The
Podhale (literally "under the Mountain meadows") is
Poland's southernmost region, sometimes referred to as the "Polish highlands". The Podhale is located in the foothills of the
Tatra range of the
Carpathian mountains, and is characterized by a rich tradition of
folklore that is much
romanticized in the Polish
patriotic imagination. Its folklore was brought there mainly by Polish settlers from the
Lesser Poland region further north and partly by Transylvanian settlers in the centuries during their migrations. The name Podhale literally translates as "below the mountain glen" in English. Podhale is a part of the historical province of Lesser Poland with its capital in the Royal city of
Kraków.
