Discover Czarna Woda: History and Nature

Czarna Woda brings together local history, specific cultural sites and distinctive waterway geography. The historic village of Czarna Woda is now one of the streets of Jaworki in the municipality of Szczawnica. Chyża Babci Matrony, the shrine in Masłejakówka and the stream of the same name are important reference points for finding your way around.

Local history and Lemko heritage

Czarna Woda was one of the four settlements that made up Ruś Szlachtowska, the westernmost enclave of Lemko settlements in the Carpathians. The village can therefore be understood both as a distinct historic settlement and as part of a broader regional context. Chyża Babci Matrony brings this history to life in a specific building: it has stood in the village of Czarna Woda since at least the 19th century.

Chyża Babci Matrony: house and collection

Despite ongoing renovation, Chyża Babci Matrony is partially open to visitors, but only by prior arrangement with the owner. Confirm access availability again before your arrival. The collection includes a historic rural building with a cellar and an outhouse, as well as a chapel. It also features old furniture, such as chests and a cradle, household items and religious objects, including pictures and a Ruthenian cross. Other items include authentic Ruthenian costumes, sculptures, photographs and family records. The collection thus brings together the building and its furnishings with religious objects, clothing, and visual and written family records.

Shrine in Masłejakówka

The shrine in Masłejakówka stands at the site where an Orthodox church was planned. It is in the oldest, lower-lying part of Czarna Woda, near the border with Jaworki. These details help locate the shrine within the village and identify it as a distinct landmark in local cultural history.

The Czarna Woda stream

The stream of the same name is 6.99 kilometres long and a right-bank tributary of the Grajcarka. It flows through Czarna Woda and then enters the territory of the village of Jaworki. In the wider landscape of the Beskid Sądecki, it is considered an important landscape feature. The name can thus be understood in two ways: as the name of the historic village and as the name of a watercourse that continues beyond Czarna Woda.

Quest in the surrounding area

Near Czarna Woda, the quest “U źródeł Białej Wody” takes you through the Biała Woda Nature Reserve in the Little Pieniny range. It can be played at any time and introduces the history of areas once inhabited by Lemkos. The starting point is in the centre of Jaworki, in a square at the intersection of Czarna Woda and Pod Homolami streets. The quest is therefore an activity in the surrounding area, while Chyża Babci Matrony and the shrine are located in Czarna Woda. Check the route details before setting out, as they may change.

For the broader travel overview: Szczawnica.