Gallery u Gąski

Galeria u Gąski in Ropienka – a unique place to discover in the Bieszczady Mountains

Galeria u Gąski is a small, independent art space in Ropienka, where art meets the landscape, history and distinctive character of Podkarpackie. Housed in a distinctive tiny house on wheels, it serves as a gallery, workshop and design studio for Ewelina Gąska. Visitors can see and purchase original posters inspired by Podkarpackie and the Bieszczady Mountains, as well as linocuts, paintings and other works by the artist.

The gallery’s location is no coincidence. Just across the road stands the house of Ewelina Gąska’s grandmother, where the artist spent her childhood summer holidays. Years later, she returned to her family roots as a designer and illustrator, creating her own space to work here. She finds inspiration close to home: in the landscapes of Podkarpackie, its architecture, local stories and places that often remain off the main tourist trails. This makes Galeria u Gąski more than simply a place to display art – the gallery itself becomes part of the story of the region.

If you are wondering what to see in the Bieszczady Mountains and the surrounding area, Galeria u Gąski is one of the region’s less obvious places worth adding to your itinerary. It is worth stopping by to discover works created on site and to see the region through the eyes of a local artist. It is a place for those who, beyond the best-known tourist attractions, also enjoy discovering intimate, independent spaces with a distinctive character.

Ewelina Gąska

Ewelina Gąska is a graphic designer and illustrator whose work is closely connected with both Warsaw and the Bieszczady Mountains. She graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Rzeszów and has more than 18 years of professional experience. She has worked with brands including Lidl and Medicine, while her work has been exhibited at the Poster Museum in Wilanów and the Polish Institute in Vienna. She is a recipient of awards from the Polish Advertising Creators Club (KTR) and a three-time winner of the poster competition for the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.

In her original projects, she often draws on themes related to Podkarpackie, depicting both well-known and less obvious places to visit in the Bieszczady Mountains and throughout the region in her own distinctive style. The gallery in Ropienka is a natural extension of her creative work – a place where visitors can meet the artist and discover her work in the very landscape that inspires much of it.

What to see in Ropienka and the surrounding area

Ropienka is a small village surrounded by gentle hills, forests and valleys. It is a good base for those who want to explore Podkarpackie and the Bieszczady Mountains beyond the most popular routes. The surrounding area is ideal for hiking, cycling and leisurely drives along quiet country roads that pass through small villages, wooden churches, roadside chapels and traces of the region’s multicultural history.

Ropienka itself has an interesting past connected with the oil industry, which began developing here as early as the 19th century. Places worth seeing in the village include the neo-Gothic Church of St Barbara and the Wierzbicki Family Burial Chapel. Nearby, Wańkowa is home to the Bieszczad.Ski Active Tourism Centre. In Uherce Mineralne, visitors can take a ride on the Rail-Cycle Draisines, while near Lesko they can see the distinctive Lesko Stone. These are some of the interesting places and tourist attractions that can easily be combined with a visit to Galeria u Gąski as part of a day trip around the area.

Ropienka is also a convenient starting point for trips towards Ustrzyki Dolne, Lake Solina and other parts of the Bieszczady Mountains. However, it is worth seeing the village as more than simply a stop on the way to the mountains. Local stories, peaceful landscapes and small places created with passion offer a glimpse of a less obvious side of the region and a chance to discover places of interest far from the most popular routes.

Bieszczady Mountains – attractions, trails and places worth seeing

The Bieszczady Mountains are one of those regions best explored through a combination of famous attractions and less obvious places. If you are visiting for the first time, your list of places to see might include Tarnica, Połonina Wetlińska and Połonina Caryńska. Some of the most iconic hiking trails in the Bieszczady Mountains lead through these areas, offering sweeping panoramas and a chance to experience the mountainous character of the region. Other popular destinations include Cisna and Wetlina, the Bieszczady Forest Train and Lake Solina.

The best attractions in the Bieszczady Mountains, however, are not limited to the most popular destinations and mountain peaks. Those who want to venture off the beaten tourist trails can visit Łopienka, where an old wooden Orthodox church surrounded by mountains is one of the few remaining traces of a former village; search for remnants of abandoned settlements in the valleys of Tworylne and Krywe; or discover wooden Orthodox churches, old cemeteries and roadside chapels scattered throughout the villages of the Bieszczady region. The Słonne Mountains are another interesting destination, offering quieter trails and expansive views.

When planning what to visit in the Bieszczady Mountains, it is worth leaving some time for places beyond the main itinerary. Alongside popular tourist trails and the best-known attractions, it is often the small villages, local galleries, artists’ studios and places connected with the region’s history that allow visitors to experience the Bieszczady Mountains from a different perspective. Galeria u Gąski in Ropienka is one such stop – an intimate space that brings contemporary art together with the local history and landscape of Podkarpackie.

Places worth seeing nearby:

bieszczad.ski in wańkowarope park in wańkowabieszczady school of crafts in uherce mineralnethe rail-cycle draisinies in the bieszczadyuRSA MAIOR breweryCHATKA WARIATKA in UHERce MINERALNepkl solinasolina lakehultery - bieszczady off road scootersekomarina polańczykbieszczady forest trainpalace in olszanicaslonne mountains landscape parkthe boyko culture museum in myczkówcastle in leskogliding strip in bezmiechowasynagogue in leskothe museum of the milling industry and countryside in ustrzyki dolneformer greek catholic tserkov in ustjanowa górnatserkov compleks in stefkowagreek catholic tserkov in wojtkowagreek catholic tserkov in krościenkogreek catholic tserkov in liskowateBieszczady National Parkgreek catholic tserkov in łodynathe crown of ustrzyki mountain trailthe lesko stonemuseum of bieszczady national park in ustrzyki dolne scenic tower on mount holicabieszczady cultural heritage center fanto in ustrzyki dolne