The tiny region in the Central Sudetes where Marcelina lives is only about 1,600 square kilometers in size, a little more than Hong Kong and a little less than Austria’s smallest province, Vorarlberg.
However, you will find mysterious mountains with Wild West-like rock labyrinths, the largest mountain fortresses in Europe, medieval stone bridges, stunning spa villas straight out of the Grand Budapest Hotel, ski and climbing areas or river gorges ideal for pontoon rafting. It is a bit like packing the entire country with its attractions into a small glass ball.
Not long after the war, such local patriotism was not yet common here – the new Polish residents did not know how long they would be able to stay in the annexed provinces. There was a sense of suspension in the air, and the first generations did not always want to form deeper relationships with their new small homelands. The magic of the “Land of God,” full of penitential crosses, turned out to be stronger, and new generations also looked at this beautiful corner of Europe in a completely different way.
In Marcelina’s case, it was different from the beginning. Raised with stories from her grandfather, who was in love with the region, she devoured books from his home library as a child.
However, she felt her true love for the Kłodzko Land during an extended stay in the US, where she studied English philology. She showed photos from her sites to delighted classmates who knew nothing about Poland (or knew only that bears lived here).
She returned – and decided to share her knowledge of this unique land professionally.
Many of the places he visits with his groups have already become popular in recent years. In the Stołowe Mountains, for example, there is a skull-shaped rock that is already a popular destination and poses for hundreds of selfies. But there are still some nooks here that practically exclusively available to Marcelina.
From there you can walk in one direction to the “Jagodna” shelter, and in the other to the peat bog under the Zieleniec mountain with a harsh landscape reminiscent of polar tundra. Heading north, we will end up at the massive, revitalized castle in Gorzanów where we can stroll through chambers with massive Baroque stuccos. Turning around, you will find yourself in Bystrzyca Kłodzka, a picturesque town towering over the area with compact, historic buildings.