Are you bored with cities and, crowds? Are you looking for some silence, a breath of fresh air and open space? Then go to the Bieszczady Mountains!
The Bieszczady Mountains are one of the most interesting regions in Poland when it comes to the natural environment. Located far from civilization, at the southeast end of Poland, they still maintained their natural charm. They are a cult location, a must see for every tourist who admires wild nature, quiet and open stretches of land. Bieszczady forests are inhabited by wolves, bears, European bisons and deer. You can meet a rare golden eagle there. The Bieszczady National Park covers a significant part of the mountains.
What attracts the hiking enthusiasts to Bieszczady?
It is mainly because of a unique landscape. The scenery is mountain and gentle at the same time. The most characteristic element of this region are mountain pastures – extensive meadows located in the top parts of the mountains. Thanks to the mountain pastures, hiking in Bieszczady is easy and provides a tourist with an incredibly attractive view. Panoramas are visible for dozens of kilometers. In autumn, the pastures become golden. They look like prairies on a mountain peaks. A long-hour hiking will be rewarded with a sip of żentyca (a local drink made of fermented sheep milk whey) and a piece of sheep’s milk cheese you can try in a shepherd’s hut.
Bieszczady Mountains embody the atmosphere of the past.
In the second half of the 19th century there was “the oil rush” in Bieszczady. Here is the first-ever oil extraction site in Bóbrka, here worked Ignacy Łukasiewicz, the inventor of the kerosene lamp. The atmosphere of the past is created by the shepherd communities. Sheep and shepherds are an inherent element of this landscape. This is supplemented with smoking retorts where charcoal is being produced. Wooden architecture of Bieszczady’s Orthodox churches is also really impressive, and remnants of Lemkos villages stand as a proof of the difficult war times that Bieszczady encountered. The ride in a famous Bieszczady’s narrow-gauge steam train is a big tourist attraction.
When in Bieszczady, it’s worth trying some horse tourism. In Wołosate, there is a Hucul horse breeding centre, where beginners may train horse riding under supervision of instructors, and advanced riders can go in the open. In winter you can try skijoring – skiing while being pulled by a horse. Snowy, extensive mountain pastures are great for ski touring.
Show poland.gov.pl - tourism on a bigger map
