Memories of Rzeszow, Kurylowa, Dabrowica and Lancut

My venture outside of Cracow led me first to Rzeszow. I was being met there by a Polish cousin of an American friend. Before she picked me up, I explored some of downtown Rzeszow on my own. The main square is not very big. The city hall tower is there next to a church called "Farny" from the 15th century. Here they are.

The Farny Church is associated with the nuns called "Felicjanek".

 There are many streets off the square with interesting sites. One place is the St. Cross church. It is next to a high school and a museum. 

After I met up with my friend, we visited a few more places. One was the Underground Route below the main square. We went on a tour there. Old cellars from the 14th to the 17th centuries were discovered below the surface. The distance below the current surface ranged from 1/2 meter to 10 meters. The length of the route is 369 meters with 15 corridors and 25 cellars. Of course the cellars were not originally so deep underground. The street level has become higher as people left trash that piled up. In the cellars people stored wine and food. During WWII some people hid down there in the narrow corridors. If they were found, at least they would be face to face with the enemy one person at a time. Some of the cellars had been filled in with concrete in order to support the surface of the main square and its heavy buildings. New corridors have been built to connect some of the cellars. Not all of the route is open to the public. There were displays of items found underground there, including bottles of wine, weapons and tools. The temperature was nice and cool down there. Here is a picture of the entrance ticket. You can see a cellar on it.

Another interesting site was an open area with fountains. This is a ways off the main square. We were not in time for a laser light show there. The fountains spray periodically. Here it is at dusk.

Off now to Kurylowka where my friend's cousins live. It is a small village with no street signs, just house numbers. In the center of town there is a statue (of someone, not sure who). The grandfather in the family told me that spot where the statue is located marked the former border between Poland and Russia. Near the statue there is a small school where Poles and Russians were educated. The Poles were in one side of the building and the Russians in the other side. A mixed population it was in Kurylowka before WWII (of Poles, Russians and Ukrainians).

Here is a photo of a sign marking that we have arrived in Kurylowka.

During my visit in Kurylowka I rode a bike to the village of Ozanna and beyond. Ozanna is a resort in the summer for swimmers, boaters and walkers/bike riders. Along the man-made lake are camping sites and agro-tourist lodgings. The lake looks dirty now. A long time ago I used to swim there with my friend's cousins. Now I would not want to. Here is the lake.

 

I rode further up the road from the lake through forests. On the way back I took an unexpected detour (ie. mistake) to Dabrowica. I am glad I found it. It is even smaller than Kurylowka. One of my friend's cousins teaches in a pre-school in Dabrowica. There are really only 2 sites to see in Dabrowica. One is a small wooden church from the 2nd half of the 19th century. It is now being renovated, so I could not go inside. Here is the outside. I can't wait to see the inside.

The other site is an Eastern Orthodox Church, a reminder of the days when the Russians lived in that area. I think this town was on the Russian side of the border. The gate was locked so I could not go inside. My friends did not know if this is an active church.

You can tell it is Eastern by the writing on the outside of the church and the shape of the tower.

On the bike ride back to Kurylowka I saw a beautiful wooden house in Kurylowa that I had to show you. Most houses in this village are not this pretty or ornate.

The day I left Kurylowka I passed through Lancut, another village (about 30 km from Kurylowka). From here I caught the train back to Cracow. Lancut is known for its park and castle. It is a very nice place to take a walk. Here are some photos in the park.

On the right a hotel.

The "orangerie", a place where orange trees are grown inside (French term).

Across the street from the park is a stable for horse-drawn carriages. I was lucky to see a few guys dragging a buggy out of the building. Here it is.

It is a small buggy!

Lancut is known in the summer for its music courses that take place in the park's castle and surrounding buildings. A friend from Cracow used to teach there. I went there once a while back to watch him teach.

I would recommend a trip to visit these places. Most would have places to stay overnight, except for the tiny places of Kurylowka and Dabrowica. I am lucky enough to know people there with whom I can stay. No hotels there!