As usual, we started our Integration Trip with a barbecue, tasty food, good drinks, and long conversations between the members of our Association. Some of us already knew each other from previous trips, but there were also people who came for the first time. And Friday’s barbecue was a great time to get to know each other better.
We started the second day of the Integration Trip with history. Our guide told us about the town of Olkusz, its importance in the Middle Ages, and the strength of the local economy during that period. He also talked about the importance of these lands, where zinc, lead, and silver ore had been mined for centuries.
Then we moved on to visit the African Museum with its amazing collection of masks and artifacts from the tribes of the black continent, and the Władysław Wołkowski Museum, a museum of wickerwork, where we learned the secrets of working with this natural material.
In the afternoon of the same day, our group participated in “Juromania 2025,” a celebration of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. As part of the festival, we had the opportunity to listen to a film music concert, take part in a film competition, and taste local dishes prepared by rural housewives’ clubs or specialties from food trucks.
The highlight of the event was the so-called “Firefly Rally,” a night tour of the Błędowska Desert. First, we climbed Czubatka, a viewpoint from which we could admire the panorama of the entire desert, and then, with headlamps on our heads, we returned at night to the “Wind Rose” listening to the guide telling us about the history of the desert and its secrets.
On the last day, the Błędowska Desert showed its brightest side. Full sun, heat, and a light breeze — this is what characterizes the desert landscape. Our guides explained the specificity of this area and the desert itself, presented the endemic and invasive vegetation, and told us about the history that took place here.
Then we walked along a route called “Velo Przemsza.” We walked along a footbridge on stilts, learning about the vegetation and tree stands that are typical for this area. At the end of the route, the guides organized a quiz to test our knowledge of the area.
The Integration Trip culminated with lunch at “Bistro u Mocnych.” Then it was time to say goodbye. It was a difficult moment of parting, but also a moment of hope that we would meet again next year.
