ul. Kościuszki 27a
07-100 Węgrów
tel. +48 791 176 604
www.klasztorwegrow.pl
Węgrów is a town on the Masovian-Podlaskie Voivodeships’ border. It was incorporated into the Duchy of Mazovia in the 14th century. Culturally, we can consider Węgrów as a part of Podlaskie, however, administratively it lies in the eastern part of the Masovian Voivodeship.
Podlaskie Voivodeship is a multicultural and multi-religious region. It is the region where people’s identity has been shaped throughout history by both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, and since the Reformation, also by Evangelical churches. Until today, Podlaskie has been considered Poland’s most culturally diverse region.
We can admire in Węgrów architectural monuments that can be considered the pearl of the Polish Baroque, starting with the Post-Reformati church and monastery at Tadeusza Kościuszki Street 27a. The interior of the church, founded by Jan Dobrogost Krasiński, is baroque, decorated with polychromes and frescoes by Michelangelo Palloni from 1706-1711. The main wooden altar dates from around 1690. It is very probable that is was created by Andreas Schlüter. The monastery’s dissolution came in the 19th century. Currently, it is the seat of the parish of Sts. Peter of Alcantara and Anthony of Padua. In the basement of the complex, you can visit the Museum Exhibition Węgrów - the place where cultures and religions meet.
Another town’s monument of baroque architecture is the Minor Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saints: Peter, Paul, Andrew and Catherine. Also that church had been founded by Jan Dobrogost Krasiński and, just like the Post-Reformati church, it was consecrated in 1711. The Basilica in Węgrów, whose construction dates back to 1703-1706, used to have an important place in lives of the town’s inhabitants. At the time, church set the direction or gave meaning to human life. The Basilica was erected on ruins of a Gothic temple, built probably - according to the findings of Mariusz Karpowicz - at the end of the 15th century, thanks to Stanisław of Kosów’s foundation. The Gothic temple had been burnt down by the army of Charles XII aided by the Protestants of Węgrów on April 13, 1703. Tylman of Gamaren designed the temple, while its construction was supervised by Carlo Ceroni. After the works had been completed, Michelangelo Palloni proceeded to decorate the interior of the temple and painted 9 illusionistic frescoes. According to Karpowicz’s analysis, the works had been carried out between July 20, 1706 and June 4, 1709. The fresco “the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary” was painted in the main altar, while in the southern aisle: “Mary’s Teaching,” “Patrons of Poland,” “Patronesses of Poland,” “Purgatory” were painted. In the northern aisle, the artist made frescoes: “The Crucifixion,” “The Baptism of Jesus,” “The Fathers of the Church” and “Triumphant Church.” Karpowicz attributes the iconographic choice to father Jakub Wolski, who, during the consecration of the church, gave a sermon that referred to what should be visible in frescoes. Additionally, this monk issued in 1731 a compendium of knowledge in form of a dictionary about dogmatic disputes between heretics and Catholics, entitled “Alphabetum Dogmaticum”. Based on these presumptions, as well as his historical and theological knowledge, Karpowicz systematized and named individual frescoes.
Węgrów had become a significant center of the Reformation since 1558, so it is no surprise that today we can admire Evangelical churches here. The Holy Trinity Church is the first one and is now the seat of the Evangelical-Augsburg parish. It was built in the classicist style in the years 1836–1841 due to pastor Karol Tetfejler’s initiative. A larch wooden church from 1679 is another Evangelical church in Węgrów. It can be found in the Evangelical cemetery (at the end of Ewangelicka Street). You can see many interesting monuments there, including the tombstones of Scots who used to live in the town; particularly interesting tombstone is the one of Archibald Campbell’s.
It would be impossible to list all the monuments that our town possesses, but Dom Gdański is certainly worth seeing. It is a former baroque inn from the 18th century, situated at the town square. Former Protestant district on Gabriela Narutowicza Street and wooden buildings on Tadeusz Kościuszko Street (also Post-Reformati Complex is located on this street) certainly deserve attention. The oldest wooden houses in the town date back to the 18th century.
Węgrów has also the natural values, like the Liwiec river valley and Bug Landscape Park, one of the largest landscape parks in Poland! 4 km away from Węgrów, at the Liwiec River, in Liw there is a Castle - the only monument of this type on the border between Masovia and Podlasie. Currently, the Ghotic castle complex consists of the remains of tower and defensive walls which were destroyed during the Swedish “deluge” and the Northern War. It comprises also the baroque manor of the Liw starosty, erected in 1782. The building has been also a seat of Museum of Arsenal in Liw Castle since 1963. The museum displays military items from all over the world, from Roman antiquity to 20th-century weapons. The collection includes white firearms, like a large collection of bayonets from 20 countries - polearms, uniforms, armor and helmets. The exhibition of weapons is accompanied by a collection of paintings and graphics: works of, among others, Wojciech and Jerzy Kossak, Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz, Stefano Della Belli, Sarmatian portraits, battle scenes, images of famous leaders. The interior design is complemented by antique furniture and fabrics from the 17th - 19th centuries. While visiting the castle rooms, you can ponder how and why weapons have undergone such a stunning evolution, and reflect on the role of weapons in the history of mankind.
Tourist Information in Węgrów
ul. Rynek Mariacki 11
07-100 Węgrów
tel. +48 25 792 35 66
ul. Bielska 26a
17-111 Boćki
tel. +48 85 731 31 49
From Węgrów, we suggest you visiting the Boćki village in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It would take you about 1h 30 min. by car. In Boćki, Józef Franciszek Sapieha founded a church and a monastery of the Reformati. The construction of the baroque church was completed on September 28, 1739. After the November Uprising, the Reformati had to leave the monastery. The church, which is now the seat of the parish, has survived to this day, the monastery was demolished in 1912. Since 2000, the church has had the status of the Sanctuary of Saint Anthony of Padua. Among other monuments in the village, one should see the Orthodox Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God dating back to the 19th century and built in the classical style. Just like Węgrów, Boćki had been a multicultural and multi-religious village. According to the data from 1921, the town was inhabited by 1,719 people, 744 of whom were Roman Catholic, 239 Orthodox, 11 Evangelical, and 725 Jewish.
During World War II, local Jews were murdered by the Germans in Treblinka. The nineteenth-century mikveh, or bathhouse, is a remnant of the Jewish people. Today, unfortunately, it is ruined. While in Boćki, it is worth going to the bank of the Nurzec River, which crosses the village. The next town on the route is Biała Podlaska. The road to Biała Podlaska runs through Siemiatycze, a place also worth visiting, while taking approx. 10 km to the east of Siemiatycze (approx. 13 minutes by car) we will get to Grabarka - a mountain next to the village of the same name. It is the most important place of religious worship for Orthodox believers in Poland. Since 1947, Orthodox female monastery of St. Marta and Maria has been functioning here. The main temple of Grabarka is the Church of the Transfiguration.
Cultural and Tourist Center
Plac Armii Krajowej 5
17-111 Boćki
tel. +48 85 731 31 42
ul. Narutowicza 37
21-500 Biała Podlaska
tel. +48 83 343 55 69
The journey from Boćki to Biała Podlaska will take you approx. 1h 15 min. by car.
The Reformati were brought to Biała Podlaska (then called Radziwiłłowska) in 1671 by Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł and his wife, Katarzyna Sobieska. The brick baroque church had been erected in the years 1672 - 1684. The monks were forced to leave the monastery in 1867, and the church and monastery had gone through vicissitudes. It functioned as a branch of the parish church of St. Anna; in 1869 - as a Uniate church, and in the years 1875 - 1915 as an Orthodox church. It has served as a Catholic military parish since 1919. The church, devastated during World War II, was subsequently renovated, and in 1965 it passed into the hands of the Capuchins, who, like the Reformati, are a branch of the Franciscan Order. In the years 1967–1976 Fr. Antoni Pacyfik Dydycz held the function of the guardian of the local Capuchin monastery. Later, he became a bishop of Drohiczyn. The monastery was passed over to the Capuchins much later - in 1993. The Post-Reformati buildings are located at Gabriel Narutowicz 37 Street.
While in Biała Podlaska, it is also worth seeing other monuments, starting from the Church of St. Anna, which was built in 1572 as a congregation of Polish brothers. After the Polish brothers had been banished in 1596 by Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł “Orphan”, the church was rebuilt and in 1603 consecrated as the Catholic church of St. Anne. The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is another sacred monument. It was erected in the years 1747 - 1759 by the Radziwiłł foundation as an Orthodox church and monastery of the Basilian Order (Greek Catholic order). This place became the sanctuary of St. Jozafat Kuncewicz, to whom both the faithful of the Roman Catholic faith and Greek Catholics made pilgrimages. The Basilian monastery, similar to the Reformati monks, was dissolved by the tsarist authorities. Currently, the church is the seat of the Roman Catholic parish. In the town, we can also admire the Radziwiłł palace and park complex. There are two Orthodox churches there. The church of Saints Cyril and Methodius is the first one. There is still a small active cemetery established in 1810 as Uniate, since 1870 - as Orthodox. The oldest tombstones date back to the 19th century. The second is the church of Saint Mark. Both churches are the seats of Orthodox parishes.
Tourist information in Biała Podlaska
ul. Plac Wolności 10
21-500 Biała Podlaska
tel. +48 83 341 67 30
www.cit.bialapodlaska.pl
ul. Bernardyńska 15
20-109 Lublin
Now, we leave Biała Podlaska and go to Lublin. The route will be longer this time, the journey by car from Biała Podlaska will take approx. 2 hours.
The Reformati were brought to Lublin in 1660 by Helena, née Prusinowska, Sapieżyna, the castellan of Vilnius, who donated her court and the surrounding areas, which were then located on the outskirts of the city, to foundation. The baroque church of St. Casimir was built in the years 1663–1674. The Reformati monastery in Lublin was closed at the beginning of the 19th century by the decision of the governor of the Kingdom of Poland, Gen. Józef Zajączek. The movable furnishings of the church were transferred to the Reformati Church in Kazimierz Dolny. The monastery buildings and the church were eventually taken over by the state. In 1844 the Post-Reformati buildings were bought by the industrialist Karol Rudolf Vetter, rebuilt and transformed into a brewery. They have remained in this condition to this day, being part of the Perła Brewery buildings at 15 Bernardyńska Street. The body of former monastery buildings and the church, which until 2001 served as a warehouse, is preserved, and inside the building of the former church, fragments of polychrome from the end of the 17th century have survived. Unfortunately, the interior of the former church is not open to the public.
Lublin is a city with rich history and multiplicity of monuments only confirms that. The local Renaissance old town is worth visiting as well. While already in the old town, we can visit the Dominican church. According to one version of events, the act of swearing-in the union of Lublin took place there. From the old town, passing through the Grodzka Gate, we can go to the castle. The very building of the castle, which is now the seat of the Lublin Museum, was erected in the 19th century in the English neo-Gothic style in place, where original castle used to be. Only the 14th-century chapel of the Holy Trinity has been left of the original castle buildings. It is decorated with Ruthenian-Byzantine paintings from the first half of the 15th century, which were funded by King Władysław Jagiełło, and the 13th-century Romanesque castle tower (Donżon), which is one of the oldest buildings in the region of Lublin.
From the side of the castle hill there is a view on the Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord, on Ruska Street, which is now the cathedral of the Orthodox Lublin-Chełm diocese. We also encourage you to take a walk along Krakowskie Przedmieście, where you can see the Capuchin church and monastery, built in the 18th century in the Tuscan Baroque style. Another historic church that you will see from Krakowskie Przedmieście is the Classicist Evangelical-Augsburg Church of the Holy Trinity, built in the 18th century. Currently, it is the seat of the Evangelical-Augsburg parish in Lublin. Reaching the intersection of Krakowskie Przedmieście and Racławickie Avenue, we can turn into Lipowa Street with the oldest cemetery in Lublin, it consists of three parts: Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical. The cemetery was created at the end of the 18th century. In the oldest part of the cemetery there are about a thousand graves from the 19th century. On the Orthodox part there is the Orthodox Church of the Holy Women Carrying Freedom, erected in the years 1902–1903 in the Byzantine-Russian style. It belongs to the Orthodox cathedral parish.
In the Lublin Open Air Village Museum (at Aleja Warszawska) we can admire the Greek Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which come from the village of Tarnoszyn near Tomaszów Lubelski, erected in 1759 in Uhrynów. The church currently belongs to the Greek Catholic (Uniate) parish in Lublin. It is worth knowing that both Latin and Greek Catholic clerics study at the Lublin Metropolitan Seminary.
While in Lublin, you can also see the Mariavite Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (at Paganini 1 Street), currently the seat of the Old Catholic Mariavite parish in Lublin. The church was built in 1906. It is made of brick and its front is in the neo-baroque style. On Lubartowska Street, we can find the Jewish Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva, i.e. the Academy of the Sages of Lublin. A synagogue has been operating in the building again since 2007, and now there is also a hotel. The Jewish Community in Warsaw is the owner of the building. When visiting Lublin, it would be a great loss not to visit architectural monuments, like the main building of the Catholic University of Lublin. The Catholic University of Lublin was founded in 1918, but the main building (on Aleja Racławickie) joins several buildings of various architectural styles. It is an 18th-century Dominican monastery of the Observants, and the academic church is the former church of this monastery. In 1800, the Austrian authorities closed down the monastery and buildings were intended for the army. They were significantly expanded (for example, wings with three-storey arcades were added) and surrounded the courtyard (now the university courtyard). The building had housed the barracks of the Army of the Duchy of Warsaw since 1809. During the period of the Kingdom of Poland (before 1828), a front wing was added to the barracks. After the fall of the November Uprising, the Russian army owned the building. It was subsequently handed over to the University in the 1920s. It had been rebuilt again, and, among others, windows were set in the arcades. In the 1980s, the front building was rebuilt in a modernist style. Currently, it is included in the list of contemporary cultural goods. There is also a university museum in the building.
Tourist information in Lublin
ul. Jezuicka 1/3
20-113 Lublin
tel. +48 81 532 44 12
www.lublintravel.pl
ul. Kolegiacka 3
22-400 Zamość
tel. +48 84 639 22 85
Now, our journey proceeds to Zamość, which is about an hour’s drive away. The town is known as the “pearl of the Renaissance”. The church and monastery of the Reformati Fathers was founded here by Marcin Zamoyski (the fourth ordinate of the Zamość Estate) and Hieronim Żaboklicki, the contemporary warrant officer of Bracław. Church of St. Andrew and the monastery were built in the years 1680-1686. The Reformati monastery was dissolved in the 18th century by the decision of the Austrian authorities - Poland’s annexationist. The church and the monastery had lost their sacred character; instead, they performed various functions (like being a warehouse for the army). After 1815, Zamość became part of the Russian partition, and then the authorities demolished the monastery building. The church had not been restored to its sacred functions until 1926. Since that moment it has been called St. Catherine’s. Currently, it serves as a branch church of the Roman Catholic cathedral parish (it is located in the northern part of the Old Town in Zamość, at Solna Street). While in Zamość, we should also visit the Old Town with its market squares: Great, Solny and Wodny. The Mannerist-Baroque Town Hall stands on the Great Market Square. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful 16th-century squares in Europe. Erected in the 16th century, it received its present form in the 18th century. The characteristic elements of the Town Hall in Zamość are the wide fan-shaped stairs and the 52-meter high tower. The late Renaissance Armenian tenement houses are just as beautiful. All the tenement houses in Zamość, with their characteristic arcades, are a valuable architectural monument. The preserved buildings of the town’s fortress are also interesting. Similarily to the building of the Zamoyski Academy which was erected in the 17th century, and in the years 1752–1765, at the behest of Jan Jakub Zamoyski, was rebuilt in the late Baroque style. The building received its present shape in the mid-nineteenth century. The most interesting religious monuments include the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ and St. Thomas the Apostle, erected as a collegiate church at the end of the 16th century. It has been serving as the cathedral since the establishment of the Roman Catholic diocese of Zamość and Lubaczów in 1992. A remnant of the Jewish people can be found in number of buildings, for example in former synagogue (Zamenhofa 9 Street), which is deemed best preserved late Renaissance synagogue in Poland. Currently, it is the seat of the “Synagogue” Center with the Multimedia Museum of the History of the Jews of Zamość and the Surrounding Area. There is a former kehilla house from the 17th century next to the synagogue. At the same street, number 5, there is a former mikvah, which now functions as a hotel. Among other sacred monuments the ones which are also worth seeing are the Church of St. Nicholas (in the old town), which was a Greek Catholic church of the Basilian Order (since 1706), in the 19th century the Greek Catholic church was transformed into the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and since 1918 it has been a Roman Catholic church; in 1945 the church was taken over by the Redemptorists. Currently, the seat of the Orthodox parish in Zamość is the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker at Mikołaj Boltucia 26 Street. Zamość offers not only monuments, but also great natural values. The town borders directly (to the south-west) with “Hubale” - a reservation with pearled ground squirrels, reintroduced in 2014. The reservation also includes a burial mound containing the burials of people living in this area from the 4th to the 9th century AD. Roztocze National Park and Skierbieszów Landscape Park also lie close to Zamość. The south-eastern part of Zamość coincides with a fragment of the Natura 2000 special bird protection area “Upper Labunka River Valley”, which covers the upper part of the Labunka River catchment, a tributary of the Wieprz River. There are 222 species of birds (113 breeding birds) in this refuge, whereas 3 of the species have refuges within the town.
Tourist information in Zamość
ul. Rynek Wielki 13 (ratusz - parter)
tel. 84 639 22 92
www.zci.zamosc.pl/pl
ul. Jagiellońska 2
37-100 Przemyśl
tel. +48 16 678 57 40
www.ofm-przemysl.pl
Now, we leave Zamość to visit the last place on the map of our route - Przemyśl. The road to this city may take us about 2 hours by car.
The Przemyśl Reformati Foundation was initiated by the order itself. Of course, for a foundation to be brought into effect, a founder had to be found. Fr. Bonawentura was given such a mission. He managed to persuade Piotr Cieciszewski and his wife, Felicja Szczęsna Stadnicka, to donate the property and the house located outside the city walls near the Lwowska Gate to the order. The first foundation, consisting of wooden buildings, was burnt down in a fire in 1637. Then, another founder, Hermolaus Tyrawski, was acquired. This time a brick church and a monastery were erected and consecrated in 1645. The history of Reformati in Przemyśl is completely different than the history of the other foundations which appeared on the route earlier. The Przemyśl monastery was dissolved by the Austrian authorities twice: in 1786 and 1855, but unsuccessfully. On the other hand, the Austrian authorities cut off the monasteries in the Austrian partition from the remaining monasteries, forcing the Reformati to establish a new province in 1785 - Our Lady of Sorrows. In the 19th century, the monastery in Przemyśl was the management center of this province, it was the seat of the provincial and the house of studies. Currently, Franciscans still serve in this parish seat (at Jagiellońska 7 Street).
While in Przemyśl, it is also worth visiting the Casimir Castle (on the Castle Hill), where you can find relics of the pre-Romanesque palace complex.
Przemyśl still remains a multicultural and multi-religious city. It is the seat of three dioceses: the Przemyśl metropolis (Roman Catholic), the Przemyśl-Warsaw metropolis (Greek Catholic) and the Przemyśl-Gorlice metropolis (Orthodox), so here we can find religious monuments of many denominations. We can admire here the Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, whose construction in the Gothic style was started by bishop Mikołaj Błażejowski and the Chapter in 1495. Subsequent reconstructions gave it a baroque character, and in the 19th century the chancel was restored to its Gothic character. It is now a Roman Catholic archcathedral. Another cathedral, this time Greek Catholic, is St. John the Baptist. Originally, it was a Jesuit church built in the 17th century in the Baroque style, and from 1991 a Greek Catholic archcathedral. The Orthodox Church of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God (at Wilczańska 24 Street) is currently an Orthodox co-cathedral. The Evangelical Methodist church from 1910 on Jan Matejko Street) is also monumental. Currently, it is the seat of the Evangelical Methodist parish in Przemyśl. On Słowackiego Street you will find a synagogue (the so-called Scheinbach Synagogue), built in 1910-1918. It had operated (except during World War II) until 1953. Currently, the City Library is located here. It is also worth seeing the Church of the Holy Trinity and the Benedictine nunnery. An interesting monument is the Church of Our Lady of the Scapular and the Monastery of the Nuns of the Discalced Carmelite. The Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, which is administered by the Orthodox Military Ordinariate, comes from 1880. Fortification enthusiasts will find the Przemyśl Fortress Museum here. The facilities of the Fortress are crossed by a hiking trail and the Fortress Bicycle Route. In Przemyśl, we can visit the Museum of Bells and Pipes. This city is the Polish center of pipe production. If we decide to visit museums, we should not miss the National Museum of Przemyśl Land or the Museum of the History of the Przemyśl City. An interesting fact is that Przemyśl also has a ski slope.
Tourist Information in Przemyśl
ul. Grodzka 1
37-700 Przemyśl
tel. +48 16 675 21 63
www.visit.przemysl.pl