Attractions and Places To See around gmina Frampol - Top 20

The Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God in Szczebrzeszyn is a unique religious monument – the oldest building belonging to the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The temple has a turbulent history: from a Catholic church, through a Calvinist congregation, a Uniate church, to an Orthodox church. After years of abandonment, it was restored, and during the works, 17th-century wall paintings were uncovered and the iconostasis was recreated. The church on Sądowa Street is worth visiting, especially if you are interested in the history of religious denominations and architecture.

When visiting Topólcza, it is worth stopping by the local church, which has an interesting, multicultural history. Originally an Orthodox church, later a Uniate church, it eventually became a Catholic church. The church's architecture features elements of the Byzantine style. Inside, the 17th-century painting of the Virgin Mary and Child and the polychromes made in 2002 are worthy of note. The area around Topólcza offers peaceful bike paths, perfect for a contemplative ride.

The Bojary Reservoir in Biłgoraj is a small but charming reservoir, a popular place for recreation for residents and tourists. You can swim here, rent a kayak or a water bike, and also use the sandy beach and recreational infrastructure. There are walking and cycling paths around the reservoir, ideal for active recreation. In the summer, various outdoor events take place here, and there are catering outlets nearby. It is a great place to relax after sightseeing in Roztocze or an active bike trip around Biłgoraj.

The reservoir in Podlesie Małe is a charming place in Roztocze, located right next to the Central Cycling Trail of Roztocze. It is a small reservoir surrounded by forests, which is an ideal stop for a rest during a bike trip. Here you can admire picturesque landscapes, and on hot days, cool off in the water or simply relax on the shore. There are forest paths nearby that encourage short walks. It is worth taking snacks and water with you, because there is no extensive catering infrastructure in the area.

The great water mill was built in Szczebrzeszyn at the beginning of the 20th century, at the behest of the Ordinate, Count Maurycy Zamoyski. The mill is three-storey, built of local white stone, with red brick inserts. It stands to this day on Klukowskiego Street, opposite the beetle monument. The mill building was originally intended for a grain and flour warehouse and for the millers' residence. After World War I, the mill was purchased from the Ordinance by Jan Pereta and Eligiusz Drożdżyk - residents of Szczebrzeszyn. The Szczebrzeszyn mill, powered by water, was the largest in the Lublin province in terms of grain milling in the interwar period and one of the largest in Poland. At that time, the mill produced many types of high-quality flour. At the beginning of the 20th century, the water mill provided electricity at night to light the city, but at the end of the 1930s Szczebrzeszyn was connected to the power grid and the mill has been powered by electricity since then. Over time, the mill and the lock were destroyed and in 1978 the mill stopped working, there were even plans to set up a hotel there. Over time, the old equipment was scrapped and the building fell into disrepair, but in 1983 the mill was bought by milling specialist Mieczysław Dubiel and new equipment and devices were installed here. The restored mill resumed operation in 1985. The elevations have retained their original architecture, thanks to which the buildings constitute an original and characteristic monument of Szczebrzeszyn.

In Topólcza, there was originally an Orthodox parish belonging to the Chełm diocese. The first mentions date back to the mid-16th century. After the Brest Synod in 1596, the Orthodox church in Topólcza became a Uniate (Greek Catholic) church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. After the fall of the January Uprising in 1864, when the wave of Russification in the Kingdom of Poland intensified, Tsar Alexander II Romanov abolished the union, forcing the Greek Catholics to convert to Orthodoxy in 1875. At that time, the parish priest in Topólcza was Fr. Jan Grzegorzewski, who submitted to the Tsar's order. In 1906, Vladimir Galikowski, another Orthodox parish priest in Topólcza, began efforts to build a brick church, the plans of which were made by the architect Aleksander Puring. The construction of the church in 1911, funded by the Paschałow family, was led by the brothers Gerwazy and Stanisław Kaczorowski from Warsaw. As a result of World War I, the Orthodox population in Topólcza and the surrounding area decreased significantly. At the end of June 1915, the last Orthodox priest, together with most of his faithful, fled from the approaching Austrian troops into the depths of Russia, and in 1917 the Austrians handed the church over to the Catholic Church. On April 5, 1919, the Bishop of Lublin, Marian Leon Fulman, established a Roman Catholic parish in Topólcza, appointing Fr. Jan Makulec as its parish priest. In May 1919, the so-called reconciliation of the temple took place, which was carried out by the dean from Szczebrzeszyn. The parish church in Topólcza, single-nave, in the Byzantine style, is built of red brick. There are two sacristies by the presbytery, and a tower with a porch on the pediment. Inside, there are wooden altarpieces for the main altar and two side altarpieces, adapted in 1919-1920 from its former furnishings. During the reconstruction of the church in the interwar period, among other things, the domes were removed and the roof was rebuilt. In the altarpiece of the main altar, there is a painting (icon) of the Mother of God with Child, painted on wood by Lviv painters, with a gilded dress from the first half of the 17th century. In the side altar, on the right side, there is a painting of St. Isidore the Orach, painted in 1927 in Warsaw, and on the left - a painting of the Sacred Heart of the Lord Jesus. The altars were rebuilt in 1969. In 2002, the painter Janusz Szpyt from Lubaczów created a polychrome in the church. At that time, the following icons were found: the Nativity of the Mother of God, an angel with a tablet with 12 feasts, the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, and Orthodox saints (patrons of the founders of the church). A scene of the offering of the Mother of God was painted on the ceiling of the presbytery, and the figures of the four evangelists with attributes (St. John - eagle, St. Luke - ox, St. Mark - lion, and St. Matthew - angel). Above the altars of the side altars were paintings of the Servants of God: John Paul II and Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński. In 2003, two stained glass windows were installed in the presbytery: Jesus the Merciful and Our Lady of the Sowing. Sculptures created during the annual Roztocze sculpture open-airs were placed around the temple. In 2005, the relics of St. Isidore were brought from the Vatican to the church in Topólcza. To commemorate the pilgrimage of the copy of the Image of Our Lady of Częstochowa and the 85th anniversary of the parish, a new belfry was built in 2004, which currently houses bells named Józef and Mary, consecrated on October 20, 1957 by the dean of Szczebrzeszyn, Fr. Stanisław Szepietowski.

The building in its current form was erected in the 16th century, on the foundations of an older temple. This earlier temple may have been the first Catholic church of St. Nicholas, which was founded around 1394 by Dymitr z Goraj, the then owner of Szczebrzeszyn. Andrzej Górka probably took over the church from the Catholics and transformed it into a Calvinist church. The small number of Protestants did not need such a large religious building for use and the Górkas transferred it to the Orthodox believers. At the same time, Andrzej and Stanisław Górka donated funds for the reconstruction of the temple[2]. For the first few decades of its operation, it was an Orthodox church, after 1596 it accepted the union. It remained in the jurisdiction of the Chełm diocese until its liquidation, carried out by the tsarist authorities in 1875. During the period when the church in Szczebrzeszyn belonged to the Uniates, it was renovated and rebuilt several times, which is why it lost the features of Eastern Christian sacral architecture. At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, the main and side altars modeled on Latins were installed in the interior of the church, which were removed during the reconstruction in the years 1867–1870. After the entry into force of the Tolerance Act of Tsar Nicholas II, the vast majority of the faithful of the Szczebrzeszyn parish, previously forced to accept Orthodoxy, converted to the Roman Catholic Church. However, the church remained active until 1915, i.e. until the time when Russian officials and soldiers stayed in the city. After Poland regained independence, it was not reopened, because only two people of Orthodox faith remained in Szczebrzeszyn. In 1938, it was on the list of churches designated for destruction as part of the repossession and Polonization campaign, but after protests from residents, its demolition was interrupted. After World War II, the building became the property of the State Treasury. Initially used as a warehouse, and then completely abandoned, over time it fell into complete devastation. In 2006, the ruined church became the property of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. In 2008–2010, the building underwent a thorough renovation, during which seventeenth-century wall paintings were discovered and uncovered, and the iconostasis, destroyed during World War I, was restored. The temple is the oldest religious building owned by the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. It is located at 11 Sądowa Street. It was entered into the register of monuments on November 24, 1956 and March 24, 1970.

An active mill right next to the road to Szczebrzeszyn.