Three small wooden churches in the Beskid Niski could tell you more about the Lemko people than a library. Brunary Wyzne is a village in the Low Beskids of southern Poland, not far from the Slovak border, and its church of St Michael the Archangel, built at the end of the eighteenth century, stands at the edge of the settlement with a shingled tower and the typical three-part structure of the Lemko tradition. Inside, the painted iconostasis separates the nave from the sanctuary, as in all Eastern Christian churches, and the walls are dark with age. The church is part of the group of wooden churches of the Carpathian region on the World Heritage list, inscribed in 2013.
The Lemkos are a Carpathian people with their own dialect and customs, who lived in these mountains for centuries. After the Second World War, many were forced out of their villages, some to the Soviet Union and the rest, in Operation Vistula in 1947, to the north and west of Poland, and many villages vanished from the map. Some people have since returned, and the little churches that survive are the most visible link to the time before. The surrounding hills hold many such sites, and a ride through the area passes abandoned orchards, stone crosses and graveyards in the middle of fields.
Beyond the churches, the Low Beskids are a pleasure to ride. The hills are rounded and forested, rather than harsh, and the roads wind through valleys, climb over low passes and run along streams, with a gentle pace and few other vehicles. Gorlice, the larger town to the north, was the site of a major battle in 1915, and the area is dotted with First World War cemeteries designed by the Slovak architect Dusan Jurkovic, which have a haunting, carved-wood look. In the same district, the early oil industry of Europe took shape, with some of the earliest oil wells in the world nearby, and the museum at Bobrka tells the story.
Grybow, twelve kilometres away, is the nearest town with fuel, shops and a few cafes, and Gorlice has more. Smaller villages offer a simple meal at best, so plan accordingly. Autumn is lovely, with beech woods turning orange and red, and the roads dry, while spring brings blossom and mud. Winter snow is common, and it can linger on shaded bends. Local specialties include pierogi, sour rye soup and strong plum brandy.