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| Zamosc main square |
Mon 30 April
From Sanok we drove south east 90 minutes to the Bieszczady Mountains, with the obligatory church photo opportunity:
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| Hoszow church (5km south of Ustrzyki Dolne) |
We had planned to hike up Mount Tarnica (1346m) but when we saw the massive holiday crowds in the main car park, we abandoned this plan and found a lovely quiet route (Sciezka przyrodnicza Jarzebina/ green route) from the edge of Wetlina up along a wooded ridge to the top at Wielka Rawki (1307m). The views across the rolling greens hills festooned with woodland and bilberry bushes to Ukraine (1km away at the closest point) were fabulous.
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| Superb ridge walk; Ukraine to the left! |
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| Wielka Rawki 1307m: Bieszczady Mountains. Ukraine border 500m to the left! |
We retraced our route to avoid people, and reached the car having done 19km. Despite trying to find local accommodation (I tried a dozen places along the road advertising “Nocleggi” and using Google translate to request one night of accommodation) we had to resort to a phone booking Jess had made in German (!) 45 mins north in Ustrzyki Dolne.
Tues 1 May
North up to Zamosc - stopping in the deserted town of Jaroslaw
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| Jaroslaw Rynek |
On to Zamosc which has an amazing 16thC walled old town that has been lovingly restored and acquired UNESCO heritage status. We had booked an apartment almost on the main square - only to discover that there was due to be fully-fledged rock concert that night!!
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| Zamosc Old Town viewed from the Cathedral Bell Tower |
New experience for us both that evening in the. Ian square; the warm up acts included Polish heavy metal, and the main act Harlem were a very mediocre Polish rock group - but quite civilised sat in a cafe with beers and pierogi watching the fun!
Weds 2 May
A slow start after the late night. We had a 3 hour + drive to Bielowieza, but decided to add in a detour - first to have coffee in Chelm’s quiet square and admire the cathedral from the bell tower
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| Chelm Cathedral |
And then to visit the concentration camp on the edge of Lublin, having missed out Auschwitz when we were in Krakow. Mjdanek Camp is on the edge of the city, and unlike most other camps, the Nazis made no effort to conceal this vast extermination camp. There are several excellent exhibitions detailing the appalling stories of what occurred here during WWII, and two memorial monuments. It was not a pleasant two hours, but well worth the visit to understand the physical scale of the gruesome programme.
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| Monument of Fight & Martyrdom: Majdanek Camp |
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| Memorial for the massacre of 18,400 Jews on 3 Nov, 1943 |
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