Gilowice: Wooden Church, Cultural History and Routes in the Little Beskids

Gilowice brings together the history of a wooden church, local cultural history and routes in the Little Beskids. The Łękawka also shapes how the area is understood: the village lies in the river valley, and a rest and educational site was created in the centre. If you are considering a stay in Gilowice, you will find both a specific cultural highlight and a landscape-focused perspective here.

Wooden Church and Architectural History

The wooden Church of St Andrew the Apostle was completed in 1545 and moved from Rychwałd to Gilowice in 1756. The dates mark different milestones: first the completion of the building, and later its relocation to Gilowice. The church’s history therefore cannot be reduced to a single date. The church in Gilowice is also part of the Silesian Wooden Architecture Trail. This designation adds a regional connection to wooden architecture to the local architectural history. You can understand Gilowice both through the history of a single building and through its inclusion in this trail.

Ensemble and Chapel Trail

The Regional Ensemble “Dolanie,” founded in March 1997 at the Municipal Cultural Centre in Gilowice, is part of the area’s local cultural history. Its founding date and institutional affiliation firmly root the ensemble in the village. Another insight into local cultural themes is offered by the Gilowice cycling day devoted to chapels and roadside figures commemorating St John Paul II. The edition held on 1 May 2023 began at the Chapel of St Joseph in the parish garden and continued to the border with Ślemień. At the Kuźnik Chapel, participants learned about the history of its construction and the former tradition of singing at chapels on May evenings. The event thus brought together architectural history and a seasonal tradition; the route and topics mentioned relate to the 2023 edition.

The Łękawka and the Landscape

Gilowice, including the hamlet of Gilowice–Rozcięta, stretches along the Łękawka valley. A rest and educational site for tourists and residents of the Polish-Slovak border region was created by the river in the centre. The municipality reported on this project in December 2022. The river valley therefore provides a geographical point of reference, while the central site is explicitly dedicated to rest and education. Part of the territory of the Gilowice municipality lies within Beskid Mały Landscape Park. This statement applies to part of the municipal area, not to the whole village. The river valley and the landscape park are therefore distinct reference points for understanding the area.

Routes into the Little Beskids

Gilowice is a starting point for unmarked routes into the Little Beskids (Beskid Mały). Their unmarked nature is a specific feature that distinguishes these routes from the church as a named cultural site. For your trip planning, two different highlights are therefore available: a specific building with a historical chronology and a landscape-based route option. The village’s cultural history is also reflected in an ensemble and in the themes of the chapel trail described for 2023. You can consider the different sides of Gilowice according to whether you are particularly interested in wooden architecture, local cultural history or routes in the Beskids.

Discover more destinations: Rycerka Górna, Pewel Ślemieńska, Ujsoly, Ślemień, Bystra, Sól, Okrajnik, Wieprz

For the broader travel overview: Żywiec.