Jo’s Monday walk : Tyniec Monastery (a walk in two halves)

The Benedictine clifftop monastery at Tyniec

The Benedictine clifftop monastery at Tyniec

It was 8 years ago that I was first taken to Tyniec by my neice, Weronika.  Back then, it was all part of the newness of Poland in my experience, and my memories are indistinct.  I barely managed to grab a photograph!  Time to set that straight, but it was not quite so straightforward as I expected.

On a beautiful, sunny day I set out along the river bank of the Vistula, from Most Debnicki, in the heart of Kraków.  The route hugged the river closely and the name of the road, Tyniecka, seemed encouraging.  As I drew further away from the city, the path became quieter, with just the occasional jogger or cyclist for company.  It was wonderfully peaceful.  Too good to be true?

The river bank with Debnicki Bridge and Wawel in the background

The river bank with Debnicki Bridge and Wawel in the background

Looking across the river at St. Augustyna on the far shore

Looking across the river at St. Augustyna on the far shore

It looks imposing

It does look imposing!

I notice that the boats start to turn around at this point
Or just a little farther on
In the distance another bridge beckons

In the distance another bridge beckons

What I hadn’t allowed for is that soon after the above bridge, the footpath runs out.  The only option becomes a busy road with no footpath on either side.  For a while I carried on, trying not to mind the passing traffic, but a sign suggested it was still 9kms to Tyniec. The option?  A bus, of course!  No. 112 runs about every 20-30 minutes, and deposits you in the pretty village of Tyniec.  Signs point the way to the monastery.

This way to the monastery
Along this street
And you can buy a sheepskin on the way
Or something to wear
Then, look through the trees
And we’re there!

Tyniec lies 12km south west of Kraków in an area of limestone Jurassic hills, the highest of which is 293metres above sea level.  The first settlement here dates back to 3000 B.C.  In around 1040 a Benedictine abbey was founded by King Casimir the Restorer.  It was destined to have a long and turbulent history.  Aron, the first abbot of Tyniec , became a bishop of  Kraków, with the responsibility to restore order and cement the position of the Church in the newly formed Kingdom of Poland.  In 1259 the village was destroyed in the Mongol invasion of Poland. This was just one of a sequence of assaults.  In the Middle Ages the River Vistula was a political border. The Abbey would no sooner be repaired and extended than it was beseiged again.

When Poland disappeared from the map of Europe, divided between Austria, Prussia and Russia, the Abbey was used as a fortress to hold off the Russian troops.  In 1816 the Abbey was finally dissolved by the Austrian authorities and left to decay.  It wasn’t until July 1939, on the eve of World War II, that the Benedictines returned to their ruin.  Restoration was begun in 1947 and looking at the complex today it’s hard to imagine all that has gone before.

A first look at the Abbey
The outer walls
The Abbey
But this is how it looked when it was repossessed in 1939

But this is how it looked when it was repossessed in 1939

And how bleak it must have been in Winter

And how bleak it must have been in Winter

A series of information boards showed the devastation.  I would have liked to take a tour of the Abbey, but these were conducted in Polish unless you had pre-booked an English tour.  I doubted that I would benefit much and opted to simply use my eyes.  The life of the monastery continues uninterrupted from 5.30 in the morning, with the awakening bell, until 20.30 and the beginning of ‘night time silence’.  The website gives details of how a monk spends his day, and much more.

Tyniec Angel- the only shot I retain from my previous visit
Inside the church
The Madonna
The well
The thickness of the walls
Ornate door
Tyniec Abbey

In the centre of a large courtyard sits a well, which reaches all the way down to river level below us. There is a wonderful sense of peace. The most recent additions to the complex include modern reception and shop but they are not intrusive. High on the wall, a small cafe, with beautiful views down to the river.  I know you would have liked to see my piece of szarlotka, but it melted into my mouth too quickly to be caught on camera.  Accommodation is available for guests, and I can’t help feeling that this could be a very special place to spend a few days.

The view from the walls
Out to peaceful countryside
Seen from the cafe

I had wondered if it would be possible to come to Tyniec by boat from Kraków.  Steps lead down through the trees to the river below, and there I found the evidence.  Sadly, only in Summer, on Saturdays and Sundays.  It would make a wonderful alternative route back.

The boat to Kraków
And a few ducks
But trying not to disturb the peace

Trying not to disturb the peace

The best view of the monastery would be from the opposite bank of the Vistula, but I saw all that I could.  The path threads beneath the mighty limestone crags and disappears off around the bend.  The temptation to follow it was strong, but ‘home’ lay in the opposite direction.

The limestone gleamed in the sun
While far above stood the monastery
Softened by Autumn colour
A colossus in white

A colossus in white

Beside the ferry point there’s a small cafe where you can enjoy a beer and a few Polish snacks.  A path leads back towards Kraków and I followed it for a while, not sure if it would rejoin the ‘main’ road through Tyniec.  A grand looking restaurant sits back beneath the cliffs, and in the distance, views of Bielany.

Satisfied with my outing, I retraced my steps up through the village and back to the bus stop. This time I stayed on the bus back to the centre.  The rest would keep for another day.

walking logo

Thanks to everybody for their patience and the kind contributions that still flowed in despite my wandering ways.  There are double rations from a few people this week, and you may have seen some of these but please be sure not to miss any.  If you would like to join me, now or in the future, details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page.  Just click on the logo above.  Now please grab that coffee and settle down for a good read.

Drake has two offerings- a beautiful moat and castle :

Royal architecture

Or maybe Lorelei would suit you better :

Between ruins and rivers

Anabel keeps on finding sunshine in Shetland.  A neat trick!

Lighthouses and cliffs: three Shetland walks

Who’s up for a little turtle spotting with Violet Sky?

Fairy Lake

A really good guided walk takes a lot of beating, as Laura will tell you :

Guided through the city

Elisa goes people watching in the rain, in that most beautiful of cities :

A Paris Habit

Lessons in geology, and pure beauty, from my pal Meg :

Eurobodalla beaches: Bingie Bingie headland 

While Ruth manages to combine beauty and practicality :

A bush walk with links to fire management

Whooshy water always appeals to me, and Rosemay is lovely company :

Wild Seas at Canal Rocks

You’ll enjoy this sunset with her too :

Sunset at Cape Naturaliste

Over the hill takes on a whole new connotation with Pauline and her four-legged friend :

Time for walkies 

And you can just picture Pauline and Jack pootling about these stalls :

Market Day at Mullumbimby

Then stopping for fish and chips (not greedy- sharing a portion of chips)

A walk along the river

Jesh shares some of her beautiful paintings :

The Tale of one of my Plein Airs and an Imaginary Walk

And Jill shows us the beauty of her native coastline :

A wander around Ahuriri Estuary

The scenery’s a little more bleak with Jaspa :

Sewell, Chile: UNESCO World Heritage Ghost Town

Tish is known to be fond of elephants.  Combined with bubbles, let’s finish with a smile!

Summer came back on Saturday and took us to the Fair

Many thanks to all of you and I hope you have a wonderful week ahead. (weather prospects in England are good!)  See you all next Monday, when we’ll probably be back in the Algarve.  Take care till then!

111 comments

  5. Pingback: Monday Walk: Walking Along The Lake | The World Is a Book...

  8. What an impressive complex and setting. Much as I like using buses on my travels, the boat sounds even better. Mental note made for future travels!
    I went for a lovely walk at the weekend but don’t think I’ll have time to write it up – so it will wait for my return to blogging 🙂

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  9. Hi Jo,
    When I look at these fantastic pictures I think I really need to put Poland on my bucket list, too, especially as my wife is of half Polish descent. The other half is Irish. So that country is on the bucket list, too.
    Have a wonderful week,
    Pit

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    1. Fabulous, isn’t it? I seem to have mislaid it somewhere, Elaine. 😦 Yesterday the sun arrived midday but today we’re still lurking in fog. I’m blaming that red moon but it’s not doing me any good. 🙂 Thanks for your company.

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  13. What a lovely day for a walk beside the river and then you throw in some marvellous architecture and history. It is always such a delight to travel with you Jo, even if you don’t always know quite where you are going you end up in the right place (not to mention finding beer and snacks). Unlike you I am a bit obsessive when going to a new place and religiously look up bus/train routes and numbers and print out walking maps if I want to explore my new surroundings. I’m not averse to the ‘suck it and see’ method though 🙂

    This place reminds me of the castle in Bled. Now that is a place you’d enjoy and where you can walk all around the lake and up to the castle perched on its limestone rock surveying the landscape.

    Oh, and another garden walk for you. You can blame this one on Gilly 🙂
    https://smallbluegreenflowers.wordpress.com/2015/09/26/garden-portrait-more-from-nymans/

    Ta ra for now, I am orf to find a moss forest for Meg!

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    1. I would love Bled! It’s been on my list for a long while. Feeling seriously restless again! Nothing booked and the sunshine the country is supposedly basking in hasn’t reached this part of the world today. 😦
      I do do my homework on places I intend to visit, but quite often it doesn’t work out quite how I intend. Much thanks for the walk and good luck with the moss. 🙂

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      1. Moss not such a success. Sun decided to hide behind a cloud and it is already dark along the river so I had difficulty in focusing with the macro lens. Some lovely water droplets too, but again not in focus 😦

        Oh, well, I shall just have to keep on practising!

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  14. What a very beautiful, peaceful place. Unfortunatelt sometimes roads do get int he way. Often we find walkers near our home in Andalucia on the wonderful G7 route, but some of it is simply a hard slog up a twisty mountain road, making sure you are well seen by cars before you get off and back onto the track. These folk often appreciate a lift in the car to avoid the less scenic parts!!

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      1. I’m trotting along at a steady pace, thanks Jo. Best part of today, apart from the cherry blossom trees, was getting a ‘no problems’ tick at my dental check up. Hooray. Big smile. 😀

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    1. Warsaw is a brash modern hustle in parts, isn’t it, though the restored old side is beautiful, Robin? Krakow has far more of the old world because it served as Nazi headquarters and was largely left unscathed. Something I would dearly love to do is to travel by boat all the way up the Vistula making the comparisons. 🙂 A project for the future.

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    1. It started just as you see, Richard, in the 20s, then dropped off over the wedding weekend, but fortunately stayed dry for the big day. We had a grand finale on the last day so I really couldn’t complain. 🙂

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  19. You were right. I love this post. Those limestone bluffs (Jurassic, eh? Babies!); that river; the view back to Kraków; and of course the history of destruction and rebuilding, which seems to be a Polish specialty. I’m in awe of the ease with which you know to hop on a bus, and the gung-ho way you set off walking. I reckon you have more Polish than you own up to. I didn’t even see the river when I overnighted in Kraków. I’m very impressed by everything in this post.

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    1. True confessions time, Meg 😦 I had Mick with me and he’s always a steadying influence to my gung-ho. We jumped on the first bus that came along and it was unfortunately the wrong one. The driver was not a jovial character and we got off in haste and read the timetable properly.
      When Weronika took me there it was by car directly from home, which is near to Balice airport. It was hardly any distance but I hadn’t allowed for the additional mileage from the centre. The river confuses me no end as it winds through the city and I frequently end up on the wrong bank! There you are- all illusions shattered. 🙂 But thank you for your confidence in me. I will almost certainly get you lost if we ever meet up.

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