Witanowice – Landscape, Church History and Hiking Trail

Witanowice lies on the right bank of the Skawa and includes the western edge of the Wieliczka Foothills, also known as the Płaskowyż Draboża. The area is shaped by the valley of the Lgota stream and a steep slope descending to the Skawa Valley. Several aspects are therefore named for its geographical setting: its location by the river, the edge of the foothills, and the landscape shaped by the stream and the descending terrain. The names Wieliczka Foothills and Płaskowyż Draboża refer to the same landscape, not to two separate areas. The river location, foothills edge and named landforms each play a different role: they place Witanowice within the landscape and describe how it is shaped.

Church and Building History

The church in Witanowice is mentioned as early as 1325–1327. In the 16th and early 17th centuries, it was a Calvinist church. These dates record different aspects: the early mention on the one hand and the later denominational use on the other. Together, they offer insight into different periods of the village’s history.

The building history also has a clearly identified turning point: the wooden church burned down completely in 1963. A new masonry church with a modern design, designed by Antoni Mazur of Kraków, was built in its place. The transition from a wooden structure to a masonry building adds a concrete change at the church site to the historical timeline. The materials make this transition tangible: the wooden structure and the new masonry building are two identified states of the building, linked by the fire of 1963.

Former Manor Farm and Manor House Connections

On the so-called Wolańszczyzna, in the southern part of Witanowice near the border with Babica, a partly altered former manor farm building still stands. The location places the building within the village and adds the specified border as a point of reference. Both its survival and its partly altered condition are part of its description.

The remains of the former manor house in Witanowice have been preserved on the grounds of a privately owned concrete plant that is currently in operation. This distinguishes two historical references: the partly altered manor farm building in the south of the village and the manor house remains on privately operated premises. For the manor house remains, this location is an integral part of the description and should be taken into account when planning a visit.

Hiking Trail Through Witanowice

A hiking trail runs from Kalwaria Lanckorona PKP via Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Zebrzydowice, Wysoka and Babica, through Witanowice, and onward to Tomice and Wadowice. In the order given, Witanowice comes after Babica and before Tomice; the sequence of places helps situate this section along the route. Witanowice is therefore one of the places on a longer hiking route, not the start or end point of the described section. If you are planning to hike the trail, check the current route conditions locally.

Discover more destinations: Targanice, Koziniec, Ponikiew, Rzyki, Jaszczurowa, Klecza Górna, Lanckorona, Andrychów.

For the main travel guide: Wadowice.