My wife and I agreed that we would spend this year’s vacation in the Bieszczady Mountains, but to make the trip more enjoyable, we decided to stop at several interesting places along the way. Thanks to this plan, we wouldn’t have to endure one long, tiring drive, and we’d get the chance to do some sightseeing. So we did exactly that. It took some time to plan the route and book accommodations along the way, but it was worth it.
The first stage of planning was to find interesting places to visit and determine how much time we could spend at each one, as well as how long the drive between them would take. Of course, the idea was to combine sightseeing with relaxation — not to rush from point A to point B just to mark a place as “I’ve been here.” After all, vacations are meant to be a break from everyday responsibilities.
Once we decided on the places we wanted to see, we started looking for accommodation. We searched for rooms using Booking.com, but we also used Miplo.pl for support, because in many cases the location shown on Booking.com doesn’t match reality. It’s a pity that Miplo doesn’t offer a simple booking mechanism. Sure, you can call a guesthouse directly, but booking through a service like Booking.com is much more convenient.
After choosing the best offers, we booked the rooms and finished preparing our travel plan. All that remained was to wait for the vacation to begin.
The long‑awaited vacation finally arrived, and we set off on our journey. To make navigation easier, we took AutoMapa installed on my iPhone. Besides navigation, AutoMapa contains a large database of points of interest (POI), so it’s useful for finding restaurants or tourist attractions — and an iPhone is much easier to slip into a pocket than a typical GPS device.
We began our trip on August 1st, starting with Opatów and its underground tourist route. Although the route is quite short (about 500 meters), walking through corridors carved at different levels while listening to the guide’s stories takes about an hour. It’s worth visiting to learn its history and see how people once stored goods and hid from invaders.
In Opatów we also saw the Romanesque collegiate church of St. Martin of Tours from the 12th century, the nearby Warsaw Gate, and the Market Square. Opatów is a small town, but very interesting and full of history. I recommend buying Opatów fudge, available near the church. The candies were crunchy on the outside and gently melting inside — absolutely fantastic!
From Opatów we headed to Sandomierz. The distance between the towns is small, so the drive didn’t take long. We began our visit by checking into the Grill Solo guesthouse, where we planned to stay before heading to the next destination. The guesthouse is located near the Old Town, so in the evening we could easily walk to the square for a beer. The room was well equipped, the price reasonable, and the location excellent — I recommend it. The nearby restaurant might be a downside for some, but since we only slept there, it didn’t bother us, especially because it was already closed when we returned.
After checking in, we went out to explore Sandomierz. We started with the park near the royal castle. Among the trees we rested a bit from the heat and ate the snacks we had prepared at home. From the park you can enter Queen Jadwiga’s Gorge. Having visited Kazimierz Dolny, we expected the gorge in Sandomierz to be similar. Unfortunately, we were wrong — we barely entered and already had to leave, because it’s very short. Exiting the gorge, we immediately reached the church of St. James the Apostle. A wedding was taking place inside, so we only saw it from the outside.
From the gorge, along Staromiejska Street, we reached the royal castle, from which you can admire the nearby Vistula River. A pleasant place. As we were leaving the castle courtyard, we noticed a tourist Melex cart with an amusing advertisement: “Following the footsteps of Father Mateusz.” Naturally, the vehicle was full of tourists.
Next, we visited the beautiful Sandomierz market square and the underground tourist route. The square isn’t large, but it’s worth seeing the surrounding tenement houses, the Długosz House, and the Town Hall. The underground route is located near the Old Market Square, but we didn’t visit it — the queue for tickets was long, and it was already late, so we wouldn’t have made it in time. We walked around the Old Town a bit and then went to sit by the Vistula River.
While resting by the water, we came up with the idea to take a tourist boat ride, since we noticed a nearby marina offering cruises. We bought tickets — not cheap — and waited for departure. Unfortunately, the trip turned out to be a waste of money. During the 30‑minute cruise, we saw only a small part of Sandomierz, and the rest of the views were not interesting. Watching fishermen isn’t exactly exciting. I understand that there was a drought and the water level in the Vistula was low, but such cruises shouldn’t be offered — or at least should be much cheaper. And to top it off, the boat was full of drunk employees from some company. Not pleasant at all.
From the riverbank we walked back to our room to prepare for an evening stroll around the Old Town. When it started getting dark, we went out again. We wandered the cobblestone streets and sat down in the outdoor beer garden of the Lapidarium restaurant under the Town Hall. We ordered Dobrzański cider and homemade fries. It was my first time drinking such delicious cider and eating such tasty, uniquely prepared fries. They were made from potatoes in their skins, cut into wedges instead of sticks. Very tasty — I highly recommend trying them if you’re in Sandomierz. My only complaint is about the chaotic waitstaff, who were rarely seen. Perhaps with so many customers and a small team, they simply couldn’t keep up. Still, it’s a great place to spend an evening.
The evening was lovely, but we had to return to the guesthouse because we needed to wake up early. More travel awaited us the next day.
The following morning we headed to Baranów Sandomierski, a town near Tarnobrzeg. Baranów Sandomierski is home to a castle known as the “Little Wawel,” surrounded by a park. I highly recommend visiting — the castle looks incredible. You can see how much work went into its restoration. It houses an interesting exhibition, and the surrounding park is a pleasant place to spend time.
Our next destination was the Ethnographic Park in Kolbuszowa. As we were leaving the castle, we passed the town square, where a large heart sculpture caught our attention. We stopped to take a look. The object was the Lasowiak Heart, connected to a romantic legend about Marysia and Antek. The legend is engraved on a plaque in the sculpture’s base.
Approaching the Ethnographic Park, we encountered crowds of people. We found one of the last available parking spots and went in to explore. It turned out that, in addition to the usual exhibits, horse shows were taking place that day — visitors could watch horses, see competitions for the most beautiful mare, and children could ride ponies (with a very long queue). Several spots in the park offered regional products such as honey, wooden sculptures and toys, and paintings. There was also a place serving local food.
The Ethnographic Park in Kolbuszowa is a large area with many old buildings to visit, including a church, mills, entire farmsteads, a school, and a tavern. Ideally, you should spend the whole day there. We only had a few hours, which wasn’t enough to see everything — a pity. Unfortunately, a major downside was that most buildings were closed, unlike in Tokarnia. Visitors peeked through windows or cracks in the walls to see the interiors. It looked a bit funny, but it created a unique atmosphere. Perhaps the closures were due to staff being involved in the horse competitions. I don’t know what it’s like on a regular day. We’ll have to return someday.
After enjoying our time in Kolbuszowa, we had to continue our journey. We headed to Rzeszów, where we had booked our next overnight stay, and we also wanted to visit its Old Market Square. Initially, we planned to explore the underground tourist route as well, but since we spent more time in Kolbuszowa than expected, we wouldn’t have made it in time.
We began our visit to Rzeszów by checking into the Wiarus hostel, which we had trouble finding. The street it’s located on (3 Maja) is a pedestrian zone, meaning no car traffic. So I parked where there was no entry ban — on Fircowskiego Street — and started looking for the entrance. After several minutes of searching, we discovered that the reception entrance was accessible from Fircowskiego Street, through a courtyard reached via a gate between buildings numbered 3 and 5. A bit confusing, but we found it.
The hostel description mentioned that parking was available for guests, so I went back for the car and parked in the courtyard we had walked through to reach the reception. And then another problem appeared — there was no one at the reception. There was a doorbell, so after ringing it a dozen times and waiting several minutes, a man who managed the hostel finally showed up. Phew. He led us to our room and handed us the keys. We could finally rest for a moment and get ready to explore the city.
A hostel is a hostel — a place to sleep for a reasonable price. Wiarus was no different. The price was fair, and the location excellent, right next to the Old Market Square. However, the filthy electric kettle was off‑putting and needed cleaning. We also shared a bathroom with the room next door, but fortunately, no one was staying there.
We freshened up and went out to explore the city and grab something to eat. There were many people walking along the Old Town promenade, and even more on the Market Square, which was surrounded by beer gardens. There are many such places, but Rzeszów feels different — people are calmer, it’s quieter, and time seems to flow more slowly. It creates a pleasant atmosphere. The Old Town itself is beautiful and impeccably maintained, making it well worth visiting.
We also wanted to buy some groceries for the next day, so we went to Galeria Rzeszów, which we knew would still be open on a Sunday after 7 p.m. On the way, we came across an interesting park near the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Rzeszów. The park is called the Bernardine Gardens, and it’s a place worth seeing and spending a moment in. It features pergolas surrounded by water, making it a great spot to sit and listen to the calming sound of water in the middle of the city.
Between the Bernardine Gardens and Galeria Rzeszów stands the Monument of Revolutionary Deed. Its appearance and history stir controversy. Today it looks forgotten, resembling a giant pigeon nesting ground — covered entirely in droppings, with a terrible stench rising from them.
After shopping, we returned to the hostel to drop off our bags and then headed back out to stroll around the Old Town. It was already getting dark. We walked toward the castle, but at one point we heard joyful shouts from children, so we decided to follow the sound — something interesting was clearly happening. And indeed it was. We reached the multimedia fountain, a place that must be visited in Rzeszów on warm summer evenings, especially after dusk. The show of lights and water is stunning, with children running between the streams and parents chasing after them. A wonderful sight, and despite the noise, it’s surprisingly relaxing.
Even though the show was still ongoing, we decided to move on, as the next day would be long and full of sightseeing, and we still wanted to sit for a while on the Market Square. So we walked around the Rzeszów Castle and headed back toward the square. Thanks to the lighter evening traffic, we noticed the statue of Tadeusz Nalepa. We wandered around the Old Town a bit and sat down in one of the many beer gardens. What did we order? Cider, of course — though it wasn’t as good as the Dobrzański cider we had in Sandomierz.
On Monday morning we woke up early, packed our things, loaded the car, and took one last walk around the Market Square. For breakfast, we bought homemade ice cream at the Niebieskie Migdały café. Highly recommended — it was delicious. After a short stroll, we returned to the car and set off to visit more places.
The first destination of the day was the Lubomirski and Potocki Castle in Łańcut. The town is close to Rzeszów, so we arrived quickly. The castle and its surrounding park are places that require several hours — ideally a whole day — to explore properly. Unfortunately, we didn’t have that much time, and besides, visiting the castle was impossible that day because museums are usually closed on Mondays, and this one was no exception. We walked only through the enormous park and saw the castle from the outside. After more than two hours, we returned to the car and continued our journey.
The second stop of the day was Sanok, which greeted us with a large traffic jam that was difficult to bypass. We parked near the Royal Castle, where we began our sightseeing. The freshly restored castle is small, so walking around it didn’t take long. We explored the old part of Sanok, especially the small Market Square, which wasn’t as filled with beer gardens as the one in Rzeszów — similar to Sandomierz, but with far fewer people. Perhaps because it was still midday.
Walking through the old streets of Sanok, it was clear that a lot of time and effort had gone into restoring the tenement houses and alleys — they looked beautiful. The same was true in Sandomierz. In Rzeszów, however, only the tourist‑facing areas were restored; the parts behind the buildings, like the area near our hostel, didn’t look nearly as good.
In the city center is Parkowa Hill — an interesting place for a walk, with two viewing terraces. The first, closer to the Market Square, is an older structure resembling a mound in the middle of the hill, but unfortunately, you can’t see anything from it except surrounding trees. The second terrace is a bit farther away, but it also doesn’t offer any remarkable views. It seems to be a meeting spot for teenagers, as it’s tucked away in a secluded area.
We spent some more time in Sanok — walked around the town, saw St. John’s Square, and sat on the Market Square drinking coffee and eating ice cream.
The next planned stop was the Solina Dam, but we visited one more unplanned place along the way — the Myczkowce Dam. It’s not as large as the one in Solina, but it’s worth seeing because it offers beautiful views and is far less crowded.
From Myczkowce we drove to the Solina Dam. We stopped on the Solina side. To reach the dam, we had to squeeze through crowds of people walking in both directions and stopping at numerous stalls selling souvenirs and “regional” products. The dam impresses with its size and the view of the artificial lake. The lake surrounded by mountains is stunning. The view from the other side is less interesting — unless you look down and see how tall the dam is.
On the far side of the dam is a “circus on wheels” — the eternal fair. Food stalls, souvenir stands, and children’s attractions everywhere, accompanied by loud music and shouting. We walked a bit farther away to avoid it as much as possible. Because of the heat, we stepped into the water to cool off. The relief didn’t last long, as dark clouds soon appeared. We started looking for a nice place to wait out the storm and eat something in peace. We found Abramówka — a seasonal food spot, but very well prepared, with delicious food. Highly recommended!
When the storm passed and we had eaten, we slowly headed back to the car — quite a long walk. Once we reached it, we drove to the final destination of the day — the guesthouse where we would stay for the next few days: Chata Nad Rzeką in Wetlina.
We arrived at the guesthouse after dark. We checked in, brought our things to the room, and prepared for the next day, which we had also planned in advance.
Chata Nad Rzeką is located in the middle of Wetlina. It’s a house situated by the Wetlina River — though unfortunately, there’s no access to the river, or at least I couldn’t find one. The property has a playground for children and a gazebo where you can sit in the evenings. There’s also a place to grill. Our room was on the first floor, right next to the stairs, and the kitchen was directly by our door. The door was poorly soundproofed, so we heard everyone going up or down. Some guests even cooked at night, so we not only heard them but also smelled their food. Well, the most important thing was that we had a place to sleep, wash, and eat.
The next day we began with a trip to Majdan, where the main station of the Bieszczady Forest Railway is located, along with a museum of old rail vehicles. The first train departed at 10 a.m., and we arrived before 9 — already stuck in a parking queue. I sent my wife to stand in line for tickets while I parked the car. When I joined her, many people were still ahead of us, and even more were arriving behind us. Shortly before departure, due to high demand, an additional train to Balnica was announced over the loudspeakers. We were heading to Przysłup.
We departed on schedule toward Przysłup, the final tourist stop on the line. The journey seemed promising, but wasn’t entirely so. Much of the route goes through forest, with little to see, though occasionally there were nice views of the mountains. In Przysłup we stopped for a while so the engineer could reposition the locomotive for the return trip. Meanwhile, we walked to a nearby trout smokehouse and bought freshly smoked trout — absolutely delicious!
The return trip wasn’t as interesting, since we had already seen everything on the way up. Other passengers also seemed less engaged. The ride would definitely be more enjoyable if there were storytellers on board — like the rafters on Dunajec River rafts — telling funny stories about the railway and the surrounding mountains.
Back in Majdan, we saw that tourists kept arriving, so more trains were scheduled. We headed to explore Cisna and then Wetlina. This day was meant to be easy, preparing us for mountain hiking. After arriving in Wetlina, we walked around a bit and then headed toward the nearest peak — Jawornik. The ascent takes just over an hour, making it a good warm‑up before longer trails. Unfortunately, the trail wasn’t in AutoMapa, and I forgot to save it myself — a mistake I didn’t repeat on later hikes. After reaching the summit, we noticed a storm approaching, so we quickly descended toward the other side of Wetlina. The storm passed by, so we walked around a bit more and returned to the guesthouse.
Wednesday was a tough day. From the guesthouse, we walked toward the Górna Wetlinka campground, where the black trail to the Chatka Puchatka shelter begins. It’s not a difficult trail, and we met only a few hikers, so we thought the whole hike would be like that. Unfortunately, things changed when we reached the junction with the yellow trail — several school groups were hiking there. The funniest part was hearing the chaperones respond to complaints from the kids by saying they could buy ice cream at the shelter.
As noon approached, walking across the meadow in the heat became exhausting. Before reaching Chatka Puchatka, dark clouds began moving toward us from the west. We planned to continue across the Wetlińska Meadow and reach the Mieczysław Orłowicz Pass. We stopped at the shelter to wait out the storm, rest, and buy something from the shop. Inside, we discovered there was no refrigerator, so the kids who had been promised ice cream were disappointed — and so were we.
The storm passed by, and only light rain reached us. We continued, but halfway through another storm approached. Not again — second day in the mountains, second storm. Fortunately, this one also passed by, and we only got wet.
The views from the Wetlińska Meadow are beautiful. Even though the weather wasn’t great, we still saw many interesting places. The upside was that most hikers stayed at the shelter or left the trail, so it wasn’t crowded.
The Mieczysław Orłowicz Pass, which we reached, is a crossroads of several trails. To the south is the trail directly from Wetlina. To the west is the trail toward Smerek peak and the village of Smerek. To the north is the trail connecting the pass with the shelter near the now‑nonexistent village of Jaworzec and the village of Suche Rzeki. To the east is the trail from Chatka Puchatka — the one we had taken across the Wetlińska Meadow.
From the pass we headed to Smerek, but upon reaching it, we quickly began descending toward the village of Smerek because it was still raining and thunder could be heard. Eventually the weather calmed down, but the descent was difficult — slippery mud and wet clay made it hard to walk. After reaching Smerek, we still had to walk back to Wetlina. On the way, we stopped by the Wetlinka River to wash our shoes and rest for a moment. We reached the guesthouse before sunset. It was a tough but successful day.
Thursday was going to be a long one. We set out for Wielka Rawka. First, from the guesthouse, we walked along the asphalt road to the entrance of the green trail, located between Wetlina and the Górna Wetlinka campground. The trail across Dział is very easy, though long. Once you reach the ridge, you walk along it with almost no elevation changes.
From one side of the ridge, there are beautiful views of the Wetlińska Meadow and the Caryńska Meadow, and from the other, of the border range. At the beginning, the trail leads through forest, but later across vast meadows full of blueberries and raspberries. These meadows are interrupted by small patches of forest where you can catch a break from the heat. The advantage of the Dział ridge is that it’s easy to hike and far less crowded than the Wetlińska Meadow. We only encountered more tourists once we reached the summit of Mała Rawka.
From Mała Rawka, a short walk of several minutes took us to the summit of Wielka Rawka, where we took a longer break. From the top of Wielka Rawka, you can enjoy stunning views of the lower mountain ranges, and it’s also a place from which you can see the ranges in Ukraine and Slovakia. A truly wonderful spot that every hiker should reach.
Initially, I wanted to return to the guesthouse via the border ridge and Rabia Skała, but since dark clouds started forming again, we decided to descend to Ustrzyki Górne — it would be the quickest option. And that’s what we did. We took the blue trail down, though the first part of the descent wasn’t easy because it’s steep and rocky. A short while before reaching the bottom, thunder began rumbling, so we had to hurry.
After reaching the road, we walked toward Ustrzyki Górne. When we reached the Kremenaros bar, we went inside — and right after we entered, a wall of rain came down behind us. We made it just in time.
We sat in the bar for a while, had some delicious cake, and drank a cold beer. After resting and waiting out the storm, we went for a short walk around Ustrzyki Górne. I considered returning to Wetlina via the Caryńska Meadow, but since it was already late and everything was wet, it would have been difficult. So we took a minibus back to the guesthouse.
Friday was a more relaxed day. We were changing accommodation that day, so we couldn’t really go hiking. We decided to rest a bit by the water. In the morning we packed up and drove to Polańczyk, by Lake Solina.
In Polańczyk we rented a pedal boat at the Zjawa Holiday Resort. We happened to get a slightly damaged one — the pedals had a lot of play, which made pedaling difficult, and it produced a squeaky noise, so plenty of people turned their heads toward us.
An hour on the water passed quickly. We returned the boat and went to sit by the lake. Around the lake there were almost as many people as at the Baltic Sea this year — no surprise, the thermometers showed over 30°C in the shade. We found a spot and began our “sunbathing on the beach,” along with swims in the lake, which are officially forbidden. After some time, lifeguards approached and asked through a megaphone that people swim close to the shore.
While lying on the beach, I heard children shouting and saw a ball rolling toward the lake. The kids, who were standing on a small hill, dropped the ball and it fell into the water. They looked sad, so without thinking I ran to get it. The problem was that it fell between boats, but I managed to retrieve it quickly. Greetings to the kids — the look on their faces when I handed the ball back was priceless.
As we relaxed by Lake Solina, we noticed increasingly dense and dark clouds. We packed up and started walking around Polańczyk. The walk didn’t last long because thunder began rumbling. We quickly headed to the car and drove to the hotel where we would spend the next two nights — and enjoy a candlelit dinner with wine in the evening. On the way, the storm caught us, but by the time we arrived, it had already passed.
The place where we had booked our next two nights was the CARPATIA hotel in Smerek, not far from our previous guesthouse. It’s not a cheap hotel, but worth the price. Friendly staff, very well‑designed and comfortable rooms, plus a sauna, jacuzzi, and salt cave — and very tasty food. The hotel grounds include a relaxation area with swings, benches, and a fire pit surrounded by chairs. I highly recommend this place — despite the cost, it’s worth staying here and enjoying a bit of luxury.
The next day we set out on our final mountain trip. Through Kalnica we walked toward the now‑nonexistent village of Jaworzec. Before reaching it, we entered the black trail leading to the M. Orłowicz Pass via the Krysowa peak. It was the first trail where we practically didn’t meet any hikers — the first ones we saw were at the shelter in Jaworzec, and the next ones only near the Orłowicz Pass. We walked the entire trail alone, but it’s no wonder — due to the rain the previous day, the trail was difficult. There was lots of water and mud, and in many places I had to lay down branches so we wouldn’t get stuck. Still, it’s worth hiking this trail, because before reaching the Orłowicz Pass there are beautiful mountain views, and the trail itself isn’t difficult — unless it rains.
At the rest area on the Orłowicz Pass we stopped for a moment to enjoy the mountains a bit longer, and we listened to a group of scouts resting and singing. Besides, it was the first day in the mountains without rain, so we wanted to make the most of it.
From the Orłowicz Pass we descended directly to Wetlina via the yellow trail. It’s easy to walk, but crowded. After descending, on the way to Smerek, we stopped by the Wetlinka River to cool off, rest from the heat, and most importantly — wash the mud off our shoes. Then we returned to the hotel to prepare for the next day and enjoy a beer while sitting on the swing outside.
On Sunday we didn’t wake up early — we weren’t in a rush, especially since we weren’t going home that day. We had another night booked in a guesthouse, but already outside the Bieszczady region. After breakfast outdoors, surrounded by mountains, we packed the car and continued our journey.
First, we stopped in Wetlina to buy sheep cheese, freshly smoked and sold directly at the shepherd’s hut. After turning back, in the village of Krzywe we came across goat cheese, which we also bought.
The heat that day was incredible. Near the town of Nisko, the car thermometer showed 40°C. We were driving through a forest at the time, so at least there was shade. Before reaching Janów Lubelski, we stopped at a forest parking area to rest and eat something. When we opened the car door, the stuffy air hit us hard. At that spot, some kind ladies were selling blueberries. With the last money we had, we bought the fruit and continued driving.
After several hours on the road, we reached our next destination — Kazimierz Dolny, where we had booked a room at the Kwaskowa resort. The resort is located near the Kazimierz Landscape Park on Kwaskowa Mountain. The access road leads uphill through a ravine, and according to the owner, not all drivers manage to make it up. On the property, besides guest parking, there are places where visitors can spend time in the evening, such as a fire pit surrounded by benches.
The building looks like a villa, but unfortunately it’s neglected. It looks better from the outside than inside, where the décor resembles hotels from the 1980s and 1990s. The WiFi advertised in the offer didn’t work. The room had no ventilation, and with the heat that day, we had to sleep with the window open. That led to another problem — hotel guests partying until morning. We barely slept. Another issue was the shared bathroom, apparently for about eight rooms, so getting in was difficult, especially in the morning. There was also a kitchen on the corridor with an electric kettle, but no sink or tap, so to get water you had to wait in line for the bathroom. A big plus was the polite owner, who should find a way to fix these inconveniences, because the place itself has potential.
The building looks like a villa, but unfortunately it’s neglected. It looks better from the outside than inside, where the décor resembles hotels from the 1980s and 1990s. The WiFi advertised in the offer didn’t work. The room had no ventilation, and with the heat that day, we had to sleep with the window open. That led to another problem — hotel guests partying until morning. We barely slept. Another issue was the shared bathroom, apparently for about eight rooms, so getting in was difficult, especially in the morning. There was also a kitchen on the corridor with an electric kettle, but no sink or tap, so to get water you had to wait in line for the bathroom. A big plus was the polite owner, who should find a way to fix these inconveniences, because the place itself has potential.
The next day we checked out, but with the owner’s permission we left the car at the resort and went for a walk around town. In the morning there were far fewer people, except for a few groups of schoolchildren. At the Ambrozja ice cream shop we bought delicious ice cream and went to sit by the river.
Even though the Vistula had very little water, boat cruises were still running, just like in Sandomierz. Sitting there, we watched a boat depart. It left the marina heading toward Kraków, then after 100–150 meters turned back toward Puławy. After about 30 minutes we noticed it returning, but at the last bend it seemed to get stuck on a sandbar, because it appeared again only after 15–20 minutes.
On our way back from the riverbank, we did a bit of shopping and continued onward — specifically to the castle in Janowiec, located on the opposite side of the Vistula. We reached it via Puławy, since I didn’t see any ferry operating. We spent some time on the grounds of the Janowiec Castle, where you can walk around the park. Because both the park and the castle sit on a hill, you get a picturesque panorama of the Vistula River and Kazimierz Dolny from above. After returning to the car, we headed to the final stop of our trip — a place 152 km away: our home.
It was a wonderful journey, during which — despite long hours spent in the car and several‑hour “walks” in the mountains — we managed to rest from work and everyday responsibilities. And thanks to all the interesting places we visited, we now have plenty of great memories. Poland is a beautiful country, and it’s worth exploring it far and wide.
During this multi‑day trip, we covered many kilometers, and AutoMapa on the iPhone helped us reach each point along the route. Thanks to it, besides navigating to specific addresses, I could also search for additional places worth visiting. I even added some points that were missing in the app. This way, other users will be able to benefit from them too.
While hiking in the mountains, I recorded GPS tracks of the tourist trails we followed. Unfortunately, I didn’t do this for the first hike — the trail from Wetlina to Jawornik. I divided the GPS tracks I created into categories corresponding to the colors of the marked trails. Recording such long tracks was possible because the iPhone battery doesn’t drain quickly, and I enabled background operation in AutoMapa, turned off sounds, and dimmed the screen.
I submitted the GPS track files through the error‑reporting system to the map development team, because these trails are missing from the map. I hope they will be included in the next map version, as they could be useful for other hikers.
Below is a map showing the GPS tracks of the recorded trails. If anyone is interested, I can share these tracks. Perhaps the more people send them to the map development team, the sooner they will be added to AutoMapa.
Unfortunately, this map is missing the Jawornik trail, but maybe in the future I’ll record its route and update the map. Or perhaps another user or the map development team will add it to AutoMapa.
Our Travels
I encourage you to read my posts about the trips I take with my wife, including our hikes to the peaks that make up the Crown of Polish Mountains. Descriptions of our journeys are available at: likoton.pl/en/category/podroze.
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