Off the beaten track Polish villages

I will be in Poland for a few weeks in late March/early April. I will be renting a car. Can anybody suggest an area that would contain off the beaten track rural villages, perhaps in the foothills or low mountain areas? Typically, an area with very few travelers would be ideal. I have had similar trips in Bulgaria, Romania, Armenia, Albania, Georgia and Ukraine and have found them very rewarding. And now, for a very naive question: is there an area in Poland that contains somewhat remote monasteries? I hope that is not a dense question.
Thanks kindly.
Much appreciated.

It's a big country with hundreds of small villages - the prettiest areas for random village driving are probably the north (southwest of Gdansk, the Kashubia region), the south (foothills of Malapolska between Krakow and Zakopane). Last summer I drove around Lower Silesia and there are some lovely areas there too; the Klodzko region, around Boleslawiec and the CZ border region around Sk.Poreba though it gets touristy there).

Kashubia west of Gdansk is lovely, rolling hills and pretty villages. Doesn't miss Kartuszy with its rather grim church dedicated to death.

There are also pretty villages along the mountains in the South, particularly the bieszczady south and east of Sanok.

Not sure that you'd want to spend day after day driving between pretty villages. There are lots of them but they're all fairly similar and the novelty will wear off - also few of them have places to stay or eat. The exception is the Bieszczady area where there's lots of accommodation aimed at hikers.

There aren't lots of monasteries (nothing like Nekresi or Gremi in Kakheti, for example) but there are dozens of wooden churches in the Bieszczady region, many now in ruins but a few maintained by the tiny remaining populationof Boyks and Lemks whose ancestors buolt the churches in the 19th century.

I agree that Kaszuby are really beautiful and you can find lots of small villages there.
However, I would recommend the Beskid Niski - you would need to get to Gorlice (app 120km from Krakow) and then head off to Bartne, than you can try Gladyszow on the other side of the Magura mountain, also Wysowa is nice (slightly bigger as it is well known for its mineral waters). On Magura Malastowska you can drive to Nowica - small and picturesque village you might be looking for. You can walk on the trails and meet nobody during the whole day. These are still the wildest mountains in Poland.
Those regions were the battlefields for the I WW, so instead of monasteries, you can look for small cementaries, scattered in forests.
Interesting in the area is also the history. The area used to belong to Hucul people - they were moved from their homelands by the government implementing the Vistula Action. They left their villages and they slowly went to ruins. Wandering around you can find then, although not all of them visible at first sight.

Jeroen, Andrew, Mysza: Thanks for putting so much thought into your responses! This is exactly the information I was hoping to receive...and "random driving" is the perfect expression for what I will be doing. It looks like it will be wooden churches (Bieszczady) and small cemeteries scattered in the forest (Beskid Niski), with a bundle of fascinating history keeping me company (Vistula action). You have to love thorntree....I think I am excited about this trip!
One last question: In places like Armenia and Georgia I was able to find "spontaneous" accommodation. Locals willing to put you up for the night for a fixed sum, a shared bottle of vodka, and the chance for kids to play games on my ipod. I believe this works in such countries because the rural areas see few tourists and I was a bit of a novelty/oddity. Any chance of this happening in the foothills and rural areas of Poland?
Thanks again.

Hi,
If you were in Bulgaria, Romania, Armenia, Albania, Georgia and Ukraine you will certainly like eastern part of Poland with a lot of villages. But Poland is much more developed than those countries (you'll find similar villages though)

First of all Mazury, northern eastern part, the land of thousand lakes, my favourite part of PL.

Then the whole south, full of mountains, with Bieszczady close to Ukraine quite different.

Whereever you drive, drive off the main road, the more the better. It is different Poland. I am Polish and love to do it.

Rememebr that late March/early April is usually not the preetest moment to go to Polish countryside as winter is over and spring starts. It might be shitty as well as full of snow as well as great spring. It is a low season for POlish tourists.

In terms of accomodation - Mazury, Kaszuby and mountains are full of private rooms for rent, so no problem. If you go through notmal regions without any tourism. I doubt it, but I am Polish ;)

Hi!

I also recomend South-East of Poland - between cities of Przemysl and Sanok, Nowy Sacz. Or in the north - Warmia and Mazury region, also area to north from city of Torun is nice.

If you take the route advised by Mysza_28 under #3 and start driving from Krakow, you can also visit some interesting non-touristy places underway - e.g. Tuchow (a small town with a Redemptorist monastery and local pilgrimage center), Bobowa (a small town with an old synagogue, famous for its Jewish Hassidic tradition) or Biecz (a small medieval town). In such a way you could combine seeing some small-town, out-of-the-way Poland with visiting the remote (and sometimes desolate) villages in Beskid Niski.

A strong recommendation - if you decide on your itinerary, try to read something on history and culture of the places you plan to visit, by doing a web search or looking for some books. The non-touristy parts of Poland may seem uninteresting if you miss all that background - there are mostly no spectacular landscapes or architecture and no particular attractions in itself.

#4. Poland is quite different to Georgia / Armenia for spontaneous accommodation. In remote parts of Georgia, you have to ask around a village, everyone knows some little old lady with a spare bed, but you usually share everything (even bedroom) with other family members.

Poland is more developed / organised than this. Homes that take guests advertise Wolne Pokoj (room available) or sometimes Zimmer (German for room) or Pension. You'll get more privacy than in Georgia, with own bedroom and likely dedicated guest bathroom facilities too. And the family will most lilkely ignore you, expecting you prefer privacy. So in some ways its more comfortable but its not the "part of the family" Georgian experience.

Przybo, Sihi, Meczko, Andrew:

Thanks for the responses. Much appreciated. I have been reading up on your suggestions. I think I will focus on the Mazury region for 1/2 the trip, and then down south-east for the remainder. Biecz, Tuchow and Bobowa sound particularly interesting. I will indeed combine such towns with those in Beskid Niski.

Meczko: I am curious as to how the villages of Beskid Niski might differ from the others you mentioned (I have to admit, you had me at "desolate". Now I am really interested in the area) If you could perhaps spare a moment, I would really like to know.

Andrew: You have answered questions for me before. Always helpful. Thanks. If I were in an area such as Beskid Niski, and there are no Zimmer signs, does that mean I will be sleeping the car? I was hoping that I would be "rescued" for a fee (I certainly have no problem paying for the room) if I were stuck in a more remote area. Like you say, In Georgian and Armenia, that was no problem. I should have suspected it would be a little different in Poland. I had more trouble with spontaneous accommodation in Ukraine - especially in the east. It was a little easier in the west.
Any more insights would be more than welcome.
Thanks again everybody.

#9 don't count on being rescued. But given your itinerary, and the fact you have a car, there is no need to worry. Mazury and the Bieszczady are popular holiday regions, so loads of accommodation is available, especially easy if you have wheels.

Yes, as # 10 said. But even if you get stuck in not touristy region sleeping the car should be safe and there always will be nice petrol station. Also you can drive to main roads and should find a motel if you're deperate

Wanderingboy,

the specific thing about Beskid Niski (and Bieszczady further to the east) is that it was much more densely populated before WW II than now. In most Beskid Niski valleys there were populous villages inhabited by Lemko people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemkos). After WW II the area has been ethnically cleansed by the Communist government of Poland (Operation Vistula in 1947 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Wis%C5%82a), leaving most of it virtually empty. Some Lemkos came back after 1956, some areas have been settled by Polish settlers, but there are still several formerly populous villages consisting now of just a couple of houses - or even places where only a village cemetery or an old church survived.

In addition to that Beskid Niski has also a lot of WW I Austrian military cemeteries (traces of heavy fighting between Austrians and Russians in 1915) - some renovated, but several are slowly disappearing in the forests.

You won't notice many traces of WW I or Operation Vistula if you drive along main roads, but when you turn into back roads in side valleys close to the Slovak border the landscape changes much.

As regards accomodation - probably the poorer and more faraway seems the place, the more chances of getting 'rescued' in the way you describe. However, you'd better count on accomodation catering to backpackers and trekkers - you should find a pension or private rooms for hire within a small driving distance almost everywhere in Beskid Niski.

Meczko:

Thanks a lot for the information. I have been reading up on the area you have mentioned, and now I am certain I will be spending a fair bit of time in the area (thank you for the links as well...I genuinely look forward to reading more). Based on your comment, I googled Operation Vistula and was shocked to learn of that event. You have definitely added a lot of historical context to my trip. Much appreciated.
And, thanks for answering the accommodation question - it was the answer I was indeed hoping for. That puts my mind at ease. In Armenia, in addition to paying for my keep I chopped wood and cleared dishes. And slept in the kitchen/living room/dining room with four other family members. My friends don't understand the attraction, but I am sure others do. I find it kind of humbling to be allowed into the family home, and treat it with an abundance of respect.

Thanks again for taking the time to enlighten me. I look forward to sending an update when I return.

Sincerely,
Mark.

Wonderingboy,
I will give a bit more info about Mazury. It used to be german prussia and there is a lot war history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masuria

It has a lot to do with operation vistula as ukrainians were moved here.

Apart from many villages and hundreds of lakes you can see first of all famous bankers were hitler had his headquaters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfsschanze
Even you if you are not much into war, it is amazing.
And my top destination is Mamerki with huge and very hight bunkers for german submarines, they tried to buil the channel from here to the see to repair submarines Masurian canal in Mamerki. It was never finished but still is 55 km long with more than 100 metres difference in level of water
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Poland/East/Warminsko-Mazurskie/Mamerki/photo894779.htm
you can walk there and do some extreme sports on the ropes if you want.

It is all around to towns Ketrzyn and Wegorzewo
http://www.ketrzyn.com.pl/ketrzyn/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=82&Itemid=145

http://stara.wegorzewo.pl/prezentacje.php?stat=4&l=gb

there is also a monastery http://www.ketrzyn.com.pl/ketrzyn/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=722&Itemid=145

Please make sure to right about your trip here after you come back.

Oh, one more thing - about accomodation.
I love this region and go there often. My local friends run there a small wolne pokoje in the middle of nowhere. It is like hundred years old agricultural house by the lake (cheap) in the village of 6 houses in forest. They are masurians and very friendly people.
http://mazury.info.pl/harsz/
I think you might like it.

We even made there our wedding :)) (and we are from Warsaw)
http://www.honeymoonstory.net/photos-from-monika-%26-michal,the-wedding,go,x21,p4,uid1.html

Well, it seems that both Przybo and myself are marketing our parts of Poland :-)

I live in Krakow, southern Poland (or Galicia, as former Austrian part is also known). From Warsaw, Mazury are a more obvious choice.... I think both destinations can be equally interesting, even if very different. Read as much information on the web as you can and decide :-)

You seem to be looking for some "extremes" like in Armenia or Georgia :) Hehe... this is Poland. And this country's much more "western" fortunately :) . But some regions may be similar ;) I really recommend my Bieszczady :D . I live nearby and every weekend here is wonderful :) Enjoy !

Yes, that's all true. I know Beskid and Bieszczady as well and together with Mazury I guess you should like it. The distances between are not that huge. It would be one day of driving from Mazury to Beskid or Bieszczady (a little more than 500km) and a lot on the way to see (so you could make it a couple of days)
Enjoy

Przybo, Thanks for the additional homework! Much appreciated. And a house in the middle of nowhere in a village with 6 houses. Now THAT is what I am looking for. Hmmm, perhaps I could also get married there :)

Misie - You are so right...but I am starting to run out of places in E. Europe that offer such an experience! I will also be spending 9 days in Belarus. Looking forward to contrasting the two countries - I assume the differences are really vast.

Meczko/Przybo- I will be doing Beskid, Biesz and then up to Mazury - then into Belarus.. Thanks to you and the others for helping me narrow my route in a very large, diverse and interesting country. I must admit, I am really looking forward to this trip now. I hope the beer is as good as the the Polish people on Thorntree!

Mark.

have you read anything from andrzej stasiuk? you might be interested in tokarczuk's "house of night, house of day", too. oh and huelle's magnificient "weiser david", about gdańsk.