Three distinct themes are at the heart of Gierczyce: the history of Cemetery No. 336, the development of the Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows and the view from Czyżyczka Hill. This makes it possible to get to know the area through specific historical traces and its landscape. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you are most interested in the history of the First World War, local parish history or the regional nature connection of the Fruit Trail.
Cemetery No. 336 and Czyżyczka Hill
Soldiers from the Austro-Hungarian and Russian armies who fell in 1914 during the Limanowa–Łapanów Operation are buried at Cemetery No. 336. The cemetery was established in 1915–1916, based on a design by Franz Stark. The timeline runs from the fighting to the creation of the cemetery. The site is listed in the register under number A-100/M, dated 28 June 2007. The events, the cemetery’s establishment and its register entry thus provide different points of reference for learning about this memorial site.
The cemetery lies at the summit of 364-metre-high Czyżyczka Hill in Gierczyce. The hill is also a viewpoint: the panorama stretches south towards the Wieliczka and Wiśnicz Foothills and the Beskids rising beyond them. Here, a precisely located memorial site meets views across named landscape regions. Visitors who choose Gierczyce for its history will also find this landscape connection on the same hill; the viewpoint, however, offers a distinct focus alongside the historical theme.
Directions: between the buildings, turn onto a path towards the water reservoir. The cemetery is about 200 metres from the Gierczyce–Nieprześnia road. These directions are based on a note from 2017, so check access before your visit.
Parish history and a temporary chapel
The Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows is located at Gierczyce 10, 32-744 Gierczyce. Its history includes a manor house dating from around 1880. Czesław Gajek bought the house in 1972; its conversion created the parish’s temporary chapel. The manor house’s approximate construction date, its purchase and its later use as a chapel are three distinct stages in the history of the place.
The paintings inside the church also tell of an earlier use: they date from the 19th century and were transferred from the chapel previously in use. The parish history thus offers a different historical focus from the war cemetery. Rather than the events of 1914, the emphasis here is on the conversion of a manor house and the origins of the paintings. If you are interested in the history of the area, these two themes can be seen as different perspectives on Gierczyce.
A regional connection: the Fruit Trail
The Małopolska Fruit Trail passes through Gierczyce. A regional description from 2012 lists the area as one of the seven sołectwa (village administrative units) in Bochnia Municipality included on the route. This adds a regional fruit theme to the area’s historical highlights. If you want to include the Fruit Trail as a specific activity, check the current signage locally. This offers a clear distinction when choosing a focus for your visit: the cemetery and parish represent local history, while the Fruit Trail connects to a regional themed route.
Discover more destinations: Nowy Wiśnicz, Rajbrot, Rozdziele, Grobla, Kamionna, Jodłówka, Zawada, Lipnica Murowana
For the main travel overview: Bochnia.
