Even in the sixteenth century, the poets wrote about these lovely forests, so it is time for you to see if their words were true.
You will fall in love with the rolling hills of the Roztocze region which you can explore to discover the hidden treasures of this land. In the woods you will come across wartime bunkers as well as mysterious crosses and tombstones. Close to the national border, in Radruż, you can admire the fortified Greek Catholic tserkva - a World Heritage Site. In the nearby Horyniec you can receive healing spa treatments. These are five places which you should visit during your first trip to Roztocze.
1. Greek Catholic Church in Radruż
This is a real treasure of Roztocze, listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site, and each year the landmark attracts thousands of tourists. It is hard to believe that for many years after WWII, the ancient tserkva of St. Paraskeva in Radruż was quietly slumbering on the small hill, and was only very occasionally disturbed when the person living nearby and keeping the key to the church brought some visitors. Once they walked through the gate in the stone wall, they would stop in awe at the sight of the mighty wooden structure, which had been built 500 years earlier, from larch and oak wood, and with no nails used.
Visitors admired the craftsmanship of the old masters from the times when Poland was a superpower and the church in Radruż - a royal village – was part of the defensive structures. Owing to the wall made of limestone blocks, and the high belfry with an upper floor the local peasants were able to effectively defend themselves against the Tatars and Cossacks. There is a romantic legend connected with the raids, according to which the beautiful wife of the village mayor, Maria Dubniewicz, was taken captive and after 27 years returned to the village laden with valuables. A visit to the church is not only a history lesson, but also an opportunity to learn more about the Greek Catholic traditions. Inside you can admire the magnificent iconostasis and the Holy Sepulchre, and outside in the church cemetery you can see crosses with inscriptions in Cyrillic letters. Today, the Museum of the Borderland in Lubaczów takes care of the landmark.
2. Tserkva in Gorajec
Built in 1586, the Greek Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gorajec near Cieszanów is one of the oldest landmarks along the Wooden Architecture Route. It has been preserved despite the fact that the parishioners were forcefully relocated from this area after WWII. In the early 1950s, when the communist authorities tried to transform the church into a fertiliser storage, a brave woman named Anastazja stood on guard and did not let anyone inside. The church, which she looked after until her death, has been restored and today continues to impress the visitors who discover it during their tour of the beautiful Roztocze. Like many tserkvas, it comprises three distinctive parts and is covered with shingles. Inside, visitors can admire the polychrome paintings on the nave wall and the 18th-century architectural iconostasis. There is also a copy of a rather unique icon (the priceless original is in Kraków) in which you can see King John III Sobieski and his beloved wife Marysieńka. While he was still a field hetman, Sobieski earned the gratitude of the local people when in 1672 he rushed to the rescue of 2,000 peasants taken captive by the Tatars. The icon is intended to honour that event.
3. Horyniec-Zdrój
If you would like to receive spa treatments beneficial for your health and for your well-being, you should visit this renowned spa town in the Roztocze region. In fact, years ago Hetman Sobieski also used to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the local mineral water with high content of sulphur. Indeed, in Horyniec Zdrój they jokingly claim that their sulphur is better than in hell. But it is not only that. The spa facilities also use mineral rich clay brought from the nearby village of Podemszczyzna. Mud baths effectively treat rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. For those with no such health problems mud baths are excellent to reduce stress and promote relaxation.
Additionally, the area has a unique microclimate with a very high number of sunny days per year. Owing to all that Horyniec is a perfect place for vacation combined with treatments for your body and soul. And what’s for the dessert? It could be a cup of coffee in a fine cafeteria, or a stroll in the nearby forest, or a walk through the lovely Spa Town Park, with fountains, bridges and ponds, or a tour of the local landmarks, such as the palace of the Poniński family, or a trip out of town to Radruż or to Nowiny Horynieckie where you can see a stone circle - the Temple of the Sun with a huge limestone megalith.
4. Molotov Line
The mysterious bunkers are scattered amidst the hills and forests of Roztocze. These are parts of the defence system known as the Molotov Line. Built along the border of the area invaded by the Soviet Union early during WWII, they were designed by the brilliant military engineer General Dmitry Mikhailovich Karbyshev, and the fortifications were to stretch for 1,300km, from Lesko to Palanga, today in Lithuania. The structures in the vicinity of Narol, Cieszanów, Horyniec-Zdrój and Lubaczów are rather well-preserved.
This part of the system was referred to as the Rawa Ruska Fortified Region and it included five defence lines, with concrete shelters, trenches, anti-tank obstacles and ditches. The concrete was designed to withstand the explosion of even a 50kg aerial bomb, and the massive walls are still impressive today, despite the fact that the construction carried out in 1940-1941 was never completed and the German Army virtually conquered the area in a matter of days. Today, those passionate about the history of military structures can discover the secrets of these fortifications by following the marked hiking trail which leads through the mysterious and beautiful forest to the highest hill - Wielki Dział, and then Hrebcianka, near Brusno Stare. And this is only the beginning of this adventure..
5. Cemetery in Brusno Stare and works of old stone craft
White limestone is a symbol of the Eastern Roztocze. The crosses of gratitude for the abolition of serfdom, the holy figures in the graveyards, and the wall surrounding the tserkva in Radruż were all made from limestone, as well as the Monument of Liberty in Horyniec-Zdrój carved by the brilliant Grzegorz Kuźniewicz. The art of processing the stone from quarries near Horyniec was mastered hundreds of years ago. In Brusno Stare and the nearby villages, they produced millstones and quern-stones. Limestone could easily be processed for various purposes. Over time stonecraft workshops produced real artists.
Today in the cemeteries in the Roztocze region we can still admire the intricately carved tombstones and monuments, some dating from the 1600s. You can really see how unique they are if you visit the old Greek Catholic cemetery, the only relic of the village of Brusno Stare. If you come to this forest in the morning on a sunny day, you will see the light beautifully reflected by the intricate ornaments and Cyrillic letters on the tombstones. The thought of things past meets here with eternal beauty.