English Language

Puławy

The village is known for its magnificent and unique Museum of Nobility Culture, established in a fortuitously saved old residence from the turn of the 19th century.



The face of Puławy changes with the changing seasons – in summer, it is offers the beautiful landscapes of the Wisłok River Gorge, and it winter it is the leading centre of winter sports in the region.

The village, beautifully lost in the Beskid Niski, was established from scratch in 1572, near an older ironworks settlement. It was inhabited by the Lemkos and it was never too crowded – it covered such a large area that it was divided into Lower and Upper Puławy. Both disappeared after the Second World War, when, like in all Lemko settlements, their inhabitants were relocated. The wooden Orthodox church dedicated to the Holy Spirit in the Upper Puławy existed a few years longer than the village. What remains of it today is the graveyard with old, Ruthenian tombs, first abandoned and neglected, then renovated by volunteers, and recently in use again.

The village was resurrected in the 1970s by the Polish settlers from the Cieszyn Silesia region, who replaced the Greek Catholicism of the Lemkos with the Protestantism of the Pentecostal Church. Officially, together with the inhabitants of the nearby Wisłoczek, they form the Protestant Community of the Bieszczady Region. Most of the citizens of Puławy belong to the Community, and there are only a few Roman Catholic families in town.
 




They all work together towards local development, and many run model farms, specialising primarily in producing delicious milk. They are also invested in tourism. Their biggest achievement in this field is the creation of the winter sports centre Kiczera-Ski, often mentioned as a model for good organisation and unique atmosphere which managed to avoid aggressive commercialisation.

The centre is managed by local proprietors associated in the Beskid tourist association “Przełom Wisłoka”, with no big names or investors. Their cooperation is a living proof that working together for the common good brings the best results.

Kiczera-Ski is a leading centre of winter sports in the region, with five ski runs of varied levels of difficulty. The main run is 1000 metres long, the most difficult one – under the ski lift – is 900 metres long, the one by the upper rental shop is 300 metres, and the one for beginners 150 metres long. The roundabout run, at 1200 metres the longest, is also thought to be easy. Apart from that, there is a beautiful, 4000 metres long ski touring and cross-country skiing trail, leading through the beautiful Beskid forests, and a special terrain park for freestyle skiing amateurs.

All the ski runs are regularly maintained, there is snow-making equipment to always ensure the best skiing conditions possible, and three of the runs have lighting systems. The height difference is 170 metres. The centre also offers skiing and snowboarding equipment rental.
 



The most valuable asset of the centre is the chairlift. Along with the three surface lifts (Igor, 420 m, Adaś, 300 m, and BabyLift for beginners, 150 m), visitors to Puławy can use a double chairlift 900 metres long. It is what sets Puławy apart from other ski centres in Podkarpacie and adds to the attraction of the place all year round.

The place is attractive not just because of the beautiful views. There is also a downhill mountain biking track for cyclists in search of a thrill. Also those more traditional ones see the region of Puławy as their heaven, as it seems to have been created to be admired from the height of a bicycle seat. It looks equally attractive also from horseback, which would be confirmed by every participant of the horseback tours organised here.

Visitors can enjoy regional dishes in the restaurant Amadeus, situated at the foot of the ski centre and open all year round, and stay in one of the many agritourism farms in the area.

Summer is the best time for appreciating the beautiful gorge of the river Wisłok, which attracts anglers, birdwatchers and admirers of beautiful landscapes. It is also a perfect place for a night by a bonfire with friends and family.
 

More:

Official website of Kiczera-Ski 

Fanpage of Kiczera-Ski







fot.: Kiczera-Ski