Borowice: Song and remembrance

Songs in a forest clearing

The “Gitarą i…” festival takes place annually in a forest clearing in Borowice. Its focus on sung poetry and singer-songwriter songs puts the connection between text and music centre stage. The literary aspect is just as important to its character as the music: the term “singer-songwriter songs” refers to songs written by authors, while “sung poetry” describes the combination of poetry and singing. For travellers interested in this blend, it is a specific cultural reason to take an interest in Borowice. If you want the festival to determine your travel dates, check the dates for that year’s edition.

Remembrance on Droga Sudecka

The prisoner-of-war cemetery on Droga Sudecka commemorates prisoners of war who were forced to build the road during the Second World War. This brings a specific part of Droga Sudecka’s history to the fore: forced labour in road construction. Each year, the municipality of Podgórzyn holds the “Apel Poległych” at the cemetery. The ceremony commemorates both the victims of this forced labour and all those who lost their lives in armed conflicts. The cemetery and the commemorative event place different emphasis on remembrance: the cemetery commemorates the prisoners of war who were forced to build the road; the Apel also extends its remembrance to everyone killed in armed conflicts. The date of the ceremony may vary. Bear this in mind if it is important to your travel plans.

The road as a local point of reference

A section of Droga Sudecka runs through Borowice, and the prisoner-of-war cemetery is located on this road. This gives two precise local points of reference: the road runs through Borowice, and the cemetery is located along it. Together with the history of the road’s construction, this links the route of Droga Sudecka with the memorial site. For travellers interested in the history of a place, this connection offers a concrete point of reference: here, a named road route and remembrance of the people forced to work on its construction come together.

Consider the reason for your trip

For your planning, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on. If you are mainly interested in the combination of sung poetry and singer-songwriter songs, the festival is a suitable reason to visit, and you should check its specific date. If you would like to learn about remembrance and the history of Droga Sudecka, the cemetery and the “Apel Poległych” are the main points of interest; the date of the annual ceremony may change. If your travel group has different interests, you can discuss which of these perspectives matters most for your stay. When looking for a holiday apartment in Borowice, you can take both your planned travel dates and the reason for your trip into account.

Discover more destinations: Milków, Bukowiec, Trzcińsko, Łomnica, Karpniki, Marczyce, Miedzianka, Dziwiszów

For the broader travel overview: Jeleniogórski.