Discover Spytkowice

The Beskid ski area and the memorial sites commemorating September 1939 offer two distinct focuses for a trip to Spytkowice. There are also collections on local history and beekeeping, as well as the Gallery of Saint Ambrose. If you’re looking for a hotel in Spytkowice, you can first consider whether winter sports, historical remembrance, or cultural collections will shape your stay.

Beskid ski area: slopes and cross-country skiing

Visitors to the Beskid ski area can use four slopes of easy and intermediate difficulty. There is a separate practice slope for young beginners. It is wide and gentle, and separated from the rest of the ski area; it has an 80-metre-long magic carpet.

The area also offers cross-country trails: they are two to five kilometres long, intended for beginners and advanced skiers, and offer views of Babia Góra. They are groomed when there is sufficient natural snow. The downhill slopes are easy or intermediate; the cross-country trails are intended for beginners and advanced skiers.

Memorial sites and local history

The memorial stone on Gronik commemorates the place where Lieutenant Stefaniszyn lost his life; it is also a site for local patriotic commemorations. The stone can be reached via a path near the cemetery. After the first road junction, a walk of about 700 metres is still required.

The parish cemetery in Spytkowice contains the grave and tomb monument of Lieutenant Tadeusz Stefaniszyn, who fell on 2 September 1939. The battle trail of the 12th Infantry Regiment starts at Primary School No. 2 in Spytkowice Dolne and ends at the cemetery in Spytkowice. It runs through valleys along the Polish defensive line from September 1939. The memorial stone on Gronik, the grave site, and the trail thus represent different forms of remembrance.

An annual observance adds to these sites: on the anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s death, residents of Spytkowice and surrounding places take part in a Way of the Cross. Parish priest Józef Hajnos and the Spytkowice branch of the Związek Podhalan lead the solemn procession.

Collections on history, beekeeping, and art

The Izba Pamięci Narodowej, a memorial dedicated to local history, is located in Primary School No. 1, opposite the church in Spytkowice. It opened in 1971. The items preserved there include the school’s patron’s posthumously awarded Virtuti Militari Cross, photographs, his business card, and sports medals. The collection therefore includes both a military decoration and personal and sporting mementos.

Behind the municipal office is an open-air museum featuring historical beekeeping exhibits. Many of the historic beehives there are more than 150 years old; Józef Różański’s collection of them dates back to 1975. Another collection is the Gallery of Saint Ambrose at Pasieka Pod Lasem. It features more than 100 works of professional, amateur, folk, and children’s art. The two sites therefore offer different cultural focuses: the open-air museum centres on beekeeping, while the gallery showcases a variety of artworks.

Views of mountains and localities

From the Karczma widokowa na stoku in Spytkowice, you can enjoy views of Babia Góra, Spytkowice, Jordanów, and the Tatras at different times of year. Which of these landscapes are visible depends on the weather.

For the broader travel overview: Rabka-Zdrój.