PODKARPACKIE REGION IN POLAND

The Podkarpackie Voivodeship is located in south-eastern Poland, one of the most easterly regions of the European Union. To the east, Podkarpackie borders with Ukraine, and to the south with Slovakia.

Over the centuries, the territory of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship has been a region of the ethnic, political and religious borderland. The location of the region »on the border of the intersection of cultures« has had an important impact on the shape of the cultural heritage preserved to this day. Processes of settlement in which cultures associated with the Polish, German, Slovak and Russian populations, and many ethnic and religious groups, co-existed alongside each other left a lasting impression on the folk culture of the region.

In addition to the material evidence, the cultural identity of the region includes many manifestations of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which are the carrier of identity shaped by tradition as well as individual and collective memory. Therefore its maintenance and promotion plays a very important role in creating and strengthening the sense of belonging to the Podkarpackie community. 

The geographical and natural conditions as well as the extraordinary diversity of the cultural heritage resources of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship mean that the cultural landscape is rich and diverse. The nature resources and natural attributes of Podkarpackie had a great influence on the formation of manifestations of the cultural heritage of the region, such as the Wooden Architecture Trail. Podkarpackie can also be visited through its cuisine, which is facilitated by the Podkarpackie Tastes Culinary Trail, numbering 50 buildings, which has been opened and is one of the largest routes of this type in Poland.  

The information and photos included in this article are from the Brochure "POLSKA - PODKARPACKIE VOIVODESHIP. INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE" prepared by Rzeszow Regional Development Agency – ARTISTIC project partner. 

In the ARTISTIC project the Podkarpackie Region is represented by Rzeszow Regional Development Agency.