Hike If you want to hike, then you can choose from one of the 20 or so trails that cross the park and the neighbourhood. Many of them lead to the reserves, including the charming area surrounding the Tanew River, with its delightful small cascades called “the hums”. Most of the hiking trails can be ridden on horseback too.
Cycle There are about 20 cycling trails in and near the park. Most of the routes are quite easy, apart from some sandy sections.
Sightsee It is easy to start a sightseeing romp from Zwierzyniec, with its beautiful church located on an island – lit at night and reflected in the black mirror of the waters. Worthy of attention are the palaces in Narol, Horyniec and Krasnobrod. Tomaszow Lubelski boasts a magnificent larch church, one of the most precious constructions of its kind in Poland. But the gem of the area is Zamosc, a picturesque Renaissance town that has been dubbed the “Padua of the north”, and included in UNESCO World Heritage List.
Visit the former concentration camp in Belzec Planned as a real death factory, the death camp in Belzec was used from 1942 to 1943. An estimated 600 thousand people were murdered, and until the last minute of their lives they did not realize their fate. Now there is a museum and monument commemorating the victims.
Observe wildlife Roztocze National Park is particularly famed for its herds of Polish horses that can be seen near the Echo Ponds, a short walk from Zwierzyniec. However, the park also forms a habitat for many other species, such as stag, roe deer, boar, marten, badger and beaver. On the site of today’s park, Jan Zamoyski, the then owner of these lands, created an enclosed game reserve in 1589, a unique idea for those times.
Visit Orthodox churches There are many Orthodox churches in the area; some of them of wood while others are of plastered brick. You can find them in Hrebenne, Belzec, Lubaczow, Tomaszow Lubelski, Tereszpol, Losiniec, Radruz (the oldest one) and many other places.
Discover Jewish heritage Szczebrzeszyn was once one of the important Hassidim centres for Polish Jews. There is still a former synagogue there, which is one of the oldest cemeteries of the area.
Learn about local folklore In Guciow you can visit a small, but interesting open-air museum that presents folk architecture, utensils and handcrafts, typical for the area of Roztocze. There are also remnants of the prehistoric settlements in Guciow.
Rest in a health resort A clean environment and mineral waters are undeniable advantages of the local spa towns, such as Horyniec-Zdroj and Krasnobrod.
CHILDREN
The main town of the area is Zamosc, where you can find rail connections to Warsaw and Krakow, although the trains are not frequent. You can try getting there via Lublin, a significant city to the north of the Roztocze, and then taking a bus or train to Zamosc, Zwierzyniec, Szczebrzeszyn or one of the other towns of the Roztocze region. Private transport is undoubtedly more convenient. From Warsaw you can get to Lublin, Zwierzyniec or Tomaszow Lubelski taking road 17. If starting in Krakow, head east along the E40 to Rzeszow, and then turn in onto one of smaller roads leading to the various nooks of the Roztocze.
