Sękowa brings together two different travel interests: its wooden church is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a blue hiking trail runs through the village. There is also the Długosz Mausoleum and occasional editions of the “Muzyka Zaklęta w Drewnie” festival, featuring music, crafts and regional highlights. This raises a practical question when planning your trip: would you like architectural heritage to shape your stay, include a hike, or explore both?
The wooden church and UNESCO World Heritage
The wooden church in Sękowa is part of the serial UNESCO World Heritage Site “Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska”. It comprises six of the region’s best-preserved and oldest Gothic wooden churches. Its serial nature is important to note: the church in Sękowa is part of a shared World Heritage Site, not the entire site on its own. If you are interested in Gothic wooden architecture, you can consider both the church’s connection to the village and its place in the wider region. This gives you a clear sense of Sękowa as the location of the church, while the UNESCO designation broadens the perspective to include the group of six churches.
The Długosz Mausoleum
The Długosz family mausoleum offers a different architectural perspective. It is located in the parish cemetery in Sękowa, was completed in 1928, and is an elegant, imposing building in the style of an ancient Greek temple. Beside the Gothic wooden church, it offers a building with a distinctly different stylistic reference. This contrast gives culture-minded visitors a second specific point of reference for understanding Sękowa: the village is associated not only with Gothic timber architecture, but also with the mausoleum’s temple form.
Festival: music, crafts and tradition
Occasional editions of the “Muzyka Zaklęta w Drewnie” festival also bring together different cultural themes. At one edition, the ensemble Tulia performed in the historic Church of St. Philip and James in Sękowa. At one edition, local food and regional highlights were part of the programme; alongside music, the event showcased the culture and traditions of the Beskid Niski. At one edition, workshops, demonstrations and gatherings focused on traditional crafts took place near the church. These included ceramics, weaving, herbalism and earlier ways of using natural resources. The festival’s offerings therefore range from music in the historic church to crafts and regional traditions.
Hiking trail through Sękowa
If you would like to include hiking in your travel plans, there is a specific route to consider: a blue hiking trail runs from Gorlice through Sękowa to the shelter on Magura Małastowska (813 m above sea level). The route offers a different focus for planning than the two architectural highlights. It passes through the village and has a clearly named destination at the shelter on Magura. If you plan to follow the trail, check its current condition before setting out.
Considering Sękowa as a place to stay
If you are considering staying overnight in Sękowa, search for a holiday rental based on your travel dates and what matters most to you: architectural heritage or a hiking route that passes through the village. The wooden church and mausoleum offer two specific points of interest for a culture-focused stay; the blue trail adds hiking to the mix. This way, you can first decide whether Sękowa suits your travel plans, then look for holiday rentals in the village.
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