Holowczyce: Stare Hołowczyce and its cultural history

• Stare Hołowczyce is the northern part; the other parts are Nowe Hołowczyce and Hołowczyce-Kolonia.
• There are sidewalks along regional road 811 in the built-up area of Stare Hołowczyce.
• Local cultural traces include a wayside shrine, a section of wooden buildings, and the place names “Karczma” and “Klepaczówka.”
• A municipal report from 2022 mentions cycling routes and rest shelters in the Hołowczyce and Zabuże forest complex.

Stare Hołowczyce forms the northern part of Hołowczyce; Nowe Hołowczyce and Hołowczyce-Kolonia are the other two parts. This distinction is useful for orientation: information about the wider Hołowczyce area does not automatically apply only to the northern section. Hołowczyce as a whole is a linear village with 5 km of continuous development. This length describes the entire village, not just Stare Hołowczyce.

A specific point of reference in this section is regional road 811. There are sidewalks along the road in the built-up area of Stare Hołowczyce. Both the broader settlement pattern and a local infrastructure feature therefore help put the village in context.

A wayside shrine stands on the former property of blacksmith Wacław Parafiniuk. May devotions were held at the shrine. A section of wooden buildings is also among the traditional views of Stare Hołowczyce. These details point to different aspects of local history: religious practice and architectural heritage.

At the end of Stare Hołowczyce, one place is known as “Karczma” and another as “Klepaczówka.” The two names are local points of reference, but should not be mistaken for directions. Together with the wayside shrine and the wooden buildings, they offer insight into the different ways in which history and place names are connected to this part of the village.

Around 1580, Hołowczyce was listed in the tax register under the historical name “Olonczyce.” In the 19th century, its residents were predominantly farmers of Ruthenian and Masovian origin who were Greek Catholic. This information relates to Hołowczyce as a whole and adds a further historical and cultural context to the description of the northern section.

During the occupation, Jan and Jadwiga Grobicki gave shelter to a Jewish boy. He survived the war as a farmhand on their farm. In 1989, they received a medal and the title “Righteous Among the Nations” for this. This story is among the events remembered in Hołowczyce and complements the earlier references to the history of settlement and religion.

A specific religious event from 1905 is also recorded: residents of Hołowczyce went in procession to the church in Sarnaki to adopt the Roman Catholic faith. This individual event adds a dated episode to the village’s historical points of reference; it describes this event, not a regular contemporary observance.

The road from Hołowczyce to the Zabuże manor still exists and is known locally as Korolówka. A municipal description from 2022 lists more than 10 km of designated and marked cycling routes in the Hołowczyce and Zabuże forest complex; rest shelters have also been installed there. Before setting out on a bike ride, check the current condition of the routes, markings, and rest shelters.

Discover more destinations: Łosice, Borsuki, Sarnaki, Zabuże, Horoszki Małe, Łuzki, Stare Mierzwice and Bolesty.

Which parts make up Hołowczyce?

Stare Hołowczyce is the northern part. The other two parts are Nowe Hołowczyce and Hołowczyce-Kolonia.

What cultural traces are associated with Stare Hołowczyce?

They include a wayside shrine on the former property of blacksmith Wacław Parafiniuk, May devotions held there, a section of wooden buildings, and the place names “Karczma” and “Klepaczówka” at the end of the village.

What happened in Hołowczyce in 1905?

Residents went in procession to the church in Sarnaki to adopt the Roman Catholic faith.

What should you keep in mind before cycling in the forest complex?

The figure of more than 10 km of designated and marked cycling routes comes from a municipal description dating to 2022. Check the current condition of the routes, markings, and rest shelters before your trip.

Go to the main travel overview: Łosice.