"Suprasl" Suprasl by evaanna

Suprasl Travel Guide: 14 reviews and 56 photos

Suprasl is a lovely resort east of Bialystok surrounded by the huge forest of Puszcza Knyszynska, the most pristine and therefore valuable parts of which have been declared National Park. The town is connected with Bialystok by Road 676 and a cycle track along it, where we could see quite a number of Bialystok residents enjoying their Sunday ride as we drove by.
From the car we could see the meanders of the Suprasl River - a beautiful view but we couldn't stop to take a picture. We visited the town on our way from Warsaw to Bohoniki on the Tatar Route so we could not spare more than just over two hours for sightseeing, including a tour of the Museum of Icons. I wish we had had more time for a more leisurely walk along its streets and perhaps into the depths of the forest, instead of just parking on its edge while we were having lunch. Perhaps we would have met the herd of bison living there in the wild?

One of the icons at the museum

The town boasts a wonderful, if largely reconstructed, Monastery of the Annunciation, dating back to the early 16th century when fortified churches were extremely rare in Poland. It represents a rather unusual mixture of the Gothic and Byzantine styles. Of the other places to see, I should perhaps at least mention the late-19th-century Buchholtz Palace, in the past the property of a family of the Suprasl wealthy factory owners, now a school, and the 19th-century weavers' houses, which we looked for but could not find. We do hope to see these and other interesting buildings on our next visit to the town.

Garden on river bank

Last visit to Suprasl: Aug 2009
Intro Updated Jan 9, 2010
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Reviews (14)

The Russian Orthodox Church grounds at... Off The Beaten Path (2)

We could not enter the church but were at least able to walk around it. The church is surrounded by a stone wall and... more travel advice

Russian Orthodox Church at Grodek - Suprasl

Russian Orthodox Church at Gródek Off The Beaten Path (2)

Gródek is known to have been a fortified town already in ancient times. The first wooden Orthodox Church of St John the... more travel advice

The miraculous Suprasl Icon of Mother of... Local Customs (2)

In 1503 the co-founder of the monastery, Jozef Soltan, the Bishop of Smolensk, presented the monastery with a faithful... more travel advice

The story of the frescoes Things to Do (6)

All the walls and ceilings of the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation used to be decorated with frescoes. Painted in a... more travel advice

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Written Sep 9, 2009

8 photos

Museum of Icons in Suprasl

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Comments (10)

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Askla Nov 25, 2012 at 2:52 PM

Interesting info on the icon painting and the museum . I have become interested in icons since getting old and was part of a groupe that should go to Veliki Novgorod, Russia, to see (amongst other things as well) their museum on icons. Unfortunately I had to withdraw myself which I really pity. Perhaps I could go to Suprasl instead since no visa is requiered. Regards Lars, Sweden.
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Yaqui Feb 18, 2011 at 9:19 AM

You've captured some wonderful details of the monastery and churches. The story behind the frescoes is fascinating. Excellent page!
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alancollins Oct 29, 2010 at 1:52 AM

A lovely village with lots of history.
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Bwana_Brown Nov 11, 2009 at 6:21 AM

With its amazing history and beautiful architecture, I can see why Monastery of the Annunciation is such an attraction! Interesting information on icon writing too.
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Nemorino Oct 29, 2009 at 4:28 AM

Thanks for including that tip on the art of icon writing -- I've often just looked at icons in museums, but never knew much about how they were made. I hope everybody is careful with the arsenic.
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scottishvisitor Oct 23, 2009 at 3:11 PM

Interesting page Ewa the Icons brought back many childhood memories of our friends from Ukrain
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LoriPori Oct 12, 2009 at 4:05 AM

Great updates on this lovely town. Love the icons and frescoes. And I absolutely loooooove pierogi esp stuffed with potato & cheese.
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Pawtuxet Oct 11, 2009 at 5:06 AM

Another interesting little village steeped in history and wonderful legend about the cross. Lunch looks good to me! I'd be digging into that Borsch w/ Chris. :-)
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Gili_S Sep 19, 2009 at 1:50 PM

Nice place. Give a hint when it is completed, I'll be back to check for more.
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uglyscot Sep 12, 2009 at 1:08 PM

Another excellent addition to your guide to Poland's less well-know places,