Kulig

Kulig (sleigh rides) is an old Polish winter tradition dating back to the days of the szlachta (nobility).

Kulig in Gorce Mountains, February 2006

The kulig was a sleigh ride party organized among the Polish aristocracy. A cavalcade of horse-pulled sleighs and sleds went from one manor house to another, entertained everywhere with hearty meals followed by dancing. Such a sleigh ride could last up to a dozen days. The sleigh ride usually began with the distribution of a spherically curved stick, called a “crutch,” among the participants. This was the signal to gather. People got on horses or deployed in sleighs and were driven to an agreed place.

Nowadays Kulig rides are a popular tourist attraction in the Polish Tatra mountains, advertised and practiced in places such as Zakopane.