Local Treasures
Sucha Beskidzka
Sucha Beskidzka
Sucha Beskidzka is a district town located in the
picturesque valley of the Beskids. It is the place where
the rivers Skawa and Stryszawka meet. The town makes
a wonderful base to explore the surrounding
mountainous region. Its convenient localization at the
intersection of the main arteries passing through Sucha,
Kraków, Żywiec and Zakopane, together with the easy
access to the Beskids and further to Slovakia have been
beneficial to the development of tourism. The town
covers the area of 27 square kilometres and has a
population of approximately 10 thousand.
Photos
Sucha was first mentioned in 1405 when it was
located according to the Magdeburg law on the
banks of the Sucha River, now called the
Stryszawka. The first owners were the Słupski
family. Historical sources state that in 1554
Gaspare Castiglione, a Florentine goldsmith living
in Kraków, bought the place from the family. Ten
years later he was officially introduced into the
Polish nobility, took on the name Suski and
began to bear the Szaszor coat-of-arms. In 1608
Sucha, owned by Piotr Komorowski of the noble
clan of Korczak, constituted the center of what
was known as "the state of Sucha".
The Wielopolski family, the next owners of the
settlement, contributed to its economic revival by
managing it efficiently and by initiating judicial and
administrative reforms. In 1896, at the times of the
Branicki family Sucha was granted a town charter.
The last owners of the town were the Tarnowskis who
left Sucha on the outbreak of the Second World War.
In September 1939 the town became a part of the
German Reich. After the war the character of the town
completely changed due to the industrial and
architectonic development. In 1956 the Sucha District
was established and in 1964 the town's name was
extended to comprise of two elements: Sucha
Beskidzka. In 1999 it regained the status of a district
town.
Photo
The Castle
The Renaissance palace "Mały Wawel" ranked
among the gems of Polish architecture. Primarily
designed as a fortified castle and built thanks to
the efforts of Kasper Suski, in the years 1608 –
1614. It became later extended into a splendid
magnate residence by Piotr Komorowski. The
palace took its final shape at the beginning of the
eighteenth century. In the clock tower of the
palace there is a historic St. Peter the Apostle's
chapel. with Old Polish inscriptions. An Englishstyle garden, in which the nineteenth century
neo-Gothic orangery and a "Gardener's House"
(with a regional chamber) can be found next to
the palace.
Photos
St. Mary’s Church
St.Mary's Church was founded by Piotr
Komorowski and erected in the years 1613-1614.
At the beginning, it was a Gothic single-nave
building with Baroque and Renaissance
decorations which later became part of a new
church built in the years 1895-1907. The latter
was designed in an eclectic style by a famous
architect Teodor Talowski from Cracow whose job
had been commissioned by the Branicki family.
Photo
Roma Inn
The eighteenth century wooden inn
situated in the centre of the town. It was
in this inn where the devious
Mephistopheles took possession of Pan
Twardowski's (a legendary sixteenth
century nobleman's) soul and where the
infamous highwayman Jan Baczyński from
Skawica celebrated successful robberies of
merchants travelling through the
mountain pass of Krowiarki to Hungary
along the amber trade rout. Opposite the
building stands a fountain featuring a
horse (depicted in Sucha's emblem) and
the figures of Mephistopheles and Pan
Twardowski.
Photos
Maków Podhalański
Filasowa Chapel
The Filasowa Chapel was bulit in 1845. It
was founded by a marriage couple of Jan
Kanty and Regine Filasow. Its shape
recalls a presbitery of the local church.
There are two very interesting paintings
inside the chapel: Madonna with Jesus and
Saint Jan Kanty. It is situated in 3-maja
Street.
Photo
Regional Chamber
Regional Chamber in Maków Podhalański
contains lots of historical photos and documents
which are connected to the town, old tools and
other things of everyday life of locals (paintings,
sculptures, wooden tools, fancy-work). The
museum commemorates nazism times in Maków.
There is a record telling about killing 42 people
during pacification of Zagórze. People who where
killed were in the age from of three months to
eighty-two. It happened on 4th April 1944.
The Chamber is located in a mansion called
Paczosówka. The museum was opened thanks to
Emil Wacyk and Kazimierz Stopa. It is located in
the main street but it is off the beaten path.
Photos
Sanctuary of Maków Podhalański
The Transfiguration Church also known as the
Shrine of Our Lady of Nursing of Families, comes
from the years 1826-1828. It is a building in the
style of late classicism. The main altar is the
image of the Virgin Mary Makowski, who was
crowned by Pope John Paul II in 1979 during his
first pilgrimage to the homeland. The church has
a baroque chapel and the chancel walls are the
remains of previous church from the XVII
century.
Photos
Kojszówka
Kojszówka
Kojszówka - a village in Poland
located in the Małopolska Province,
in the county suski, in the
municipality of Maków Podhalański.
The village is situated in a Skawa
valley, at the foot of Kamienna (719
m) and Mosorowa Góra (691 m), two
mountains of Beskid Makowski.
Photos
The Regional Chamber in
Kojszówka
It is placed at the local school. There
are different kinds of things used by
people in every day life. Pupils learn
songs, stories and legends connected
with tradition and history of
Kojszówka. There are also picnics
held when you can know the people’s
lifestyles.
Photo
The chapel in Kojszówka
Built in the first half of nineteen
century. For a long time it was used
as a church. In Kojszówka there
wasn’t any church. Recently there is
a brick chapel. Today the chapel is
situated two hundred metres from
the church. It’s a little chapel.
Photo
The church in Kojszówka
The Church, as one of the two
churches of the parish, belongs to
the branch Kojszówka - Wieprzec.
Inside tha church there is a painting
of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The
church was built in 1984-1988. In
1993 it was consecrated by Bishop
Albin Malysiak. In 1998 the parish
was founded Kojszówka - Wieprzec,
formerly the village belonged to the
parish in Osielec.
Photo
The church in Osielec
The church in Osielec is dedicated to
Saint Filip and Jakub. It’s one
hundred eighty years old. Inside the
church there are: altar and organs
made by folk artists from Waksmund
and Lubień. The church was funded
by Ludwik Filip Saints-Genois, the
owner of village. The parish was
eshablished two hundred years ago.
Photo
Krzeszów
Krzeszów
Krzeszów is a village in the south of Poland, in the
municipality Stryszawa (district Suski, Malopolska
province), located just thirteen kilometres west of
Sucha Beskidzka. Krzeszów lies at an altitude of 420580 m. above the sea level. In 1340 the number of
inhabitants in Krzeszów was about one hundred fifty
people. The first sign confirming the existence of the
parish in Krzeszów comes from the 1355. However, it
is very likely that the parish was founded earlier.
Photo
The church in Krzeszów



In the second half of nineteenth century over two
hundred years old church in Krzeszów had to be in bad
condition. Unfortunately, there isn’t any picture of this
church left. The Katarzyna wooden church was built in
1675 and destroyed in 1905. This church had from the
west slopings walls. The ceiling is decorated with the
scenes from Katarzyna’s life.
1355 year- first chronicle about parish in the Krzeszów.
1659 and 1664 years- bells appear.
1901 July 30th- pastor Michal Bochenek has begun
building the church.
Photo
Stryszawa
Stryszawa
The first mention of Stryszawa dates from 1480 . It
was founded by the Słupsk Śreniawa family then
by the owners of Sucha. In the first half of
sixteenth century the village belonged to Stanislaw
Slupsk - the owner of Stryszów and Sucha .
In the years 1830-1985 in Stryszawa there was a
branch of the metallurgical plants of Sucha.
Stryszawa was famous for making shingles. To this
day its inhabitants are engaged in cottage industry
production of small objects of wood, and since the
mid-nineteenth century, as toys.
In Stryszawa in 1876 was born Kunegunda Siwiec
- Servant of God Catholic Church.
In the years 1941-1942 the Nazis took away to the
General Government nearly 200 families, depriving
them of their possessions at the same time.
Stryszawa now, due to its location, is a village
house. In the area there are numerous hiking
trails.
Stryszawa municipality belongs to the main
centers in Poland Folk Toys. The oldest toys
include wheelbarrows, carts, cradles, rattles cube
and a carriage with ponies. Then there are horses
on wheels, flapping birds and the roosters.
Typical for this village birds are roosters,
hoopoes, owls, swallows and storks .
In 1994 the regional band called "Stryszawskie
Gronicki" was founded. It consists of children
aged 8-15. The band has performed over 100
times so far.
Photos
Stryszawa-Siwcówka
Siwcówka, lies on the slopes in Żywiecki Beskid. The small
village is known thanks to the existing monastery since 1929
Sisters of the Resurrection. In the past it was leading business
school for girls, them also an orphanage and a children’s
home, which was finally closed in 1960. The monastery was
to help rural girls in getting a good education and occupation.
In addition to the religions house of the Sisters of the
Resurrectionist retreat center where we can find the Fathers
of the Resurrection. It is a place of pilgrims of the apostolate
prayer groups, health groups and individual travellers who
wish to commune with God, rest in the bosom of nature and
know the place where there was Cardinal Wyszyński and also
Pope- John Paul II.
Mansion in Stryszawa
Mansion in Stryszawa was built in 1870. It
is a brick, plaster building. It has in front
of the door a wooden and glass tarrace.
Near the building there is a beautiful park.
The mansion was taken over by the „City
Office Stryszawa”. It is under the highest
top of Jalowiec. It was founded in 1929.
Kunegunda Siwiec – inhabitant of
Stryszawa, took the ground for Stryszawa
(to built the Mansion).
Lachowice
Lachowice
Lachowice is a village situated on the border of the
Beskid Żywiecki and Beskid Maly mountain ranges,
west of the town of Sucha Beskidzka. The history of
village dates back to the thirteenth century, when
the first settlers arrived there. However, it was not
until the late sixteenth century that Lachowice was
officially founded. The village was the part of the
Domain of Sucha, owned by the Komorowski and
Wielkopolski families, who resided in a castle in
Sucha.
Photos
The church in Lachowice
The early history of the parish church in Lachowice is
connected with the Wielkopolski family. Through the efforts
of Teresa Wielkopolsk a parish was established in the
village. The church was built in 1789 and consecrated in
1792. The wooden church stands on a hill, among tall trees,
and is surounded by a wooden fence with three gates. It
has an extremaly picturesque shingle roof. To the west of
the church stands a tall tower with sloping walls. The
church is surounded by a low, roofed and partially open
gallery, called soboty. Inside the church there is a unique
double road beam, the top beam with a sculpted crucifix
and the bottom with statues of our Lady and St John the
Erangelist. In the high altar, consecrated in 1855, there is
an image of the Madonna and Child from the seventeenth
century. The furnishings of the church are mostly in the late
Baroque style and most of them date back to the
nineteenth century.
Photos
Photos
Zawoja
Zawoja
Zawoja is often called the largest village
in Poland. The town has a population of
just six thousand but stretches along a
valley for more than twenty kilometers.
There are two main reasons for people to
visit Zawoja-in winter the ski slopes atract
large crowds, while is summer this is best
place from which to explore the nearly
hiking trails ,most notable the famous
mountain Babia Góra. Zawoja is famous
for its wooden architecture and its folk
culture.
Photo
Father’s Carmelitans
Barefoots Church
At the slope of a mountain,below Magurka and
Przysłop,is lifting a church oo. Carmelitans
Barefoots. A plan of assumption to church
reaches premature years. Under the foundation
offered her wealth Maria Bielas at 1948 year.
Father Jozef Prus prepared material to build a
church.
Photo
Babia Góra
Babia Góra meaning literally Witches’
Mountain,is the highest mountain in
Poland outside of the Tatra
Mountains. In shape it is more of a
hill than a mountain, and for this
reason is accesible to more people
than some of the rocky peaks in the
Tatras.
Photo
The church of St. Clement in Zawoja
The church was built in year, on the place of small
church . It was made of timber in the form of cross in
1888. Three towers shoot up on the church. On the
highest tower there is a bell. The windows are made
according to the project of artist Witold Jańczak, the
altar of God Mother was made in 1969 in renaissance
and baroque style .
Photos
Tarnawa
Tarnawa
In the years from 1772 to 1918 there was
Tarnawa Lower Austrian village in Galicia
in the circuit Wadowice. In 1867 Lower
Tarnawa was connected to the District of
Zywiec, and from 1891 belonged to the
county of Wadowice. In 1880 the village
had 281 houses. Tarnawa was then owned
by the count Branicki. The village had two
inns, a grange, and exposed brick church
on the site of an earlier wooden chapel.
This chapel was built in 1845 by John
Wielopolski. In the village there was also a
school. In the late nineteenth and early
twentieth century there was a migration of
rural population to America.
In 1939, Lower Tarnawa was included in
the district of Bielsko in the Reich. The
name was changed by the occupiers to
Tarnau. In July 1943, the Germans
deported villagers to forced labor camps in
the Reich, and in their place were brought
German settlers. Since the end of the war
in 1945 to 1975 Tarnawa was lower in the
province of Cracow. In the years 19751998 a town was located in the province
of Bielsko. In 1959 the Bishop Karol
Wojtyla, later our Pope, has devoted
murals and stained glass windows in the
local church.
Photos