When planning a stay in Podwilk, you can focus on two distinct highlights: the Bembeńskie Nature Reserve and St. Martin’s Church. The reserve focuses on certain plant communities and species, while the church is characterized by distinctive roof shapes and individual furnishings. You can first consider whether natural or cultural heritage matters more to you. This thematic focus can also help when looking for a hotel. If you would like to visit the church interior, it is best to check in advance whether a visit is possible.

Nature Conservation in Podwilk

The Bembeńskie Nature Reserve was established in 2001 to protect bog spruce stands, black and grey alder trees, and protected and rare subalpine herbaceous plant species. Its conservation objectives therefore include both specific plant communities and rare and protected plant species. For nature enthusiasts, the appeal lies in this specific conservation focus: bog spruce and alder stand alongside herbaceous plants as named conservation targets.

The reserve covers 40.54 hectares and consists of two separate sections. The figure in hectares indicates the total area; the division describes how the reserve is laid out. Together, these details provide two different points of reference: its size and its division. The Bembeńskie Nature Reserve is therefore defined by more than its area alone.

The downy cornflower is among the legally protected plant species. It gives a specific name to the broader group of subalpine herbaceous plants and is one example within the conservation focus. The plant’s name supplements the information about plant communities with an individual protected species.

St. Martin’s Church: Architecture and Furnishings

At St. Martin’s Church, the tower and the roof turrets have bulbous tent roofs. This feature applies to two specific structural elements. A roof turret is a tower-like structure on a roof; at this church, bulbous tent roofs feature on both the tower and these structures. Those interested in architectural forms can pay attention to the combination of roof shape and position, rather than viewing the roof design only in general terms.

Parts of the church’s former furnishings have been preserved: a pulpit with a relief of St. John the Baptist, a side altar and two Rococo confessionals. These details combine a saintly motif with other furnishings and a specific stylistic designation. The term Rococo places the two confessionals in an art-historical context. If you would like to see these furnishings in person, check in advance whether a visit to the church interior is possible.

A stucco relief of St. Wendelin is located above the door to the sacristy. Together with the relief of John on the pulpit, this identifies two saintly motifs in different parts of the church furnishings. The locations distinguish the details: Wendelin appears in the stucco relief above the sacristy door, and John in the relief on the pulpit.

Another detail is in the tower: a bell dating from 1702 hangs among bells from the interwar period. It has a diameter of half a metre. The date and measurement make this individual piece more precisely identifiable; at the same time, it is set in a historical context alongside the interwar bells. The tower’s furnishings thus bring together different historical periods.

Discover more destinations: Maniowy, Rogoźnik, Zubrzyca Górna, Szlembark, Chyżne, Huba, Raba Wyżna, Waksmund.

For the overview of the wider travel area: Nowotarski.