Nowy Targ, the capital and also the largest and oldest city in the region. It was granted city rights by King Casimir the Great in 1346, but it is known that earlier funhe Old Customs settlement associated with the colonization activities of the Cistercians, who had their monastery in nearby Ludźmierz, was located here. Today it is difficult to indicate the exact location of the settlement, but it must have played a significant role, as evidenced at least by its name. Located on the borders of the Polish Crown, the town, surrounded by mountains, did not change its character and picturesque color for many centuries. The market square, delineated on the occasion of the town's incorporation, was surrounded until the 19th century by low, wooden cottages with characteristic gates leading to the hallway and further into the courtyard. Such poor housing was probably due to the fact that, unfortunately, no wealthy families settled in Nowy Targ, which would have provided numerous and significant foundations for the development of the town. Nowy Targ, located on the old trade route leading from Hungary to Krakow, has always been associated with trade. It has remained so to this day, creating the largest and fastest growing trade center in the entire region. Nowy Targ's fairs, dating back to the city's incorporation in the fourteenth century, continue to be popular. Even then they could be held on St. Catherine's Day - the patron saint of Nowy Targ. By virtue of royal privileges issued by Casimir Jagiellon, another fair could be held on St. James' Day and additionally every Thursday. The central square of the town was the market square, delineated back in the days of Casimir the Great, where fairs were held on market days. Interestingly, on 19th-century postcards the theme of fairs is extremely popular and often appeared in numerous publications. The atmosphere of the fairs was and still is to this day unique and one of a kind. Buyers from all over Podhale and neighboring Slovakia come to the fairground, which has spread to the surrounding streets. Without a doubt, for many traders as well as buyers, the Thursday or Saturday market is an important event, just as it was centuries ago. Tourist traffic came to Nowy Targ in the 19th century, thanks to the forerunners of Polish tourism and such a well-known and distinguished organization for Polish tourism as the Tatra Society having its branch in Nowy Targ. It was the extraordinary nature of the Gorce Mountains that delighted Seweryn Goszczyński, Wincenty Pol - creator of Poland's first chair of geography or General Mariusz Zaruski founder of the mountain rescue service. In the interwar period, the building movement intensified in the Kowaniec district of the town, cutting into the slopes of the Gorce Mountains. It was at that time that stylish villas were built, which hosted summer visitors from all over the country in large numbers. In the diaries of the Tatra Society published in 1912, the Kowaniec district is mentioned as a comfortable summer resort, with its own sulfur springs. It is a pity that this fact is already forgotten even by the Nowy Targ residents themselves, although there is still a natural sulfur spring on Kokoszków Street. Kowaniec has gone down in an unfortunately forgotten, but how glorious page of history. Polish and Jewish orphans evacuated from insurgent Warsaw found shelter in the building of the public school. Nowy Targ is also a true regional leader in higher education. The Podhale State Higher Vocational School has been operating and thriving in the city for more than 10 years, with several thousand graduates already leaving its walls. Students have the opportunity to acquire knowledge in several institutes, including the Institute of Tourism and Recreation providing well-trained staff for the needs of tourism throughout Podhale. Despite its young age, the university organizes numerous scientific conferences as well as conducts independent scientific research.
04.10.2013
