Beskidy i Śląsk Cieszyński - Śląskie. Informacja Turystyc...

Created by: Agnieszka Łach ŚOT

Published date: 2014-01-07

Trips to the Beskids do not need to be advertised to anyone since the Beskid Mountains are known to be picturesque, available to tourists of varied degrees of physical fitness, and full of wonderful landmarks, which can be visited in its villages and towns. The Beskids are special among Silesian regions also due to the fact that everyone can find something interesting here, no matter the season.

In summer, a tourist wandering in the mountains would surely visit Wisła for several days to participate in the Beskids' Culture Week. In the winter, skiers and snowboarders will gather on numerous excellent slopes. The region is a perfect place for rest with children as well, and the fresh air, beautiful nature and the possibility to learn about folk arts and crafts are priceless. The landscape of the mountains and various Marian shrines often attract pilgrims, who can participate in spiritual retreats and exercises. Those who want to taste the night life will find entertainment of various kinds in restaurants, hotels, centers and resorts. Therefore, it’s impossible to get bored in the Beskids.

The parts of the Beskids belonging to Silesia are: the Żywiec Beskids, the Silesian Beskids and the western part of the Little Beskids. Gustaw Morcinek wrote beautifully about these mountains: ‘Somebody said that the Tatras are Gothic and the Beskids are Baroque. This Baroque we can see not only in their shape, but everywhere in these lands’.

The Żywiec Beskids

Inhabitants of Żywiec lands used to be preoccupied with logging if the Carpathian wildland and keeping livestock, for instance in Węgierska Górka, Milówka and Juszczyna. The so-called logging villages, located on mountain slopes, were in turn associated with logging and burning of forests, among them were Korbielów, Gilowice, Szczyrk, Rajcza and Ujsoły. Throughout centuries, craftsmen such as saddlers, blacksmiths and carpenters begun to be more and more appreciated. Important for the region were herdsmen, especially the Vlachs, who were herding sheep, cows and goats. Most of the outlaws groups were herdsmen, since they could disappear for months without raising suspicions and they lived independently from the whole village.

Houses in villages of Żywiec lands were built perpendicularly to the roads, out of wood and on the foundation of river rocks. Żywiec style roofs are especially interesting since they are saddleback, with one side steeper than the other, along the walls of houses there are also short side roofs.

one side steeper than the other, along the walls of houses there are also short side roofs.
Folk costumes surely have an important part in highland culture: men wore gunia (a heavy cape), white shirt, red or blue embroidered waistcoat called bruclik, woollen trousers with kućkas (woollen bobble) and decorative stripes, kierpce (mountaneers’ mocassins) and small axes for defense. Men also wore kłobuks (a hat with red string). Women’s costume, in turn, consisted of ciasnocha (tight petticoat), skirt, kopytka (woollen socks), kierpce and embroidered shirt. Zapaska (an outer skirt) was worn over the skirt, and a corset, which was the most expensive element of the dress, on the shirt. Naturally, married women could not appear in public without a headgear, so they put on scarfs or coifs.

The calendar year in the countryside flows in the rhythm of religious holidays, especially Christmas, New Year’s Day and Easter, also herders holidays are celebrated such as spring and autumn redyk (Trailing of the Sheep). Highlanders from Żywiec celebrate holidays by dancing and singing, traditional dances include hajduk and zbójnicki (dances of the outlaws), siustany and drobiony (danced in pairs). The customs of house to house caroling performed in groups consisting of people dressed up as death, shepherds, turoń (a black, furry and horned creature resembling a bull) and the Three Kings is still very much alive. The most important towns of Żywiec Beskids are: Jeleśnia, Korbielów, Milówka, Rajcza, Upper and Lower Rycerka, Ujsoły, Węgierska Górka, Zwardoń and Żywiec, the ‘capital’ of the region.

The Silesian Beskids

The most important tourist towns in the area are: Bielsko-Biała, Brenna, Istebna, Szczyrk, Ustroń and Wisła. In Ustroń begins the Main Beskids Trail: Ustroń to Wołosate (Bieszczady Mountains). While herding used to be the their main livelihood, nowadays the local population takes advantage of tourist, spa and relaxational aspects of their motherland. The Beskids Tri-village is the only place where sheep returned to the pastures.

The Little Beskids

The Little Beskids became popular only several years ago, since the close vicinity of the Silesian, Żywiec and Makowiecki Beskids concealed the charm and characteristic atmosphere of this part of the Beskid Mountains. There are also many wilderness areas, hidden by nature in the dense forests, as well as unique valleys and picturesque passes and saddles. One of the most interesting geological formations here occurring are caves, such as Ice Cave, Komoniecki’s Cave, Czarne Działy or Dragon's Den, which, according to historical sources, was probably a kind of shelter for outlaws, and there were always many of them in the Beskid Mountains.

Śląsk Cieszyński (Cieszyn Silesia)

Cieszyn Silesia is a region characterized by cultural and regional distinctiveness. Its inhabitants have a strong sense of their own identity, certainly because it once constituted the lands of the Duchy of Cieszyn, located round the town of Cieszyn and the river Olza. Cieszyn, the charming town, full of numerous historical landmarks and contemporary cultural events, is not the only place worth visiting during vacation in Cieszyn Silesia. In the north there’s the picturesque ‘Żabi Kraj’ (Land of Frogs), The Wisła oxbow lake with hundreds of fish ponds, numerous bird areas and a delightful, historical Strumień. In Cieszyn Silesia there is also a Beskid spa town Ustroń and a city of tradition and turbulent history: Bielsko-Biała. Just like the brothers from the legend were gladdened upon their unexpected meeting in Cieszyn, surely many of you will enjoy meeting your friends in the Cieszyn lands. Since these sites are so gladly visited, everyone will find something they like here, no matter the age and interests.

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