Goniądz

Some time ago we have visited together the Biebrza National Park. I will show you today its capital - Goniądz. The name "Goniądz" sounds almost like the Polish word "goniąc", meaning "chasing". The old stories tell that a king has spent a night there while chasing and hunting bears. This is why you will find a bear in the coat of arms of Goniądz.

 Goniądz is a town since 1547, when it received its city charter.

The first building in Goniądz was the church of Saint Agnes, originally founded in 1430. The one you can visit today was built in 1955, as its predecessor was destroyed during World War II.

I must admit these huge white towers without any ornaments are a bit unusual.

Inside, the church is also mainly white, with some delicate paintings in pale colours.

The Market Square in Goniądz resembles a bit the one in Krasnystaw. It is basically a small park.

In the middle you will find an obelisk commemorating the citizens perished in World War I.

The residential buildings around the market square are not really interesting to be honest.

Even the Town Hall looks like any other house. You must rememeber that Goniądz has only two thousand inhabitants, making it one of the smallest towns in Poland. I guess they do not keep the local government excessively busy.

The red structure on the Market Square is a water well. Old-fashioned but still operational.

Do not worry, you will not have to rely on it in case of fire. Goniądz has its own fire station.

In many small towns in Poland the fire station is also the center of cultural and social life. But Goniądz is lucky to have its own community center, a very modern one.

But on warmer days it is pretty empty. The inhabitants prefer to relax on the banks of Biebrza river.

If you look well, you will see a little sandy beach next to the nest of the storks.

In Poland the storks are believed to bring luck - and children! So take your chance or run away, whichever you prefer.

Travelling funfair

I must admit that I am already a bit tired with all these long walks and historical facts about the places that I visit. Therefore, I have decided to spend a lazy afternoon in a travelling funfair. First, we need to get some tickets.

Then we can move on to a rollercoaster.

Those who are scared of mountain railways can always try the less challenging option.

After the trains, we can move to aerial fun.

Let's jump into this yellow aircraft.

I can already hear some of you saying that this one is boring and that you need some more excitement in the air. Well, you can always give a try to this octopus-like monster.

Then come the electric bumper cars.

The pitch is not big, this is probably why the cars crash every 30 seconds.

Look! Horses are present as well!

And here comes my most favourite attraction - the Ferris wheel.

From the top you can see the town.

Luckily, the construction seems rather solid because ...

... the rollercoaster that we took a moment ago looks small and distant.

Alright, I believe that we have deserved some candies for being so brave.

We can eat them on this nice swing ride. It is the first time that I see one with double chairs. We can sit together and enjoy the sunshine.

Nałęczów

Nałęczów is a nice little town, just 150 kilometers from Warsaw. It is famous for its health spa specialising in cardiologic treatments.

Nałęczów is populated with picturesque villas, which accommodate nowadays small hotels and health institutes. Many of them are over 120 years old. For some it is clearly visible at first site, like in case of villa Mazowsze.

For others it is not easy to guess, like for villa Aurelia ...

... or villa Tolin.

Many villas are surrounded by nice gardens.

Others offer their guests the possibility to take a cup of frozen tea outside.

Those that cannot offer a large green garden try to put green elsewhere, even on the walls.

In fact also public buildings are often located in nice villas. Like this school of artistic handcraft.

 And this one is a post office.

Unfrotunately no villa was large enough to accommodate the town hall. This is why it is located in this ugly building.

Alright, it is time to move to the biggest attraction in town - the health spa park. It is much bigger than the one I have shown you in Busko-Zdrój. This is the main entrance.

 In spring and summer, the park is ornamented with flower carpets.

The name of the town comes from the coat of arm of its former owners, the Małachowski family. Their palace is still standing in the park.

Today it houses the museum of one of the most famous Polish writers - Bolesław Prus.

Horses are not allowed inside the museum. I think it is outrageous. I told it to Prus himself, when we were chatting in the park.

One of the nicest features of the park in Nałęczów is a little lake.

 It even has a small islet that can be accessed by a romantic bridge.

The health spa in Nałęczów was founded in 1878. Its main building is located in the park, facing the lake. The view must be really relaxing.

The building of the Pump Room, when health waters can be tasted, is modern - it was built in 1964.

I remember that the water in Busko had a horrible smell and taste. This one at least does not smell sulfur.

Unfortunately the taste is not inviting, the mineral water is full of iron ions.

I propose that we give up on the health water. Beware! The guard seems to get angry - everybody should appreciate the local water I guess. Let's hide behind the palm trees. The oldest of them is over a hundred years old.

Alright, we managed to run away. I propose that we spend the rest of the afternoon sitting by the lake, feeding the swans.