The Old Town complex together with the Wawel Hill are on UNESCO' World Heritage list. The medieval urban layout of the Old Town has not changed for centuries. Every visitor to Cracow should see Europe's largest medieval market square, St Mary's Church with its Gothic pentaptych altarpiece carved in limewood, the Wawel with the royal castle and the cathedral with its outstanding Renaissance chapel, the medieval university building of Collegium Maius with its unique collection of astronomical instruments. The suburban Benedictine abbey of Tyniec (11th c.) is waiting to be entered on the UNESCO's World Heritage list. The Jewish quarter of Kazimierz features a wealth of Jewish heritage with its 16th century cemetery and seven synagogues of which one houses the Jewish museum. Each summer the Jewish Culture Festival is held and attracts Jewish culture lovers from the whole world. They can enjoy music concerts, theatrical performances, exhibitions, lectures, art and dance workshops, and have a wonderful time on the closing day of the festival when a great concert takes place on ul Szeroka, ending the event's festivities late at night. Other cultural events held in Cracow each year attract thousands of visitors. >>>>
On UNESCO's list of World Heritage, the Wieliczka salt mine (13th c.) is one of the oldest world's mining sites still in uninterrupted operation. The underground tourist route leads through a labyrinth of galleries and cavers with unique sculptures, all carved in rock salt. St Kinga's Chapel at the depth of 101 meters is the most beautiful chamber decorated with white crystal salt chandeliers and bas-relief sculptures carved in grey salt. The mine hosts a sanatorium. The museum display shows mining tools and documents related to the mine's history. >>>>
The church, monastery and the pilgrimage park of the Bernardine complex in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is on UNESCO's World Heritage list. The baroque church (17th c.) contains the famous miraculous picture of Our Lady of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. The so-called Calvary paths lined with shrines, chapels and small churches are picturesquely set up on hills and in the stream valley. The sanctuary is visited by approximately one million pilgrims each year. Its famous for its Passion plays. The most important processions are held during Holy Week (Easter) and on Our Lady's Assumption Day. >>>>
It is on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage. The Nazis set up the concentration camp in Auschwitz (Oświęcim) in 1940 and in Birkenau (Brzezinka) in 1942. The biggest Nazi concentration camp on the Polish territory had become also an extermination camp. One and a half million people perished in the camp known to the world as Auschwitz-Birkenau. The majority of the victims were Jews from Poland and Central Europe. The second largest group of victims were Poles. During the annual March of the Living thousands of Jews from the whole world and young Poles march from the Auschwitz gate to the martyrdom memorial in Birkenau in order to commemorate victims of the Holocaust. >>>>
The Ojców National Park is waiting to be entered onto UNESCO' list of World Heritage. The scenic river valley with 60 meter high slopes is dotted with fantastic lime rock formations with caves where numerous species of bats live. Worth a visit are the ruins of the medieval Ojców castle as well as the mighty Pieskowa Skała castle, now a museum of historical interiors. >>>>
Six timber churches from the Małopolska region and the Carpathian foothills have been entered on UNESCO's list of World Heritage. The Małopolska region - St Michael Archangel's Church (15th c.) in Dębno (15th c.), St Michael Archangel's Church (approx. 1500) in Binarowa, St Leonard's Church (15th c.) in Lipnica Murowana, and the Gothic church of SS Philip and James in Sękowa. The Carpathian foothills - the churches in Haczów (15th c.) and Blizne (15th/ 17th cc.).
It is a small but very picturesque limestone mountain range divided into parts by the Dunajec River with its spectacular gorge. From spring to autumn raft trips are organized for tourists and take them from Sromowce Wyżne via Szczawnica to Krościenko. Excursionists can admire the most beautiful parts of the Pieniny National Park with its peaks and precipices. Rafting through the Dunajec Gorges >>>>
Registered on UNESCO's list of Biosphere Reserves, the Tatra National Park encompasses both Polish and Slovakian parts of the range. It is the largest alpinetype massif in Central Europe with Mt Rysy (2499m), the highest peak on the Polish side. Numberless tourist trails lead hikers to mountain lakes, waterfalls and caves as well as through scenic mountain valleys. The Tatras are willingly toured by mountain climbers, speleologists and hikers in all seasons and by winter sports fans in winter time. >>>>
Poland's most popular center of winter sports and summer hikes. Nicely located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, Zakopane has well-developed hospitality and tourist infrastructure. Beside its cable car to Mt Kasprowy Wierch and the funicular to Mt Gubałówka, there are many other ski-lifts and Poland's biggest ski-jumps. Zakopane's beautiful landscape is a perfect setting for hundreds of sports and cultural events, including the annual International Festival of Highlanders' Folklore (August) which attracts throngs of tourists from the whole world. Zakopane is reputed for its still alive highlander's folklore. >>>>
The most reputed of all Polish spas, Krynica is located at the foot of the Beskid Sądecki range. It has a central pedestrian promenade (called deptak), spa houses, concert niche, and pump rooms with water from over twenty local mineral springs. Bathers and tourists are attracted here all year round by a great choice of walks and hikes into the scenic hills. Krynica has a nicely equipped winter sports center with Poland's longest cable-car ski lift up to Mt Jaworzyna Krynicka. The latter one has a fine recreation infrastructure and offers a beautiful view over the Beskid and Tatra ranges. The Jan Kiepura Festival of Arias and Songs is held here every year. >>>>
The present-day Renaissance defensive castle of Niedzica was originally a Gothic building. Set up on a high hill, the upper castle offers a splendid panoramic view over the Pieniny Mountains, the Czorsztyn artificial lake with its dam and the ruined 14th century Czorsztyn castle. The Niedzica castle houses a museum which illustrates the history of the castle and of the Spisz region, and has nice archaeological and historical exhibitions. The ruined Czorsztyn castle can be visited.
The salt mine in Bochnia (13th c.) is one of the world's oldest. The 2.5 kilometer tourist route runs at the depth of 290 meters. The mine's largest cavern, the Ważyn chamber, has facilities for recreation and health treatment services. >>>>
An interesting combination of Gothic, Renaissance and baroque styles, the castle of Nowy Wiśnicz used to be the residence of the magnate Kmita and Lubomirski families, well-rooted in the region of Małopolska. The castle nicely combines features of defensive and residential architecture with particularly picturesque landscape. Today the exhibition arranged in the castle interiors shows us its history as well as the process of its reconstruction. One can see the sarcophagus of Stanisław Lubomirski, copper and brass utensils, and miniature models of residences from the Małopolska region. >>>>
ZTarnów has the medieval urban layout of its Old Town. Its focal point is the market square lined with old houses in the middle of which stands the Gothic-Renaissance town hall. Close by is the late-Gothic cathedral which shelters impressive wall tombs, the tower (16th c.), and the bimah - the only remaining fragment of the 18th century synagogue destroyed by the Nazis in 1940. The Jewish cemetery contains approx. 3,000 tombstones. Interesting ethnographic and diocesan museums. >>>>
The birthplace of Pope John Paul II is visited by Polish and foreign tourists and pilgrims. The basilica has the 15th century presbytery and the baptismal font by which little Karol Wojtyła was baptized. His family house has been turned into a museum. >>>>
