orneta

I have already told you a bit about this small town in the northern Poland, here on my previous blog.

It used to be a place I visited every summer, as my grandmother used to live there. Today we rarely go there, mostly for some family events, and that’s exactly what brought us there last weekend. My cousin was getting married, which meant I did not have much time to wander around, but I still managed to go for a quick walk, to see what has changed over those last couple of years.

The town has less than 10,000 inhabitans, and everytime I go there I have this feeling that everyone knows each other. And each time I walk around with my camera, everyone stares at me curiously. Most people from Orneta probably don’t think of it as an especially fascinating place, but in fact it is quite popular, especially among filmmakers – the town and its surroundings were chosen as a setting for such movies as Róża, Papusza or Niewinne (Agnus Dei).

Orneta is also called “town of the dragon”. It is reflected in the coat of arms, and in the German name of the town – Wormditt. The dragon first appeared on a seal on a document from 1388. According to a legend, the monster, devouring women and children, lived in a cave, right where the Town Hall stands today.