Surrounded with a ring of mountains and uplands, Sandomierz Basin is one of Poland's warmest regions. Roads crossing this area have connected Western Europe with the East for centuries, and the lovely towns of the Podkarpackie Region still cultivate the memory of the times when merchant caravans travelled along these routes.
Today the friendly natural environment of the Vistula and San valleys provides excellent conditions for organic farms and innovative businesses. The area is also known for its large and very old forests where visitors can travel along bicycle tracks, admire the local flora and fauna, and encounter scenic areas with panoramic views towards the picturesque river valleys, rolling plains and plateaus. This is a perfect place for slow living.
Sandomierz Basin extends from Kraków in the west to Lviv in Ukraine across the eastern border. In the north it is lined by Lesser Poland Upland and Lublin-Lviv Upland, and in the south by the Carpathians. It constitutes the central part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship and this is where the major cities of the region are located, including Rzeszów, Dębica, Jarosław, Mielec, Przeworsk, Przemyśl, and Stalowa Wola. In the past this area was part of the multicultural region of Galicia. Later, during the interwar period a large economic project was initiated here to build the Central Industrial District. In the contemporary times it was here that the idea of the Via Carpathia was born to provide a transnational highway extending from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
Indeed, ingenuity of people living here equals their hospitality. Visitors to this region receive a warm welcome from those living here and from the vast Sandomierz Primeval Forest with ancient trees and honeysuckle azalea invariably flowering in mid-May. Those seeking to take great photographs may spot a greater stag beetle wandering up an old tree trunk, and a white-tailed eagle, Poland's largest bird of prey, gliding over the pines and beeches. If they are lucky they may even get a picture of a badger.
If you like a warm welcome, Sandomierz Basin is just for you!