Juszczyn: Forest Landscape and Village History

Juszczyn lies in the Pasmo Policy mountain range and stretches picturesquely along the Skawa Valley. The village offers an unusual mix of forested mountain scenery, scattered hamlets and small religious monuments. Visitors looking to combine nature and cultural history on a trip to Poland will find both in tangible traces throughout the village.

Forest Slopes, Clearings and Hamlets

Around the Cadyńka stream valley, wooded mountain slopes, idyllic clearings and paths shape the landscape. They invite visitors to find peace and relaxation all year round. Juszczyn Polany stretches along the Cadyńka at the foot of Mount Naroże; alongside the Skawa Valley, this brings out the village’s smaller landscape areas. The names of the stream and mountain help distinguish these parts of the village without reducing Juszczyn to a single viewpoint or settlement.

Juszczyn’s scattered settlement pattern is also part of its character: independent hamlets in the forests preserve clear traces of earlier settlements formed through grazing and land clearing. Visitors interested in the development of rural settlements can appreciate this historical legacy alongside the village’s different localities. It is a different way to get to know a place than focusing only on a central landmark.

Traces of Glassmaking and Local History

A glassworks stood at Jędrzejowa Rola, in the upper part of Juszczyn in the Cadyńka side valley, during the 17th and 18th centuries. At the site of present-day Hucisko, glass waste and fragments of brick from the former furnaces can be found in the ground. These remains bring the area’s craft heritage to life: its history is connected not just with a name, but also with material traces of production. Jędrzejowa Rola, Hucisko and the Cadyńka Valley each identify a distinct place associated with this heritage.

Church, Chapels and Religious Art

In the lower part of Juszczyn stands the parish church of Our Lady of Consolation, with modern architecture dating from the 1970s. Commemorative plaques on its bell tower wall recall the work of Adolf Chojnacki, a chaplain of Solidarność. The main altar holds an image of the Virgin Mary dating from around 170 years ago, from the so-called Żywiec school. The architecture, memorial plaques and religious art are different aspects of the village’s history, side by side.

Not far from the church stands a stone pillar chapel with a cast-iron depiction of the Crucifixion from the 19th century. At the upper edge of the built-up area, in Osiedle Zgudowa, there is also an old house chapel dating from the first half of the 19th century. Inside is a stone figure of Christ falling beneath the cross. Another brick chapel, with a stone statue of the same subject, stands on the road to Juszczyn Polany; it also dates from the first half of the 19th century. For travellers interested in religious art and local forms of remembrance, these different buildings and depictions offer tangible points of interest.

Wayside Figures and Remembrance

A wayside figure depicting Christ, dating from the first half of the 19th century, stands in Osiedle Bory. In Osiedle Mirochowe, there is a wayside figure depicting Christ on the cross. It was erected by residents of the Mirochowa, Kachlowa and Majchrzakowa settlements. The accounts of its origins show how such markers are also connected with the communities of individual settlements.

The Pomnik Straconych monument commemorates the execution of 13 people in Osiedle Bory during the Second World War. This memorial site adds a solemn historical note alongside the chapels and religious figures. At the upper edge of Juszczyn’s built-up area, the yellow hiking trail crosses an asphalt road bend near Osiedle Zgudowa. Visitors choosing to stay in Juszczyn can thus explore nature, settlement history, religious art and remembrance as different facets of the same place.

Explore More Places

Explore more places: Lachowice, Budzów, Sidzina, Tarnawa Dolna, Zachełmna, Hucisko, Sucha Beskidzka, Białka.

Go to the broader travel overview: Sucha.