PRZEMYSL is an ancient fortress city, fought over by Poles, Ukranians (it’s within 20 minutes of the Ukranian border), Russians, Tatars, and Austrians for a thousand years. It’s firmly a Polish medieval city, and it wears its history on its sleeve with pride. We arrived on a rainy, cool day…after a week of unrelenting, blazing sunshine. But it didn’t deter us…OR the massive amounts of tourists, there for the honey fesitval…from enjoying the sights of the rynek and town centre.
The CATHEDRAL is a gothic masterpiece, plain and simple. You can see why kings and princes would fight over it…
PRZEMYSL CASTLE is more tourist trap than historical relic, but it was a wonderful climb up a cobblestone-clad hill in order to get there…and it does come with some nice views of the city.
The GREEK ARCH-CATHEDRAL is a mark of the Ukranian heritage that lingers in the area…and its altar-screen is a glorious work of golden magnificence.
KALWARIA PACLAWSKA
Founded in the 18th century on a small mountain in the Wiar river valley by Andrzej Maksymilian Fredro — Governor of Podolia & Castellan of Lwow (now Lviv, in the Ukraine). With the Franciscan Brothers, he founded the sanctuary in 1679, anchored by the miraculous image of the Mother of God, from Kamianets Podilskyi. The present Baroque church (and for something in the middle of nowhere, it’s JAW-DROPPING) and monastery were built between 1770 and 1775. The entire area is a pilgrim paradise of hiking, altar worshipping, devotions to the miraculous image…and it’s all tied together by the spectacular views of the Carpathian Mountain foothills, separating Poland from the Ukraine.
Ok, I’m away from the net for another 1-3 days, as tomorrow we set out on a massive trip to Krakow and the surrounding area. Until I’m back in front of the computer, pictures in hand…stay tuned.
