Zwardoń
Zwardoń | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 49°31′N 18°59′E / 49.517°N 18.983°E | |
Country | Poland |
Voivodeship | Silesian |
County | Żywiec |
Gmina | Rajcza |
Elevation | 690 m (2,260 ft) |
Population | 1,000 |
Zwardoń [ˈzvardɔɲ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Rajcza, within Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in the Żywiec Beskids mountain range in southern Poland, on the border with Slovakia.[1] It lies approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) west of Rajcza, 25 km (16 mi) south-west of Żywiec, and 82 km (51 mi) south of the regional capital Katowice. The village is mostly known for mountain tourism and as a border crossing point. In 1884, a railway line to Čadca was opened. Although Zwardoń belongs nowadays to the Silesian Voivodeship, historically it lay in Lesser Poland.
Location and transport
Zwardoń, located at the elevation of 690 meters above sea level, is placed between three
History
Zwardoń is a relatively young village. It is not known exactly when it was established, most probably some time in the 17th century. Its oldest district is the settlement called Myto, which was probably established by shepherds, who came to this area from the overcrowded villages around Węgierska Górka. The name Zwardoń appears on the maps for the first time in the late 18th century. The village belonged to Lesser Poland, in its extreme southwest corner, near the border with the Kingdom of Hungary. In the late 18th century, after the Partitions of Poland, and the creation of Galicia, Emperor Joseph II ordered the construction of a road along the Przysłop mountain pass. Zwardoń belonged to Żywiec County, and it remained a small village until 1884, when the rail line was opened from Żywiec to Cadca. By 1889, the population grew to 124, in 1891 a post office was opened here, and in 1901, an elementary school.
In the 1930s Zwardoń, which belonged to