Discover Gilowice

• Gilowice, together with the hamlet of Gilowice–Rozcięta, stretches along the Łękawka River valley.
• The wooden Church of St. Andrew the Apostle was completed in 1545 and moved from Rychwałd to Gilowice in 1756.
• The church is part of the Silesian Wooden Architecture Trail.
• Part of the municipality lies within Beskid Mały Landscape Park.
• Gilowice is a starting point for unmarked routes into the Little Beskids.

The two dates mark different stages in the church’s history: the wooden Church of St. Andrew the Apostle was completed in 1545, and in 1756 it was moved from Rychwałd to Gilowice. This relocation adds a second geographic reference to its architectural history. The church’s inclusion in the Silesian Wooden Architecture Trail provides further cultural context. You can therefore consider the building both as a tangible part of Gilowice’s history and in the broader context of wooden architecture.

Gilowice’s cultural history can also be seen in other contexts. The regional ensemble “Dolanie” was founded in March 1997 at the Municipal Cultural Centre in Gilowice. The Gilowice cycling event along the route to chapels and roadside figures commemorating St. John Paul II began on May 1, 2023, at the Chapel of St. Joseph in the parish garden and continued to the border with Ślemień. At the Kuźnik Chapel, participants learned about the history of the chapel’s construction and the former tradition of singing at chapels on May evenings.

Another dated example is the second Christmas Market in Gilowice, held on December 17, 2025, which brought together many local residents and visitors from elsewhere. These examples represent different cultural connections: a regional ensemble, a themed cycling event, and a Christmas market. The dates mentioned describe specific historical events.

Gilowice and the hamlet of Gilowice–Rozcięta lie in the Łękawka Valley. The central rest and education centre for tourists and residents of the Polish-Slovak border region was also established on this river. This places a geographic reference point alongside a place designed for rest and learning. In addition, part of the municipality lies within Beskid Mały Landscape Park. This park designation applies to part of the municipality and does not describe the entire area as a whole.

These different reference points help with orientation: the river valley describes Gilowice’s location, while the central rest and education centre provides another point of interest. The landscape park, in turn, refers to part of the municipality. This makes it possible to distinguish the town’s location from the broader landscape context.

Gilowice is a starting point for unmarked routes into the Little Beskids (Beskid Mały). The fact that these routes are explicitly unmarked is an important planning consideration: if you are thinking of hiking, factor navigation into your own route planning. This focus differs from the cultural and historical perspective, which in Gilowice is grounded in the church and documented cultural events.

Discover more destinations: Jeleśnia, Korbielow, Kamesznica, Ślemień, Wieprz, Tresna, Złatna, Żabnica.

When was the church completed and moved to Gilowice?

The wooden Church of St. Andrew the Apostle was completed in 1545 and moved from Rychwałd to Gilowice in 1756. It is part of the Silesian Wooden Architecture Trail.

Are the routes into the Little Beskids marked?

No. Gilowice is a starting point for unmarked routes into the Little Beskids (Beskid Mały).

Is all of Gilowice within Beskid Mały Landscape Park?

No. Part of the municipality of Gilowice lies within Beskid Mały Landscape Park.

Go to the main travel overview: Żywiec.