For centuries, the Jurassic valleys on the Polish–Silesian borderland regularly resounded with the clang of swords on armour, which resulted in the frequent shifts of the border (for a time, moving it just miles away from Kraków) and ownership of the land – Silesia was part of Bohemia but then it went into the hands of local clans of the Piast dynasty, and then was captured by Germans. Today, Małopolska and Silesia, the two regions that now share the former Jurassic Silesian borderland have decided to commemorate the past in a creative way. This is the idea behind Juromania: a festival held in numerous locations, including museums, castles, churches, and even hermitages, along the whole borderland, for a series of events lasting from 15 to 17 September.
In these days, all the local tales and legends will come alive, making it the time of tales of treasures hidden in the deepest dungeons, the songs of heroic deeds, and moaning and screams of ghosts of wives and lovers immured in castles to haunt them forever.
Where and how to start the Juromania experience? Perhaps with the biggest bang, from the heart of Poland – Wawel Hill standing by the Vistula in Kraków (Małopolska). In this context, perhaps most worth visiting here is the castle’s Treasury and Armoury. The other end of the trail is the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa (Silesia) – one of the most famous centres of the Marian cult, its Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary that at the same time is a robust fortress that withstood the Swedish Deluge in the 17th century.
Juromania may be a new festivity, yet thanks to the involvement of the Małopolska and Silesia regions, and the Union of Jurassic Communes, it has developed into a powerful tourist attraction. Most of this year’s activities will be held in the open, and range from picturesque historical reenactments, through concerts, gourmet and court dance workshops, to glamorous fire shows. Competitions with prizes have been envisaged in many places. Juromania is also the time when many places that are normally inaccessible to tourists open their doors to them, and others invite them for night visits. Therefore, why don’t you click here to plunge into Juromania? You can find a handful of hand-picked tips and hints in the bullets on the right too.