The village is the site of St. Michael's Archangel Catholic Church, built in the beginning of 16th century. This is one of the six Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland, on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 2003.


Zdynia () is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Uście Gorlickie, within Gorlice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland, close to the border with Slovakia. It lies approximately east of Uście Gorlickie, south-east of Gorlice, and south-east of the regional capital Kraków.


The village has a population of 220. Zdynia is the site of an of Lemko culture. The village is located between mountains of Beskid Niski on the way of walking and cycle paths. It is also a place of one of the largest in Poland motorcycle gatherings.


Pilzno is a town in Poland, in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in Dębica County. It has 4,943 inhabitants as of 2018. It is located at the junction of important roads – West-East European E40 Highway, and National Road 73 ("Droga Krajowa nr. 73, DK 73") to Jasło, but at the same time, it has no railroad station, even though in 1939 Polish government began construction of the Dębica – Jasło line, via Pilzno. The project was never completed.


Granted Magdeburg rights in 1354 by King Kazimierz Wielki, Pilzno has a rich history. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth it was the capital of a powiat, located in the Sandomierz Voivodeship. Most important historical building is St. John's church, with the famous "Shrine and Painting of Our Lady of Consolation', founded around 1256. It is located near the medieval market square.


During World War I Pilzno was occupied by Russians from September 1914 to May 1915. The Russians were driven away on May 6, 1915, and on November 1, 1918, Pilzno became independent, when local civil servants destroyed Austrian symbols. In 1931, the seat of the county was moved to Ropczyce (later to Dębica), despite protests of residents. Furthermore, when in 1936 Dębica became one of main centers of the Central Industrial Region, Pilzno’s importance was further weakened, and it remained so until now.


Most important point of interest of the town is a local parish church, which traces back to 1256. It was remodelled in 1370 and in 1482, after the Hungarian invasion of 1474. Pilzno also has a Carmelite monastery with a church (15th century), tenement houses in the market square (19th century), and World War I military cemeteries. A number of Polish Chicagoans hail from Pilzno, and in 2004 their organization the 'Pilzno' Society of Chicago "Klub Pilźnian" festively celebrated its 80th anniversary


The Slovak invasion of Poland occurred during Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland in September 1939. The recently-created Slovak Republic joined the attack, and Field Army Bernolák contributed over 50,000 soldiers in three divisions. Since most of the Polish forces were engaged with the German armies, which were more to the north of the southern border, the Slovak invasion met only weak resistance and suffered minimal losses.


On March 14, 1939, the Slovak State was established as a client state of Germany, which initiated the breakup of Czechoslovakia. On November 2, 1938, the south-Slovak part of Czechoslovakia had contained a substantial Hungarian population (Slovakia had been part of the Kingdom of Hungary) was taken by the Royal Hungarian Army as a result of the First Vienna Award on November 2, 1938.


The official political pretext for the Slovak participation in the Polish Campaign was a small disputed area on the Poland-Slovakia border. Poland had appropriated the area on October 1, 1938 after the previous month's Munich Agreement. In addition, some Polish politicians supported Hungary in its effort to include areas that were inhabited mostly by Hungarians.


During secret discussions with the Germans on July 20–21, 1939, the Slovak government agreed to participate in Germany's planned attack on Poland and to allow Germany to use Slovak territory as the staging area for German troops. On August 26, Slovakia mobilised its armed forces and established a new field army, codenamed "Bernolák", with 51,306 soldiers. Additionally, 160,000 reservists were called up, with 115,000 entering service until September 20, 1939.


The Bernolák army group was led by Slovak Defence Minister Ferdinand Čatloš and had its initial headquarters in Spišská Nová Ves, though after September 8 this was moved to Solivar near Prešov. It consisted of:


The group was part of the German Army Group South; was subordinated to the 14th Army, led by Wilhelm List; and contributed to the 14th Army's total of five infantry divisions, three mountain divisions, two panzer divisions and one Luftwaffe division. Bernolák's tasks were to prevent a Polish incursion into Slovakia and to support German troops.


They were oppossed by the Polish Karpaty Army (Carpathian Army), which consisted of mainly of infantry units with some light artillery support and no tanks.


The attack started without a formal declaration of war on September 1, 1939 at 5:00 a.m. The 1st division occupied the village of Javorina and the town of Zakopane and continued toward Nowy Targ to protect the German 2nd Mountain Division from the left. On September 4 and 5, it engaged in fighting with regular Polish Army units. On September 7, the division stopped its advance 30 km inside Polish territory. Later, the division was pulled back, with one battalion remaining until September 29 to occupy Zakopane, Jurgów and Javorina.


The 2nd Division was kept in reserve and participated only in mopping-up operations in which it was supported by the Kalinčiak group. The 3rd Division had to protect 170 km of the Slovak border between Stará Ľubovňa and the border with Hungary. It fought minor skirmishes, and after several days, it moved into Polish territory and ended its advance on September 11.


Two or three Slovak air squadrons (codenamed "Ľalia", Lily) were used for reconnaissance, bombing and close support for German fighters. Two Slovak planes were lost (one to anti-aircraft fire, another to an accidental crash), and one Polish plane was shot down. The total Slovak losses during the campaign were 37 dead, 114 wounded and 11 missing.


All Slovak units were pulled back until the end of September 1939. On October 5, a victorious military parade was held in Poprad. The mobilised units were gradually demobilised, and the Army Group Bernolák was disbanded on October 7.


The Slovak Army took around 1,350 civilian prisoners in Poland. In February 1940, around 1,200 of them were handed to Germans, and some of the remainder to the Soviets. The rest were kept in a Slovak prison camp in Lešť.


All of the disputed territory, whether in Poland from 1920 or only from 1938, was given to Slovakia, which was confirmed by a Slovak parliamentary resolution on December 22, 1939. That arrangement lasted until 20 May 1945, when the border line was returned to its 1920 position. Since the war was started without a formal declaration of war and there were no longer any Polish prisoners of war held by Slovakia, there was no formal peace treaty between Poland and Slovakia.


Buczkowice is a village in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Buczkowice. It lies approximately south of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice.


The village has a population of 4,102.


Szczyrk () is a town in the Beskid Śląski mountains of southern Poland, situated in the valley of the Żylica river. It is part of the Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999), previously being part of the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship (1975–1998). It has a population of 5,734 people (2019).


The town is a popular winter sports centre, with over 60 km of ski runs served by 30 ski lifts. Poland's Winter Olympics athletes train in Szczyrk for events such as skiing and ski jumping.


The two mountain ranges that surround the valley are dominated by the peaks of Skrzyczne at and Klimczok , both of significant interest to tourists since they have commanding views from either peak. Moreover, both peaks are accessible to most people in one day's hike via the tourist routes. Skrzyczne is also accessible via a chairlift.


To the west of Szczyrk is Wisła, a town where the source of the Vistula (Wisła) river can be found (around the Barania Góra mountain).


Brzostek is a town in Dębica County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, south-eastern Poland (historic province of Lesser Poland). It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Brzostek. The town has a population of 2,597 It lies on the Wisłoka river, in the foothills of the Carpathians, approximately south of Dębica and west of the regional capital Rzeszów. Brzostek is a local center of education and commerce.


Brzostek gained its Magdeburg rights in 1367, but first documented mentions of the town come from 1123-1125, when a list of possessions of the Benedictine Abbey in Tyniec was created. Among a number of villages specified in the document, there is Brzostek (spelt "Brestek"). For centuries Brzostek remained a small town, frequently destroyed in numerous wars and conflicts. In 1657 the town was burned by the forces of the Transylvanian prince George II Rákóczi, who crossed into Poland earlier in the year.


Following the partitions of Poland in the late 18th century, Brzostek along with most of the region became part of Austria and remained in Austria until World War I (1914–1918). On 18 February 1846 the Galician peasant revolt started in the town (see Jakub Szela), and in the second half of the 19th century, Ignacy Łukasiewicz opened his pharmacy here. In 1934 Brzostek lost its town status, as its population was under 3,000, too small to be officially called a town. Its Jewish population was murdered by the Germans in the Holocaust, Brzostek itself was destroyed during World War II in 65%. It regained the town status on 1 January 2009.


Among points of interest there are 18th and 19th-century houses in the market square, roadside chapels (18th and 19th centuries), a Classicistic church (1818), and World War I military cemeteries.


Bochnia () is a town of 29,992 inhabitants on the river Raba in southern Poland. The town lies approximately in halfway [] between Tarnów (east) and the regional capital Kraków (west). Bochnia is most noted for its salt mine, the oldest functioning in Europe, built in the 13th century, a World Heritage Site. Since Poland's administrative reorganization in 1999, Bochnia has been the administrative capital of Bochnia County in Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Before reorganization it was part of Tarnów Voivodeship.


The area of Bochnia (as for 2002) is . The town is located along national roads 94 and 75. The A4 motorway European route E40 also passes to the north of the town. It also has a rail station. Bochnia is a stop on a strategic West – East line from Kraków to Medyka (former Galician Railway of Archduke Charles Louis).


Bochnia is one of the oldest cities of Lesser Poland. The first known source mentioning the city is a letter of 1198, in which Aymar the Monk, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, confirmed a donation by the local magnate Mikora Gryfit to the monastery of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Miechów. The discovery of major deposits of rock salt at the site of the present mine in 1248 led to the grant of city privileges (Magdeburg rights) on 27 February 1253 by Bolesław V the Chaste. In the original founding document, the German name of the town (Salzberg) is mentioned as well, since many Bochnia's residents were German-speaking settlers from Lower Silesia.


Poland regained independence in 1918, and in the Second Polish Republic, Bochnia belonged to Kraków Voivodeship and was the capital of a county. The town housed a small garrison of the Polish Army, with 3rd Silesian Uhlans Regiment stationed there from 1924.


During the German invasion of Poland, which started World War II, on September 6/7, 1939, Bochnia was defended by several Polish units. The "Einsatzgruppe I" entered the town shortly after to commit various crimes against the population. One of the first mass executions in occupied Poland took place in the town: the Germans shot 52 Poles as a reprisal for killing two German police officers.


In April 1943, Polish wartime hero Witold Pilecki hid there after his escape from the Auschwitz concentration camp. In 1944, the 12th Home Army Infantry Regiment was established in Bochnia. In 1944, during and following the Warsaw Uprising, the Germans carried out deportations of Varsovians from the Dulag 121 camp in Pruszków, where they were initially imprisoned, to Bochnia. Those Poles were mainly old people, ill people and women with children.


The Jewish family of Tiders expelled from Zaborowo in 1940 were murdered in Brześć with children except for their oldest son, 24-year-old Mendel Tider, who paved the road to Tamowo on German orders at the time of the killings. He escaped to Bochnia where he met Józef Langdorf from his neighbourhood. Together, they escaped back to Zaborowo and found refuge at the farm of the Mika family of six. Both survived, treated like relatives and fed for free until liberation. In 2000 the three members of the Mika family were bestowed the titles of the Righteous thanks to Mrs Langdorf from Israel. Stefan Mika was 73, and living in Kraków; the other two, father and mother, were already dead for several decades.


Although Poland was liberated from Germany, it fell to the Soviet sphere of influence, and the Soviets installed a communist regime, which remained in power until the 1980s. The Polish anti-communist resistance movement was active in Bochnia. In the following decades, Bochnia grew larger, with several villages incorporated into the town, mostly in the 1970s. From 1975 to 1998, Bochnia belonged to the Tarnów Voivodeship, and in 1984, a by-pass of the European route E40 was completed, redirecting the traffic from congested center of the town.


The Bochnia Salt Mine (Polish: "kopalnia soli w Bochni") is one of the oldest salt mines in the world and the oldest one in Poland and Europe. The mine was established between the 12th and 13th centuries after salt was discovered in Bochnia. The mines measure in length and in depth at 16 different levels. Deserted chambers, shafts and passages form a so-called underground town, which is now open to sightseers. The largest of the preserved chambers has been converted into a sanatorium.


Bochnia Academy of Economics ("Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomiczna w Bochni") is a privately owned collegiate-level institution of higher education in the city, founded in 2000. It grants bachelor's degrees (licencjat) in two fields of knowledge - Finance and Accounting, and Economics.


The local football club is . It competes in the lower leagues.


Sucha Beskidzka (before 1961 called only "Sucha") is a town in the "Beskid Żywiecki" mountain range in southern Poland, on the Skawa river. It is the county seat of Sucha County. It has been in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999; previously it was in Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship (1975–1998).


Sucha Beskidzka lies in a basin, between the hills of the Beskids (Beskid Makowski and Beskid Maly), on the Skawa river. In 2002, Sucha had the area of 27,46 km2., with forests occupying 44%. The town is a rail junction, located along two lines – the 97th from Skawina to Żywiec, and the 98th from Sucha Beskidzka to Chabowka. The rail station PKP Sucha Beskidzka, together with a roundhouse was built in the 1880s.


Until 1964, the town was called Sucha. The adjective Beskidzka, added in that year, refers to the Beskidy Mountains.


In the late Middle Ages, the area of Sucha Beskidzka belonged to Duchy of Oświęcim. In the early years of the 15th century, Prince Jan III of Oświęcim initiated a program of settlement of the sparsely populated forested areas in the Beskids. In 1405, a man named Strzala was allowed to found a settlement, which later took on the name Sucha. Most likely, the Strzala family remained owners of the settlement until the late 15th century, when Sucha was transferred into the hands of the Słupski family. In 1554, Stanisław Słupski sold the village to an Italian-born goldsmith from Kraków, Gaspare Castiglione, who changed his name to Kasper Suski. Castiglione initiated the construction of the Sucha Castle.


Lucy Lipiner, then Lusia Mandelbaum, who grew up in Sucha, writes of her fond pre-war memories of Sucha in her book Long Journey Home. But the day after the Germans invaded Poland, Lusia's family and several aunts and uncles fled by horse-drawn cart to the east. They survived the war in Lwow, then under Soviet control, then Siberia, where they were deported, then later Tajikistan where they lived with several other Jewish families. When they returned to Poland after the war, they found all the rest of their family had been murdered.


After the war, the government of People's Republic of Poland again attached Sucha to Kraków Voivodeship. New districts with blocks of flats were built, new factories were opened. In 1956, for the first time in history, Sucha became the seat of a county, and in 1975, the town became part of Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship. In 1983, the new hospital was completed.


Since the beginning of the 20th century Sucha Beskidzka has been a tourist centre for the Beskidy Mountains (part of the Carpathians). Here several tourist trails begin, which lead into the mountains. First trail was marked in 1906. In the town there are fine examples of old architecture: a Renaissance castle (16th century), named "Little Wawel" after the royal palace in Kraków (now it serves as a hotel with a restaurant), a church with a cloister (17th century) and an old wooden inn, called "Rzym" (literally meaning "Rome"; 18th century).


In the town, there are two higher education schools:


Tymbark is a village in southern Poland, some 80 km south-east of Kraków, population 2,400 (2004 data). It lies approximately west of Limanowa and south-east of the regional capital Kraków.


Tymbark was granted city rights in 1357 by King Casimir III of Poland. The town's original name was "Jodłowa Góra" (literally: "firry mountain"), but as the majority of first burghers came from German lands, the name was soon Germanised as "Tannenberg", which gave origin to the current one, used from about the 16th century. Tymbark lost the city status in 1934; now it is the administrative centre of Gmina Tymbark.


In 1936 the Podhalańska Fruit and Vegetable Cooperative was established in Tymbark, which developed into a successful business. The cooperative was nationalised in 1950, reprivatised in 1995 and now operates as "Tymbark S.A.", producing fruit preserves, drinks and juices.


Tymbark is twinned with Whaley Bridge in England.


Dobczyce is a town in southern Poland, situated since 1999 in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (previously in Kraków Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998). There is a large dam with Lake Dobczyce on the Raba river, and a partially rebuilt 14th-century Dobczyce Castle, with ruins of a 14th-century defensive wall - which is open for tourists. Dobczyce is also the name of a small part of Bobrowniki Małe, a village in Lesser Poland.


Dobczyce received its Magdeburg rights town charter probably in 1310, during the reign of Władysław Łokietek. The town was famous for its castle, where Jan Długosz liked to stay and work on his chronicles. Here, in 1450, Polish astronomer and dean of Kraków Academy Leonard Vitreatoris (Leonhard von Dobschütz) was born. Dobczyce enjoyed several royal privileges, allowing its residents to buy salt from nearby Wieliczka. The town was a local center of cloth and wool making, but the period of prosperity ended during the Swedish invasion of Poland (1655–1660). After the Partitions of Poland, Dobczyce was annexed by the Habsburg Empire, and from 1772 to 1918 belonged to Galicia. On the main square there is a 19th-century parish church.


Zakopane is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Province; since 1999, it has been part of Lesser Poland Voivodeship. its population was 27,266. Zakopane is a centre of Goral culture and is often referred to as "the winter capital of Poland”. It is a popular destination for mountaineering, skiing, and tourism.


Zakopane lies near Poland's border with Slovakia, in a valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill. It can be reached by train or bus from the province capital, Kraków, about two hours away. Zakopane lies 800–1,000 metres above sea level and centres on the intersection of its Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets.


The ski jump on Wielka Krokiew was opened in 1925.


The cable car to Kasprowy Wierch was completed in 1936.


The funicular connected Zakopane and the top of Gubałówka in 1938.


Because of Zakopane's popular ski mountains, the town gained popularity this made the number of tourists increase to about 60,000 people by 1930.


During the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in September 1939, the town was invaded by Germany, and the "Einsatzgruppe I" entered the town on September 4, 1939, to commit various crimes against Poles. In March 1940, representatives of the Soviet NKVD and the Nazi Gestapo met for one week in Zakopane's Villa Tadeusz, to coordinate the pacification of resistance in Poland. Throughout World War II, Zakopane served as an underground staging point between Poland and Hungary.


From 1942 to 1943, 1,000 prisoners from the German Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp were set to work in a stone quarry. In January 1945, the Germans retreated from Zakopane and the German occupation ended.


The Zakopane Style of Architecture is an architectural mode inspired by the regional art of Poland's highland region known as Podhale. Drawing on the motifs and traditions in the buildings of the Carpathian Mountains, the style was pioneered by Stanislaw Witkiewicz and is now considered a core tradition of the Goral people.


The Tatras are a popular destination among hikers, skiers, ski-tourers and climbers.


There is a network of well-marked hiking trails in the Tatras and according to the national park regulations the hikers must stick to them. Most of these trails are overcrowded, especially in the summer season.


The High Tatras offer excellent opportunities for climbing (up to X UIAA grade).


In summer, lightning and snow are both potential hazards for climbers, and the weather can change quickly. Thunderstorms are common in the afternoons. In winter the snow can be up to several meters deep.


In the winter, thousands arrive in Zakopane to ski, especially around Christmas and in February. The most popular skiing areas are Kasprowy Wierch and Gubałówka. There are a number of cross country skiing trails in the forests surrounding the town.


Zakopane hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1929, 1939, and 1962; the winter Universiades in 1956, 1993, and 2001; the biathlon World Championship; several ski jumping world cups; and several Nordic combined, Nordic and Alpine European Cups. It hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1939, the first outside the Alps and the last official world championships prior to World War II.


Zakopane made unsuccessful bids to host the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2011 and 2013 Alpine World Ski Championships.


Zakopane is visited by over 2,500,000 tourists a year. In the winter, Zakopane's tourists are interested in winter sports activities such as skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, snowshoe walks, and Ice skating. During the summer, Tourists come to do activities like hiking, climbing, bike and horse ride the Tatras mountain, there are many trails in the Tatras. Tourists ride quads and dirt bikes that you can rent. Swimming and boat rides on the Dunajec river are popular. Many come to experience Goral culture, which is rich in its unique styles of food, speech, architecture, music, and costume. Zakopane is especially popular during the winter holidays, which are celebrated in traditional style, with dances, decorated horse-pulled sleighs called kuligs and roast lamb.


Popular tourist activity is taking a stroll through the town's most popular street: Krupówki. It is lined with stores, restaurants, carnival rides, and performers.


During the winter and summer seasons, Krupówki Street is crowded with tourists visiting the shops and restaurants. In the summer, a local market along Krupówki Street offers traditional Goral apparel, leather jackets, fur coats, shoes, and purses. Venders also sell foods like the famous "oscypek" smoked sheep cheese, fruit, vegetables, and meats. There are also many stands with Zakopane souvenirs.


Zakopane is popular for nightlife. At night there are always people walking around town checking out the different bars and dance clubs. Most of these bars and dance clubs are located on Krupowki street. These are the bars that are located in Zakopane: Paparazzi, Cafe Piano, Anemone, Anemone, Cafe Antrakt, Literatka, Winoteka Pod Berlami, and Karczma u Ratownikow. These are dance clubs located in Zakopane: Vavaboom, Finlandia Arctic, Genesis, Rockus, Morskie Oko, and Cocomo Go-Go Club.


A scene in Andrzej Wajda's film "Man of Marble" ("Człowiek z marmuru") was filmed in Zakopane, introducing the town to a worldwide audience.


The mountain scenes from the Bollywood film "Fanaa" were filmed around Zakopane.


Zakopane participates in town twinning to foster international links.


Ryglice is a town in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Tarnów County, the seat of the urban-rural gmina Ryglice. It is located about from Tarnów, near the town of Tuchów, and had town privileges in 1824–1934, and from 2001. Between 1975 and 1998, Ryglice administratively belonged to Tarnów Voivodeship. On 30 June 2007, the population of the town was 2,811.


Ryglice is a local road junction, with three roads meeting here. The town does not have a rail station, and the nearest one is located in Tuchów. It has a sports club (KS Ryglice), with men’s football and volleyball departments. Among historic buildings worth visiting is the church from 1940 with antique equipment and a vicarage, palace and a granary all dating back to the 18th century. Recently Ryglice became famous for the controversial "monument of Emigration", which was established at the initiative of the Mayor of Ryglice Bernard Karasiewicz.


During World War II, Ryglice’s Jewish community was murdered by the Germans in the Holocaust. In 1940, the Germans burned a synagogue, and in late 1944/early 1945, most of the village, together with the town hall, three bridges, and 18th century buildings, was burned by the Germans, who retreated on January 17, 1945.


Wadowice () is a city in southern Poland, southwest of Kraków with 19,200 inhabitants (2006), situated on the Skawa river, confluence of Vistula, in the eastern part of Silesian Foothills (Pogórze Śląskie). Wadowice is known for being the birthplace of Karol Wojtyła, later Pope John Paul II.


The administrative division of the region in the times of regional division was complicated. Initially, between 1313/1317 and 1445, Wadowice belonged to the Silesian Duchy of Oświęcim and after 1445 to the Duchy of Zator. In 1482 Władysław I of Zator inherited only half of his father's lands and created a separate Duchy of Wadowice, which lasted until his death in 1493. The following year his brother and successor, Jan V of Zator abdicated. At the same time the land was subject to Bohemian overlordship, which lasted until the following year, when the Duchy was bought by the Kings of Poland and incorporated as a Silesian County. Finally, the county was incorporated into the Kraków Voivodeship of the Lesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown in 1564.


In the 16th–17th centuries Wadowice was a regional centre of crafts and trade. Among the most notable sons of the town was Marcin Wadowita, a theologian, philosopher and a deacon of the Kraków Academy. He was also the founder of a hospital and a basic school in Wadowice. However, several plagues and fires halted the prosperity and the town's growth was eventually halted as well.


In the effect of the First Partition of Poland, Wadowice was annexed by Austria, incorporated into the newly established Kingdom of Galicia, under direct Austrian rule, and renamed "Frauenstadt". The town's growth started soon afterwards, after a road linking Vienna with Lwów was built. The town became a seat of a communal administration and since 1867 – a county site. Small industries were developing slowly during the 19th century. New inhabitants settled in the area, attracted by the industry, new military barracks and various administrative institutions. In addition, a new hospital and a regional court were erected in the town centre. Finally, in the last 25 years of the 19th century partial liberalisation of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy led to creation of various Polish cultural and scientific societies.


After World War I and the dissolution of the monarchy, Wadowice became part of the newly reborn Poland. The seat of a powiat remained in the town and in 1919 the inhabitants of the area formed the 12th Infantry Regiment that took part in the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1920. In 1920 Karol Wojtyła was born in Wadowice (he became the bishop of Kraków, then Pope John Paul II, and was canonised after his death).


After the war, in 1945 Wadowice retained its powiat town status and until 1975 served as a notable centre of commerce and transport in the Kraków Voivodeship. After that the town was transferred to the newly created Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship. After the peaceful transformation of the political and economical system in Poland (in 1989), most of the local industry was found inefficient and went bankrupt. However, the ecological and historical heritage of the area as well as its status as the birthplace of Pope John Paul II led to fast growth of tourism. Currently more than 200,000 people visit Wadowice every year and this number is rising.


Wadowice is today mainly a centre for tourism and sightseeing, but also a place for small industries such as the production of machines and construction materials. There is also the headquarters of the biggest juice-maker of Poland, Maspex, and the shoe producer Badura.


The town's most notable sports club is with football, basketball, volleyball and tennis sections. Founded in 1907, it is one of the oldest sports clubs in the region.


Wieliczka (German: "Groß Salze", Latin: "Magnum Sal") is a historic town in southern Poland, situated within the Kraków metropolitan area in Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999. The town was initially founded in 1290 by Premislaus II of Poland. Nowadays, it is mostly known for the Wieliczka Salt Mine, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, and the historic old town core which was listed as one of National Polish Monuments in 1994. The population in 2019 was estimated at 23,395.


The city of Wieliczka lies in the south central part of Poland, within the Małopolska (Lesser Poland) province. The city is located to the southeast of Kraków and not far from the town of Niepolomice. The Wieliczka Salt Mine – one of the world's oldest operating salt mines, has been established on significant salt deposits which are also present in nearby Bochnia.


The town lies in a valley between two ridges that stretch from west to east: south Wieliczka foothills, north Bogucice sands, including the Wieliczka-Gdów Upland. The south ridge is higher, while the northern ridge leads to national road 94. Near the town lies the A4 highway (E40 European route), which connects Kraków with Poland's south western and south eastern regions. Despite the small area, the city's relative altitude accounts for more than 137 –m–: the highest mountain reaches 361,8 metres above the sea, and the lowest point lies at an altitude of 224 metres above sea level.


Wieliczka, as well as the nearby village of Lednica Górna are among the last places in Poland where the Easter tradition of Siuda Baba is still practised.


The first settlers were probably from the Celtic tribes. In later years they were driven out by the West Slavic or Lechitic clans. The importance of mining deposits arose after the capital of Poland was moved from Gniezno to Kraków by Casimir I the Restorer in the 11th century. However, further development of the mining practices was abruptly halted by the Mongol invasion, which destroyed Kraków and its surroundings in the 13th century. The area was subsequently populated with migrating Germans, who called the settlement "Gross Salz" (English: Grand/Great Salt) and from which the old Polish name "Wielka Sól" was derived. With time, the name evolved into Wieliczka, although the name Wielka Sól remained in official use, particularly in royal seals and documents.


After the 1252 discovery of large salt and potassium deposits across southern Poland, the extraction of salt began on a much broader scale. In the year 1289, Henryk IV Probus, then Lord of Kraków, issued a document authorising brothers Jescho and Isenbold to expand the town. Duke and future king Premislaus II granted Wieliczka town privileges in 1290.


In 1651, the population of Wieliczka was decimated by a plague. In the years 1655–1660, at the time of the Swedish Deluge, the city was in economic decline. The mine was plundered and burned by the Swedes and Swedish troops guarded the mine and the taxes were raised upon the locals. Gabriel Wojniłłowicz along with Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski proceeded to organize approximately 3,000 people which took part in the liberation of Wieliczka, Bochnia and Wiśnicz. The battle took place in Kamionna, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, where the Poles emerged victorious.


After the first partition of Poland in 1772, Wieliczka became part of the Austrian-led Habsburg Monarchy. In 1809, Wieliczka was incorporated into the Duchy of Warsaw; the Habsburgs regained the city after the fall of the Duchy and its partition by the Congress of Vienna. The town then became part of the semi-autonomous province of Galicia. Under the multicultural Austrian Empire, many German, Hungarian, Croatian and Transylvanian miners settled in Wieliczka, thus changing the ethnic composition of the city. After the outbreak of the Kraków uprising in 1846, the rebellious miners seized power at the salt mines. With progressing industrialization, the town developed into a small city, which was now renowned for its salt production and output throughout the Empire.


Only by the end of the 19th century, the Galician authorities began investing in public housing. However, the city expanded with private investments, wealthy entrepreneurs built mining colonies (organized settlements for families of mine workers) and power plants (supplied electricity not only to the mine, but also to the town).


In the inter-war period, Wieliczka's total population increased which encouraged territorial expansion; local villages were incorporated into town borders and new residential districts were erected in the 1920s to meet the demands of the growing population. However, the town also witnessed the 1933 miners' strike, which took place due to the reduction of wages by 13%.


On 21 January 1945, the Soviet Red Army liberated Wieliczka from the Nazis. During the fighting, 138 Soviet soldiers were killed.


In 1994, the city was listed in the Register of Historic Monuments of Poland.


Zakliczyn is a town in Tarnów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with a population of 1,558 (2006). Zakliczyn lies on the right bank of the Dunajec river, surrounded by wooded hills above sea level. Zakliczyn has a town hall, located in a spacious market square, one of the largest in the province, at . The town was originally called "Opatkowice". Its name was changed in 1558, in honour of the village of Zakliczyn, Myślenice County, which was ancient seat of the Jordan family.


From 1744 to 1886 Zakliczyn belonged to the Lanckoroński family. In 1772 (see Partitions of Poland), the town was annexed by the Austrian Empire. Until 1918 it lay within Galicia. In the early 19th century, a new town hall was erected. In early 1846, it was the scene of a peasant revolt when local farmworkers attacked members of Polish nobility (see Galician slaughter), murdering many of them. In 1867, the population of Zakliczyn numbered 1,415.


During World War I, the town was destroyed after heavy Austrian - Russian fighting, several military cemeteries from that era still exist in surrounding villages. In the Second Polish Republic the situation did not improve, and to make matters worse, Zakliczyn suffered widespread destruction in the 1934 flood in Poland. Finally, in 1934 it was stripped of its town charter and was reduced to village status.


In 1939 the population of Zakliczyn reached 2,000 of whom 50% were Jews. This led during World War II to the establishment of a Jewish ghetto when the Nazis overran Poland and Jewish citizens were brought in from neighbouring municipalities to Zakliczyn before being transported to Belzec extermination camp. Almost all of Zakliczyn's Jews perished in the Holocaust. The German occupiers also burned down several neighbouring villages, killing around 500 of Zakliczyn's Polish catholic residents. Wehrmacht units finally retreated on January 17, 1945 with the arrival of Soviet troops.


In 2008, Zakliczyn was one of 19 villages in Europe (Germany, Poland, Italy and Spain) featured in the Spanish documentary film "Pueblos de Europa" ("Villages of Europe"), produced by Juan Frutos.


Closest airport: Kraków, closest railway station: Tarnów. Regular bus services take residents to Kraków (90mins by coach) Bochnia, Brzesko, Tarnów (40mins) & Nowy Sącz (30mins) as well as many small villages in between.


Zakliczyn is home to a sport club "Dunajec", founded in 1973.


Nowy Targ (, , , "Naymarkt," Goral: "Miasto/Nowý Targ") is a town in southern Poland with 34,000 inhabitants (2006). It is the capital of Goralscyzna and the Podhale region within it. The town is situated in a valley beneath the Gorce Mountains featuring Gorce National Park established in 1981, at the confluence of rivers Biały and Czarny Dunajec. Administratively, it is in Nowy Targ County in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It was previously in Nowy Sącz Voivodeship (1975–1998).


Nowy Targ is located in the heart of (Goral;"Gorolscýzna," Polish;"Goralscyzna") at the altitude of 585–850 m above sea level (AMSL); latitude 49°28' N, longitude 20°01' E. Distance to the main urban agglomerations in Poland is: Warsaw – , Łódź – , Kraków – , Gdańsk – , Wrocław – , Katowice – , Kielce – , Rzeszów – , Szczecin – , Białystok - , Poznań – , Częstochowa – , Słupsk – .


According to the Köppen climate classification, Nowy Targ straddles the border of the Warm Summer Continental (Dfb) and Subarctic (Dfc) climates, with most of the city falling in the Dfb group. The Dfc climate is only found above of elevation within Nowy Targ.


Wooden church overseeing the city cemetery. Its origins date to the 15th century, although local legends describe it as founded in 1219.


Initially built in a gothic style, it was later repaired and rebuilt featuring, among others, a baroque altar piece and paintings, a rococo pulpit, and 18th-century organ and bell tower.


Dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, the church was built in 1346 by King Casimir the Great. It is the oldest existing church of the Podhale region.


The church has been damaged by numerous fires and military attacks, and subsequently rebuilt and renovated. The interior retains its baroque character, especially in the altar and side chapels, although numerous pieces are replicas of wooden originals lost to fire. A painting of St. Catherine from 1892 dominates the main altar.


Owczary (, "Rykhval’d") is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sękowa, within Gorlice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland, close to the border with Slovakia. It lies approximately south-west of Sękowa, south of Gorlice, and south-east of the regional capital Kraków.


In Owczary is buried the Polish resistance fighter, Maria Kotarba .


Limanowa (, "Liminuv") is a small town in southern Poland, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is the capital of Limanowa County and had a population of 15,132 in 2012.


Mentions of the town date back to 1496, when it was documented as Ilmanowa, a rural estate that belonged to members of the szlachta. In 1520, ownership of the estate was passed from the Słupski family to Achacy Jordan, who subsequently established a judiciary.


Limanowa became a township in 1565, after being granted city rights by King Sigismund II Augustus. The residents were not required to pay taxes to the Crown for a period of thirty years, throughout which the town rapidly developed. However, its economic strength declined due to the plague, and destruction caused by the Swedish invasion of 1655.


While the town was constantly damaged by fire because of its wooden buildings, much of its infrastructure was destroyed by the fire of 1759. It was not until the Polish Partitions, and Limanowa's incorporation into the Austrian province of Galicia, that it was rebuilt. The town began to flourish as a trading hub, hosting over eighteen markets per year.


During World War I, Limanowa was located at the Eastern Front. In the early months of the war, it was the site of the Battle of Limanowa between December 1 and December 9, 1914 in which the Austro-Hungarian Army repelled a Russian breakthrough southwestwards between Limanowa and Kraków.


The Second World War saw invasion by German soldiers, and the establishment of a ghetto in Limanowa. The town suffered heavy casualties as a result of the occupation; 472 people were shot as hostages and conspiracy participants, 123 as concentration camp prisoners, 91 people died in the Third Reich, 47 died fighting in the war, and 3,053 people from Limanowa's Jewish population were murdered, including the family of U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.


Moszczenica is a village in Gorlice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Moszczenica. It lies approximately north-west of Gorlice and south-east of the regional capital Kraków.


The village has a population of 4,706.


Biecz () () is a town and municipality in southeastern Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Gorlice County. It is in the Carpathian Mountains, in the Doły Jasielsko-Sanockie, by the Ropa River. Due to its rich history, it is often referred to as "little Kraków" or the "pearl of the Carpathians." The many preserved medieval city walls and buildings have also given rise to the nickname "Polish Carcassonne" for both Biecz and the town of Szydłów.


By the mid-16th century, the city was one of the largest in Poland. Being a royal city, Biecz enjoyed an economic and social Renaissance during the 14th and 15th centuries which tapered off into a gradual decline starting during the 17th century. Today, it is a small town with a number of historical monuments.


The earliest mentions in historical sources give the name of the town as Beyech, Begech, Begecz, Begesz, Beyecz, Beecz, Beycz, Byecz and Beiech. This allows to establish that the original form of the name was "Biejecz", apparently a regular possessive adjective derived from the diminutive personal name "Biejek" (not attested, but easily reconstructable from "Biejecz" and perhaps "Biejków"). The age of the town makes further derivation from "Bieniedzikt" improbable, leading linguists to hypothesize that the ultimate source is "Biezdziad" or other Old Slavic name beginning in "Bie-". In the 13th century, the nominative stem was levelled to the oblique stem "Biejcz-" (e.g. Loc. "w Biejczu" "in Biejecz"), giving "Biejcz" without stem alternations (attested as late as the 17th century) and then the current form, "Biecz".


Apart from that, there are a plethora of other theories, including obvious folk etymologies, linking the name e.g. to a Carpathian tribe called "Biessi", mentioned by Ptolemy; a legendary bandit called Becz; the Beskids; and a west and south-west Slavic dialectal word meaning "borough", attested e.g. as "Beč/Беч" in Serbo-Croatian, borrowed into Romani ("Bech") and Hungarian ("Bécs").


The Biecz coat of arms depicts Saints Peter and Paul on a field of red. St. Paul, on the right, holds a sword, while St. Peter holds the Keys of Heaven. Between them is the capital letter B, a reference to the city name.


The coat of arms dates back to the 16th century, when official seals depicting the images of Saints Peter and Paul and the letter B first appeared. The seals were used with more regularity during the 17th and 18th centuries. On 12 July 1990, the Municipal Council officially adopted the use of the coat of arms.


The area of Biecz has been settled periodically since the Neolithic period, though the first mentions of a named settlement date back to the 11th century. This early medieval town was approximately from the modern one. By the 12th century, the town had become a castellany, and by the mid-14th century, it had been granted rights based on Magdeburg Law.


Biecz enjoyed a cultural and economic renaissance during the 14th and 15th centuries. Beginning in the 17th century, the town was beset by a number of natural disasters, including flooding, fires, and a plague which killed all but 30 inhabitants. The town suffered heavy population losses during World War II, including a public massacre of 200 local Jews in the market square in 1942.


A castle was erected as early as the 9th century, a small settlement quickly developing around its perimeter. This early castle was demolished by King Casimir IV Jagiellon in the 13th century and replaced with a much larger structure, now one of three surviving castles in the area. Biecz is first referenced by name in church documents written by Thietmar of Merseburg c. 1012–1018. In 1184, Casimir II the Just gave the land as tithes to St. Florian of Kraków. Documents dating to 1243 and 1257 make reference to specific castellans: Nicolaus de Beycz and Bronisius de Begech.


The castle was a strategic military stronghold due to its location near the Polish border. It served as a preparation area for attacks on enemy states and a rallying point for forces resisting invasion. The stronghold also served as a center for trade due to its position at the crossroads between east–west and north–south trade routes between Red Ruthenia and Hungary.


Biecz was granted its Magdeburg rights around the year 1257 CE, probably by Prince Bolesław V the Chaste of Kraków. The exact year is unknown, as the royal edict granting these rights has not been preserved. These rights were confirmed by King Casimir III the Great in 1363, and then later by Queen Jadwiga. Trade relations with Bardejov across the Carpathians were also formalized during the 14th century.


During the late 13th century, King Wenceslaus II gifted the town to Jan Muskata, bishop of Kraków, in exchange for the territory where he would later found Nowy Sącz. According to contemporary documents, the transfer of power occurred on 24 March 1303 in Prague.


During the fall of 1306, ownership of the town and castle were peacefully transferred to the control of Władysław I the Elbow-high. From this point forward, the town and municipality were under the control of the Polish crown. Władysław I based his campaign to unify Poland from the castle of Biecz from September 1311 to April 1312. Due to the importance granted to the city during this period, Biecz was initially considered the capital city of Poland.


Initially the town was protected by earthworks and ditches. Walls were first constructed during the 14th century, as evidenced by a royal edict issued by King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila) in 1399 ordering all able-bodied men to assist in the expansion and repair of the city walls. The walls were extended in the 16th century and again in the 17th, when seventeen towers were constructed to aid in the fortification and protection of the town.


King Casimir III the Great took great interest in the city. In 1361 he gave orders for the construction of weighing scales and textile mills, and established a number of fairs, which were major sources of income. In addition, he granted all Biecz business an exemption from taxation and tariffs, as well as economic benefit from surrounding villages.


Biecz flourished under Jagiellonian rule. The crown's encouragement of growth and trade, as well as the town's favorable location, were major influences on Biecz's rapid growth during this period. Under the rule of King Casimir IV Jagiellon, the town built its first municipal water supply. Inhabitants were also granted a number of privileges, such as relief from duties on various imported commodities. Additionally, merchants entering Polish territory were required to pass through Biecz, wherein taxes and other import tariffs were levied. This practice was established by Louis I of Hungary in 1372 along the Hungarian-Red Ruthenian trade route.


Economic development prompted rapid population growth. By the end of the 14th century, Biecz had become one of the largest cities in all of Poland, with a population of over 3,000 in the city and its suburbs.


As a castellany, Biecz was not only entrusted with defensive responsibilities, but also served as judicial, administrative, and economic center for southern part of Kraków Voivodeship. After a lull in economic and population growth in the latter half of the 14th century, the judiciary and administration of the region were reorganized. The region of Kraków, or Kraków Voivodeship was established, and was further split into six powiats (districts), one of which was the large district of Biecz. Biecz was then designated a judicial center, and was home to two different court systems. Kraków, Nowy Sącz, and Biecz were the locations of the high courts that dealt with the enforcement of the Magdeburg laws as established in 1374 by the Privilege of Košice.


Little is known about the establishment of the Biecz "starostwo" during the late 14th century. Nothing is known about the first recorded starosta but his name: Drago. The "starostwo" were Crown lands administered by the "starosta", and established mainly for economic purposes as the Crown considered revenues generated by these administrative regions a significant source of income. The Biecz "starostwo" had a strong economic base; by 1581 it encompassed 23 villages and Crown-operated "folwarks". Until 1641 the "starosta" had an office in the Franciscan monastery; after 1641 his office was moved to a designated administrative building.


In 1624, the reformed Franciscan order arrived in Biecz from Zakliczyn, where a substantial reformation had recently occurred under the guidance of Friar Hipolit Łowicjan and Father Piotr Zielonacki. In 1651 the Franciscan monastery was moved from its original location on the Ropa River to a new location closer to the city center.


Numerous public and private buildings were built during the 15th and 16th centuries. On 25 July 1395, Queen Jadwiga issued building orders for the "Szpital św. Ducha" (Hospital of the Holy Ghost). The writ appropriated a nearby folwark, several fish ponds, and the remnants of a plaza that had been destroyed by fire in 1388. Funded entirely by tax revenue, the hospital's budget was the largest in the country.


Over the years, many churches have been located in Biecz, the most ever being seven within the city limits. The most prominent of these is Corpus Christi Church ("Kościół Bożego Ciała"). The oldest surviving structures date back to 1480, but the register of monuments of the Kingdom of Poland show that construction had already begun by 1326. The main nave was constructed during the 15th century and completed by 1519. The side chapels were built between 1521 and 1560, and the main altar was added in 1604.


Another important monument constructed during this period is City Hall. The original bell tower was constructed in 1569, and the rest of the structure was built between 1569 and 1580. The structure was built with funds donated by Marcin Kromer. Once construction on the tower was completed, the tradition of trumpeting the hejnał was begun. The hejnał was played every morning, noon, and evening, coinciding with the closing of the city gates, as well as in times of emergency.


In 1523, the "Dom Barianów-Rokickich" was built. The building was owned by Marcin Kromer and served as a pharmacy until the 17th century. Other important period buildings include the 1519 Kromer House, which never actually had anything to do with Marcin Kromer, and the Castle, built in the first half of the 16th century.


Biecz was a royal city, and the center of local administrative, judicial, and military authority from the 12th century until 1783. In the 17th century, the district of Biecz encompassed eleven cities and 264 villages, as well as three castles, the royal court, and several royal residences. Kings from both the Piast and Jagiellon dynasties made use of these royal residences. The royal residences remained in use by Polish monarchs until John II Casimir Vasa, who passed through the city while on his campaign to drive the Swedes from Poland.


The castle served as a center of economic exchange for many centuries, mainly due to its favorable location at the intersection of north–south and east–west trade routes.


In 1505, Alexander Jagiellon strengthened trade relations with Hungary. As a result, the majority of Hungarian exports to Polish territories and beyond were sent through Biecz. These goods include iron, copper, lead, salt, wool, and large quantities of Hungarian wine. Initially this wine was a poor trade good, as the liquor was so expensive that only the magnates could afford to buy it. Over time, however, it became a more common drink, and increasing quantities were exported. On 17 January 1618, the wine cellars built by Casimir the Great had a stock of 331 barrels of Hungarian wine.


As the major defensive stronghold of the region, Biecz was required to combat manifestations of lawlessness. Marauders would frequently attack trade caravans, their major targets being those carrying large quantities of Hungarian wine. The issue was so widespread that the local sejm designated a special committee to litigate the issue.


As attacks on merchants increased in frequency and severity, the government increased penalties for these types of crimes. The punishment was torture, usually flagellation, followed by execution. Afterwards, the head of the criminal would be mounted on a pole at the city gate to serve as a warning to others. The bodies of highwaymen were, according to tradition, hung from gibbets, which can be seen in the Hogenberg etching above. Though no longer in use, these gibbets can still be seen today.


Biecz executioners also performed executions in nearby villages for a fee. According to financial records, in the year 1450 executioners were sent to the towns of Jasło, Rymanów, Dukla, Dębowiec, Rzeszów, and Wojnicz.


The sheer number of executions enacted gave rise to the popular legend that there existed an executioners' school in Biecz. It is likely that this is the invention of a 19th-century author, as trade schools did not exist during the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, the legend is a popular one, and some historical scholars have even devoted time to study the possibility.


As the population grew, so did the variety of trade goods and handicrafts produced in the city. In the 14th century, there were 30 different types of goods produced in the city, most of which are cloth or canvas goods. Economic prosperity gave rise to a mentality that valued education, which prompted the 1528 opening of a new school building. In the 15th and 16th centuries, 150 Bieczan students studied at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, then still known as "Akademia Krakowska". Most of these students returned to Biecz after completing their studies.


Biecz was home to a number of artists, painters, poets, and writers, including Jan Matejko and Stanisław Wyspiański. The first panoramic painting of Biecz was created in 1617 by Georg Braun and Franz Hogenberg. Another famous depiction is J. Janson's copperplate "Widok ogólny Biecza" ("General view of Biecz"), which appears in "Regni Poloniæ Ducatus Lituaniæ novissima descriptio" (1659). Biecz was also the subject of artworks created by several artists, including Tadeusz Rybkowski, Józef Mehoffer, and Helena Krajewska. Biecz was the subject of Miron Białoszewski's tapestry "Średniowieczny gobelin o Bieczu".


The economic development of Biecz resulted in a population boom. A census conducted by the judiciary from 1388 to 1398 lists the names of 515 heads of households. Taking into account that contemporary families consisted on average of six people, it is believed that Biecz and its suburbs had at least 3,000 residents. By the mid-16th century, Biecz had a population of 3,700, the highest population the city achieved during the Middle Ages. Starting in the 17th century, Biecz went into a decline, its population slipping to approximately 1800 people in the first half of the 17th century, and then to 462 inhabitants in 1662.


Starting in the mid-17th century, the city began to decline due to the stationing of foreign troops, alterations in trade routes, and numerous natural disasters. Further devastation was caused by the Deluge, a series of disastrous wars with Sweden that left the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in ruins. The invading Swedes razed houses, farms, peasant buildings, hospitals, and three wooden churches on the outskirts of the city.


The wine trade, which had sustained the city as trade waned, began to decline. Contemporary record-keeping shows a significant reduction in the stock of wine in the middle of the 17th century. As time went on, the wine trade dwindled further before eventually disappearing completely.


On 4 April 1770, Kierkor, the commander of a troop of 100 cavalry, mounted an attack from Biecz against the Imperial Russian Army in Siepietnica under the command of Iwan Drewicz (Russian: Иван Григорьевич Древич). The cavalry were overwhelmed, and the Russian forces pursued the retreating troops and plundered Biecz.


The golden age of Biecz ended with the partition of Poland, after which the city was under Austrian rule. After the 1783 liquidation of the District of Biecz, the eastern portion of city hall, which was devoted to district administration, was demolished between 1815 and 1840.


By 1787, trade good production had declined such that there remained only eight trade guilds. The most prosperous of the remaining trades was weaving, with approximately thirty workshops. Another surviving craft was shoemaking, with fourteen workshops. The shoemaking profession soon disappeared, however, as industrialization allowed for mass production of much cheaper product.


At the beginning of the 16th century, Biecz was one of the largest Polish cities both in area and population. Beginning in the middle of that century, however, Biecz fell victim to a number of natural disasters which devastated both its population and infrastructure. In 1543, 110 inhabitants died from a plague; a second plague in 1572 claimed 1,500 victims. In 1600 Biecz suffered yet another plague, which struck again in 1622. This plague struck the workshops, nearly wiping out the tradesman population. 52 craftsmen survived. The same occurred in the next plague, which struct in 1652. In 1721, Biecz suffered what is now known as the great plague, which devastated the populace and spared approximately thirty people.


In 1776, the ruling Habsburg dynasty sold the city to the Siemieńscy family, effectively revoking Biecz's status as a royal city. Initially the new administration provided a certain stability. However, in 1783, the city was forced to defend itself against invaders, forcing the administrative and judicial branches of government to shut down. The last Biecz castle still in service as a military stronghold fell to the invaders, who laid siege to the city. Effectively cut off from communication with the rest of the Austrian partition, and severed from the traditional Hungarian trade routes, the city withstood the invasion solely due to the recent renovation and strengthening of the city walls.


Biecz began to recover economically beginning in the late 19th century. During this period, the petrochemical industry began to develop in the vicinity, which contributed to a number of personal fortunes through the years. In 1879, the first oil well was constructed in the Hart neighborhood, northwest of Biecz. Devastated areas were rebuilt and rejuvenated with money from these newly made oil fortunes. One of these nouveau riche, Father Jan Bochniewicz, established a charitable foundation with 50,000 PLN initial capital, a percentage of which was earmarked for distribution among the fifty poorest inhabitants of the city. The foundation survived until 1958.


The economic recovery and the inflow of capital to Biecz contributed positively to improving the quality of life. In 1882, Biecz constructed its first railroad station, and in 1889, its first credit union. Slowly education and culture returned to the city. In 1891 a new parochial school building was constructed, and in 1912 an all-girls school was opened. The 19th century brought with it an increased awareness of the historical value of buildings, and a subsequent increase in the conservation and protection of historic monuments. As a result, Biecz soon became the focus of interest of many art historians, professors, and conservators.


On 12 May 1903, a great fire broke out in Biecz, razing half of the city. According to historical documents, destroyed buildings included twenty Jewish stores, thirty Catholic homes, the tax collector's offices, a pharmacy, the newly built Synagogue, and old city hall. In total, 600 residents were left without homes.


In 1898, the city's public library, named after Tadeusz Kosciuszko, was opened and quickly became a cultural center. The original library was completely destroyed in the fire, but shortly thereafter was rebuilt and stocked with approximately 8,000 volumes.


While World War I had little impact on the city proper, a number combatants who participated in the Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive are buried in cemeteries throughout the municipality.


There are five numbered cemeteries in Biecz wherein soldiers of World War I are buried:


The interwar period heralded new growth in Biecz. A number of societies were founded during this period, including the "Związek Młodzieży Polskiej" Polish Youth Union (1920) and the "Towarzystwo Przyjaciół" Society of Friends (1938). The Society of Friends soon established the Muzeum Ziemi Bieckiej (Museum of Bieczan Lands).


In 1934, the Ropa River flooded, washing away railway embankments and all the houses built on the banks or valleys of the River. The floodwaters rose to unprecedented heights.


The outbreak of World War II abruptly halted all forms of cultural life. The War resulted in significant population losses, as well as the destruction of several buildings and cultural facilities. Many people were resettled in Biecz from towns like Jasło; by 1944 the total population of the city was 5,973 inhabitants.


Nationalist and patriotic feelings were strong, and resistance forces quickly developed during both wars in the forms of National Army recruits and the Bataliony Chłopskie peasant battalions, as well as acts of violence and sabotage.


After the war, Biecz began the process of reconstruction and preservation. The first new buildings constructed were related to education, and included several high schools and vocational schools. In 1949, a new public library was built, and in 1953, a regional museum. During the 1970s, new buildings included hotels, restaurants, cooperatives, a health center, and a public kindergarten. The 1980s saw the construction of 150 single-family homes.


In 1950–1953, the city hall bell tower was renovated and strengthened, and the cupola covered in sheet copper. Later the city embarked on a costly campaign to repair and preserve the outer sgraffito. Numerous preservation projects were ongoing during this period in Corpus Christi Church, such as the preservation of confessionals, altars, statues, and so forth. In 1992, the church gates of Corpus Christi Church were demolished. The gates dated back to the Renaissance.


In 1955, a memorial plaque was placed on the city hall bell tower to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the death of Adam Mickiewicz. During the 1970s, the city built and dedicated a monument to the victims of the world wars. In 1989, a bust of Marcin Kromer and accompanying monument were dedicated on the 400th anniversary of his death.


The 21st century has been marked by numerous restoration and preservation projects. In 2000, renovation work was completed on the 15th-century bell tower. The 14th-century Corpus Christi Church has been the scene of a number of important restoration projects, including the 2004 restoration of the altar of St. Teresa of Avilla, 2002 restoration of the main altar, and 2005 replacement of a number of important structural support beams.


In March 2001, the "Fundacja na Rzecz Szpitala Ubogich im. św. Jadwigi Królowej w Bieczu" was established as part of a campaign to save the Gothic Hospital of the Holy Ghost. Renovation and preservation work had already begun by 2004.


On 21 April 2005, the town government reinstated the tradition of playing the hejnał. Beginning June 2009 of that year, the hejnał was played from the bell tower of town hall.


Biecz was one of the towns to host the seventh annual "Małopolskie Dni Dziedzictwa Kulturowego" (Lesser Poland cultural heritage day) from 20 to 21 May 2006. On 8 June 2006, relics of Queen Jadwiga of Poland, the patron saint of Biecz, were brought to the town for a dedicated exhibition. The relics were processed along a number of city and country roads that the Queen probably walked.


On 1 July 2007, Biecz celebrated the 750-year anniversary of the city's establishment under Magdeburg law. The festival was marked by dance performances, musical exhibitions, theater, and lectures by historical experts.


On 16 October 2008, the Biecz beltway was officially opened.


Biecz lies on the Ropa River, on a pass through the Carpathian Mountains. Up until the 19th century, the River ran through the heart of the city. With the construction of the railroad, however, the river's course was altered so that it ran alongside the city instead.


Despite the relatively small size of the city, there is a significant grade in elevation. The highest point lies at above sea level, while the lowest lies at . Biecz borders Binarowa, Głęboka, Grudna Kępska, Korczyna, Libusza, and Strzeszyn.


In the Biecz and the surrounding area there are a number of oil deposits.


Biecz lies in the South-eastern part of Poland, approximately from the Slovakian border and from the Ukrainian border. The distance from Biecz to the most important Polish cities is: Nowy Sącz - , Tarnów - , Kraków - , Katowice - , Lublin - , Łódź - , Warsaw - , Poznań - , Bydgoszcz - , Gdańsk - , and Szczecin - .


The city lies within the borders of the historical region of Małopolska. Throughout history, the territory was also a part of the region of Kraków. Biecz's importance during his medieval and renaissance heyday resulted in the city receiving administrative control over a significant amount of surrounding territory (Latin: "Terra Biecensis").


The average annual temperature is approximately . The average high in July is , and in January the average low is . The area receives at most of rain per annum. Sheet ice in winter lasts approximately 100 days, and has an average thickness of .


Biecz municipality is split into three formal divisions called "jednostki pomocnicze gminy" (literally, auxiliary municipality units). These divisions are numbered one through three. Each division has a governing council, with an elected chairman. , the chairmen of the divisions were: Władysław Lignar, Renata Kudła, and Ireneusz Zając.


In addition to the formal divisions, Biecz has a number of neighborhoods, each with their own particular history and character. These include:


With a population of approximately 5,000, Biecz ranks as the 44th most populous city in Lesser Poland Voivodeship. As the city prospered and grew, so did the population. In the 14th century, the district of Biecz, including the surrounding villages, had a total population of 522. By the mid-16th century, this number was 3,700, and by the early 17th century had fallen back down to approximately 1,800.


During the first half of the 16th century, Biecz was one of the largest Polish cities both in size and population. The wars with Sweden as well as numerous fires caused the population to begin to decrease. In 1721, a great plague struck Biecz. The thirty survivors built a memorial chapel to St. Michael the Archangel in memory of the victims. Nazi occupation during World War II resulted in significant population losses. A number of smaller villages were resettled into Biecz during this time, resulting, in 1944, in a population of 5,973, the highest recorded population in history.


In recent years, Biecz has slowly begun to decrease in population once more. There exists a migration trend that moves populations from cities to larger cities and abroad, mostly due to high unemployment and lack of higher education institutions. According to census records, in 2007 the city had 4,575 inhabitants, about 73 fewer than in the previous year.


In Biecz there are 107 women for every 100 men. The number of women in an age group is greater than the number of men for all age groups except the following: 5-19, 30–34, and 40–44.


Due to its long, rich history, Biecz is home to a number of culturally and historically significant monuments and buildings. Some of the most important of these include the 14th-century Corpus Christi Church, the 15th-century town hall bell tower, and the 14th-century hospital of the Holy Ghost.


Corpus Christi Church (Polish: "Kościół Bożego Ciała") is Polish Brick Gothic church dating back to the early 14th century. One of the most important churches in Poland, it houses the relics of Queen Jadwiga. The church is built of stone and brick, and decorated with patterns of strongly fired bricks.


The oldest part of the church is the presbytery, which was completed before 1480. This date was inscribed on a support beam, and probably indicates the year in which expansion was begun. According to the monument registry of the Kingdom of Poland, construction first began in 1326. The presbytery entrance is framed by a 15th-century painted screen of the Passion of Jesus Christ. To the sides are 17th-century stalls. A music pulpit that dates back to 1633, and which is the oldest such monument of its kind in Europe, can be found on the altar.


The altar was built in 1604. The altarpiece includes an image of the cross, circled by St. Michael the Archangel. It is one of three such images in the world. Above the painting is a scene showing the fatigue of the Mother of God, painted by Stanislas Stoss, son of Veit Stoss. At the top is the coronation of Mary. To the left of the altar is the 17th-century lesser altar of the Immaculate Conception, which features the family tree of Mary.


On either side of the presbytery are 17th-century, richly carved stalls. To the left is the Oratorium, where, according to legend, St. Jadwiga often prayed. In 2006, a shrine was added to the Oratorium to hold the relics of St. Jadwiga.


The church has eight chapels. Each chapel has a patron and guild dedicated to it. The chapels are:


The main nave was added in 1519, and consists of a huge stone vault supported by eight stone pillars. A hanging pulpit was added in 1604. On the left of the chancel is the altar of Our Lady of the Rosary, alongside sculptures of Piotr Sułowski, Saint Anne, and Mikołaj Ligęza. Near the Kromer and St. Anthony chapels is a memorial plaque to the 400th anniversary of Marcin Kromer's death.


The wooden choir loft was built in 1898 by organmaster Jan Śliwiński. The organ has 22 voices, 2 manual and keyboard foot pedals. The instrument itself was designed by Sławomir Odrzywolski. The choir stalls date back to the Renaissance period.


Alongside the church is a 15th-century bell tower that was initially intended to serve as a defensive tower under the auspices of the butchers guild. The bell dates back to the 14th century. Since World War II, the bell has been on display in the Kromer House museum. The belltower is built alongside the 19th-century chapel of St. Barbara that was built over the ruins of a 15th-century chapel.


The outer walls of the church are decorated with Hungarian-sculpted statues of the Apostles.


The originally Gothic town hall was rebuilt in the 16th century, and served as the center of administrative power for the powiat of Biecz. After the First Partition of Poland, the powiat was dissolved, and the parts of the building dedicated to its administration fell into disuse. In the 19th century, the eastern wing of the hall was demolished. These foundations were discovered during a 1958 archaeological excavation of market square. Today these foundations are marked with commemorative plates.


The old bell tower collapsed from disrepair on 8 May 1569. It was rebuilt from 1569 to 1580 with funds donated by Marcin Kromer. The tower stands at in height, the highest building in the town. The walls are sgraffitoed plaster simulating the appearance of rustication.


Inside hang numerous crests and coats of arms, including that of Marcin Kromer and Adam Mickiewicz. On the east wall is a 16th-century 24-hour clock face. This style of clock is rare, as the 17th century brought with it a switch to 12-hour clock faces.


The bell tower's ornate cap burned in the great city fire on 12 May 1903. During the process of reconstruction, the cap was rebuilt with wooden shingles, which in 1998 were covered with sheet copper. Historically, a trumpeter played the hejnał from this tower when the city gates were opened, morning, noon, and night. This tradition ended with the collapse of the old bell tower, which killed the town trumpeter. In 2005, the tradition was restarted, and today the hejnał is played every day at noon.


The lowest levels of the tower include a dungeon called "Turm". Convicts scratched primitive calendars and other inscriptions into the walls, which are still visible to this day. Today, the dungeons include an exhibition of prison cells, and an exhibition dedicated to medieval torture instruments.


The Hospital of the Holy Spirit (Polish: "Szpital św. Ducha") is the oldest preserved hospital in Poland. The Catholic church first began establishing hospitals in Western Europe during the 8th century. The first Polish hospitals were established during the 13th century, where they were administered by various religious orders. Each hospital had an attached parish and church.


By the late 14th century, Biecz had accumulated a population of over 3,000 residents, necessitating some form of public health service. On 25 July 1395, Queen Jadwiga signed a royal edict ordering the construction of the hospital, granting tax breaks for the duration of construction, and earmarking two fiefs, a folwark, 3 fish ponds, and a town square near the city walls for construction. The budget provided by the queen for construction was one of the largest of its kind in the country.


In the 18th century, the church attached to the hospital was demolished, and in the 19th century, the hospital was renovated. The hospital continued to administer to the poor until 1950, when it was converted into a boys' boarding school. After a new school building had been built, the hospital was abandoned, and began to fall into a state of disrepair. Attempts to restore the buildings began during the 1980s, but were disrupted due to political changes in Poland. Due to difficult economic times from 1991 to 1997, only the walls and roofs have been preserved at present.


The hospital is in the eastern part of the city, and consists of a two-story building measuring . The eastern and western walls are decorated with patterns made from dark, strongly fired bricks. The eastern wall has two entries, while the west has one stone entry that has since been walled over. Above the stone entryway is a stone sculpture of the Polish coat of arms with the date 1487, that was probably moved there from the remnants of the third castle during the 17th century.


The Kromer House (Polish: "Dom Kromera") is a 16th-century building that never actually belonged to Marcin Kromer. Built in 1519, only seven years after Kromer's birth, the building belonged to the wealthy Chodorów family.


Today the building houses a cultural museum that includes a number of important folk artifacts, art, and coins. The oldest exhibits include axeheads and related neolithic artefacts, as well as Roman and Byzantine coins, and medieval ceramics and weaponry. Other exhibits showcase historical weaponry and the day-to-day life of townspeople throughout history.


The city walls date back to the beginnings of the 14th century, when approximately 1,200 meters of walls protected the city. During the course of history, the city's defense systems altered to reflect the changing technologies of war, and today there remain only fragments of the original defenses. These fragments can be seen near Corpus Christi Church and the hospital of the Holy Ghost.


Of the seventeen original towers, only three remain standing:


In 1964, the foundations of one of Poland's best-known barbicans was discovered near Corpus Christi Church.


During the course of history, there existed three separate castles in Biecz. Currently, only the ruins of one of these remain. Of the other two castles, one was built in the current location of the Franciscan church, while the other was located on land owned by the hospital.


Only the foundations remain of the Gothic royal castle on nearby Górze Zamkowej (literally "Castle Mountain"). The castle was built on the foundations of an early medieval gord. Built in the 13th century, the castle was made of fortified stone, and served as field headquarters for Polish kings and princes.


The entire hill was surrounded by a rectangular defensive wall. The northern gate was guarded by a tower, bridge, and gates. The southern wall was protected by the Ropa River.


The castle ceased to be considered an important line of defense during the second half of the 15th century. In 1475, King Casimir IV Jagiellon ordered the castle's demolition. Large pieces of stonework and related ruins were scattered across the nearby countryside as late as the 19th century. Today, all that is visible is the foundation of the castle, which has been preserved for posterity.


There are 3 bus stops and one railway station. There are 4 schools. The main industries are trade, services and tourism. There is one cinema.


Bobowa (, "Bobov") is a small town in Gorlice County, southern Poland. Administratively part of the Lesser Polish Voivodeship, it is situated west of Gorlice and south-east of the regional capital Kraków. It was formerly a village, but was granted town status on 1 January 2009. Bobowa is also located on a railway line running from Tarnów to the border with Slovakia at Leluchów.


It is not known when the village of Bobowa appeared on the map of Poland. It probably was a Slavic gord, destroyed in 1240 (see Mongol invasion of Poland). Bobowa received Magdeburg rights town charter in 1339. By 1346, the town already had a parish church, and Bobowa at that time belonged to the Gryfita family (Gryf coat of arms). In the 1460 register Liber beneficiorum by Jan Długosz, one can find the information of Bobowa’s stone parish church, as well as two smaller, wooden churches. The town still belonged to the Gryfita family, and according to Długosz, it had three owners - Mikołaj, Jan and Gietko Gryfita. Furthermore, Bobowa had a court and wójt, who in 1467 was a man named Jan Lempart.


In the mid-16th-century Bobowa emerged as a local center of the Protestant Reformation, and some time in the early 17th century, the town was purchased by the Jordan family. In 1740 its owner was Stanisław Łętowski. Following the Partitions of Poland, Bobowa in 1772 became part of Austrian province of Galicia, where it remained until late 1918. In 1934, the government of the Second Polish Republic stripped Bobowa of its town charter due to its depopulation. Bobowa regained its town status on January 1, 2009.


The Jews were brought to Bobowa by Michał Jaworski in 1732 in order to improve the town's collapsing economy. A synagogue was erected in 1756 serving the needs of 44 families. In 1900 the Jewish population of Bobowa numbered 749. Before the Holocaust in Poland, the town was home to a "yeshiva", notable as a historic centre of Hasidism, created and led by the tsadik of the Bobov dynasty.


It was also the home of Gen. Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski who became "President of Poland for a day" in 1939. During the Second World War Bobowa became a "concentration village" where the Jews from the surrounding area were imprisoned. The General's brother Kazimierz was the mayor and was able to save at least one Jew. Almost all were finally killed. One of the few survivors, Professor Samuel P. Oliner of Humboldt State University, California, describes these events in his autobiography "Restless Memories". He devoted his academic career to the study of altruism, having himself been rescued by a Polish peasant woman called Balwina.


After the war Grand Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam (1907 – August 2, 2000) re-established the Bobov Hasidic dynasty in America. He was the son of Rabbi Ben Zion Halberstam (1874–1941) of Bobowa, who died in the Holocaust. Initially based in the neighbourhood of Borough Park, Brooklyn, New York, it now has branches in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn; Monsey, New York; Montreal; Toronto; Antwerp; London and Israel and is under the leadership of Rabbi Shlomo's son Rabbi Ben-Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam.


Kozy (German: "Seiffersdorf, Seibersdorf, Kosy (1941–45)"; Wymysorys: "Zajwyśdiüf") is a large village with a population of 12,457 (2013) within Bielsko County, located in the historical and geographical south-west region of Lesser Poland, between Kęty and Bielsko-Biała, and about 65 kilometres south-west of Kraków and south of Katowice. It is the largest village in Poland (by comparison - the population of Opatowiec, the smallest town in Poland, is only 338). The village name translates to 'Goats' in English, and has an area of 26,9 km2.


Since 1 January 1999, following Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998, Kozy has been part of the newly established Silesian Voivodeship (province); between 1975-1998 it was formerly part of the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship. The village is well connected with the nearby city of Bielsko-Biała. It has a railway transport station, and lies on National Road No. 52. Kozy is the centre of the administrative district of Gmina Kozy.


The village settlement was first mentioned in 1326 under two names "Duabuscapris seu Siffridivilla" in Latin, translated as "two goats or goats village", recorded in the parish Peter's Pence list, deanery of Oświęcim, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kraków.


In old Polish the village was known as "Dwyekozy" ("Dwiekozie"); "two goats", and consisted of two settlements - "Upper Kozy" ("Kozy Górne"), and "Lower Kozy" ("Kozy Dolne").


Kozy was historically located on lands held by the Silesian Piast branch of the Polish royal Piast dynasty. The village was in the Duchy of Oświęcim, located in the historic region of Upper Silesia. From 1327 the duchy was part of the Bohemian Crown lands (Kingdom of Bohemia). In 1457 the duchy was sold to the Polish king Casimir IV Jagiellon and returned to the Kingdom of Poland. In the accompanying document issued on 21 February the village was mentioned as "Dwe Kozy". Kozy was a privately owned village, owned by such wealthy noble families as Mikołaj Szłop of Dębowiec during the 15th century and from the early 16th century became part of the House of Saszowski estates.


A few years later, in the First Partitions of Poland (1772), the Duchy of Oświęcim and thus the almost deserted village of Kozy, was annexed by the Habsburg Austrian Empire, as part of the Austrian Partition. Until November 1918, the Duchy of Oświęcim remained part of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria crown-lands of Austria. During the 19th-century, Kozy revived once again as one of the most affluent villages of "Oświęcim Land", famous for its skilled stonemasons, carpenters and loom weaving cloth makers. The 16th-century parish wooden church, was demolished in 1899, paving way for the new neo-Gothic style church. The 16th-century church ceiling murals, however, were preserved and transferred into the collections of the National Museum in Kraków.


According to an Austrian census in 1900, the population of Kozy was 3,693, 403 buildings, and an area of 1,358 hectare (13.58 km2); 3,646 residents were Roman Catholic, 1 Greek-Catholic, 40 Israelite, and 12 residents of other religion. 3,688 declared Polish- and 8 German-speaking, and 6 declared other language. In the Second Polish Republic (1918), the lands of Oświęcim and thus Kozy, were reincorporated into Poland's Kraków Voivodeship at the end of World War I. During World War II, it was a local centre for the Polish resistance Armia Krajowa (Home Army). After the war, Kozy belonged to the administrative district (gmina) of Biała Wieś, and in 1954, it emerged as a separate administrative district Gmina Kozy.


In June 1979, Pope John Paul II's papal visit to Poland encompassed various papal motorcade trails. One such trail planned with the Vatican, was from Kozy to , where Pope John Paul II began his journey from the Church of St. Simon and Jude Tadeusza in Kozy.


Kozy currently has three twin towns and sister cities


Brzyska is a village in Jasło County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Brzyska. It lies approximately north-west of Jasło and south-west of the regional capital Rzeszów.


The village has a population of 1,900.


The Battle of the Vistula River, also known as the Battle of Warsaw, was a Russian victory against the German Empire and Austria-Hungary on the Eastern Front during the First World War.


To face the threat from Silesia, the Russians withdrew men from East Prussia and from the front facing the Austro-Hungarians The geographical barrier that separated the bulk of the opposing armies was the Vistula River. The Russian corps marching north to fill the gap moved along the east bank of the Vistula, which protected their left flanks. The troop movements involved both the Southwest Front commanded by Nikolay Iudovich Ivanov and the Northwest Front under Nikolai Ruzsky. Their movements were poorly coordinated.


To guard the crossings for their Fourth and Ninth Armies, on the west bank of the Vistula the Russians deployed the 75th Reserve Division (Fourth Army) at Radom, as well as the group of General Delsalle, consisting of the Guard Rifle Brigade, 2nd Rifle Brigade and 80th Reserve Division, at Opatów-Klimontów. Both groups were screened by the Cavalry divisions of the Corps Nowikow.


On 28 September German Ninth Army began a meticulously planned advance toward the Vistula River. German XI, Guard and Austro-Hungarian I Corps marched in heavy rain toward Delsalle's group. Because German Army wagons were too heavy for the woeful Polish roads, submerged in several feet of mud, they used light Polish carts hired along with their peasant drivers. As they advanced they improved the roads and bridges so they could support heavy artillery and adjusted the rails to the narrower European gauge. (The Vienna-Warsaw line was already European gauge.) Explosives were cached at road and railway bridges so they could be destroyed if necessary.


On 6 October, Dankl's First Army cavalry had reached Sandomierz, and though the Russians lost 7000 of General Delsalle's infantry killed or taken prisoner near Opatów, the remaining forces had withdrawn across the Vistula. On 7 October, Archduke Joseph Ferdinand's Fourth Army captured Rzeszów, while Svetozar Boroević's Third Army advanced towards Przemyśl. On 11 October, Austro-Hungarian troops captured Jarosław, and 5000 prisoners, but once, again, the Russians were able to withdraw across the San River.


The Austro-Hungarian First Army, which was taking over the German right flank, was unable to defend the crossings over the Vistula. The Germans claimed that they deliberately allowed the Russians to cross, then intending to engulf them. According to the Austro-Hungarians they arrived too late to prevent the crossings. In any event, the Russians were able to bring enough men quickly over the river to force the Austro-Hungarians to retreat to a line ,to the west. According to Max Hoffmann, the third ranking member of Ninth Army Staff, they pulled back without alerting the nearby German units—they escaped only because they were warned by a German telephone operator. In fact the Austro-Hungarians did properly inform their allies


According to Buttar, "Both the German and the Austro-Hungarian commanders attempted to emphasise that they had been forced to retreat because their allies had not delivered what was required. Despite taking an estimated 12,000 Russian prisoners, First Army had lost over 40,000 men, and had failed to eliminate any of the Russian bridgeheads across the Vistula." On 30 October, the Russians reached Łódź.


The Germans calculated that until extensive repairs were finished the furthest the Russians could advance over the devastated countryside was , so they would have some weeks respite before the Russians could invade Silesia, but they had been forced back. They portrayed the withdrawal as a strategic maneuver, and had succeeded in blocking an enemy advance into Germany for weeks, while their army was trying to win on the Western Front. The retreat "… filled the Russian army with confidence in its strength to deal with Germany". Now Russian troops had beaten both Germans and the Austro-Hungarians. But they dissipated their advantage by indecision about their next move and confusion in their administrative arrangements


On 1 November, Hindenburg was given command of all of the German forces on the Eastern Front. Mackensen was promoted as commander of the Ninth Army, the majority of which was deployed by rail to Thorn, so as to threaten the Russian northern flank. Yet, for the Austro-Hungarian forces, in the words of Buttar, "All the gains of the October campaign were to be abandoned, and a new line would be held through the winter, running along the Carpathians and then to Krakow."


Order of battle on 1 October 1914.


Russian North-Western Front. Commander-in-chief – Nikolai Ruzsky


The Cherven Cities or Cherven Grods (, ), often literally translated as Red Cities, Red Forts or Red Boroughs, was a point of dispute between the Kingdom of Poland and Kievan Rus' at the turn of 10th and 11th centuries, with both sides claiming their rights to the land.


Originally, the name "Cherven Cities" probably identified a territory between the Bug and Wieprz rivers. Its name is derived from Czerwień (cf. Proto-Slavic "*čьrvenъ" "red"), a "gord" that existed there, possibly on the site of the present village of Czermno. The first mention of the "Cherven cities" is given by the "Primary Chronicle" (12th century), when Volodymyr the Great captured them from the "Lyakhs" (Poles) in 981.


In early medieval times, whether the Cherven Cities were inhabited by the Early Slavic tribes of Lendians ("Lyakhs") or White Croats, and a territory independent from both Poland and Kievan Rus', is part of a wider ethnographic dispute between Polish and Ukrainian-Russian historians.


Cosmas of Prague (c. 1045 – 1125) relates that the Přemyslid rulers of Bohemia controlled the land of Kraków until 999. In support of Cosmas, the foundation charter of the Archdiocese of Prague (1086) traces the Eastern border of the archdiocese, as established in 973, along the Bug and Styr (or Stryi) rivers. Abraham ben Jacob, who travelled in Eastern Europe in 965, remarks that Boleslaus II of Bohemia ruled the country "stretching from the city of Prague to the city of Kraków".


In the 970s, Mieszko I of Poland took over the region: the "Primary Chronicle" infers this when reporting that Vladimir the Great conquered the Red Cities from the Lyakhs in 981. He took over the Red Ruthenian strongholds in his military campaign on the border with the land of Lendians. Nestor reports in his chronicle that: "Volodymyr marched upon the Lyakhs ("Poles") and took their cities: Peremyshl (Przemyśl), Cherven (Czermno), and other towns".


Lemkivshchyna or Lemkovyna (; /"Lemkovyna"; , "Lemkivshchyna") is a region in Europe that is traditionally inhabited by the Lemko people. While the Lemko are a distinct ethnic group, they consider themselves to be part of the broader Rusyn and/or Ukrainian communities. Lemkovyna mostly stretches along the border between Poland and Slovakia covering some western territories of Ukraine.


The region forms an ethnographic peninsula long and wide from the Ukrainian border within Polish and Slovak territory. The Lemko region occupies the lowest part of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains—most of the Low Beskids, the western part of the Middle Beskyd, and the eastern fringe of the Western Beskyd. It includes the higher elevations of the Carpathians of modern-day Poland, extending to around the Poprad River to the west (see: Ruś Szlachtowska), and extending to the east as far as the region around Sanok, where it meets the Boyko region. The corresponding latitudes of the adjacent highlands of present-day Slovakia are also included by some in the description of Lemko-land.


Previously a frontier area under the nominal control of Great Moravia, Lemkivshchyna became part of Poland in medieval Piast times. It was made part of the Austrian province of Galicia due to the First Partition of Poland in 1772. Parts were briefly independent under the Lemko-Rusyn Republic and Komancza Republic, and later annexed to Poland.


After the deportation of Lemkos from the northern part of this area in 1946, only the southern section, southwest of the Carpathian Mountains, known as the Prešov region in Slovakia, has remained inhabited by Lemkos.


The landscape is typical of medium-height-mountain terrain, with ridges reaching and sometimes . Only small parts of southern Low Beskids and the northern San river region have a low-mountain landscape. A series of mountain passes along the Torysa River and Poprad River—Tylych Pass (), Dukla Pass (), and Łupków Pass ()—facilitate communications between Galician and Transcarpathian Lemkos.


The vernacular architecture of the Carpathians draws on environmental and cultural sources to create unique designs.


Vernacular architecture refers to non-professional, folk architecture, including that of the peasants. In the Carpathian Mountains and the surrounding foothills, wood and clay are the primary traditional building materials.


Because most Ukrainian, Rusyn, and Romanian people are Eastern Christians, their building techniques have traditionally incorporated religious considerations into their buildings that are distinct from their Western Christian and Jewish neighbours.


Firstly, all churches are divided into three parts (the narthex, the nave, and the sanctuary) and include an iconostasis (a wall of icons). The outer shape is often cruciform (cross shaped), but will always include a central dome and often several other domes. Parishioners face east during worship and there are no pews.


The main door and windows of the home face south (as in passive solar design), and icons and other religious paraphernalia are displayed in a special icon corner, usually on the east wall.


East-Central European synagogues are noted for their unique all-wooden design.


Details vary from locale to locale but the majority of homes in this area have traditionally been a single-storey rectangular plan; one or two rooms; a central chimney; a gable, hipped-gable or hipped roof; and plastered and limewashed exteriors.


Materials used were those that could be procured locally, including wood (usually oak), mud, straw, fieldstone, lime, and animal dung. Roofs in densely wooded and hilly areas are typically clad in wooden shakes or shingles, while flatter and more open areas have traditionally used rye straw.


In the late 19th century two types of construction predominated, horizontal log construction, and frame and fill construction. Log walls were common in areas where wood was available. In places with very poor timber or with an extreme timber shortage post and sill or wattle and daub techniques could also be used.


For horizontal log construction, logs needed to be notched in order to hold together. The simple saddle notch is the easiest and therefore common. Dovetailing is used by people with more experience in woodworking.


Many peoples in this area plaster their log homes inside and out to keep out moisture, improve insulation, to hide imperfections in construction, and for general aesthetic value. Traditional plaster is made of clay, water, dung, and straw or chaff. Several coats may be applied to create a smooth finish, and then coated with lime and water to produce a pleasing white colour and protect the clay from the rain.


Thatched roofs are traditional, but have been declining in popularity for over a century because they may pose a fire hazard. Dirt floors are common, and are made hard by washing with a dung mixture, although wooden floors are preferred.


Typically the long wall of a house is between and and the side wall between and . The centre of the home is dominated by a traditional clay oven (Ukrainian: "pich" or "pietz")


Walddeutsche (lit. "Forest Germans" or "Taubdeutsche" - "Deaf Germans"; - "deaf-mutes") is the name for a group of people of mostly German origin, who settled between the 14th and 17th century on the territory of present-day Sanockie Pits, in southeastern Poland. The Walddeutsche peopled migrated to the Pit region which was previously only sparsely inhabited because the land was difficult to farm.


The term "Walddeutsche" – coined by the Polish historians Marcin Bielski, 1531, Szymon Starowolski 1632, Bishop Ignacy Krasicki and Wincenty Pol – also sometimes refers to Germans living between Wisłoka and the San River part of the West Carpathian Plateau and the Central Beskidian Piedmont in Poland.


The Polish term "Głuchoniemcy" is a sort of pun; it means "deaf-mutes", but sounds like "forest Germans": "Niemcy", Polish for "Germans", is derived from "niemy" ("mute", unable to talk comprehensibly, i.e. in the Polish language), and "głuchy" ("deaf", i.e. "unable to communicate") sounds similar to "głusz" meaning "wood".