Chyrowa: Wooden Church, Trails and Ski Slope

In Chyrowa, a historic wooden church, marked trails and a ski slope appeal to visitors with different interests. The church reflects a religious history that began in the late 18th century and was later shaped by a change in use. Outdoors, the red Pope’s Trail, a yellow hiking trail and Chyrowa-Ski offer different kinds of activities. For planning, it is worth considering the building’s history, the routes and the ski slope separately.

Wooden Church and Religious History

The present-day church in Chyrowa was built toward the end of the 18th century, when the Lemkos professed the Greek Catholic faith. The former Greek Catholic wooden building has a three-part layout and is oriented east. “Three-part” describes its structure, while “oriented east” describes its direction; the terms therefore refer to two different aspects of the architecture. The church is on the Wooden Architecture Route and is a specific point of interest for travelers interested in historic wooden buildings.

After the Lemkos were expelled, the church remained unused. In the 1980s, the Roman Catholic Church in Iwla took it over and had it extensively renovated. Today, it is a Roman Catholic filial church of the parish of Iwla and is dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its former Greek Catholic use and its current Roman Catholic affiliation thus belong to different phases of its history.

Comparing the Marked Trails

The red-marked Pope’s Trail runs from Chyrowa via the hermitage of St. John of Dukla in Trzciana, Mount Cergowa and Dukla to Lubatowa. The yellow-marked hiking trail runs from Dukla via Kardasz to Chyrowa. It is 5 km long, with an estimated walking time of about two hours according to the route information, and connects with the red-marked Główny Szlak Beskidzki, the Main Beskid Trail.

The two trails run in different directions: the Pope’s Trail starts in Chyrowa and ends in Lubatowa, while the yellow hiking trail runs from Dukla to Chyrowa. For the Pope’s Trail, the sequence of named places provides orientation; for the yellow trail, a distance and approximate walking time are also given. Check current trail conditions locally before setting out. The time estimate can help you plan your day.

The red marking alone does not clearly distinguish the routes: both the Pope’s Trail and the Główny Szlak Beskidzki are marked red, while the yellow hiking trail connects with the Główny Szlak Beskidzki. For orientation, the name and route of each trail are therefore more useful than its color alone.

Chyrowa-Ski Slope

The Chyrowa-Ski slope is 130 meters wide, snow-covered with artificial snow, illuminated and groomed. If you are planning to visit the ski slope on a specific date, check in advance whether it will be open then.

Discover more destinations: Trzciana, Krasna, Węglówka, Tylawa, Korczyna, Wrocanka, Odrzykoń, Iwonicz-Zdrój

For the broader travel overview: Krośnieński.