The Bieszczady mountains and Low Beskids with trails for the visually impaired.
Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to climb Mount Everest, proved that disabled people can also conquer the highest mountains and explore the world. The Podkarpackie region, with facilities provided in the most fascinating areas, is also increasingly accessible to people with disabilities. Tours with visual description are not limited to museums. In the Bieszczady and Low Beskid mountains, there are paths where visually impaired visitors can walk without assistance, and learn about the wildlife and history of the Podkarpackie, they can climb to the top of the scenic tower on Mount Żuków, and see Solina......
The first trail for the blind and visually impaired in the Low Beskids was delineated after two years of preparation, which involved looking for the best solutions. But, according to Rafał Wilk, the world handcycle champion and the first disabled athlete to be awarded the title of ‘Person of Merit for the Podkarpackie Voivodeship’, you should set a specific goal and then work diligently to achieve it. The Podkarpackie region aimed to make the mountains accessible to visually impaired people, which was a pioneering project in Poland. The unique hiking trails created in the most beautiful areas of the Polish Carpathians are entitled ‘To see the Low Beskids’, “To see Lake Solina” and “To see the Bieszczady”. The trails with a total length of 15 kilometres are provided with a special navigation and information system for tourists with special needs, particularly those with visual impairment.
Special devices, i.e. electronic ‘Totupoint’ markers, have been placed along the routes selected by members of the Bieszczady Rescue Services. The markers in combination with a free mobile phone app (with the same name: Totupoint), inform tourists about their location. When a person using this system is approaching, the marker is activated and his/her smartphone plays a recording with a description of the place. Additionally, there are maps and plaques along the paths with information in Braille. This means that during a hiking trip, the tourist can get to know the most interesting areas of the region.
In the central area of the Low Beskids, you can hike along a 4.5-km trail with such support, touching the land of the Lemko people. The trail starts in Olchowiec, a village located within a forest, several kilometres from Krempna. The memory of its turbulent history is preserved in the old wooden tserkva, the stone bridge over the stream and several Lemko cottages. These are the first stops along the path which has been provided with 18 Totupoint markers. It continues along the picturesque valley of the Olchowczyk stream, amidst the Magura National Park landscapes. The trail leads to a scenic point and to old shrines, and the journey ends with a visit to the Lemko Cottage Museum in Olchowiec.
The world of the Boyko people waits along the ‘To see the Bieszczady’ route leading to the Jeleniowaty range. Visitors will have an opportunity to climb the highest scenic tower in these mountains and hear the extraordinary history of the hunting facility for VIPs which existed in Muczne during the communist times. Located in the valley of the upper San, the village is also known because of the enclosure for European bison, and the magical scenery around. The 7 km long trail for the visually impaired starts at the Forestry Promotion Centre and leads to 15 Totupoint stops. Along the way, there are St. Hubert's Church and crossroads with a story about Sianki, a village with existed nearby. Further on, walking through a clearing, over a bridge, along a forest path, you approach more stories, some talking about wartime and tragedies. You may bow your head in sadness and pray for the lost souls at the Brenzberg forester's lodge on the ridge of Mount Jeleniowaty, and then find comfort by nestling your cheek against the rough bark of the trees. Then you reach the destination, the wooden tower (34 metres tall) which you can easily climb up and then return the same way.
The third hiking trail with visual description, entitled ‘To see Lake Solina’ also leads to a scenic tower, this one located at the top of Mount Holica in the Żuków range. The 4.5-kilometre-long trail follows a comfortable road above Ustianowa and Ustrzyki Dolne, offering captivating views towards Lake Solina, the Sanocko-Turczańskie Mountains and the Bieszczady Mountains. A visually impaired person, following the instructions from 11 Totupoint markers, can walk along the route with no assistance. Alternatively, during a trip with a guide they can rent electric bicycles with helmets and intercom system facilitating conversation. Before they reach the destination, the visitors can hear the story of the construction of the Solina dam and learn about the excellent pilots who trained at the Military Glider School which existed in Ustianowa before WWII.
Apart from the accessible trails in the Bieszczady and the Low Beskids, visitors with disabilities can explore the cultural heritage of the Podkarpackie region in the museums with audio guides, tiffographs and other facilities. These include the Castle Museum in Łańcut, the Museum of the Central Industrial Region in Stalowa Wola, the Monastery of the Barefoot Carmelites in Zagórz, the Underground Tourist Route in Przemyśl and many other disabled-friendly places. More and more locations are removing the barriers and open to all tourists.