen Teresa Mirga and her band Kale Bala live. The concert had place in one of the wooden ins in Zakopane and gathered band's family, friends and some people spending holidays in the Tatras. Kale Bala played songs full of energy, rythm and very melodic so that the audience couldn't sit still. Tentative at first, people starte dancing...first couple, second couple, children...in a moment the room was full of dancers. However it is hard to keep up with the music, one must have a good condition ;)

Teresa Mirga (playing a guitar) and Kale Bala, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Teresa Mirga is a Gypsy poet who composes both in Polish and Gypsy language. Together with Kale Bala band she plays and sings her own compositions as well as traditional Gypsy melodies sung for the centuries by the Gypsies between the Carpathians and the Balkans. Teresa comes from Bergitka Roma (Highlander Gypsies) - a Roma ethnic sub-group, living mostly in Poland (in Czarna Góra, a village in the Polish Spiš region). They are also called Carpathian Roma due to their settled existence since generations, what differs them from all the other nomadic groups of Roma.

Teresa Mirga, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Teresa's  rich and rotund voice is unforgetable. Her songs, beside the vibrant rythms, are full of nostalgia. The first one which once captivated me was the short one:

 AJ ROMALE, SHAVALE - click and listen

BAŚAW MANGE BAŚAW - click and listen

You can also meet with the Gypsy family.

Skiing in the Tatra Mountains, Poland

Skiing on Kasprowy Wierch, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

One of my favourite places for downhill skiing in Poland is Kasprowy Wierch in the Polish Tatra Mountains. It has some advantages that other places lack.

First of all a beautiful view from the top... You can see many of the highest peaks of the Polish and Slovakian Tatras. Very often the summit rises above the clouds surface, so you find your self over the sea of fog. Amazing. If you are lucky you may see a Brocken spectre.

Brocken spectre, Kasprowy Wierch, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Ski slopes on Kasprowy Wierch are prepared without snowmaking - in my opinion (I suppose not only mine) skiing on the natural snow gives much more fun, more pleasure. Snow guns are not used in the Tatra National Park due to the nature protection. The process of snowmaking needs much water, whereas the water resources are here a subject of preservation. That is the reason why the ski slopes are sometimes closed (while the others work) - they need regular snowfall. Some people may regard it as an inconvenience. For me it is just a coexistence with nature.

The ski slopes are quite long: Kocioł Gąsienicowy Valley - 1400 m, Kocioł Goryczkowy Valley - 2000 m. The difficulty level is high and very high. Those two ski runs start from the top of Kasprowy Wierch. You can reach it by a modern cable car. Than you can use two chairlifts skiing in Gąsienicowa and Goryczkowa Valleys. From the bottoms of the chairlifts two easy ski runs lead to the bottom of the mountain (a bus stop).

Chairlift, Kasprowy Wierch, photo by Andrzej Śliwińśki

The weather station on Kasprowy Wierch, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Ski map - Kasprowy Wierch, from: www.pkl.pl

USEFUL LINKS:
Kasprowy Wierch cableway and chairlifts, tickets, information
Kasprowy Wierch webcam

   

Man's life is a journey - music

Talking about the Polish mountains undoubtedly one should mention the music band called SDM. It's a kind of fenomenon. Over the years their music has accompanied wanderers hiking the Beskidy, Bieszczady, Gorce and the other mountains. In the evenings, gathered at the bonfire or in the mountain refuges, people have been singing SDM's songs. Their concerts attract both the faithful fans and those who are just beggining the mountain adventure. Why are they so popular? Maybe because, beside the catchy and at the same time beautiful melodies, their songs describe the feelings familiar to all wanderers? Maybe because their style, sung poetry, touches people deeper? Or maybe just because they spend time with their fans, are one of them.  

I want to introduce you one of my favourite SDM's songs. It talks about our life compared to a journey. For me it is full of hope and gives me energy.

SDM Man's life is a journey - click and listen

SDM - Stare Dobre Małżeństwo (in English translation 'good old marriage'). The band derives from the so called "student music", popular in Poland. This musical style is characterised by the use of a guitar for accompaniment, while the lyrics often talk about hiking in the Polish mountains, love and adventure. SDM, however, quickly created their own style, and became famous due to their interesting musical interpretations of poems written by the famous Polish poet Edward Stachura. (http://en.wikipedia.org)

This is a simple translation from http://lyricstranslate.com :

Man's life is a journey

Life of a man is one journey
Going continuously, further still
To where? From where?
To where? From where?
To where? From where?
Like a phantasm in a dream is a life of a man
Appears, you want to touch it
But it runs!
But it runs!
But it runs!
It's nothing! It's nothing! It's nothing!
As long as there is strength,
Nevertheless walk on! Anyway walk on
I will walk on!
It's nothing! It's nothing! It's nothing!
As long as there is strength,
I will walk! I will run!
I won't give up!
Life of a man is one journey
He goes there, he goes here
He is short of breath!
He is short of breath!
He is short of breath!
Like a blown cloud, is a life of a man
Floats to the top, floats to the bottom
Death awaits him!
Death awaits him!
Death awaits him!
It's nothing! It's nothing! It's nothing!
As long as there is strength,
Nevertheless walk on! Anyway walk on!
I will walk on!
It's nothing! It's nothing! It's nothing!
As long as there is strength,
I will walk! I will run!
I won't give up!

http://lyricstranslate.com

http://lyricstranslate.com

The Merry Cemetery in Sapanta

...in Romanian called Cimitirul Vesel. It is an unusual place in the small village of Săpânţa in Maramureş county in Romania. The cemetery enchants by its colors, subtle lacy carvings, multiplicity of similar (but different!) wooden tombstones with detailed paintings.

It hypnotizes. You enter it and you come into another world...

The Merry Cemetery, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

...the world of those who passed away.

Each tombstone is covered by a painting and a short description showing the life of buried person. From the other side the painting reveals a reason of a person’s death. Going farther and farther you are more and more familiar with the life-stories and at the same time you feel more and more close-knit with those people. 

 

The gardener's story, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

You meet lawyers, mothers, doctors, peasants, gardeners, housewives, children, musicians, craftsmen...and many others. Those were people like you and me, with their own lives, habits, hobbies. The painter is often cruelly honest - he shows virtues and happiness as well as weaknesses, sorrow and problems. If someone was a drunker - he tells about it, if there was a girl tempting men - it is also not left unsaid. You can see who was cheerful, who liked to smoke, who died in an accident or on a war. It is a kind of local society chronicle.

The Merry Cemetery, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

The cemetery is mainly a work of one man named Stan Ioan Pătraş. After his death in 1977 the idea is continued by other sculptor. Pătraş was a local artist who sculpted the first tombstone crosses. He started his work in 1935 creating the first tombstone - because the locals liked it, he decided to continue. The artist's work consists of approximatly 700 tombstones.

The Merry Cemetery, photo by Andrzej Śliwiński

Cimitirul Vesel invites us to consider our thinking about death, provokes the reflections. You leave it with a feeling that those buried people, not anonymous anymore, are still somehow alive. Alive not only in our memories, but in another world. You are accompanied by a thought that death is something tamable, a part of our life, its stage. 

I recommend to visit the Merry Cemetery in the evening before dusk, when there is few people, calm and quiet and the light favors photographers.