RZESZÓW CITY AND REGION IN THE SLOW VERSION. FROM JULIN TO MEDYNIA: NATURE, HISTORY, AND RELAXATION

Just 40 minutes north of Rzeszów lies Julin Slow Life, a charming, design-focused accommodation where you can escape the city buzz. Surrounded by the protected landscape of the Sandomierz Forest, guests can immerse themselves in forest bathing, walk nature trails, set off on the Eastern Green Velo Cycling Route or other bike paths, and also enjoy yoga or meditation sessions on site.

Where to cycle?

From Julin, the Green Velo bike trail leads, among other destinations, to the picturesque Brzóza Królewska Reservoir, a charming recreational spot nestled in the forest. The reservoir covers about 8 hectares and is no deeper than 2 meters. It was created at the confluence of the Tarlaka River and the Tartaczny Stream. It offers a guarded swimming area, a beach volleyball court, a campsite, water equipment rentals, and food facilities. A walk along the shore is a perfect idea for autumn relaxation. The reservoir is also a popular fishing spot, home to tench, crucian carp, roach, grass carp, and especially carp. Beavers are also frequent visitors.

The reservoir’s history is colorful: before the current dam was built, earlier ones were repeatedly destroyed by water. Concrete walls cracked, foundations eroded, and damages were immense. Locals even joked that a devil lived in the pond, tearing everything apart.

Where to walk?

One of the most attractive natural spots near Julin Slow Life is the Wydrze Nature Reserve, about an hour’s walk away. The reserve lies in the central part of the Wydrze forest complex, where Carpathian beech forests dominate – a rarity in the Sandomierz Basin and a relic of the original Sandomierz Forest. Clusters of Polish larch also grow here (some trees are 120–130 years old and 40 meters tall). The flora includes 146 plant species, 7 of them protected (e.g., Turk’s cap lily, daphne, and orchids).

The fauna includes deer, roe deer, wild boar, foxes, and protected species like stoats and bats. Birds are the richest group (40 species), among them raptors such as buzzards, hawks, and kestrels, as well as rarities like the black stork, roller, hoopoe, and tawny owl.

Just a 5-minute walk from Julin, hidden in the heart of the forest, stands the Hunting Lodge in Julin – a unique gem of Podkarpackie’s wooden architecture. Built in 1880 for Count Roman Potocki in the Tyrolean-Swiss style, it impresses with its rich external decorations. Once a venue for hunts and aristocratic balls, today it belongs to the Łańcut Castle Museum and is currently under renovation. South of Julin, about a 30-minute drive, you’ll find three charming tourist attractions.

In Sonina stands the 17th-century Church of St. John the Baptist, built of timber, with baroque and eclectic altars, 1892 organs, and 1960s polychromes, while remnants of old fortifications still surround it. In Kosina you can visit the 1737 Church of St. Sebastian, featuring a Mannerist altar, a baroque sacristy cabinet, and a rococo baptismal font; nearby stands a brick gate-belfry from 1872 along with earth bastions crowned with a figure of the Virgin Mary.

Kosina is also the birthplace of Leopold Lis-Kula, commemorated with a plaque and mural. In Nowosielce rises the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, dating back to the 15th century and built on the site of a former stronghold. Inside you can admire 19th-century polychromes, 16th–18th-century paintings, processional banners, and gothic chests, while nearby stands the mound of Michał Pyrz and the legendary Holy Lake.

MINDFULNESS IN THE POTTERY HEARTLAND

A 20-minute drive south of Julin takes you to Podkarpackie’s pottery hub, where you can join pottery workshops at the Medynia Pottery Center (MEDYNIA). Sessions are available for groups and individuals. The modern buildings house workshops, exhibitions, kilns, and a ceramics shop. Alongside masters continuing family traditions, young enthusiasts also work and run classes here. Visitors can discover their pottery talent, play with clay, or experience “clay mindfulness.” Participants shape their own vessels and figurines to take home as souvenirs.

The center is open year-round, organizing fairs, exhibitions, concerts, and film screenings. On its grounds stands a ceramic 3D model of the Medynia pottery region. Nearby, the Władysława Prucnal Ceramic Sculpture Gallery showcases a unique collection of over a thousand figurines, while a local church features extraordinary ceramic mosaics created by local potters.