Discover Węglówka: Nature Trail and Oil History

Local History Between Church and Oil

Węglówka was formerly known in Russian as Waniwka and was the seat of a Greek Catholic priest. The former Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also part of the village’s history; it was built around 1600. Several old gravestones remain in the cemetery near the church, linked to the Rusyn heritage of the village’s first residents, known as the Zamieszańcy.

These names and buildings provide tangible points of reference for the village’s history. As you explore, you can focus on different aspects: the former name Waniwka, the Greek Catholic parish tradition, or the surviving gravestones and their connection to the origins of the first residents. Each theme is part of Węglówka’s history, but tells a different part of it.

Oil is another key theme. Węglówka has long been known for its oil springs. In the 18th century, Balthazar Hacquet reported several springs in a marshy garden in the village. At the time, farmers used the oil to lubricate wagon axles. The year 1888 is considered the founding year of the Węglówka mine. Together, these historical accounts span the period from the early springs to the establishment of the mine; they describe different stages in the history of oil, not the same event.

On the “Do Sztolni” Nature and Educational Trail

The “Do Sztolni” nature and educational trail, laid out by the Zespół Karpackich Parków Krajobrazowych, leads from Węglówka towards the summit of Królewska Góra. Its description brings together insights into nature and history. This makes it possible to give an outing a unifying theme, rather than viewing the landscape and traces of past human activity separately.

At four stops, visitors can see, among other things, amphibian habitats and sandstone adits. The adits date from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The trail brings together two distinct perspectives: amphibian habitats and evidence of past human activity. If you’re interested in both, these stops offer specific things to look out for along the way.

The village’s history and the educational trail complement each other, although they concern different periods and subjects. The church and gravestones point to older local history; the adits represent the period around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Hacquet’s 18th-century account, in turn, documents the oil springs. This span of time helps distinguish between the different historical references.

What interests suit your trip?

If you enjoy spending time outdoors during your stay, “Do Sztolni” offers a clearly named route with four stops and specific nature and history themes. If you’re more interested in the village’s history, Waniwka, church traditions, the cemetery and accounts of oil each lead to a different aspect of the same destination. You can choose either as the focus of your trip planning.

Węglówka is a destination for anyone who doesn’t want to reduce nature watching and local history to a single theme. The educational trail draws attention to amphibian habitats and historic sandstone adits; the village’s history adds Rusyn heritage and the story of oil. Which of these aspects you choose to focus on will give your trip to Węglówka its own thematic direction.

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