Tourist attractions

CZORSZTYN

The village was founded in the first half of XIV century. Its origin and history are strictly connected with the fortified castle and a historical route from Poland to Hungary.

Originally the village was called „Wronin” , but when German settlers came, the name was changed into “Shornstein” (meaning “the Protruding Rock”) and then it was translated into Polish into present Czorsztyn.


In 1818 Czorsztyn was bought by Drohojowsy family and soon after, its history as a holiday centre began. There was a hotel, an inn and a tourist service for the Tatra Mountains Society. During interwar years Drohojowscy started an intensive expansion of a modern summer resort Nadzamcze, which popularity was growing each year – in the 30’s over 1300 people visited Czorsztyn.

Historical buildings of a village were flooded by an artificial Czorsztyńskie Lake.
Today’s buildings came into being on the area of an estate called Nadzamcze. It’s name comes from ruins of a Gothic castle lying above.

Now Czorsztyn is again a holiday centre. The village is a perfect base from which to explore The Pieniny and Gorce Mountains. Beautiful landscape, closeness to the ruins of a castle and a Czorsztyn Lake shore, a ski lift and a traditional hospitality of inhabitants make Czorsztyn more and more attractive each year.

Tourist attractions: Bike and swimming equipment rentals, ski lift, harbours, gondola cruises, an exhibition PPN pavilion, shepherd’s hut selling sheep milk products, tourist route in The Pieniny and Gorce Mountains.

CZORSZTYN CASTLE RUINS

The oldest parts of the castle come from XIII century.

First mentions about “castrum Wronyn” come from this period. The name “Czorsztyn” appears in the middle of XIV century. During the period of Casimir the Great (Kazimierz Wielki), the king, circumferential walls were built and in the XV century the lower castle and a gateway. In the XVII century, Jan Baranowski, a starost, renovated the castle and added two new towers.

Thanks to its location along a historical trade route, the castle has a rich history.

It was visited by many famous people, including kings. Casimir the Great (Kazimierz Wielki), Louis of Hungary (Ludwik Węgierski), Jadwiga of Angevin (Królowa Jawiga), Ladislaus Jagiello (Władysław Jagiełło) (Zawisza the Black was a starost then ) and Ladislaus of Varna (Władysław Warneńczyk) stayed there. Hussites, John Casimir fleeing the Swedes, insurgents of Kostka Napierski, cossacks and confederates were seeking refuge here.

Towards the end of the XVIII century, the castle was burnt after a lightning strike and fell into ruin. At the end of XIX century restoration works have started. They last until today, mostly thanks to the efforts of a present administrator of a castle, The Pieniny National Park.

The basements of the Baranowsky Tower and of the middle and the main castle are open to the public. From the observation deck one can see a beautiful Czorsztyńskie Lake, the Tatra Mountains and “Green Rocks” nature reserve. Numerous species endemic to this region, Erysimum pieninicum (pszonak pieniński), grow on a castle hill.

The castle ruins from XIV century are open to the public
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THE HYDROELECTRIC POWER
STATION COMPLEX
NIEDZICA PLC.

The history of the artificial Czorsztyńskie Lake building dates back to the beginning of XX century.

An expert, Gabriel Narutowicz, the author of many similar buildings in Switzerland, the first president of Poland, was a promoter of building a dyke in this flood-ridden region. The works on the dyke project were speeded up by the flood in 1934 but the final decision about the beginning of the construction of water bodies wasn’t taken until the end of 60’s. It was connected with the building of new housing estates for people from the areas expected to be torn down as well as building of roads over the future lake.
In 1975 the building of three head dams began, i.e. the main Czorsztyn – Niedzica, Sromowce dam and a dam over a Niedziczanka Stream. In 1994 the equalizing tank, the so called Sromowieckie Lake in Sromowce Wyżne, was put into operation. The date of ending the investment in July 1997 can be treated as a fate. This was the year in which the great flood came. Then all the sceptics took to the dyke. During the highest flood wave the complex of tanks intercepted about 60% of water, preventing a real disaster.

The Czorsztyn dam – Niedzica is the biggest earth dam (56 m high and 404 m long).

The water from Czorsztyńskie Lake flows through two drifts to a hydroelectric power stadion located below and moves two turbines. The amount of ecologically clean energy is estimated at 160.000 000 kWh per year. After flowing through the power station, water leaks out to Sromowieckie Lake.

The construction process of a dyke was associated with a considerable interference in the natural environment. Out of concern for fauna, Bird Island came into being. Birds build breeding nests there. Due to he fact that many frogs were run over, barriers preventing them from entering the road are installed by Sromowieckie Lake. Frog Ponds, where these amphibians spawn, were created for them on the east side of a lake.

The works on creating a position for the most beautiful butterfly in Pieniny, i.e. the Mountain Apollo, on a dyke escarpment, last.

Black stroks living nearby the power station are a proof of a friendly co-existence of a human and nature.

One can also see the film about the dam.

HUBA

Huba is the smallest (about 100 residents) and the most highly situated (720 m a.s.l.) village in the Czorsztyn District.It was founded in the beginning of XVII by a Czorszyn starost.

The greatest village attraction is its location, – i.e. high on the south slopes of Gorce, away from busy communication routes.

It is a wonderful place for people seeking a rest from civilization and breathtaking views.

The view from Huba for almost whole Podhale Valley, the Tatra Mountains, the Pieniny Mountains and a Czorsztyńskie Lake remains in one’s memory for long.

Tourist attractions: a chapel from the beginning of XIX century, geological formation “A Gronik Rock”.

XXMIZERNA

The village is situated on the south slopes of Lubań. It is a perfect place for people fonding active leisure..

It can also be treated as a base from which to explore Turbacz (1310 m a.s.l.) and Lubań (1211 m a.s.l), with a “Modrzewie” reserve on its slopes. The reserve is an enclave of a few hundred years old larch forest of a natural origin. The lower part of a village descends as far as Czorsztyńskie Lake shore.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: cruises on a “White Lady” (Biała Dama) ship, water equipment rental, sailing harbour and a bathing beach for children at a “Mizerzanka” stream.


Czorsztyńskie Lake Cruises by “Biała Dama” and “Harnaś” ships
Cruises take place every day from May till the end of October from 9 a.m. till dusk.
Gondola cruises on Czorsztyńskie Lake
constant cruises on Czorsztyńskie Lake from May till October

Harbours with swimming equipment rentals in Czorsztyn, Mizerna, Kluszkowce and Maniowy.

SROMOWCE NIŻNE

The village was founded in the middle XIV century. Its beginnings are connected with the history of the Order of Poor Clares from Stary Sącz. They were first owners of Sromowce.

Great values of scenery were noticed already in the middle of XIX century – the beginning of rafting down the Dunajec river from Sromowce to Szczawnica is dated to 1832. In the beginning of XX century, a tourist station of the Pieniny Department of Tatra Mountains Society was open. During interwar years a Silesian Hostel (now Three Crowns Hostel – Trzy Korony) came into being. In 1934 Polish Association of the Pieniny Mountain Rafters came into existence. It is still working.

A wooden church from XVI century shows the village history.

The generosity of nature for this village is boundless – beautiful location on the left Dunajec river bank and at the bottom of Three Crowns, at the mouth of The Pieniny Mountains Gorge, gurantee the highest quality of impressions.
It is the place from where the tourists start to explore Three Crowns (Trzy Korony), The Falcon Peak , Castle Mountain (Góra Zamkowa) with St. Kinga’s cave and The Red Monastery in Slovakia, , which is situated at the other bank of Dunajec.

Sromowce Niżne should soon become even more attractive. In the middle of 2006 a footbridge over the Dunajec river, between Sromowce Niżne and a Red Monastery in Slovakia, is planned to be put into use.

Now raftings last about two hours and rafters inform the tourists about passed objects, they tell legends, making the journey more pleasant.

The rafting along the Dunajec Gorge is today one of the greatest tourist attractions of the Czorsztyn district and of the whole region.

Further information (click here):
http://www.flisacy.com.pl

   THE PIENINY NATIONAL PARK

Creating a national park in Pieniny caused a lot of trouble. The process was preceded by geological, botanical and zoological research which lasted one hundred years. They stated that this relatively small area has outstandingly rich and interesting nature. The Tatra Mountains Society has contributed to the popularity of the Pieniny Mountains in tourist associations.

On 23 May 1932 the Pieniny National Park was founded. It has 730 ha. Almost at the same time Slovak Nature Reserve in the Pieniny Mountains came into being on the other side of Dunajec river.

On 17 July 1932 the opening ceremony of two national parks was performed in Szczawnica and in the Red Monastery. It is the first in Europe and the second in the world international border park.

At present, the Pieniny National Park takes 2346,16 ha of land.

Biological diversity is characteristic of the park. There are 12 natural and 9 substitute plant communities. Among natural ecosystems, rock vegetation deserves special attention because it is a frequent source of relics and rare species of xerothermic and mountain plants in the Pieniny Mountains. Relic pine woods with old, low, twisted trees growing in the highest mountain parts, form a unique natural ecosystem. Among substitute ecosystems, i.e. the ones that were formed under the influence of a traditional farming, meadows with orchids are very important.

About 25% of the park surface are nature reserves, from which the most interesting are: Macelowa Mountain (Macelowa Góra), Three Crowns (Trzy Korony) and the Valley of the Pieniny Mountain Stream (Dolina Pienińskiego Potoku).

The Pieniny Mountains fauna, just as its flora, has its individual features. Invertebrates are a group the richest in species. Within the Pieniny National Park area there are about 5000 species. Butterflies are a relatively large group, among them the Mountain Apollo (the symbol of the Pieniny National Park) and the swallowtail.

The area of this national park is accessible to tourists as well as to researchers. In Czorsztyn, Sromowce Wyżne-Kąty, Sromowce Niżne and Szczawnica there are exhibition pavilions at the park entrances. The ehxibits present the nature and history of the park.

The fauna of the Pieniny Mountains, like their flora, has individual features. In respect of species, the richest group are invertebrates. Within the Pieniny National Park itself, there are about 5000 species. Butterfies are a relatively big group. The Mountain Apollo (the symbol of Pieniny National Park) and the swallowtail are the most beautiful butterflies.

The Pieniny National Park is open to the public and to conducting researches. In Czorsztyn, Sromowce Wyżne-Kąty, Sromowce Niżne and Szczawnica there are exhibition pavilions presenting the nature and history of the park. They are situated at the entrance.

More information: http:// www.pieninypn.pl

SROMOWCE WYŻNE

Sromowce were situated by the Royal Route leading to Hungary. In 1423 a meeting of Ladislaus Jagiello with Sigismund of the Luxembourg took place .on the village land.

There are graves of former owners of the land – the Drohojowscy family on the cemetery. Historic church of St. Stanislaus the Bishop and Martyr with the altar from the Czorsztyn castle chapel is one of the village attractions.

In 1924 scout houses “Yew Manor House”, “Watra” and “Eagle’s Nest” were built, thanks to Olga Małkowska, a girl guide, efforts. For 16 years, until the September of 1939 “Yew Manor House” functioned as a scout work school. Now its buildings are a holiday centre for “green schools”.

In dem Weiler Sromowce Wyżne – Kąty beginnt eine der grössten touristischen Attraktionen nicht nur Gemeinde, aber auch polnischen Berge – Fahrt durch den Dunajec Durchbruch.

Lediglich ein Schritt teilt Sromowce Wyżne von der Slovakei. Die Grenze kann man über internationalen ganztägigen Übergang für Wagen Niedzica – Łysa am Dunajec überschreiten.

In der direkten Nähe des Dorfes finden sich Burg in Niedzica und Skistation „Polana Sosny“ („Waldwiese der Kiefer“) mit Liften und Skipiste, die sowohl für die Anfänger als auch für die Fortgeschnittenen Liebhaber des „Weissen Wahnsinnes“ bestimmt sind.

Touristische Attraktionen:
- fahrt über Dunajec Duchbruch;
- grenzübergang;
- skilifte;
- ausleihe der Paddelboote;
- der Bergfahrräder;
- touristenwege in die Pieniny;
- gute Ausflugsbasis ins Tatra Gebirge in der slovakeischen Seite ca. 40 km;
- geotermale Schwimmbecken, höhlen;
- regionaler Komplex;
- see;
- wasserkraftwerk;
- Burg in Niedzica;
- Regionale Kammer;

MANIOWY

Maniowy is the biggest village in a Czorsztyn district. It is the seat of the Municipal Council.

Its founding was connected with the building of an artificial - Czorsztyński Lake. The water of the lake flooded the Old Maniowy (Stare Maniowy) existing from 1326.

Today’s Maniowy is totally unlike the old one, although the village was completely moved from the bottom of a lake. Midern architecture dominates in the village. Impressive mass of St. Nicholas Church is an example of this type of architecture.

A St. Sebastian wooden cemetery chapel from 1772 is also an interesting monument. It was moved to a new cemetery.

Tourist attractions:
- The location of a village in an immediate vicinity of forest and a lake gives various possibilities of an active leisure;
- a St. Sebastian wooden cemetery chapel from 1772..

KLUSZKOWCE

The history of Kluszkowce, the village situated in the valley of Kluszkowianka stream, goes back to XIII century, when settlement of Pieniny region was run by the Order of Poor Clares from Stary Sącz.

Now Kluszkowce, thanks to Czorsztyńskie Lake as well as Wdżar Mountain developed into a ski lift, experience an intensive boom.
At the mouth of Kluszkowianka stream, there is a water sports centre with a marina and a water equipment rental. “Czorsztyn-Ski” is a famous ski resort and a leisure centre in one. It is situated on the slopes of a Wdżar Mountain.

On the Czorsztyńskie Lake, the Tourist Settlement came into being. It is an open-air ethnographic museum of wooden holiday buildings from the turn of XIX and XX century, moved from the bottom of the present water body. The settlement, functioning as a museum, is a well organized conference and accommodation base.

The ethnographic museum in Królczyk homestead is also worth seeing.

Tourist attractions:
- ski lifts;
- ski rentals;
- ostrich breeding;
- sheep pasturage;
- a gravitational slide of an alpine coaster type;

THE WDŻAR MOUNTAIN IN
KLUSZKOWCE

The original mountain cone of Wdżar Mountain (767 m a.s.l.) is built of andesite, the rock which is rare in Gorce and in Beskid Mountains (apart from Wdżar Mountain, a similar structure has only Bryjarka Mountain in Szczawnica). Andesite is an igneuos rock from the Miocene. It was formed by an orogeny.

Andesite hill is relatively poor in flora but there are many xerothermic species there.

It is also the only area in Eastern Carpathian Mountains where Oblong Woodsia (Woodsia ilvensis) has its position.

On Wdżar Mountain there is an andesite boulder field and a local negative magnetic anomaly. A similar anomaly is situated on the summit of Wdżar. Both anomalies can be found with the help of compass. After applying a compass to the rock, a magnetic needle shows North in the south direction. These anomalies came into being because of a lightning strike.

Since 1870, andesite was exploited in a quarry, which is closed now, on a south slope of the mountain.

Now Wdżar Mountain is a recreation centre offering many attractions to the tourists, both in winter and in summer.

Holiday-skiing centre Czorsztyn-Ski has three working drag lits and a chairlift. Routes have diverse level of difficulty – from routes for children and beginners to “the red route “for advanced skiers, with FIS certification of approval. The cross-country trails are also open.

All the trails are illuminated and covered additionaly with artificial snow. That makes skiing safer, even until all hours.