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The Słotwiński Park and Słotwiny

The Słotwiński Park is located in the northern part of Krynica, along the Pilsudski Street. A small pavilion of "Słotwinka" mineral water spring, the oldest surviving spa building in Krynica, is a wooden rotunda on pillars, with a decorative balustrade topped by a kiosk. Once an openwork, it is now fitted with glass. The construction called often “The China Pavilion” was built in 1808 according to the design of eng. Burggaller during his joint work with Franciszek Stirba on the assessment of the Krynica’s Main Spring output. The building initially housed the Main Spring (until 1863), as documented by numerous old drawings and lithographs. The historic building from 1870 located at the park outskirts, originally the Orchestra Pavilion with an openwork construction, now houses the restaurant 'Concert'.

Słotwiny, formerly an independent village and now part of the town, is one of the main Krynica’s ski centres. It is situated in the northern part of the town, west of the road to Nowy Sacz, at the Słotwinka Stream (left tributary of the Kryniczanka Stream). The village
was founded as early as in 1595 by Hrycia Krynicki as part of the bishop's lands of " Muszynski State”. It was populated mainly by Lemko shepherds and hunters. In the XVII century a glass factory was operating here, producing over 1 000 glass plates per year for the Muszyna’s starost. Its initially Greek Catholic Parish was incorporated into the Krynica Parish in 1854, and subsequently restored in 1927. In the interwar years, about 600 Greek Catholics, 100 Roman Catholics and 150 Jews lived here. In 1945 all local Lemkos were deported to the Soviet Union, taking along all their possessions, as well as the local church fittings. The empty village was settled by Polish tenants from Limanowa and Nowy Sacz area.

A place worth visiting here is the former Greek Catholic church of St. Mary's Guardianship, now a catholic church. It was erected in the period 1887-1888 on the site of the previous church (built in 796), which was destroyed by fire. It is a wooden building with iron sheathing and a square tower over the women's gallery section. The interior wall paintings are well preserved. Most of the church equipment was moved here from the Krynica Parish Church. From the original iconostasis, only six icons of patriarchs were preserved. In 2003 a new parish church was erected in Słotwiny at the Stara Droga Street. During Christmas Season, a beautiful Nativity Scene crib made by the talented local sculptor, the late Kazimierz Borecki, is exposed in front of the church. Mass services on Sundays and holidays are held at 8:30, 11:00 and 17:00. The indulgence day is Friday after the Corpus Christi octave.

Four ski lifts are operating throughout the winter season in Słotwiny.