Lubomir

Lubomir (904 m, precisely 903.6 m) is the highest peak of the Lubomir and Łysina range and one of the Crown of Polish Mountains. The forested summit offers no panorama, but it has something rare in the Beskids: an astronomical observatory. Its predecessor of 1922 became famous for discovering two comets, one of them spotted by a local janitor.

History: from Łysina to Lubomir

The peak was once called Łysina. When Kraków astronomers were looking for a site for an out-of-town station, Professor Tadeusz Banachiewicz gained the support of Prince Kazimierz Lubomirski, owner of the local forests, who donated a 10-hectare plot. The station, linked optically to Kraków by heliograph, opened in June 1922. It carried out observations of variable stars, meteorological measurements and even counts of hikers. In recognition of the prince's help, the peak was renamed Lubomir in 1932.

It was one of two such stations in the Polish Carpathians of the time – the other was the observatory on Pip Ivan. In 1925 the head of the station, Lucjan Orkisz, discovered a comet here, and in 1936 another was found by Władysław Lis, a janitor from Węglówka and an amateur astronomer. During the occupation the Germans allowed the station to keep working, as its weather data was useful to the Luftwaffe. But the building also sheltered partisans, and during a manhunt in September 1944 it was burned down. Only the concrete steps and the telescope base survived.

The observatory today

The rebuilding was initiated by the authorities of Wiśniowa municipality, supported by Kraków's scientific community. Construction began in summer 2006 next to the ruins of the pre-war station, and on 16 October 2007 the Tadeusz Banachiewicz Astronomical Observatory opened. Besides scientific work, it hosts sky shows for visitors.

Curiosities: Makowski or Wyspowy Beskids?

The Crown of Polish Mountains counts Lubomir as the highest peak of the Makowski Beskids. In Jerzy Kondracki's regional division, however, the whole range belongs to the Wyspowy (Island) Beskids – although Kondracki himself assigned Lubomir to the Makowski Beskids in his 1977 work. A newer 2018 division of mesoregions again places the range in the Makowski Beskids.

Tripto tips

• Trails: the shortest ascent starts at Jaworzyce Pass – the route is laid out as an educational path about astronomy. You can also reach the summit on the green trail from Wiśniowa or the red Small Beskid Trail from Myślenice.
• Observatory opening hours and sky-show dates vary with the season – check them on the observatory's or Wiśniowa municipality's website before you go.
• There is no view from the top, so do not expect a panorama; bring your Crown of Polish Mountains booklet for the stamp.