Szczawnica is a small town with only about 7,500 people on the border with Slovakia. The town owes its reputation as a tourist town to the specific micro-climate surrounding it.
The presence of mineral water that has long been produced there also made it known. Szcazwnica has the advantage of its location at the foot of the Pieniny, and Beskid Sadecki mountain ranges.
Contents
- 1 A Short History of Szczawnica
- 1.1 Increasing popularity
- 1.2 Other Interesting Places in Lesser Poland
- 1.3 Explore Charming Krakow Poland: 11 Awesome Must-See Places in Poland
- 1.4 Krynica Zdroj Poland Travel Guide
- 1.5 Ojcow Castle And Ojcow National Park Poland – Your Ultimate Travel Guide
- 1.6 Zakopane Poland Travel Guide Amazing Tatra Mountains
Grajcarek River
The Grajcarek River runs beside the town at the base of the valley, where it joins up with the Dunacja River on the outskirts of Szczawnica. You can see panoramas From the nearby mountains above this little town.
Thousands of tourists annually find their way to Szczawnica via the famous river rafting that has its first and most often used ending point, which is precisely where Grajcarek joins the Dunajec. It’s only a short walk from there to the center of town. Many tourists use the opportunity to see this beautiful little town.
Hiking and biking trails are leading to and from Szczawnica. One of the most picturesque is “The Way of Pieniny.” The starting point is in the same place as where the river rafting finishes.
Following this trail you will be led back up the River Dunajac into Slovakia and have different options to where you will finish depending on the distance you would like to walk.
This trail runs the full length of the river rafting and is a very pleasant alternative for those of you who do not wish to try traditional river rafting.
The first mention of a settlement in this area is from 1413. But there are indications that a small settlement existed here earlier. Szczawnica is a holiday resort, but the town itself did not begin fully to develop before the early nineteenth century.
When the first analysis of a local spring, “Josephine”, finished, the bottling of spring water started on a small scale. An important turning point in the history of Szczawnica was the achievements of the Hungarian Szalay family, which expanded the existing resort’s buildings, and houses as well as expanding the spa park.
However, the main founder of the spa was the son of the original owner, Joseph Szalay, who became the owner of the town in 1839.
Increasing popularity
The Szalay family took care of advertising the town and initiated the rafting tradition on the River Dunajec. Szczawnica became increasingly popular, hosting many celebrities. After the death of Szalay, Szczawnica became a possession of the Academy of Sciences in Krakow.
The institution then built a manor house hospitality. This became the cultural center of Szczawnica. They also finished the “Pienińskiej” road construction.
Afterward, the town passed into the hands of Adam Stadnicki, who further extended and enhanced the already developing health resort in this town. During his administration, a modern inhalation chamber came to completion. It was the first pneumatic chamber in Poland.
Szczawnica received town rights in 1962.