Budniki is—as Katarzyna Tokarz wrote in the article “Welcoming the Sun in Budniki,” published on NaszeSudety.pl—“a mysterious, abandoned settlement located in the Karkonosze Mountains, south of Karpacz and Kowary. Although the last inhabitants moved away in the 1950s, modern enthusiasts of this place continue to cultivate its old traditions. One of them is saying goodbye to and welcoming the sun, which does not shine in Budniki for almost the entire winter.”
On 22 November, another event in the “Saying Goodbye to the Sun in Budniki” series took place. The gathering began with hikes from Karpacz and Kowary. During the hike, the guide told stories about gold panning in the stream running alongside the black trail. He also spoke about the vegetation of the Karkonosze Mountains.
The Budniki enthusiasts wrote the following about this year’s gathering:
In the center of Budniki, visitors were served hot Karkonosze cabbage soup and hot raspberry tea. The meal was funded by Mr. Zygfryd and Nela Szygula, who run the “U Musa” guesthouse and cafeteria at 1 Parkowa Street in Karpacz.
The aforementioned group of tourists followed a route through the Gloomy Cascade, along the Budniki Enthusiasts’ Trail, past the ruins of the Kretschmer Inn and the ruins of the Forstbaude shelter. Here, the hikers could admire the remains of the walls of the former shelter, which had been cleared several weeks earlier. This was made possible by archaeological work carried out at the site, funded through a civic project submitted by residents of Karpacz’s district no. 4. At the locations described, tourists could read information about the respective sites on newly installed information boards. In addition, the Budniki enthusiasts separately recounted the histories of these places.
An official welcome for guests from the areas around Jelenia Góra, Lubań, Lubomierz, as well as from Karpacz and Kowary, took place in the center of Budniki. A lit campfire for roasting sausages was also waiting on site, all thanks to the firefighters of OSP Karpacz. They watched over safety and helped arrange the event venue.
After a short rest and refreshment, those gathered had the opportunity to learn about the history of the settlement’s remaining buildings and see them in archival photographs. The legend of Wołogór was then read aloud. After all the participants called out, the figure of Wołogór emerged from the dense fog [...]. His arrival brought much joy and surprise, especially to the children, who surrounded him. He handed out symbolic souvenirs, and people took commemorative photographs with him.
The next part of the event, awaited by all participants, was extinguishing the symbolic lamp with sunlight. Wołogór said goodbye to everyone and went to his old home on Wołowa Góra.
More information and photographs are available on the website of the Karpacz Municipal Office.
Budniki Enthusiasts/www.karpacz.pl/ii