The text describes Zaleszczyki, which was once called the 'Polish Merran'. The surroundings and access to the village itself are described in detail, as well as the question of the acquisition of Zaleszczyki, which was bought from the Lubomirskis by Stanisław Ciołek-Poniatowski, castellan of Krakow, father of Stanisław August. He built a hunting lodge, which now serves as the town hall. There is also a reminder of the last war, which left the town in "ruins and rubble". The text is accompanied by several photographs (Source: "Ziemia. Tygodnik Krajoznawczy Ilustrowany" Warsaw 1926, no. 20, pp. 2-4, after: Wielkopolska Biblioteka Cyfrowa).

A modernised reading of the text.

Zaleszczyki

Today, crammed right up to the Romanian border, girt on three sides by the swift Dniester, as if on a peninsula with a slope towards the south, the city of Zaleszczyki has settled. A "Romanian wall", compact and 300 metres high, shields it from the winds. Thanks to the solar operation, Zaleszczyki is reminiscent of the southern countries and has been called the "Polish Meran". Unfortunately, the village, unique in the Polish lands, despite such unusual climatic conditions, is unexploited and even neglected. In recent years Warsaw doctors, when considering the choice of a place to stay for convalescents, especially in the spring and autumn seasons, have increasingly recommended Zaleszczyki. It is time, however, that more attention was finally paid to this town, which could and should become the pearl of Polish climatic stations. Communication is not very convenient; the distance from Kolomyia to Zaleszczyki is 63 kilometres, - but there is no rail link, as the line connecting these towns via Horodenka and Gwoździec has remained partly beyond the Polish border. So you have to go via Tarnopol - Chortkiv, there are only separate trains. The road through the Podolia highlands is monotonous, with little variety. Some villages, spared by the war, still have huts with heavy, thick straw roofs. On the black earth, "on Podpel, rye grows without tares" - as Wincenty Pol said - exuberant, thick, and therefore there is such an abundance of straw that they even burn it in their cookers. However, where warfare has lasted for a long time - the newly erected brick buildings are blushing with new tiles. The railway track runs through meadow-steps or through deciduous forests - one pair of rails shines as two snakes among the greenery. There is no railway embankment - grass grows between the rails. The extremely picturesque panorama of Zalishchyky and the Dniester is almost a surprise to the tourist. This village, located at 48°39' north latitude and 43°27' east longitude from Ferro, has been known since ancient times. Near Zaleszczyki, in Koslovice, Professor of Archaeology Hadaczek discovered a Roman settlement and brought out a large number of vessels from the Neolithic Age. Near Kasperovets, a pot with silver coins, heavy, from the time of Adrian was found. The Roman road to the beautiful Seret valley led this way. The name Zaleszczyki is said to have originated from the vast oak forests, washed up with hazel. When this settlement was founded is unknown. In view of the navigability of the Dniester, it developed quite early. After all, during Jagiello's reign, Palaeologus received grain via the Dniester, and it was only when Mohammed II occupied Akerman and the Tatars occupied other Black Sea towns at the end of the 15th century that navigation on the Dniester was halted. Sigismund Augustus, wishing to establish trade relations with Venice via the Dniester at the instigation of the papal legate Kommendoni, instructed Podolia voivode Nikolai Mielecki to explore the course of the Dniester. "The experts of the time, however, were of the opinion that the regulation required too much effort" - and the project fell through. The Polish government, however, tried to sustain the Dniester grain trade and so trade treaties with Turkey were constantly renewed. The Tartars and the Cossack wars dealt the final blow to Polish trade on the Dniester, so that it was forgotten. It was then that the settlement or port of Zaleszczyki, in an excellent location, had to fall. In the 18th century, it was purchased from the Lubomirskis by Stanisław Ciołek-Poniatowski, Castellan of Kraków, father of Stanisław August; he built there a hunting lodge which has survived to the present day, converted into a town hall. In the middle of this century, both the king and Poniatowski paid special attention to Zaleszczyki. In order to revive and improve the settlement, German colonists were brought in and settled, making fine linen, kamlot, cloth and other products. On 30 August the construction of a catholic church began, but it was not completed until 1824. In 1766 the settlement of Zaleszczyki was given the dignity of a "royal town". Three years later, when at the request of Bishop Krasinski, the French government proposed a project for communication with France via the Dniester, a hydrographic map of the river was drawn up. The Dniester became even more important after Catherine II issued a manifesto (in 1784) to all European nations to direct their trade forces towards the Black Sea. In 1802, Father Caspari, C.K. Superintendent of Construction, built a sailing ship near Zalischyky with a cargo of up to 200 centners, which travelled to Okopy and Rozvadov, usually returning to Zalischyky. From then on, development began, with a lively trade in grain and timber. The busiest time was during the four-week St Mark's Fair, established by King Stanislaw August. During the Crimean War (1854) Zalischyky was fortified on both sides of the Dniester at great expense. At the beginning of the present century, Zalischyky had 7,000 inhabitants, mostly Jews. A harsh fate, unfortunately, befell them during the last war. Russian troops, numbering 20,000, occupied the city and expelled the population to the Chortkivsk district - they robbed, poured paraffin on and burnt houses. The Austrians took Zalischyky with 30,000 men, in no way inferior to their vandal predecessors. By this time the city had not been rebuilt. A hundred ruins and rubble heap as a reminder of the cruel war, partly as evidence of negligence. Some of the owners are extinct, others have emigrated to America, some have become impoverished, miserable and cannot think of rebuilding. There are said to be numerous underground passages under the city. They say that during the earthquake there in 1912, there was a deafening echo underground. Zaleszczyki is a "Polish warm country". The mistle thrush and the northern duck arrive and settle down for the winter. In March it is already completely warm, in April you can already dare to bathe in the Dniester. Sunshine here has subtropical properties - according to the mayor of Zalishchyky, Mr. Marchinsky - hence the almost subtropical character of the flora. Students of the Lviv Polytechnic University, who visited here last year with an excursion, together with their professors admired and collected unusual specimens of southern plants. There are also special species of insects in Zalischyky, especially on the Romanian side of the Dniester, such as palm-sized spiders - tarantulas, vipers, powders, which were found by Director Reidert, who came on behalf of the Dzieduszycki Museum. They claim that the Dniester wall, having quarries in places, shimmering with some gold-blue, contains radium - this is the secret of the unusual "miraculousness" of Zaleszczyki. In the first half of the 19th century mulberry trees were successfully grown here. Nowadays, the local railway station manager Mr. Doerller and Prof. Schwarz have resumed silkworm breeding. This year, for the convenience of visitors - mostly convalescents - a park called "Kyiv" was established, owned by Mr and Mrs Gliński. The park is owned by Mr and Mrs Gliński and, apart from good food, offers river baths, sunbathing, gymnastics, swings, etc. Information is also available there. Music is played three times a week. A peculiarity of Zaleszczyki is its fruit, in the first place apricots, beautiful golden, largely for export. There is a great abundance of wine, pears and apples. The local apricot, pear and other Szponawski wine factory sends its products in large quantities. The extensive surrounding estate is owned by Mrs Turnauowa, who lives in a beautiful palace on the Dniester. Near Zalischyky, the village of Dobrovlany is a favourite place for walks. There is a small Orthodox church there, which, according to legend, was brought by a flood from Buchach. It was recognised by residents from Buchach, who came to the area, and took it back. As fate would have it, the next flood brought the church back. When it returned to Dobrowlany, the people of Buchach did not ask for it again, recognising God's will in it. Two iron bridges connecting Zaleszczyki to the opposite bank of the Dniester - Bukovina - were destroyed during the last war. Today, vehicular and pedestrian communication is interrupted. Passes abroad can be obtained easily. It is also common to meet Zalischyky residents in nearby Khreshchatnik, a Greek-Catholic monastery suspended on a steep Dniester wall. An interesting, picturesque and distinctive indulgence takes place there during the summer. It is a highlight of the season. It would be highly desirable for wider spheres to take an interest in the properties of Zaleszczyki. On the place of demolished houses a district of picturesque villas should be created in order to protect the visitors from unpleasant surprises of a lack of a roof over their heads in case of a bigger influx of visitors. But it should not stop there. In relation to Zaleszczyki we can, unfortunately, apply the old aphorism: "...you do not know your own, you do not know what you have".