Polish Spisz for everyone [#08] - Frydman

Hungarian wine from Frydman's cellars

Frydman rarely appears on holiday trip plans. Usually overshadowed by its neighbour, Niedzica, it often doesn't get a chance to shine. However, for those who decide to stop in this interesting place, it has much to offer. First and foremost in terms of architecture. There are plenty of tourist attractions and monuments here.

Already from a distance, the church dedicated to St. Stanislaus located in the central part of the village catches the eye. It is an early Gothic structure with a characteristic tower. Unlike other Spisz churches, this one boasts a unique late Renaissance attic called hurdycja. It's also worth seeing the church chapel shaped like an octagon. Legend has it that it was in this church that King Jan II Sobieski served mass on his way back from Vienna. There must be a grain of truth in this tale since the main street of Frydman is named after the Polish king.

And speaking of kings and nobility, when in Frydman, one cannot miss the castle. Today in private hands, it serves as a residential building for several families, but it was once the winter residence of the owners of the Niedzica estate. While the summer heat was easier to endure within the medieval castle walls, the harsh winters were spent in the castle built precisely for this purpose. They warmed themselves by the fireplaces and enjoyed glasses of Hungarian wine, which were stored in the vast cellars extending beneath the castle and the surrounding buildings. These cellars are truly enormous. On each of the two levels (at a depth of 10 meters), there are three hundred-metre-long corridors. Each is seven metres wide. The entrances to them are protected by octagonal pavilions called burghauzes. Like the castle, the cellars are in private hands, but they can be visited by prior arrangement with one of the owners, Mr. Józef Prelich, who lives at 4 Jana Pawła II Street.

And when after underground explorations the desire for sunshine arises, one can relax in the revitalised central square of the village known by locals as the “Goose Market” or by the shore of Lake Czorsztyn, on which Frydman is situated.

Author of the text - Bogusława Bandyk

Author of the photos - Krzysztof Bandyk