Pstrągowa – River Valley and Local History

• The village lies along the valley of the Pstrągówka, surrounded by hills.
• Small streams flow into the Wisłok River outside the village area.
• A monument in the village center commemorates eleven people murdered in 1943.
• The Chapel of St. Bartholomew is located in the hamlet of Brzezie.

Pstrągowa stretches along the valley of the Pstrągówka, with hills surrounding it. Small streams run through the hills and flow into the Wisłok outside the village area. Extensive forests surround Pstrągowa to the west and north. The landscape can therefore be understood through three concrete features: the river valley, streams, and forests. The streams connect the hills around the village to the river, while their confluences lie outside the village area.

Near Pstrągowa, close to the Wielki Las nature reserve, there is a tourist rest area in forest section 239b. Visitors can shelter from the rain there or light a campfire. Check local conditions before visiting.

In June 1943, German occupying forces carried out a pacification operation in Pstrągowa and murdered eleven people. A monument in the village center, near the church and school, commemorates the victims. On the square beside the parish church, there is also a late Baroque stone statue of St. John of Nepomuk from the 17th century. The two sites point to different historical contexts: remembrance of the victims of the pacification operation and a religious work of art from an earlier period.

The first confirmed site of religious worship in Pstrągowa was a chapel dating from 1344. The village has been an independent parish since 1628. A wooden church was added to the earlier chapel in 1802. Another historical event involved a wooden church from Góra Ropczycka: residents of Pstrągowa transported it to the village by horse-drawn carts within a single day. The present-day brick Church of St. Joseph the Worker was built between 1973 and 1975.

The Chapel of St. Bartholomew is located in the hamlet of Brzezie in Pstrągowa, on the former road to Zawadka. Bartłomiej Fortuna, a farmer from Pstrągowa, built it in 1878. The interior is decorated with murals, including a depiction of a guardian angel. The Neo-Baroque altar has four columns and an image of St. Bartholomew. This building thus brings together a specific founding date and clearly described details of its furnishings.

The former Jarecki family manor house in Pstrągowa was built in 1929 and designed entirely by Franciszek Jarecki, the estate owner at the time. He also designed Zakopane-style furniture, which was made by carpenters from Czudec. Another cultural tradition is associated with the parish: the Cantamus choir has been active there since 2006. Its traditions include annual Christmas concerts titled “Bóg się rodzi.”

Discover more destinations: Czudec, Strzyżów, Brzeżanka, Frysztak, Nowa Wieś, Cieszyna.

What is the landscape of Pstrągowa like?

The village stretches along the valley of the Pstrągówka, surrounded by hills; small streams flow into the Wisłok outside the village area, and extensive forests lie to the west and north.

What does the monument in the village center commemorate?

It commemorates eleven people murdered by German occupying forces during a pacification operation in June 1943.

Where is the Chapel of St. Bartholomew located?

It stands in the hamlet of Brzezie in Pstrągowa, on the former road to Zawadka.

What concert tradition does Pstrągowa have?

The Cantamus choir, active at the parish since 2006, traditionally gives annual Christmas concerts titled “Bóg się rodzi.”

Go to the regional travel guide: Strzyżów.