Before you climb the hill, climb the hill!
"Pagórki Literaturki" is a public, open-air literary festival promoting reading among children and young people. It combines literature with nature, legend with education, and children's creativity with the local heritage of Lower Silesia. In the unique spaces of parks, gardens and palaces, we invite the whole family to discover together the stories that grow out of the landscape and imagination.
Festival slogan: Before you climb the hill, climb the hillock!
It is an invitation to embark on a literary adventure - a first step on the path of creativity, reflection and delight in the immediate world.
New tales from the Ore Mountains and Giant Mountains - literary competitions for children
Integral to the festival are two unique competitions for primary school students:
- "New fairy tales from the Ore Mountains" - for children from the municipalities of Marciszów and Janowice Wielkie
- "New fairy tales from the Krkonoše Mountains" - for children from towns and villages located in the area or in the buffer zone of the Krkonoše National Park.
The aim of the competitions is to encourage children to create their own fairy tales inspired by their small homeland - a place they know, feel and can transform into a world of fairy tales. The stories may concern, among others, the Spirit of the Liczyrzepa Mountains, Bolczów Castle, the Bóbr River, the Colourful Lakes, the Snowy Cirques, the Walloons or the palaces of the Bóbr Valley.
The competition will take place in two stages:
- Stage I - foreshadowing the fairy tale: the child records a short video in which they talk about the idea for their fairy tale.
- Stage II - written tale: selected participants have six months to write a full version of the story.
The winning fairy tales will be published in print and presented at the 2026 Literature Hills final.
Dates and venues of the "Pagórki Literaturki 2025" festival
1 June - Botanical Garden of Wrocław University - Tuwim and Brzechwa Academy
- 8 June - Ciechanowice (palace park) - Not only Harry knows magic
- 15 June - Lomnica (chateau, park and meeting house) - Forests, Mountains, Waters - Legends and Adventures
- 22 June - Bukowiec ( farmstead and park) - Fabulous Mountains and Basins
- 29 June - Sobieszów (Schaffgotsch Palace, seat of the KPN) - Final of the Pagórki Literaturki (Literature Hills)
Programme of each edition of the "Pagórki Literaturki" festival
At each instalment of the 'Pagórki Literaturki' festival, participants - children, young people and whole families - can look forward to a day full of literary adventures, creativity and fun. The programme for each edition includes:
- Meetings with writers and illustrators books for children and young people,
- Games and plays inspired by the literature, legends and nature of the region,
- Mobile field game Fairytale Farming - educational games with prizes
- Reading competitions and quizzes with prizes,
- Fabulous music - concerts and musical stories for children,
- Workshop "How to write your own book" conducted by authors and educators,
- Stories to read - led by writers,
These are events that spark the imagination and show that books really do lead to extraordinary places - including the close ones we pass by every day.
Organisers and partners
Organisers:
- Ciechanowice Frescoes Foundation
- Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław
- The Poland to the Mountains Foundation!
Partners:
- City of Wrocław
- All of Poland Reads to Kids Foundation
- Municipality of Marciszów
- Municipality of Janowice Wielkie
- Ciechanowice Palace
- Bukowiec Palace
- Łomnica Palace
- Giant Mountains National Park
Patron of honour:
- Mr Jerzy Pokój
- President of the Lower Silesian Regional Assembly
PROGRAMME - Pagórki Literaturki - Ciechanowice - 08 June 2025
SCENE
11.00 - 11.15 Wojciech Helinski - chairman
11.15 - 11.25 Andrzej Broś (Grand Magician) - 1st FAMILY reading
11.25 - 11.30 W. Helinski - announcement and brief profile of the guest
11.30. - 12.00 Robert Maciąg - stage - travel stories
12.00 - 12.10. Andrzej Broś - 2nd FAMILY READING
12.10 - 12.15 W. Helinski - announcement and brief profile of the guest
12.15 - 12.35 Daniel Odija - stories about the writer's work
12.35 - 12.45 Andrzej Broś - 3rd FAMILY READING
12.45 - 12.50 W. Helinski - announcement and brief profile of the guest
12.50 - 13.10 Slawomira Klijanowicz - Marciniec - fairy tales and legends from our area
13.10 - 13.20 Andrzej Broś - IV FAMILY READING
13.20 - 13.30 W. Helinski - announcement and brief profile of the guest
13.30 - 13.50 Grzegorz Nowicki - Tales of the dragons of Ciechanowice
13.50 - 14.10 W. Helinski - results of the "Family Reading" competition
14.10 - 15.00 performance by Dominika Łukasiewicz's group - MUSIC TIME - music and movement games with children
AREA
11.00 - 13.30 Andrzej Broś - reads fairy tales - "Read to me Dad" corner
12.00 - 12.45 Robert Maciąg - workshop "you too can become a dragon"
12.45 - 13.15 Daniel Odija - Young Writer's Corner - Haiku Writing Workshop
13.15 - 13.45 Slawomira Klijanowicz - Marciniec - Young tourist's handbook
12.00 - 13.30 Book Closet - workshop on making book covers from recycled paper