In the Siekierezada Tavern in Cisna, the fiendish faces looking down on the guests and the hatchets stuck in tables are a reminder that the hard life of logging in the Bieszczady was not for the faint-hearted. Footprints were left here by many legendary people who years ago left their comfortable life in large cities and came to live in this wilderness. The smoke from the charcoal pits used to drift through the valleys, and although it was blown away by the wind long ago, you can still talk to a charcoal burner, for example at the Radoszyce burn site. Children will definitely enjoy a ride by the Bieszczady Forest Train. Older visitors will gaze longingly at the panorama from the viewing tower on Mount Holica. Will they set off towards the summits? Here are five things you must see in the Bieszczady.
1. Charcoal burning
The smoke from the retorts used to hover over the Bieszczady valleys, and the charcoal burners employed by the ‘Las’ Production Company used to work in about a hundred locations. The large-scale production of charcoal from beech and alder wood started here in the 1960s. One retort could hold 10 tonnes of wood, producing 100 kg of charcoal. Today, the old technology has been abandoned in most places, and the retorts and barracks used by charcoal burners are disappearing from the Bieszczady landscape. However, you can still see these in the open-air Museum of Charcoal Burning, along the road between Stuposiany and Muczne. Here you can also see an older method used before retorts were introduced; in this case charcoal burning was carried out in wood piles covered with sod and clay. You can also visit a living museum ‘Na Wypale’ in Radoszyce near Komańcza in the area between the Bieszczady and the Low Beskids. Here you can listen to stories about the hard life of charcoal burners from Mister Zbyszek who lives at the site and watches over the retorts which still work here.
2. Bieszczady Forest Train
Sometimes accompanied with a wisp of smoke from the old steam locomotive, and sometimes with the whistle of the electric locomotive, but always to the delight of children and adults, the colourful carriages set off on their journey. You can take the train from Majdan near Cisna in two directions - each time there and back again, with a stop at the place of destination. If you go west, you will reach Balnica near the Slovak border, a former Lemko village, with an old chapel at the miraculous spring. If you go east, you will get to Dołżyca, where years ago there was a large loading facility. It was for the transportation of timber that narrow tracks were built in this area more than 120 years ago, and they were used for this purpose until the 1990s. After that, the picturesque train was not allowed to disappear from the Bieszczady landscape. In 1997, the ‘western-style’ carriages took to the tracks again. During the season from May to October, they go meandering amidst the hills, carrying tourists delighted with the scenery around. The highlights of the journey include a visit to the small museum in Majdan, and the opportunity to buy a proziak bread roll with butter, a sweet crumpet, sometimes a jar of forest blueberries and other Bieszczady delicacies.
3. Scenic tower on Mount Holica
There are two amazing things about this tall tower, which has been built quite recently on Mount Holica in the Żuków Range near Ustrzyki Dolne: the beautiful panorama and the fact that is accessible even to mums and dads with a baby in a pushchair. The route is also perfectly prepared for people with disabilities. Depending on your fitness and mood, you can take a walk from Ustianowa Górna (2 kilometres along a forest path) or you can follow a 4.5 km comfortable road from the car park between Ustianowa and Łobozew Dolny. Those into cross-country skiing love this area, and the surrounding scenery in the past was admired from above by pilots practicing their skills in the famous gliding school which existed here before WWII. Holica rises 761 metres above sea level, while the tower is 30 metres tall. It overlooks Lake Solina and the Bieszczady summits - Mounts Tarnica, Rawka, and Połonina Wetlińska. The view provides a wonderful backdrop for a selfie. There is no need to hurry back. There is a roofed area and a place for a barbecue at the foot of the tower. A picnic is a good idea.
4. Siekierezada
This legendary tavern in Cisna really has earned its status as an iconic address in the Bieszczady. Its fame grew with each artist that visited the place. The owner Rafał Dominik also chose a symbolic name for it, which refers to a film based on the novel by Edward Stachura. Its main character works at a logging site in the Bieszczady, and although the film was not shot in this area, it accurately illustrates the harsh life in the mountains. The first patrons of the tavern, where hatchets are stuck into tables, were lumberjacks and charcoal burners, people deeply rooted in these forests, although many of them had moved here from other parts of Poland. The first sculpture of an evil fiend was brought by the sculptor Zdzisław Rados, and so began the great collection of demonic creatures that now lurk in every corner of Siekierezada, big and small, with fiddles or chains, horned or bearded. Some of them work as the swinging doors or support the ceiling of the tavern. However, this is not the only theme in this unusual gallery. Janusz Zubow brought his sculptures here. Jędrek Połonina also stopped by. Portraits of the legendary local rogues and friends adorn the walls of Siekierezada. There is also a mirror, and many people have tried to look into its other side. You should also look into the Siekierezada Garage, which holds a collection of historical trucks and off-road vehicles that were used by “the forest people”, or freedom fighters during WWII. You can even see here a Dodge ambulance and an International m-2-4, which was driven by the head of the transport division called Dzik - a former soldier of the Anders Army. Finally, there are so many stories associated with Siekierezada that Rafał Dominik has written them down in books. Post scriptum: you can have a good meal here.
5. Mount Kremenaros
In the Bieszczady, first of all you have to see... the Bieszczady, you must get onto the trail, and feel the mountain under your feet. Take a path and set off towards the mountain meadows. There are so many of them here. The trails leading to the top of Mount Połonina Wetlińska or Mount Tarnica are very popular. You will always meet other tourists on the route to the top of Mounts Bukowe Berdo and Rozsypaniec. However, some people especially love the route leading through Mounts Mała Rawka and Wielka Rawka to the summit of Mount Kremenaros, also known as Krzemieniec; this is where the borders of Poland, Ukraine and Slovakia meet. The intersection is marked with a symbolic obelisk, in a small clearing amidst trees. The monument reminds us that the Carpathians have been home to many cultures for centuries. Many people also believe that it is here that you get the best view of the Bieszczady Mountains. Just look at the windswept grasses and at a spotted eagle gliding across the blue sky. Perhaps it is calling to you?