Czarna Woda: Local History and Cultural Heritage

• The village of Czarna Woda is now one of the streets of Jaworki, in the municipality of Szczawnica.
• The Chyża Babci Matrony has stood in the village since at least the 19th century; during renovations, it is partially open to visitors by prior arrangement.
• The Czarna Woda stream is 6.99 kilometres long and a right-bank tributary of the Grajcarka.
• Czarna Woda was one of the four settlements of Ruś Szlachtowska.

The place name and the stream's name are the same, but refer to different things. Czarna Woda is now one of the streets of Jaworki; the stream flows through the area and then enters the territory of the village of Jaworki. At 6.99 kilometres long and as a right-bank tributary of the Grajcarka, the watercourse is easy to locate geographically. In the wider regional context, the stream is considered an important landscape feature of the Beskid Sądecki. The area's history and its watercourse are therefore two distinct but tangible aspects of the destination.

The Chyża Babci Matrony has stood in the village since at least the 19th century. Its collections include a historic rural building with a cellar and an outhouse, a chapel and old furniture such as chests and a cradle. There are also household items, religious objects such as paintings and a small Ruthenian cross, authentic Ruthenian costumes, sculptures, photographs and family records. Together, these varied objects offer insight into domestic, religious and family aspects of local history.

Czarna Woda itself is also part of a broader cultural history: it was one of the four settlements that made up Ruś Szlachtowska. This is described as the westernmost enclave of Lemko settlements in the Carpathians. This places the history of the individual settlement in a regional context without losing sight of the local distinction of the Chyża Babci Matrony.

Despite ongoing renovations, the Chyża Babci Matrony is partially open to visitors, but only by prior arrangement with the owner. Arrange your visit in advance. Another cultural site is the shrine in Masłejakówka. It stands on the site of a planned Orthodox church, in the oldest, lower-lying part of the area near the border with Jaworki.

The “U źródeł Białej Wody” quest starts in the centre of Jaworki, in a square at the junction of Czarna Woda and Pod Homolami streets. It leads through the Biała Woda Nature Reserve in the Małe Pieniny range and tells the story of areas once inhabited by Lemkos. The quest can be played at any time. Route information may change, so check the details before setting out. Its starting point is in Jaworki, making the quest an activity near Czarna Woda.

Where is Czarna Woda?

The village of Czarna Woda is now one of the streets of Jaworki, in the municipality of Szczawnica.

Can you visit the Chyża Babci Matrony?

Partially, despite ongoing renovations, and only by prior arrangement with the owner. Arrange your visit in advance.

Where does the “U źródeł Białej Wody” quest start?

It starts in the centre of Jaworki, in a square at the junction of Czarna Woda and Pod Homolami streets. Check the route information before setting out.

To the main travel overview: Szczawnica.