Tarnow region - must see!

Zalipie - The only painted village in Poland

Northwest of Tarnow, where the Dunajec and the Vistula rivers meet, resides one of the most interesting ethnographic microregions in Poland with the village of Zalipie at its center. Its fame has resulted from a region specific tradition that involves the painting of cottages. This custom of decorating both the exterior and the interior of houses originated at the end of the 19th century when old-fashioned furnaces were replaced with new furnaces with chimnies. In order to cover blackened walls, women and girls tried to brighten the interior of their dwellings by decorating the walls with brightly colored spots made of lime. Later these round spots were shaped into simple flowers and finally they evolved into the detailed flower bouquets still visible today.

Nowy Wisnicz - The largest barok residence

The Castle in Nowy Wisnicz - The largest preserved Baroque fortified residence in Poland is the castle in Nowy Wisnicz, receiving its current Renaissance-inspired facade during the reign of Piotr Kmita. The residence is composed of four two-story wings surrounding a quaint, little courtyard. The feature that allows the Castle its unparalleled allure is the four towers that proudly stand at each of the corners of the residence. Each tower has its own unique shape, rendering the appearance of a completely different stucture from every angle. Its current structure is the result of an architectural design by Stanislaw Lubomirski, who had the Castle built in the years from 1615 to 1637. Since then, the Castle has been rebuilt and has received a stone fortification that now surrounds it.

Curious tourists and locals, once inside the Castle can either plan a stay at the hotel or satisfy hunger with the delicious foods of "Kmita," a restaurant located in one of the castle wings. In addition, the castle can boast of having one of the biggest ballrooms in Poland, which is even larger than that in the Royal Castle in Wawel. Equally impressive and even more beautiful is the domed chapel, which has an interior illuminated by the enchanting pale light of a lantern that allows guests to view its elaborate stuccoes and paintings.

A local legend tells a story of Stanislaw Lubomirski, a lord who brought many Turkish captives to the Castle of Nowy Wisnicz after winning the battle of Chocim. A few of these prisoners that were confined to a tower began to construct wings from the feathers of the tower pigeons. When the wings were complete, four of the captives decided to fly to their freedom. Unfortunately they did not make it far and the first fugitive crashed in town near the Castle, the second and the third a few kilometers further, and the fourth one crashed near Bochnia. Stone obelisks were placed in each of these locations to commemorate their tragic deaths.

A "Stone City"

The Stone City is a reserve created in 1948 of ornate, natural rock-formations on the slope of Skala (367 m above sea level). The picturesque monadnocks (single rocks), formed out of coarse-grained sandstone, and the surrounding forests are protected by law. Making the "Stone City" distinct from many other monadnocks in Pogorze, is its high concentration of rock forms in a relatively small area. The monadnocks have formed in an extremely bizarre and interesting way as the result of harsh atmosphereic factors like rain, wind and frost. Other natural elements have also altered the shape of the rocks, like the Scrub Pine that roots itself deeply into cracks and splits the rock. However, despite the attempts of science to explain such a phenomena, the locals have adopted their own unique understanding of the rock formations.

One of the local legends tells the story of Cieszko, the local ruler who had a deep desire for Kasna, a neighboring village on the opposite bank of the Biala River. It was the property of a knight from Roznow who had no intention of selling it. One day a beautiful women escaped from her captor, the Roznow knight, and fled to Cieszko for safety. The knight from Roznow offered Kasna to Cieszko in exchange for the woman; after some hesitation Cieszko agreed. The woman was returned to her captor and died soon after from the grief of a life in bondage. The village was punished for its unmerciful treatment of the woman and and was turned into rocks.

Bochnia Salt Mine

The salt mine in Bochnia is the oldest one in Poland, even older that the mine in Wieliczka; it is the oldest production works in Europe, continuously operating for 750 years.

For several years the salt mine in Bochnia has been open for the public, inviting tourists and locals alike into its underground world. Here they can hike along the winding maze of corridors and chambers, 300 meters long, that have been forged after years of mining.

According to legend, the salt in Bochnia was discovered because of St. Kinga, the daughter of the Hungarian king, Bela IV. She desired to marry the Krakow prince named Boleslaw by offering him a dowry of salt that could be given to her new homeland. So, the Hungrian king gave his daughter a salt mine in Transylvania, which Kinga then took possession of by throwing a ring into its shaft in accordance with Medieval tradition. On the way to her prince in Krakow, traveling through the Dunajec River Valley and Wojnicz, Kinga stopped in Bochnia where she rested and had a dream about digging in the shoemakers garden.

Regarding the dream as prophetic, Kinga did exactly what the dream suggested and consequently found salt in the shoemaker's garden. Oddly enough, Kinga's ring was found in the first lump of salt extracted from the mine despite the fact that she had discarded it in Transylvania. To satisfy the shoemaker who owned the valuable land and eventually gave it to the miners, the shaft was named Sutoris, meaning "of a shoemaker." The event depicted in the legend was believed to have occurred in 1248, the actual founding date of both the Bochnia Salt Mine and the town and surrounding villages.

The salt mine in Bochnia is slightly different from the more famous salt mine in Wieliczka. In Bochnia you can meet working miners and aside from the museum you can also find some attractions that are not available in Wieliczka. For instance, there is Wazyn, the salt mine's biggest chamber measuring 50 meters in length and 10- 12 meters in width. Many activities take place within this extraordinary chamber, from New Year's Eve celebrations to overnight accomodation. The chamber is equiped with beds, pillows, and sleeping bags. In all it takes about 3 hours to visit, but you can extend your stay and enjoy the "inhalation stay", in order to further benefit from the healthy microclimate of the salt mines. It has been known to be theraputic for ailments like allergies.

The Castle in Debno

The Castle in Debno - Debno Castle is a late Gothic style knight's residence dated sometime beween 1470-80, that is the most well-preserved of its kind in Poland. Unlike similar structures this castle is not surrounded by high walls because it was made in the late Gothic period when there was a shift from an emphasis on protection to prestige demonstrated by structural elevation and comfort. Although not as important, safety was still taken into account as portrayed by a model depicting the Castle in the 15th century. At this time it was surrounded by a deep moat and an earth and timber fortification with a palisade. The Castle consists of four two-story buildings that enclose a cobblestone quadrangle and a well. Wooden galleries within the courtyard allow for a convenient and beautiful passage between castle wings. The brick exterior of the Castle is enhanced with towers, bay windows, and door and window portals that are embellished with inscripted designs (plant, geometrical, and heraldic motifs). The interior exhibitions will offer you both historical facts and the opportunity to experience Thegn Hall, the chapel, the treasury and an old fashion kitchen.

Debno Castle is enchanted by a legend about the tragic love of Tarlowna, the daughter of the master of the Castle, who fell in love with and married her father's servant. As punishment for the shame of her family and the disobedience of her father's will, she was bricked up in a wall while still alive. Her ghost, referred to as the "White Lady," is reportedly haunting the Castle corridors even today.

Other secrets of Tarnow region

Lipnica Murowana is a small village with a Medieval urban layout that is famous for its annual Easter Palms contest. The palms can reach as high as 30 meters into the air.

Bobowa is one of the oldest settlements in the Biala River Valley, famous for its rich folklore and extraordinary handicraft. The women of Bobowa practice the art of creating intricate lace designs for centuries; each year on the first week of October the International Lace Festival takes place here. However, no other place in Poland can match the extensive work of the women of Bobowa.

More information about attractions of Tranow region: www.go-tarnow.com

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