Pieniny National Park (Szczawnica)

After a wonderful relax-day in the spa village of Szczwnica, we go out early today and close our tents; first we take the bus towards "Sromowce Wyze Katy". The town where we get off has already been discovered by mass tourism that was already there in the 19th century to use the spa’s and in addition the rafttrip across the river which is a Polish tradition.

Obviously we do not want to do the "expensive" raftrtip, which is more like a relaxed boat trip, but instead a five-hour hike through the mountains. We arrived at the top of the first hill and the sweat is already running over our backs and not just because of walking up the steep mountain. We are startled by a man who is sitting on his knees in the woods! What is he doing so quietly at this hour of the morning?

It turns out that it is mushroom time and further on many more people are busy filling their plastic bags. We now walk over the mountain ridges with occasional beautiful views over the deep valley "Dunajec gorge" and the river that meanders down there like a snake. Only a shepherd walks here and is busy ringing and swaying to keep his flock together. Further along as several paths cross, we meet more day trippers, also hiking like us. We have lunch at a ruin of a castle in the forest and continue our hike, the ridge is here now about a meter wide ledge where we have to keep our balance so as not to roll down the hill on one of the sides. 

Late in the afternoon we arrive at a river where we want to wait for a boat that takes us to the other side. It gives us the time to enjoy the traditional rafts that pass here frequently. These look as if several canoes are braided together with a large piece of straw on the front of the boat. Two employees tucked in traditional clothing including beautiful cap control the boat by means of a long stick that they alternately put in the water. It reminds me a bit of the gondolas in Venice. It is late in the afternoon when we are back in Szczawnica and take a hot shower. 

After a few days at the campsite we decide to pick up our things today. We take the bus towards Czorsztyn where we get off in the pouring rain. In the wooden bus-booth we eat our breakfast where we are accompanied by countless smoking men in folklore clothing on their way to their rafts. Armed with an umbrella we walk towards the castle ruins from the 13th century of the town that provides a beautiful view of the lake behind and the old Hungarian counterpart on the other side. At the souvenir shops we see the goat cheeses again which look like ribbed tubes and we choose for apples and pears that hang on the trees along the road which are very nice and for free.  

There is a bus stop here but no view of a bus and we decide to walk back to the motorway where we have got off. A minibus stops there and takes us to Debno, known for its wooden church. Well he is beautiful, the "Church of St. Michael the Archangel" but unfortunately closed. It should not spoil the fun; the church was built in 1490 and that makes it one of the oldest wooden castles in the country. It is completely built out of wood without using one single nail. We look through the windows of the church and there the "living room" church is clearly visible.

Dress up against the walls and on the floor, paintings and a wall lamp that you will see earlier in the pub than in the church. We are on our way to our today's destination; Zakopane to do the high Tatras.