ABANDONED VILLAGES - STORIES THAT REMAIN

Before World War II, southeastern Poland was one of the most culturally diverse regions in Central Europe. In the same valleys lived Poles, Ukrainians, Jews, Lemkos, and Boykos. Churches, Orthodox churches, and synagogues stood side by side, while everyday life followed the rhythms of agriculture, religion, and local traditions. This world did not fade away gradually - it was violently interrupted. War, the destruction of the Jewish population, shifting borders, and post-war deportations forced thousands of people to leave their homes. The culmination came with Operation Vistula in 1947, after which entire villages ceased to exist as communities. Houses were dismantled or burned. Fields became overgrown. Roads disappeared. But memory remained—and today, it can still be found in the landscape.

Southern Roztocze surprises with its dual nature. On one hand, it is a region of gentle hills, open spaces, and wide horizons. On the other, it is a place where entire villages have been almost completely absorbed by nature. One of the most evocative sites is Stare Brusno. This is not a typical “ruin” where everything is immediately visible. Here, you have to go deeper into the forest, between the trees, until you suddenly find yourself among hundreds of stone gravestones. These are remnants of the famous Brusno stonecraft center, whose works once spread across the region. Today, the gravestones form a silent stone chronicle - each one different, each one quiet. Nearby lies Dziewięcierz, where history has left an even clearer mark. The former village was divided by a border, and its original center disappeared. What remains is a former church site enclosed by a stone wall, with visible foundations and traces of old buildings. It is one of those places where time seems to stand still.

The Bieszczady Mountains are often described as “wild” and “uninhabited.” In reality, their emptiness is the result of history. One of the most evocative places is Krywe. Today, it is a wide, peaceful valley by the San River, filled with meadows and light. But if you look closely, you’ll notice traces of a former village: stone foundations, outlines of roads, old wells - and above all, the ruins of an Orthodox church hidden among the trees. It feels like a paradise that has been abandoned. Even more striking are Sianki. Before the war, it was a lively resort with guesthouses, a railway station, and hundreds of homes. Today, on the Polish side, almost nothing remains - just a cemetery and traces of foundations. It is a place where the scale of disappearance is almost unimaginable. Łopienka, in turn, tells a different story. Here, a restored Orthodox church stands alone in a valley. There is no village, no inhabitants—only space. It is one of the most symbolic places in the Bieszczady.

The Low Beskid do not make a spectacular first impression. There are no high peaks or dramatic landscapes. And yet, it is here that you can most easily feel the scale of a vanished world. In places like Polany Surowiczne or Lipowiec, only fragments of villages remain: bell towers, gravestones, road layouts. The rest has been absorbed by nature. A particularly striking place is Huta Polańska. In the middle of open meadows stands a stone church - the only clear trace of the former village. Around it stretches a space where you can still find signs of the past: old trees, foundations, crosses. It is incredibly peaceful, yet deeply meaningful.

This is not typical sightseeing. To truly experience these places:

• take your time - nothing happens quickly here,
• look carefully - the traces are subtle,
• show respect - these are often sites of memory and former cemeteries.

The best way to explore them is on foot or by bike - only then can you truly “enter” this landscape.