Zbylitowska Góra can be understood from several perspectives: its settlement history dates back to the 7th century, a memorial in Buczyna Forest commemorates the people murdered there during the Second World War, and the listed Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross has a building history dating back to 1464. Along Pszenna Street runs a 400-metre avenue lined with 88 trees, which you can follow to Soślina Forest. These topics highlight different aspects of the area and can help you consciously choose the focus of your stay.

Early Settlement History

Zbylitowska Góra is one of the oldest human settlements in southern Poland; its beginnings date back to the 7th century. This places the area in a regional context while providing a specific early date. The focus is therefore on the origins of the place itself, rather than solely on individual buildings. This early period provides a broad historical context; the church, whose construction date is precisely known, represents a later, clearly defined chapter.

The Church and Its History

The listed Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was built in 1464 on the site of an older wooden place of worship and was destroyed during the First World War. The date marks a specific phase of construction; its destruction was a later turning point in the history of this building. This makes it possible to distinguish the history of the church and its construction from the settlement history, which began much earlier. One date refers to the origins of the settlement, while the other identifies a precisely dated building and its destruction.

Remembrance in Buczyna Forest

In Buczyna Forest in Zbylitowska Góra, Germans carried out mass murders during the Second World War of Jewish residents of the Tarnów ghetto and Polish prisoners. The “Ofiar Hitlerowskiego Terroru” memorial commemorates those murdered there. The annual “Galicjaner Sztetl” Galician Jews Remembrance Days begin in the forest with a prayer gathering at this memorial. The gathering remembers the people murdered there during the Second World War, especially those of Jewish and Polish origin. This connection to the place sets remembrance apart from the accounts of settlement and architectural history: the focus is on the victims and an annual prayer gathering.

The Avenue and Soślina Forest

Along Pszenna Street in Zbylitowska Góra runs a 400-metre avenue lined with 88 trees, mostly sycamore maples. You can follow the avenue to Soślina Forest, also known as Sośnina. Beech and oak trees predominate there, while pines are found only occasionally. The route thus leads from a tree-lined avenue into a forest with a different character. The length and number describe the avenue, while the species composition characterizes the forest.

Choose the Focus of Your Stay

If you are weighing a historical focus against a landscape-focused one, the local history and the route to Soślina offer two different ways to explore the area.

Discover more destinations: Wał-Ruda, Rzuchowa, Zakliczyn, Tuchów, Skrzyszów, Siedliska, Ryglice, Ładna.

Back to the main travel overview: Tarnów.