The best traffic-free bike rides in Панкі

Worth stopping by to see this church

Before organizing your route, be sure to check the ferry times and ticket prices: https://podlasie.siematycze.pl/83-siematycze-przeprawa-promowa-mielnik-zabuze It's worth having cash with you.

The Roman Catholic Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Tokary is located in the north-western part of the village on the eastern side of the road to Klukowicze and Wilanów. Initially, the seat of the parish was the nearby village of Wilanowo, where there was a church, which was closed and demolished after the January Uprising. In 1919, the parish was renovated, this time with the center in Tokary. In 1922, the old Wilanów church was brought to Tokary, from which a presbytery was built. A chapel was organized in it for celebrating Holy Mass. The current wooden church was built in 1935 according to the design of the architect Wincenty Wdowiszewski in the so-called national style inspired by the Zakopane style. It is the only such building in the Polish province. The church is wooden in a log construction, oriented, on the plan of a Latin cross. During World War II, the temple survived, although the village was divided by the state border. In the years 1992-1998 the church underwent a thorough renovation. In the years 1998-2012 a new fence, granite stairs and works inside the temple were made. The church contains paintings of: St. Anthony from the beginning of the 19th century, the Holy Trinity from the second half of the 18th century and St. John the Evangelist from the turn of the 19th/20th century.

The Orthodox Church of the Icon of Our Lady of All Sorrows Joy in Koterka is located in a remote area surrounded by forest, approx. 1.5 km south of the village centre. An interesting story is connected with the construction of the church. According to it, on 19 May 1852, a woman appeared to a resident of these areas - Eufrozyna Iwaszczuk - ordering a prayer of atonement. In 1855, when an epidemic of plague air broke out, the Mother of God ordered Eufrozyna that the priest and the parishioners should pray for God's mercy. After this event, the parish priest - Szymon Budziłowicz decided to erect a cross at the site of the apparition. The area quickly became a popular place spontaneously visited by pilgrims, who miraculously experienced healing there. Later, a spring appeared in the place of the cross, and with it pilgrimages and further healings. In 1906, permission was obtained to build the church. On July 29, 1912, the church was consecrated. During its construction, many healings occurred. During World War I, the bells were removed from the church, which were taken down by the Germans, and the entire clergy were evacuated to Russia. During this period, the entire fence was also destroyed, as well as liturgical vestments, banners and candlesticks. A new fence was erected in 1925, while three new bells were acquired in 1931. The church is a building built on a cross plan, with a narrower chancel closed on three sides and two rectangular sacristies. The church is oriented, has a single-space interior layout divided into three parts. Next to the church there is a well over a spring in the form of a hexagonal arbor. Renovation and conservation works were carried out in 1996. In the summer of 2012, the church in Koterka celebrated the important ceremony of the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the church. The jubilee was celebrated with great pomp by the parishioners, but also by the inhabitants of the entire Mielnik commune and the surrounding area. On this occasion, a polychrome was also made inside the church, designed and executed by Jarosław Wiszenko. To this day, the church and the miraculous icon located in it are a place of pilgrimage for Orthodox believers.

Wooden Orthodox chapel, next to it there is a cross

in fact it looks like some old grave

The Church of St. Stanislaus the Bishop and Martyr in Niemirow is located in the western corner of the northern frontage of the market square, with its front facing south. The first wooden church was built in Niemirow in 1620, funded by the owner of the estate, Stanisław Niemira. This church burned down in 1775. For 15 years, services were held in a temporary chapel built by Father Piotrowski. The construction of the current church began in 1780, funded by Michał Fryderyk Czartoryski. After his death, the work was continued by his widow, Eleonora Monika Czartoryska, née Waldstein, and the next owner of Niemirow, Prince Adam Czartoryski. The church was probably designed by Jan Samuel Becker, the court architect of the Sapiehas. The church was completed around 1790. A wooden bell tower was built in 1814. As part of the post-uprising repressions, the church was closed in 1866. It was returned to the Catholics in 1905, at which time renovation works were also carried out. During World War I, the church was converted into a field hospital, where the wounded were treated. In 1940-1941, it was closed by the Soviets and devastated. In 1944, the Germans mined the church. It was saved from being blown up by a resident of Niemirow employed as a mining assistant, who single-handedly cleared the temple of mines. In 1958, the fence was covered with roof tiles, the altar and baptismal fonts were repainted. In 1960, the organs devastated by the Soviets were rebuilt. A general renovation of the church building was carried out in 1997-2000. The church was built on a rectangular plan. It consists of a two-bay nave and a narrower single-bay presbytery, separated only in the interior, closed by a straight wall. It is a typical example of the architecture of the late 18th century, a building with a Baroque body and early Classicist decoration. The interior of the temple and pilasters are characteristic of the Baroque. Classicism is represented by a modest pediment, as well as sparse ceilings. The interior of the church was also built in the Classicist-Baroque style. Just above the altar there is a painting with the scene of the Crucifixion of Jesus. The side altars contain paintings: The Resurrection of Peter on the right and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the left. All were placed in Rococo frames.

The Mielnik Land History Centre – Museum in Mielnik is engaged in the popularization and dissemination of the history of the Mielnik Land. Throughout the year, souvenirs, photographs, ethnographic monuments and other exhibits are collected, which are a memento of people living in the Mielnik Commune. Therefore, in addition to exhibitions of paintings, photographs and other arts, local exhibitions related to the life and activities of the Mielnik residents are also organized. Work is also carried out on finding interesting historical sources regarding the history of Mielnik and the surrounding area, as well as interviews with the oldest residents of the Mielnik Commune, which are later recorded and stored in the ODZM. The ODZM – Museum also houses the Tourist Information Point.