The 3-day events’ mania.
How about a special weekend in Małopolska in mid-September? Whether you decide to spend it with a group of friends, on your own, or with a family, you will find a lot of attractions at Juromania: three days’ worth of revelries commemorating a difficult historical heritage and introducing you to a picturesque region.
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.
Night Cave Tours and the 17th Eco Run along the Będkowska Valley in Wielka Wieś – Jerzmanowice – Przeginia.
Battles in the Knights’ Camp, workshops in archery, pottery and swordsmanship, the Fastest Lumberjack Contest, presentations of fencing and medieval combat techniques, and evening castle tours with ghosts in the church and castle in Korzkiew.
Demonstrations of black powder weapons, papermaking and calligraphy workshops, and early music workshops and a concert in Olkusz market square, and a historical reenactment of the Light Cavalry Assault on Olkusz in the moat by Olkusz bastion.
Historical Festival with Małopolska Winged Knights, falconry, artillery and fencing demonstrations, and a reenactment of castle defence with sword fights and black-powder guns at Rabsztyn Castle.
Desert games and competitions for families, and a guided nighttime hike in the Błędowska Desert at the “Róża Wiatrów” in Klucze.
Guided tour of Salomea’s Hermitage and Church, and medieval calligraphy workshops at Blessed Salomea’s Hermitage (Pustelnia bł Salomei na Grodzisku, 32-043 Skała).
