KD---produkty---IKONY+JAZYKY-2

Black Gold Discoverers

Practical information : 3-day tourism product

Location: Bóbrka – Krosno - Sanok - Miková

Recommended transport mode:car, bus

Product description: 

1.day

➡️ The Ignacy Łukasiewicz Oil and Gas Industry Museum in Bóbrka

The tour along the trail of Black Gold Discoverers will start at Ignacy Łukasiewicz Oil and Gas Industry Museum in Bóbrka, comprising the oldest oil drilling site in the world. Petroleum industry was born here. The drilling site was opened in 1845 by Tytus Trzecieski – a landlord from Polanka, Karol Klobassa-Zrencki – the owner of Zręcin and Bóbrka, philanthropist and fruit farmer and Ignacy Łukasiewicz – pharmacist and inventor of the kerosene lamp, creator of oil industry.

Oil wells are still working in the museum, which means that the world’s oldest oil drilling site is still operating! Here you can learn about the history of the drilling site and the evolution of oil extraction methods, see huge constructions and machines used in oil industry, take part in multimedia shows and learn about the development of the Polish oil industry from the 19th to the 21st century. Recommended time for tour: 2 hours

Muzeum Przemysłu Naftowego i Gazowniczego im. Ignacego Łukasiewicza w Bóbrce

In the Museum you should:

  • take part in one of the four themed guided tours,
  • see the “Franek” well - the original, oldest oil well from the 1800s,
  •  see the “Janina” well, 132 metres deep, still active oil well built over 100 years ago,
  • see Canadian type drilling rig driven by a locomobile,
  • visit the administrative building - Ignacy Łukasiewicz's house with a multimedia show

➡️ Church of the Scared Heart of Jesus in Bóbrka

Opening of the oil drilling site was beneficial not only for its founders but also for the local community. Many village residents significantly improved their financial status by working in Bóbrka. The region started to develop rapidly. To understand how important the drilling site was for the local community, we should look at some evidence confirming this statement. It is most visible in Bóbrka itself, where we can see the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus built between 1905 and1908, and consecrated on 5 June 1910 r. Local inhabitants working in oil industry to a large extend paid for the construction of the church. They decided to make this contribution in gratitude for God's blessing, which is how they saw the opportunity to work at the oil drills. The new building replaced an older wooden church standing in Bóbrka until that time. This change was also to emphasize the progress in the material status of the inhabitants. A new, tall, brick church visible from afar was sending a message to visitors "We have a prosperous life." Those who contributed to the construction of the church also included: inhabitants of Niżna Łąka, church founders Stefan and Maria de Götzendorf Grabowski from Polanka and the Galician-Carpathian Petroleum Company. Father Antoni Dziurzyński, a parish priest from Bóbrka, also asked for financial support from Franz Joseph I of Austria and received it.

Parafia w Bobrce_A.Rokitowska (6)

Besides this symbolic meaning, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bóbrka has several impressive decorative elements that are worth seeing. Inside the church there are over 100-year-old paintings, by Jan Krupski, and beautiful stained-glass windows created by Józef Ostrowski and Stefan Matejko (related to the most famous Polish painter Jan Matejko!). As you can see, many outstanding people were involved in the creation of the church in Bóbrka, which confirms the financial capabilities of the residents and the huge importance of the drilling site for the region. Recommended time for tour: 30 minutes

                  

➡️ Statue of Ignacy Łukasiewicz in Krosno

The statue of Ignacy Łukasiewicz located in front of the Krosno City Hall is a work of Jan Raszka, an outstanding sculptor of the interwar period.

The statue was originally unveiled in 1932, on the 50th anniversary of the inventor's death. It was a big celebration. Over 100,000 people took part in the ceremony! For comparison, Krosno had a population of 18,000 at the time.

The figure of Łukasiewicz is cast in bronze and stands on a granite pedestal. He points his finger onto the source of oil. This is probably the oldest piece of work depicting the inventor. The monument was destroyed in 1939. After the reconstruction, it was unveiled again in 1973. Recommended time for tour: 15 minutes

FOTKA

Lunch   

➡️  The building of the former Credit Society in Krosno

In addition to developing their own business, the originators of oil industry carried out charitable work and activities benefitting the society; they supported new initiatives and fostered local communities. They also decided to join the activities of the Credit Society, which was founded in Krosno in 1874, that is 20 years after the opening of the drilling site in Bóbrka. What was the Credit Society? The institution was involved in granting loans and credits. Small entrepreneurs and craftsmen could seek financial support there. Klobassa, Łukasiewcz and Trzecieski supported the Society with the largest sums of money.

The Neo-Renaissance building of the Credit Society stands at Kapucyńska Street 1 and is one of the most interesting buildings in Krosno because of its architectural form. The sgraffito frieze with scenes referring to the region’s oil heritage is an impressive decoration of the building. This embellishment adds colour to the edifice and emphasizes its connection with the history of oil. Recommended time for tour: 15 minutes

 

➡️ Subcarpathian Museum in Krosno / exhibition: History of Lighting

The pioneer of oil industry in Europe - Ignacy Łukasiewicz - a Polish pharmacist and entrepreneur from the noble family of Łada coat of arms, became known mainly for his achievements such as distillation of crude oil, invention of the kerosene lamp and involvement in development of petroleum industry. The lighting industry also evolved with the advancements in oil industry, as it used kerosene as the fuel. Currently, we have energy-saving light bulbs, halogens and LEDs. In the past, candles and kerosene lamps were used for lighting. Subcarpathian Museum in Krosno is the best place to travel back in time and discover the charm of historic interiors lit with beautiful kerosene lamps.

Today, Krosno is the most important inheritor of the kerosene lamp tradition in the world.

Subcarpatian Museum presents the exhibition called History of Lighting with the biggest and most impressive collection of kerosene lamps in Europe. The exhibits gathered here come from manufactories from around the world and present various artistic styles. Living room and column lamps from the second half of the 1800s are particularly valuable works of art.

Do you like any of the lamps especially? Or maybe it is time to think about your own kerosene lamp? Recommended time for tour: 1,5 hours

Worth visiting:

  • Glass Heritage Centre in Krosno (1 Blich Street, Krosno)
  • Museum of Crafts in Krosno (19 Piłsudskiego St.)
  • Parish Basilica in Krosno, from the 14th century (5 Piłsudskiego St.)
  • Town Square in Krosno, with historical townhouses some of which feature arcades
  • Ruins of Kamieniec Castle in Odrzykoń
  • Prządki Rock Reserve in Czarnorzeki
  • Church in Haczów (UNESCO)
  • Maria Konopnicka Museum in Żarnowiec (Żarnowiec 133)
  • Manor House in Kopytowa (Kopytowa 1)

FOTKA                                          

Dinner and free time 

2. day                   

➡️ The Polanka Palace - Krosno

The brick manor house once owned by the Trzecieski family in Polanka is over 200 years old. Some events of great importance for the development of oil industry took place there.

In the manor house in Polanka, Ignacy Łukasiewicz, Tytus Trzecieski (the owner of the house at that time) and Karol Klobassa-Zrencki formed the first company in the world to search for and extract oil. Trzecieski made a financial contribution to the company, Klobassa-Zrencki provided access to the oil area in Bóbrka, and Łukasiewicz become the manager of the project. After the company was founded, actions to establish the drilling site in Bóbrka were taken. After a fire destroyed his own home, Ignacy Łukasiewicz and his family lived in the manor in Polanka for four years.

Many years after the passing of the drilling site founders, the enterprise was taken over by the oil company “Małopolska”. The management board of the company was then in the Polanka Palace, which today is a four-star hotel combining the appeal of a historic sight, with the beauty of the surrounding nature and the comforts of a luxury wellness & spa.

Recommended time for tour: 1 hour

Foto

➡️ Jedlicze Petroleum Refinery and Tytus Trzecieski’s grave

About 9 km outside Krosno, there is a town of Jedlicze, where a petroleum refinery is located. The plant was built in the early 20th century in the nearby village of Borek (today part of Jedlicze), after the area received access to railway which facilitated transport. The Petroleum Refinery was established by Hanover-Galician Oil Company in Krosno, affiliated to Hungarian-Galician Petroleum Industry Join-Stock Company in Budapest, and from 1911 associated with Dutch-French Company "Du Nord"; this was the most advantageous arrangement for the refinery. By 1912 the refinery was thoroughly expanded and modernized. At that time, kerosene, gasoline, the so-called blue oil, paraffin and bitumen were produced there. Owing to the advanced refining technologies used here, the products were exported to Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany. In the following years, the owners of the refinery changed a number of times. During World War II, the Germans produced gas and oil in Jedlicze for their military needs. Since 1999 PKN Orlen has been the majority shareholder of Jedlicze Petroleum Refinery.   

At the municipal cemetery in Jedlicze (about 1.5 km from the refinery) there is the grave of Tytus Trzecieski (born on 28 December 1811 in Bażanówka, deceased on 24 December 1878 in Polanka), a landowner and philanthropist, who laid the foundations for the Polish oil industry. Recommended time for tour: 1 hour

Lunch

➡️ The tomb of Ignacy and Honorata Łukasiewicz, the chapel of the Klobassa family and the Parish of Zręcin dedicated to Saint Stanisław, Bishop and Martyr

The burial place of two pioneers of oil industry - Ignacy Łukasiewicz (and his wife) and Karol Klobassa-Zrencki (in a family chapel) can easily be found in Zręcin. Opposite the cemetery, in the Church dedicated to Saint Stanisław, Bishop and Martyr, there are commemorative epitaphs with portraits of both of the church founders painted on tin plates. The epitaphs are placed on the walls of the chancel; Karol Klobassa-Zrencki’s epitaph is on the left of the entrance to the sacristy and Ignacy Łukasiewicz’s epitaph is on the right at the entrance to the chapel.Recommended time for tour: 15 minutes

➡️ “Bełkotka” spring in Iwonicz-Zdrój 

Among the oil fields of Podkarpackie, one can find many oil wells and pumpjacks* still running. However, crude oil is not everything. There are also many deposits of natural gas. The most interesting can be found in Iwonicz-Zdrój - one of the oldest Polish health resorts with a 430-year-long history. The place is famous mainly for its resources of various types of mineral water, used for drinking, inhalation as well as baths, and in production of therapeutic salts. Because of that, many spa houses with a rich offer for patients were created here.

In a pleasant place in the centre of the forest, on the slopes of Mount Przedziwna, we can find the oldest and most famous healing spring in Iwonicz-Zdrój, once regarded as the most valuable. Here we can, in a way, sense the presence of fossil fuels, for which Podkarpackie is known. Because of the gas released from underground, the water emerges babbling and mumbling, and this is how the spring received its name “Bełkotka” (Mumbler). At the time it was discovered, there was so much gas flowing with water that people would set it on fire just for fun. 

Worth visiting:

  • historic centre of Iwonicz – Zdrój, with a preserved spatial layout and a complex of resort-style wooden buildings from the mid-1800s (Pump Room, Spa House, Bazar Villa with a clock tower, Old Baths)
  • Park and palace complex in Iwonicz: manorial park from the 1700s, Winter Palace, orangery and Arian church
  • Parish church in Iwonicz, with lush Baroque furnishings                   

3. day 

 ➡️  The rise and fall of oil drilling site in Mikova and Dechtivka

The village of Miková is located in the Low Beskid mountains, in the Stropkov District within the Prešov Region. The first written records related to the village date from 1390; in fact, settlements of Vlachs – Ruthenians in the feudal state of Stropkov and Humenné first appeared before 1347. Up until the 1700s Miková belonged to the feudal “state” of Stropkov. From the 18th century it was owned by the Keglevi family. The villagers specialised in agriculture, charcoal burning and livestock farming.

It was in the village of Miková that the search for oil was first initiated in Slovakia. The expectations related to petroleum deposits in Miková were related to oil extraction on the northern side of the Carpathians in Krosno. The earliest related written records date from 1684 and 1742. They document that “oil refining and distillation were initiated” in that period. The location where people would extract the black fluid was called “Dychtivka” (tar), and the creek where oil flowed in small quantities was named Ripné (from the Ruthenian word for petroleum). According to the data from a local chronicle, industrial oil excavation began as early as 1913. There were two oil wells – Alexander Šandor and Magdaléna, which were owned by the Industrial Trading Company in Strážské. Later these were acquired by the French company Societe Petrole de Miková. 

The village of Miková is mainly known as the birth place of Andy Warhol’s parents, that is Ondrej Warhol and Júlia Závadská. The nearby town of Medzilaborce is home to Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art. Recommended time for tour: 2 hours

➡️ The Museum of Folk Architecture in Sanok / oil exhibition

Wacław Wolski, a Polish engineer, inventor and oil entrepreneur, was also closely related to oil industry. He developed, among others, a hydraulic rotary drilling method in which water was first used to move the drill bit. This method was called “Polish Canadian”. In 1907, the Wilno shaft near Borysław, attained a depth of 1000 metres (typical shafts were 400 metres deep). Due to oil deposits, the shaft's daily output reached a record of 900 tons, which forced other manufacturers to increase production efficiency. As a result, 120,000 tonnes of oil were extracted in Galicia in 1907, while in 1906 it was half as much. Unfortunately, there was no outlet for this amount of oil in the underdeveloped Galician economy, which resulted in a sharp decline in its prices, and the entire Galician oil industry lost profitability. Over time, it also turned out that oil resources are not infinite. More and more drilling sites were closed after the material had been extracted.

Some of the equipment used during extraction of crude oil can be seen by visitors at the Museum of Folk Architecture in Sanok. Opened in June 2004, the Museum’s oil sector contains oil rigs, Canadian type shaft, forge, various types of pumping jacks, treadmills (including the wooden one from 1926), boilers, piston pumps, tripods, cranes and iron wagons for oil transport. All together they show the entire oil production cycle. A real rarity is a steam locomobile from 1919 with a chassis manufactured at the Wagon and Machines Factory in Sanok, as well a thing that no oil museum in the world has in its collection - an authentic vehicle (in Polish called “wóz maziarski”) used by inhabitants of the village Łoś near Gorlice to sell petroleum products.

In the Museum of Folk Architecture in Sanok, you should:

  •  visit the Galician Market, which is a reconstruction of a small town from the early 1900s
  • see the exhibition of Carpathian icons presenting the finest examples of Greek-Catholic and Orthodox religious art
  • visit the manor house in Święcany, from where you can see a wide panorama of the city and the castle hill.

Recommended time for tour: 2 hours

Dinner and return