Monthly Archives: June 2015

For over 200 years the inhabitants of Spycimierz, a little village in the municipality of Uniejów (central Poland), create colourful flower carpets with a length of almost 1 km along the Corpus Christi procession route. Come to Spycimierz to experience this special feast. The tradition is included in the UNESCO world list.

Vibrant flowers from the immediate area

Just a few days before the holiday, a real action takes place in the village – the inhabitants first collect flowers from nearby fields and home gardens, then sort, prepare and store in a cool place until Corpus Christi. On the holiday itself, entire families start arranging previously thought-out designs. They draw them first with chalk on the cobblestones – by hand or according to templates, then lay out the contours of the black soil wet with water. At the end they put  colourful flowers on it. The effect is always impressive! Both children, teenagers and adults participate in the preparation and implementation of floral arrangements.

Intricate designs

Initially, only yellow sand and tree branches were used for decoration. Flowers as a decorative element were introduced in the 1920s. Among the motifs arranged on floral rugs, symbols and religious paintings, rosettes and other floral compositions dominate. Artistic material – in addition to colorful flowers – are leaves, branches of shrubs, ears of cereals and tree bark.

Gates

Gates are a unique element of the Spycimier ceremony. At present, two are erected: one above the procession passage, the other at the entrance to the church square. These are solid constructions 6 meters high and 4 meters wide, which must be prepared much earlier. The frame of the gates is encased in branches of coniferous trees, in which colorful flowers are woven into.

From the upper beam, on which the cross and the religious image are fixed, garlands hang from the delicate parts of spruce branches intertwined with flowers. Preparation of gates requires both technical and artistic skills. The number of gates has varied – from 5-6 to even 8 gates. Flower gates as a symbol of the passage complement the symbolism of flower rugs.

Solemn procession

The Feast of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) is a Catholic liturgical solemnity celebrating annually 60 days after Easter. It emphasizes belief in the body and blood of Jesus Christ as well as institution of the Eucharist. Besides the Holy Mass and processions, in several places of the world the unique tradition of composing floral carpets developed.

In Poland, the feast of Corpus Christi has been celebrated since the beginning of the 14^th century. At the end of the century, the feast was already celebrated in all Polish dioceses. In Poland corpus Christi is celebrated in a very special way. Processions have taken place in every parish since the 15th century to the present day. Usually, the procession sets off from the church, and then moves to four altars arranged in a distance from the temple. The Gospel is read at each of them.

In Spycimierz, the procession crowns the hard work of parishioners. Many of them belong to the parish, local brass band and volunteer fire brigade. At 17.00 a solemn mass begins in the parish church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, in the center of the village, followed by a procession with the Blessed Sacrament to four altars built on the route. The charm of the procession attracts more and more people every year. It is documented by tourists and pilgrims, journalists, photographers, as well as by television. The parishioners are proud of their tradition. They don’t care about the effort of preparing the ceremony. This is their way of confessing their faith in God and giving Him due worship.

Read more about flower carpets and Spycimierz.

Tradition handed down from generation to generation

The Spycimierz tradition lives on and is passed on from generation to generation. The parishioners and the Uniejów Commune also care for its safeguarding through participation in projects co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and numerous investments, including the construction of the Spycimierz Corpus Christi Centre.

The crowning achievement of these efforts is the entry on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This took place on 16 December 2021 during the session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Paris. It is the third tradition from Poland to be included on the world list. Read more about UNESCO and the world list.

Earlier, in 2018, the Minister of Culture and National Heritage inscribed the Spycimiera tradition on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Italian flower pictures

Above all the cooperation with Uniejów’s Italian association “Infioritalia” brought a beautiful tradition to Uniejów. Yearly during Corpus Christi guests from different Italian cities lay beautiful pictures with colourful flowers. You can admire these art works in the parish churches in Spycimierz, Wilamów and Wielenin as well as on squares and streets in the city of Uniejów.

See artists from Uniejów’s Italian twin town Alatri at work on their wonderful art pieces (2016):

Are you interested in the of culture of knights and American Indians? Visit Uniejów to learn and experience about these cultures.

Medieval flair in the heart of Poland

In August  the Medieval Fair you can watch knights fighting, dance shows and concerts.

Polish Pow Wow

Indians rule Uniejów at the spring POW WOW – North American Indians’ Music and Dance Festival – and during Indian Family Festival see and buy original Indian handicraft and enjoy traditional Pow Wow dance shows.

Knights and American Indians events during the year

April: Spring POW WOW – North American Indians’ Music and Dance Festival

August: Medieval Fair

August: Indian Family Festival in Uniejów

Heated football pitches

Play football, even in winter times, on the heated football pitches next to the thermal pools complex. This football pitch complex is the only complex of this type in Poland which is heated with geo-thermal energy. The full-size grass pitches named after Włodzimierz Smolarek (member of Poland’s national team who died in 2012) can be used all year round. Here, football tournaments and training camps of famous clubs are organized.

Several music events are organized in Uniejów. The local Old Time Dance Group „Dworzanie”, dances on local historic events. You can hear Indian music, played during the two Indian events. Enjoy modern music at such events as the Midsummer Night Feast and Earth Festival.

Earth Festival

Since 2018 we have been meeting in Uniejów during Earth Festival, combining entertainment and fun with the need for commitment to stop, or preferably reverse, further deterioration of the Earth’s biosphere and the human condition. The festival is a time for mutual inspiration, sharing positive energy and the conviction that every, even the smallest of our daily decisions matters. As part of the event, we invite you to the Earth Festival Eco-City, full of attractions for both adults and children. After sunset there is an open-air cinema, followed by a wonderful concert – Stars for Clean Poland!

April: Spring POW WOW – North American Indians’ Music and Dance Festival

June: Midsummer Night

July: Communal  Firebrigade Brass Bands Festival

August: Earth Festival

Indian Family Festival

August: “Farewell to the Summer Holidays” Festival

Uniejów Thermal Spa

Are you tired after a whole day of work? Enjoy various spa and wellness offers in Uniejów. Get a feeling of relaxation and renewal that will keep you glowing for days in the sauna and spa zone in Uniejów Thermal Spa. In the Sanarium a play of lights will relax your body and mind. The aromatic bath has smoothing or stimulating properties thanks to the smells and oils spreading around them. Take advantage of the medicinal properties of ultraviolet light in the special UV room. Try a traditional Turkish bath or Russian banya (steam bath), you will feel new born. After the sauna or Russian banya you can take a short bath in the ice pool to cool down. A visit to the snow chamber with a temperature below zero has a huge effect on your health, especially if you go there straight from the sauna. Such a temperature shock triggers a lot of positive reactions in the body, it will improve your blood circulation and your breathing.

Fun for the whole family

Uniejów Thermal Spa also offers a lot of attractions for children: an indoor swimming pool with a adventurous pirate ship, a climbing wall, an exciting water cannon, an outdoor swimming pool with a castle and several slides.

Have a traditional Polish diner or something sweet in the Thermal Restaurant within the complex without charging your swimming time.

You will also find attractive  spa and wellness offers in other facilities in Uniejów: Medical SPA Hotel Lawendowe Termy ****, Uniejów Park Spa and Uniejów Hotel**** ecoActive&Spa.

Uniejów is beautifully located in the Warta River Valley. Explore the local forests, meadows, water reservoirs, small ponds, wetlands and peat lands, on these routes that have been marked out:

• Horse riding trail Henryk Dobrzański „Hubal”
• The Warta River canoeing route
• Bike trail through the Uniejów Land
• Warta River Bike Trail
• Hot Springs Bike Trail
• Faustina Kowalska hiking and bike trail

Horse riding trail Henryk Dobrzański „Hubal”

Ride the longest marked horse riding trail in Europe, with 25 km through the Uniejów Land. Most of the trail runs through areas which are valuable in terms of nature and history. Horse riding in Uniejów is facilitated by the animal-oriented infrastructure on the site of the Mill Farmstead (stalls, stableman services). Here one can hire a horse team and take a ride in the historic castle park.

Paintball

Are you looking for a thrill? Paintball in Uniejów will give you a a large dose of adrenaline.

Maciej Łuczak
Phone: +48 695 687 357 / +48 726 174 067
E-mail: biuro@vattenball.pl
vattenball.pl

If you want to meet your business partner for lunch or dinner, you have a wide selection of restaurants with a nice ambiance and good cuisine serving local products.

AQUA Restaurant in Aparthotel “Termy Uniejów”

Towarzystwa Przyjaciół Uniejowa 1

99-210 Uniejów

Phone: +48 505 785 012

www.aquarestaurant.pl

Restaurant Herbowa at the Castle  known for its ambience and excellent cuisine

2 Zamkowa Street

99-210 Uniejów

Phone: +48 791 340 595

herbowauniejow.pl

Lawendowe Termy Restaurant offers regional cuisine slow food

10 abp. Jakuba Świnki Street

99-210 Uniejów

Phone: +48 42 23 34 770

www.lawendowetermy.pl

La Regina Restaurant – fine flavours and healthy food

Hotel Uniejów **** ecoAcitve&Spa

32 Błogosławionego Bogumiła Street

99-210 Uniejów

Phone: +48 63 27 80 157

www.hoteluniejow.pl

Parkowa Restaurant invites to taste healthy cuisine in an elegant and spacious interior

Uniejów Park Spa

7 Zamkowa Street

99-210 Uniejów

Phone: +48 63 288 89 59

http://www.izc.pl/uniejow

Smak Park Restaurant

Zamkowa 4

99-210 Uniejów

tel. +48 505 365 386

Na Tężni Restaurant

abp. Jakuba Świnki

99-210 Uniejów

tel. +48 664 998 368

Varto Restaurant

Zamkowa 1

99-210 Uniejów

tel. +48 63 279 24 30

www.termalna.com.pl

The commune of Uniejów realised a lot of investments in the years 2004-2015 . The greatest amount of money, has been earmarked for the development of tourism and recreation.

Investments in tourism

The major projects include: development of the thermal pools complex, construction of the Artists’ Retreat, Mill Farmstead, Knight’s Fortress and the complex of heated football pitches, as well as restoration works in the Castle of the Archbishops of Gniezno and the castle park.

Geothermal energy

The commune of Uniejów has also  invested in renewable energy sources, including the construction of a heat pipeline and the thermal water transmission network, and modernisation of the town’s heating system.

Investments in infrastructure

Equal amount of money has been channeled to the infrastructure projects in tourism and recreation as well as technical infrastructure serving all citizens of our commune. We realise that the economy will not develop without a good road network, and, therefore, big money was allocated for the construction and modernisation of roads and streets. Thanks to this investment, you can reach Uniejów faster and safer.

Uniejów offers interesting development possibilities. The town favours investors and it is attractively situated – 10 km from the A2 motorway connecting Warsaw, Łódź and Poznań with Berlin. Investors can also use the nearby passenger and cargo airports in Łódź, Warsaw and Poznań.

Take interest in our investment offer – real properties and areas for greenfield investments.

Detailed information can be obtained in the Town Hall:

• Acquisition of real property: room No. 13 (ground floor), phone: +48 63 28 89 768.
• Investments: room No. 10 (ground floor), phone +48 63 28 89 767 or +48 63 28 89 769

At the northern outskirts of the town you will find the beautiful renovated orthodox tomb chapel  (Cerkiewka) built 1885 for General Aleksander Toll’s family, the tsarist owners of the castle and nearby land. In the crypt the general, his wife and his son Sergiusz rested. After the war their remains were buried near “cerkiewka”.