Opis produktu

ROUTE NAME: Hiking through pastures in the footsteps of the Vlachs 

ROUTE TYPE: walking trail, active tourism

ROUTE TARGET GROUP: route recommended for mountain hikers

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: route for middle-experienced cyclists

ROUTE:

Ustrzyki Górne – Tarnica (1346 m a.s.l.) – Wołosate – Ustrzyki Górne – Bereżki – Caryńskie – Caryńska pasture (1231 m a.s.l.). – Brzegi Górne – (Wetlina) – Wetlińska pasture (1255 m a.s.l.) – Wetlina

ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

Day 1

It is in Ustrzyki Górne that we begin our hike in Bieszczady in the footsteps of the Vlachs. We start on the red trail through Szeroki Wierch to Tarnica (1346 m a.s.l.) - the highest peak in the Polish Bieszczady, where you can enjoy beautiful landscapes on a clear day. After a moment's rest, we go down the blue trail to the village of Wołosate. The village was founded in 1557 under Vlach law under the name Wołoschatka. For centuries, they were adapting their lives to the conditions created by the highland nature. This resulted in a very specific pastoral culture.  When leaving the trail and getting into the village, it is worth to visit the tree-covered hillock, which hides a cemetery and a place where a Greek-Catholic Orthodox Church used to be. The first church was probably built in the 18th century, while the next, the Boyko style church of the Great Martyr Demetrios, was built in 1837. It was burned along with all the other buildings in the village in 1946. Only the stone foundations remained. Next to the church, there is a cemetery with several tombstones that survived to this day. Today, there are very little traces of the village left: the remains of stone foundations of houses and basements, wild fruit trees, some old, filled in wells. Therefore, when passing through the village, it is worth to pay attention to those remains.  The Hutsul Horse Breeding Centre maintained by the Bieszczady National Park is also located here. Then we follow the blue trail to Ustrzyki Górne where we can find accommodation and rest after such an active day, enjoying regional meals and mountain-style music.

Day 2

We begin our next day on the yellow trail in Bereżki. We visit the non-existent village of Caryńskie, the name of which derives from the Romanian word 'carina', meaning cropland, which got here along with the Vlach shepherds. Its former existence is proved by the landscape itself which still bears visible traces of history in the form of remains of a cemetery, roadside crosses or fruit trees here and there. Just before the war, buildings stretched along 3 kilometres. While here, you must visit the shepherd’s hut where you can buy Vlach cheese. After visiting the valley, we get back on the green trail and then move on to the red trail to get to another pasture on our journey - the Caryńska pasture (1231 m a.s.l.).  Wandering along the ridge we can observe the flora that occurs here. Monk's-rhubarb by a spring means that there was a sheep pen there once. Our hike that day ends in the village of Brzegi Górne, which was founded under Vlach law in 1580. It was mostly inhabited by the Boykos, who dealt mainly with shepherding on the pastures and farming in the valleys. While here, it is worth to visit the place where the Orthodox church and cemetery used to be, just off the trail. Today, there are merely any traces of the former inhabitants and land use. Only the field baulks mark the border of former fields and fruit trees indicate the location of buildings. Currently, there is only one house in the village and seasonal pasture of sheep takes place (from May to mid-October). Facilities associated with shepherding, such as shelters for shepherds and sheep or wooden sheds covered with metal sheet or roofing paper, can be found here.

Day 3

On the last day of our stay, we take the red trail from Berechy Górne above the forest line again. On the way we may observe the Bieszczady landscapes, which have been shaped by the centuries of grazing of cattle driven to the pastures through the forest early in the summer. On the route of such cattle drives, stands of trees were cleared or burned down, creating systems of forest clearings. Such clearings, called "carynki", have been preserved to this day. After about 1.5 hour, we reach the PTTK Mountain Hostel "Chatka Puchatka" (1215 m a.s.l.), where we can sit down and rest for a while. During the further hike we can also stop for a moment at Osadzki Wierch, which is an excellent vantage point. We go down from the Orłowicza Pass to Wetlina taking the yellow trail. However, during the descent, one should pay attention to another clearing below the pasture covered with thick fields of Monk's-rhubarb – a plant indicating that intensive grazing was taking place here. Wetlina is also a village founded under Vlach law. In the village of Wetlina, which we know existed in 1580, there used to be the largest Orthodox church in the Bieszczady Mountains - a five-domed cross-based church. Today, there is a Roman Catholic church in its place. If there is enough time, it is worth to go to the Ostrowskich waterfall.

STAGES, LENGTH AND ESTIMATED TIME OF WALKING: 

Day 1

Ustrzyki Górne - Tarnica [3:15 h; 8.1 km]

Tarnica – Wołosate [1:05 h; 4.3 km]

Wołosate - Ustrzyki Górne [1:30 h; 6 km]

Day 2

Ustrzyki Górne – Caryńskie [1:50 h; 8.2 km]

Caryńskie – Caryńska Pasture [1:45 h; 5.7 km]

Caryńska Pasture – Brzegi Górne [1:00 h; 3.3 km]

Day 3

Brzegi Górne – M. Orłowicza Pass [5:40 h; 14.5 km]

M. Orłowicza Pass – Wetlina [1:10 h; 4.1 km]

DESCRIPTION OF OBJECTS:

TARNICA (1346 m a.s.l.) - the highest peak in the Polish Bieszczady Mountains and Podkarpackie Province, rising on the edge of the pastures, within the so-called gniazdo Tarnicy i Halicza group. The marked trails are open to tourists only from dawn to dusk. In the period from 13 April to 12 November, a ticket must be bought at the information and payment station.

The HUTSUL HORSE BREEDING CENTRE was established in 1994 in Wołosate. Currently, Hutsul horses are grazed in Wołosate on almost 30 hectares of meadows located in the valley of the Wołosaty stream. One of the tasks of the Bieszczady National Park is to protect the cultural heritage of the Carpathians, which is why this breeding centre was established. The Park offers, among others, horseback riding in an indoor riding arena, showing children around on horseback, field riding with an instructor, carriage rides or sleigh rides in winter. The facility is open all year round from 9.00 to 17.00.

CARYŃSKA PASTURE (1297 m a.s.l.) - one of the pastures in the Bieszczady Mountains, a massif located between the Prowcza and Wołosaty valleys, where Brzegi Górne and Ustrzyki Górne are located. The name of the pasture derives from the no longer existing village of Caryńskie, which lay at the foot of the pasture. However, the grazing lands on the pasture also belonged to the villages of Berehy Górne, Bereżki and Ustrzyki Górne. Even in the inter-war period cattle grazing was very intensive here. The Caryńska pasture is under the protection of the Bieszczady National Park.

WETLIŃSKA PASTURE (1228 m a.s.l.) - a massif and pasture in the Western Bieszczady. It is one of the most frequently visited places in the Bieszczady Mountains. The highest parts of the massif consist of the typical Bieszczady pastures. Below 1050 metres there are beech forests, which are best preserved in the valley of Tworylczyk. Vast view of the area stretches from the pastures and the highest situated mountain hostel, "Chatka Puchatka" (1228 m a.s.l.), is located here, right under Hasiakowa Skała.

OSTROWSKICH WATERFALL is located in Wetlina in the part of the village called Stare Sioło. Therefore, it is often called the waterfall in Wetlina or Stare Sioło. It is located on a stream called Słowiański, which flows down from the Orłowicza and Smereka passes, gathering the waters of minor streams. The Słowiański stream flows into the Wetlinka river by the main road through the village. The waterfall itself is located several dozen metres from the mouth of the stream. The waterfall in Wetlina is approximately 5 m high and is probably the highest homogeneous, vertical waterfall in the Bieszczady Mountains.

MONUMENT TO JERZY HARASYMOWICZ – a monument erected on the Wyżna Pass in the Western Bieszczady in October 2000. The monument (a symbolic tomb) consists of two rocks connected by a decorative openwork metal link forming a gate. Two wooden boards were placed on the rocks, which read " JERZY HARASYMOWICZ, POET, 1933 – 1999" and "W GÓRACH JEST WSZYSTKO CO KOCHAM, I WSZYSTKIE WIERSZE SĄ W BUKACH, ZAWSZE KIEDY TAM WRACAM BIORĄ MNIE KLONY ZA WNUKA” (a fragment of a poem by J. Harasymowicz). The monument was designed by Piotr Potoczka of the Cracow University of Technology and made by Florian Szostak, a sculptor from Nowy Żmigród.

EVENTS:

Ustrzyki Górne

May - „Redyk Karpacki", czyli tradycyjny spęd owiec. (EN. "Redyk Karpacki", traditional sheep drive.)

July - "Żmijowisko"

Wetlina

May - "Bieszczadzkie Reggae-Folk” (EN. „Reggae and Folk Music in the Bieszczady Mountains”)

July/August - "Jazz w Starym Siole" (EN. "Jazz in Stare Sioło")  

Lutowiska

August - "Dzień żubra" (EN. “Bison Day”)

Majdan near Cisna

August - "Festiwal Produktów Podkarpackich" (EN. Festival of Sub-Carpathian Products)

Dołżyca near Cisna

August – „Bieszczadzkie Anioły - Festiwal Sztuk Różnych” (EN. „Angels of the Bieszczady Mountains– Festival of Various Arts”)

Cisna

July – Festiwal Natchnieni Bieszczadem (EN. „Inspired by Bieszczad” Festival)

August - Festiwal MAGICZNE BIESZCZADY, Ciśniański Jarmark Turystyczny (EN. Festival of the Magical Bieszczady Mountains, Tourism Fair in Cisna)

WHERE TO STAY AND EAT:

Zajazd Pod Caryńską 

Ustrzyki Górne 1a, 38-713 Ustrzyki Górne 

email: www.carynska.pl 

tel.: 511 311 552

Camping in Brzegi Górne 

38-713 Brzegi Górne 

tel.: 501 387 003

Zajazd Pod Połoniną 

Wetlina 69, 38-608 Wetlina 

email: www.podpolonina.pl 

tel.: 13 468 46 11

Chata Wędrowca 

Wetlina 113, 38-608 Wetlina 

email: www.chatawedrowca.pl 

tel.: 500 225 533

Dodatkowe informacje