Kraków. Tourist attractions - Małopolski System Informacji Turystycznej

Małopolska
 8 UNESCO sites
 250 attractions on the Wooden Architecture Route
 Wadowice – town of birth of Pope John Paul II
 Salt mines in Wieliczka and Bochnia
 9 spa resorts
 6 national parks
 4 geothermal pools
 Rafting down the Dunajec gorge
 2600 km of bicycle trails
 3360 km of mountain trails
 250 ski runs
MAŁOPOLSKA
Kraków. Tourist attractions
www.visitmalopolska.pl
EUROPEAN UNION
EUROPEAN REGIONAL
DEVELOPMENT FUND
Project co-financed by the European Union
within the Malopolska Regional Operational Programme 2007–2013
Rejkiawik
IS
Capital of the region: Kraków
Major cities: Tarnów, Nowy Sącz, Oświęcim
Surface area: 15 190 km2 (about 5% of the surface area of Poland)
Population: 3.28 mil. (about 8% of the population of Poland)
Landscape:
 the tallest peak – Rysy: 2499 m asl
 mountains – Tatras, Beskids, Pieniny, Gorce
 foothills – Carpathian Foothills
 uplands – Kraków-Częstochowa Upland
 lowlands – Vistula valley
 main rivers – Vistula, Dunajec, Poprad, Raba, Skawa, Biała
ater reservoirs – Czorsztyński, Rożnowski, Czchowski, Dobczycki,
w
Klimkówka
 t he highest located, cleanest lakes – Morskie Oko, Czarny Staw,
the lakes of the Valley of Five Polish Lakes
 t he largest and deepest cave – Wielka Śnieżna Cave: over 22 km
of corridors, 824 m deep
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Publisher
Department of Tourism, Sport and Promotion
at The Office of the Marshal of the Małopolska Province
Regional Tourism Information System Team
ul. Basztowa 22, 31-156 Kraków
[email protected]
www.visitmalopolska.pl
Text
Iwona Baturo, Krzysztof Bzowski
Photos
K. Baranowski, P. Barszczowski, A. Błaszczak, B. Czerwiński, P. Dębski, M. Długopolski, P. Droździk, P. Fabijański, S. Gacek,
J. Gawron, T. Gębuś, J. Gorlach, M. Grychowski, I. Grzybek-Dulak, K. Gzyl, F. Heryan, D. Leśniak, J. Michalczak, P. Mierniczak,
J. Mysiński, J. Podlecki, P. Witosławski, M. Zaręba, D. Zaród, Bochnia Salt Mine photo archive, iStockphoto.com photo archive,
Oświęcim City Council photo archive, the Princes Czartoryski Foundation at the National Museum photo archive, UMWM
photo archive
Publishing
Amistad Sp. z o.o. – Program
ul. Stolarska 13/7, 31-043 Kraków
tel./faks: + 48 12 4229922
[email protected], www.polskaturystyczna.pl
Production management: Agnieszka Błaszczak, Małgorzata Czopik
Project coordination: Katarzyna Thor
Publishing concept: Anna Niedźwieńska
Editor: Aurelia Hołubowska
Proofreading: Agnieszka Szmuc
Cover design, graphic design: PART SA
Maps: Wydawnictwo kartograficzne Daunpol sp. z o.o.
Typesetting, preparation for print: Michał Tincel
Translation and proofreading: EuroInterpret Dominik Moser
Kraków 2010, ISBN 978-83-61355-69-4
The authors and publishers have made every effort to ensure the text is accurate, however, they cannot
be responsible for any changes that took place after the materials have been prepared for publishing.
Materials prepared as of 29 October 2010.
TR
Wysowa-Zdrój
Małopolska
MAŁOPOLSKA
City Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Kraków, Nowy Sącz, Tarnów, Wadowice, Oświęcim, Zakopane.
Cities in Małopolska are perfect for a few day stay.
UNESCO route in Małopolska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Out of 16 Polish sites inscribed on the UNESCO list, you can find
8 of them in Małopolska.
The subterranean kingdom of salt
- Wieliczka and Bochnia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
The underground world of corridors, chambers, lakes and works
of art.
The enchanted word of wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
It charms with picturesque churches, including orthodox
churches, and heritage parks. The most beautiful are the temples
in Lipnica Murowana, Dębno, Sękowa and Binarowa – inscribed
on the UNESCO list – and the “painted village” Zalipie.
Sanctuaries and places of religious worship . . . . . 24
Hermitages, monumental sanctuaries and miraculous paintings
have been attracting pilgrims to Małopolska for ages, cultivating
their hope and faith.
Living castles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
The strongholds of Małopolska dating back to the 14th and 15th
century charm with beauty and splendour to this day, while the
ruins remind one of the past.
Małopolska – for health and beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Małopolska health resorts tempt with the offer of culture, the
beauty of nature, mineral water natural resources and modern
leisure centres.
National parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
In Małopolska you will find 6 out of the 23 national parks in Poland.
That includes: Tatrzański, Babiogórski, Gorczański, Magurski,
Ojcowski and Pieniński National Parks.
Kraków Market Square, UMWM photo archive
On the route of subterranean labyrinths . . . . . . . . 44
Małopolska is a true paradise for advanced cavers as well as
complete beginners.
Miechów
Olkusz
Chrzanów
Oświęcim
Wadowice
Proszowice
Kraków
Dąbrowa Tarnowska
Bochnia
Brzesko
Tarnów
Wieliczka
Myślenice
Sucha Beskidzka
Nowy Targ
Zakopane
They span around 3000 km leading through the most interesting
spots of the region.
Winter in Małopolska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
A rich tourist base and splendid landscapes guarantee a great
time on the ski slopes and elsewhere.
Limanowa
Nowy Sącz
Foot, cycling and bridle routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Gorlice
Traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Legends, old customs, and original crafts passed from generation
to generation render contemporary Małopolska one of a kind.
Cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The tastes of oscypek, obwarzanek, lisiecka sausage and kołacz
jadłownicki is a paradise for every gourmet.
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City Break
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Kraków – the heart of Małopolska
Situated by the Vistula river, Kraków is the cradle of Polish culture and
a characteristic urban phenomenon. It is the former capital of Poland,
the place of coronation and later the burial ground of almost all Polish
monarchs. For a long time it has been attracting scholars with the
oldest university in the country, artists with the cultural climate and
pilgrims with the sanctuaries and holy relics. Since the beginning,
Kraków has also been enticing tourists with its atmosphere, monuments, and recently also the memory of Pope John Paul II.
The legendary founder of the city was Prince Krak, the vanquisher of
the Wawel Dragon (the effigy of the beast stands at the foot of Wawel
Hill). Remnants of the oldest history of the city have been preserved in two
mounds dating from the 7th century called the Wanda and Krak mounds.
The first historical information about Kraków is contained in
a 10th-century note of Ibrahim ibn Jakub. In the book of Muhammad
al-Idrisi (dating from the 12th century) Kraków is described as a “beautiful
and large city with many houses, residents, markets, vineyards and gardens.” At the beginning of the 12th century Gallus Anonymous depicted
Kraków as a thriving metropolis and wrote in his Chronicles: “Kraków,
the capital city, excels all Polish cities.” Kraków was founded according
to the Magdeburg law (by Bolesław V the Chaste) on the 5 June 1257.
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1. The Main Market Square – Church of St. Adalbert and the Town Hall Tower, photo by M. Zaręba
2. St. Mary’s Basilica, photo by M. Zaręba
3. Wawel chambers, photo by M. Zaręba
4. Kraków horse-drawn carriages, photo by M. Zaręba
5. Barbican, photo by iStockphoto
Kraków Old Town within the Planty Park and Kazimierz (the former Jewish
district) was inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Cultural and Natural Heritage
Sites in 1978 as the first of its kind.
It is important for the residents of Kraków to cultivate their traditions such as
the annual nativity crib contest or the Lajkonik wandering in the octave of the
Corpus Christi (June) from Zwierzyniec to the Main Market Square.
Among the many eminent people connected to Kraków are the Pope John
Paul II; the Nobel Prize poets Czesław Miłosz and Wisława Szymborska; the founder of the avant-garde theatre Cricot-2, Tadeusz Kantor; the playwright Stanisław
Mrożek; Stanisław Lem – the legend of Polish fantasy writing; Stanisław Wyspiański
– a painter, poet, playwright, designer and the author of works such as the stained
glass decorating the Franciscan Church; and Dr. Feliks “Manggha” Jasiński– the
benefactor of the Japanese collection displayed currently in the Manggha Centre of Japanese Art and Technology funded by Andrzej Wajda.
 ROYAL ROUTE – a former route of the royal retinue’s ceremonial processions. It runs from St. Florian’s Church, past the Barbican, along the preserved
fragments of the city walls and St. Florian’s Gate, through Floriańska Street to
the Main Market Square and through Grodzka and Kanoniczna Street to the
Royal Castle on Wawel Hill. A wander along the royal route allows for seeing
the most precious churches and the most interesting tenement houses of the
city. A part of the route (St. Mary’s Basilica – Wawel Hill) is being traversed to
this day in the ceremonial processions, such as church processions at Corpus
Christi or funeral processions towards Wawel Hill or the necropolis in Skałka.
 MAIN MARKET SQUARE – one of the largest medieval squares in Europe
(200 x 200 m), demarcated during the building of the city in 1257. Among the antique buildings that have survived are: the Sukiennice Cloth Hall, the Town Hall Tower,
St. Mary’s Basilica, the Church of St. Adalbert, and the surrounding tenement houses. In the Main Market Square you can ride a horse-drawn carriage, take part in numerous cultural events, visit the Historical Museum or rest in one of the many cafes.
 THE WORLD OF HISTORIC CELLARS – stretches under the tenement
houses of the Old Town. It forms an unusual gathering of Gothic corridors
and vaulted rooms which house numerous restaurants, clubs, theatres and
cabarets, exemplified by the famous Piwnica pod Baranami (The Cellar under the Rams). In the Main Market Square there are over 100 such cellars covering a total area of approximately 75 000 m2.
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City Information Point: Sukiennice, Rynek Główny 1/3, \+48 12 4337310, [email protected], / www.infokrakow.pl; Historical Museum, Rynek
Główny 35, \+48 12 4223264, [email protected], / www.mhk.pl.
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 ST. MARY’S BASILICA houses one of the largest altars in Europe. A polyptych measuring 11 x 13 m was carved in limewood by Veit Stoss – an artist
from Nuremberg – between 1477 and 1489. The altar is open daily at around
12pm – you can then admire the scenes from the lives of St. Mary and Jesus
Christ. Hejnał (a bugle call) sounds every hour from the tower of the Basilica.
St. Mary’s Basilica Tower, › May–Aug, Tue, Thu, Sat 9am–11.30am and 1pm
–5.30pm; PLN 5, concessions: PLN 3 (for children under 12).
 Sukiennice CLOTH HALL – a Gothic-Renaissance building decorated with
a mascaron attic designed by Santi Gucci. Once the cloth stalls, today Sukiennice
forms the largest souvenir shopping arcade in this part of Europe. The ground
floor in its eastern part houses the well-known Noworolski Café, the first floor contains the Gallery of 19th-century Polish Art, while the basement is part of a tourist
route called Podziemia Rynku (the Market Square Undergrounds).
National Museum, Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art, \ +48 12 4244600,
/ www.muzeum.krakow.pl; › Tue–Sun 10am–8pm; PLN 12, concessions: PLN 6. Historical Museum, The Market Square Undergrounds, \ +48 12
4265002, / www.mhk.pl; › Mon, Wed–Sun 10am–8pm, Tue 10am–4pm;
PLN 13, concessions: PLN 10, Monday: admission free of charge.
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 Defensive Walls, which once encircled the entirety of Kraków, have survived
till this day only in parts (the longest one is approx. 200 m). Among the former fortifications that have survived are: the 15th-century Barbican; St. Florian’s Gate built in
1307; the Pasamoników, Stolarska and Ciesielska towers; and the Arsenal building.
You can take a stroll on the walls, and along them you can buy paintings, sculptures
and jewelry, while in the Barbican you can enjoy knight tournaments and concerts.
“Defensive Walls” Tourist Route, / www.mhk.pl; › Jun–Oct, 10.30am–6pm;
PLN 7, concessions: PLN 5.
 Juliusz Słowacki theatre – this eclectic building, constructed between 1891 and 1893, was modeled on the Parisian opera house. Based on
the design of Jan Zawiejski, it was erected on the grounds of the demolished
medieval hospitals. It is one of the most beautiful theatrical buildings in Poland. Inside you can admire Henryk Siemiradzki’s painted curtain with allegorical-symbolical theatre-related characters. Nowadays, apart from theatre
performances, the building also stages opera performances.
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 JagielloniAN UNIVERSITY – the oldest Polish university, established in 1364,
where, among other eminent people, studied Nicolaus Copernicus and John Paul II.
The most famous university buildings include the Gothic Collegium Maius (the
oldest preserved university building) and the neo-Gothic Collegium Novum. The
Jagiellonian University Museum is based in Collegium Maius. The most precious
exhibit of the Museum is the Jagiellonian globe dating from c. 1508, which was the
first one to depict America. Today the university educates over 44 000 students.
Jagiellonian University Museum, ul. Jagiellońska 15, Kraków, \ +48 12 4220549,
[email protected], / www.maius.uj.edu.pl; › Nov–Mar, Mon–Sat
10am–2.20pm; Apr–Oct, Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat 10am–2.20pm, Tue and Thu
10am–5.20pm; PLN 12, concessions: PLN 6, (permanent exhibition).
 LADY WITH AN ERMINE – the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci can
be viewed in the Czartoryski Museum. It features Cecilia Gallerani, the beloved of Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. The painting was made on a walnut
wood panel (54.8 x 40.3 cm) at the end of the 15th century.
Juliusz Słowacki Theatre (Large Stage), pl. Św. Ducha 1, \ +48 12 4244528,
[email protected], / www.slowacki.krakow.pl.
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Czartoryski Museum, ul. św. Jana 19, \ +48 12 4225566, / www.muzeum-czartoryskich.krakow.pl.
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1. The interior of St. Mary’s Basilica, photo by M. Zaręba
2. Defensive walls, UMWM photo archive
3. Słowacki Theatre, photo by M. Zaręba
4. Wawel Hill, photo by M. Zaręba
5. Lady with an Ermine, the Princes Czartoryski Foundation at the National Museum photo archive
6. Collegium Maius, photo by P. Dębski
 Wawel Hill (228 m asl) houses the most precious complex of Polish architecture and culture: the Royal Castle, Cathedral and the archaeological-architectonic
reserve called the “Lost Wawel”. The Wawel Royal Castle, converted in the time of
the last Jagiellonians (16th century), is famous for its Renaissance galleries and Flanders tapestries (decorative fabrics). The western part of the castle contains fragments of the first Wawel sanctuary – the Rotunda of Sts. Felix and Adauctus – dating from the beginning of the 11th century. On the Wawel Hill you can also view one
of Europe’s most interesting collections of western art, which includes tents, rugs
and weapons. The Wawel Cathedral of Sts. Stanislaus and Vaclav is the sanctuary of
Poland’s patron – the bishop St. Stanislaus. Here the kings of Poland were crowned
and buried along with the national heroes and poets. Inside, the most distinctive
aspects are the tomb of St. Stanislaus and the Renaissance Sigismund’s Chapel.
Wawel Royal Castle Museum, Wawel 5, \ information: +48 12 4225155 ext.
219; [email protected], / www.wawel.krakow.pl; › opening hours for
most exhibitions: Tue–Fri 9.30am–4pm, Wed–Thu 9.30am–4pm, Sat and Sun
10am–4pm; PLN 4–24. Wawel Cathedral, Wawel 3, \ +48 12 4293327, [email protected], / www.wawel.diecezja.pl.
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1. The interior of the Old Synagogue, photo by M. Zaręba
2. Old Synagogue, photo by P. Witosławski
3. A gallery in Kazimierz, photo by M. Zaręba
4. The National Museum in Sukiennice, photo by M. Zaręba
5. Museum of Archeology, photo by M. Zaręba
Museums
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 Kazimierz in Kraków is a half Jewish and half Christian district. Founded
by king Casimir the Great in 1335, it was once a separate city situated beyond
the Vistula. It is here where the Christian churches of St. Katharine and Corpus Christi neighbour the 16th-century Old Synagogue, the oldest synagogue
in Poland, and those a little younger such as the Popper (c. 1620) and Remuh
(1557) synagogues. Here you can also find the famous church in Skałka (see
p. 26) and the Ethnographic Museum with a fine collection of folk art. Nowadays, Kazimierz is one of the most popular districts of Kraków. It abounds with
cafes, restaurants and galleries. The Festival of Jewish Culture takes place in
Kazimierz every year at the end of June and July. The festival involves numerous concerts, workshops, exhibitions and meetings and is crowned with an
outdoor gig in Szeroka Street thronged with a dancing crowd of many thousands of people. The Kraków Jews Route allows for learning the monuments
and history of the Jewish society that used to play an important role in the life
of the city. The route takes in the following sites: the Centre of Jewish Culture
(ul. Meiselsa) – the Tempel Synagogue dating from 1862 (ul. Miodowa) – the
Kupa Synagogue dating from the 17th century (ul. Warszauera) – the Izaak Synagogue dating from the 17th century (ul. Jakuba) – the High Synagogue dating
from 1590 (ul. Szeroka) – the Old Synagogue dating from the 16th century – the
Remuh Synagogue dating from 1557 and the Jewish cemetery – the Popper
Synagogue dating from 1620 – and the New Jewish Cemetery (ul. Miodowa).
Museum
Address
Opening hours and
­ticket price
Main exhibitions
Most famous exhibits
National Museum
The Main Building
of the Museum,
al. 3 Maja 1, \ +48
12 2955500, / www.
muzeum.krakow.pl
› Tue–Sat 10am–6pm,
Sun 10am–4pm; tickets
to three permanent galleries: PLN 10, concessions:
PLN 5, free admission on
Sunday
The 20th-Century Polish Art Gallery, The Gallery of Decorative
Art, The Gallery of Polish Arms
and Uniforms
Paintings and sculptures from the
end of the 19th century onwards
(such as Wyspiański, Malczewski,
Wyczółkowski);
Polish and Eastern European decorative art; Polish antique militaria
Czartoryski Museum
ul. Pijarska 8,
\ +48 12 2926460,
4225566, / www.
muzeum-czartoryskich.krakow.pl
› Tue–Sun 10am–
4pm; PLN 6, concessions: PLN 3, family ticket:
PLN 12
The Gallery of Ancient Art, The
Gallery of European Painting, The
European Decorative Art,
The Puławy Collection, as well as
The Armoury are closed for refurbishment until further notice
The Egyptian, Greek and Middle East
art collection
Manggha Museum
of Japanese Art and
Technology
ul. Konopnickiej 26,
\ +48 12 2673753,
2672703; fax: +48 12
2674079, / www.
manggha.krakow.pl
› Tue–Sun 10am–6pm;
PLN 15, concessions:
PLN 10, free admission on
Tuesday.
Manggha – ancient Japanese art
The Japonica collection
(woodcut prints, figurines, militaria,
decorative art)
Museum of
Archaeology
ul. Senacka 3,
\ +48 12 4227100,
/ www.ma.krakow.pl
› Mon–Wed 9am–2pm,
Thu 2pm–6pm, Fri, Sun
10am–2pm; PLN 7, concessions: PLN 5, free admission to the permanent
exhibitions on Sunday
The Prehistoric and Early Medieval Małopolska,
The Gods of Ancient Egypt
Paleolithic relics of the caves based in the Ojcowski National Park
(23000 – 15000 BC); a stone statue of
Światowid (the god of sun, fire, war
and harvest); sarcophagi from the
excavations in el-Gamhud (4 BC)
Historical Museum
The Museum head
office, Rynek Główny 35, \ +48 12
4223264, dyrekcja@
mhk.pl, / www.
mhk.pl
› Wed–Sun 10am–
5.30pm; PLN 8, concessions: PLN 6, family ticket:
PLN 16
The Pharmacy in the Kraków
ghetto (pl. Bohaterów Getta 18),
The History and Culture of the
Jews in Kraków (ul. Szeroka 24),
Schindler’s Factory (ul. Lipowa 4)
Souvenirs connected to the ­Kraków
ghetto, Judaica collection, multimedia, documents and installation
relating to Kraków under Hitler’s
occupation
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Centre of Jewish Culture, ul. Meiselsa 17, \ +48 12 4306449, 4306452, info1@
judaica.pl, / www.judaica.pl. Ethnographic Museum, ul. Krakowska 46,
\ +48 12 4306023, / www.mek.krakow.pl.
 Nowa Huta – the north-east industrial district of Kraków, established around
the metallurgical conglomerate of Tadeusz Sendzimir. Apart from the architecture
of socialist realism (such as the buildings in Aleja Róż – the representative main road
of the district – and the Renaissance and baroque stylised edifices of Tadeusz Sendzimir Administrative Centre in Nowa Huta), Nowa Huta also boasts the Cistercian
Abbey in the Mogiła village and monuments of wooden architecture such as the
Church of St Bartholomew in Mogiła.
For the tourist route in Nowa Huta visit: / www.krakow.pl/odwiedz_krakow.
 Paczółtowice (27 km from Kraków) – includes Kraków Valley Golf & Country Club – one of the largest golf complexes in Central Europe (160 ha), as
well as the 16th-century wooden church of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Kraków Valley Golf & Country Club, Paczółtowice 328, Krzeszowice, \ +48 12
2586000, [email protected], / www.krakow-valley.com.
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1. The Market Square in Nowy Sącz, photo by J. Gorlach
2. Kowalska Tower, UMWM photo archive
3. A Gallician town, UMWM photo archive
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 NOWY SĄCZ. This thriving city is situated at the confluence of the Kamienica river and the Dunajec in a vast valley surrounded by mountain ranges.
At the bifurcation of the two rivers there are remnants of the castle and the
Old Town.
The oldest monument of Nowy Sącz is the Gothic collegiate church
of St. Margaret built at the turn of the 14th and 15th century. Other historic
buildings include: Dom Gotycki (the Gothic House), the classical town hall,
the fragments of defensive walls built in the 14th century and the eclectic Art
Nouveau tenement houses in the so called Przedmieście Węgierskie (Hungarian suburb). Behind the market square, the Gothic House hosts the Regional Museum with a collection of Nikifor’s works and Orthodox Church art.
Close to the railway station there is the Old Railway Colony, a housing estate with a neo-Gothic church, and the Workers’ House built for the workers employed in the railway workshops in Nowy Sącz. It is one of the oldest
housing estates in Poland. It is also worth visiting the Sądecki Ethnographic
Park located in the west part of the city (see p. 23). Till 1939 Nowy Sącz was
also a strong Hasidic centre. At present, the 18th-century synagogue hosts
the “Former Synagogue” Gallery.
The area also includes other attractions such as a manor house in
Wielogłowy, a wooden church in Ptaszkowa, as well as a wooden church
and a stone Orthodox church in Łabowa.
 TARNÓW. A visit to Tarnów, the second largest city in Małopolska, is an
opportunity to encounter different cultures.
Tarnów was founded in the 14th century but its most precious monuments date
back to the city’s heyday of the16th century. The artistry of a group of the city owners’ gravestones (the Tarnowski and Ostrogski family), located in the 15th-century
cathedral, is surpassed only by those in the Wawel cathedral. The Gothic-Renaissance town hall is crowned with a mascaron attic while the Old Town is decorated with Renaissance tenement houses. The precious museum collections are on
display in the Regional Museum, as well as Poland’s oldest Diocesan Museum and
the Ethnographic Museum, the latter is the only one in Poland which presents
the culture and history of the Roma people. Other interesting monuments of the
city include the modernist buildings of Mościce, the buildings of the Wooden Architecture Route and one of the oldest cemeteries in Poland.
For decades Tarnów had one of the largest Jewish populations in
Małopolska. To this day the following have survived: a bimah (a platform
from which the Torah was read out) – the remains of a 17th-century synagogue, the Jewish cemetery with the gravestones of the most eminent
Jewish families and a mikveh (a bath) erected in the Moorish revival style
at the beginning of the 20th century. Also worth a visit in the area are the
“painted village” named Zalipie (see p. 61), wooden churches in Zawada and
Skrzyszów, and the World War I military cemeteries.
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1. Tarnów – Renaissance tenement houses in the Market Square, photo by P. Barszczowski
2. The Market Square in Tarnów, photo by K. Gzyl
3. A painted cottage in Zalipie, photo by P. Mierniczak
4
2
6
1
3
 WADOWICE. The home town of John Paul II can be toured while strolling along the Karol Wojtyła Route. The future Pope was born in a modest
tenement house in 7 Kościelna Street, which at present houses the Museum
of John Paul II Family Home. In the neighbourhood of the Pope’s home, in
a building dating from the beginning of the 19th century, you will find the Municipal Museum. Kościelna Street leads to the market square, i.e. the square
of John Paul II. Here, at the corner of the street and the market square, stands
the 18th-century late-baroque Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. The church is mainly famous for being the place where Karol Wojtyła
was baptised. The Gothic baptismal font can be seen in the chapel of the Holy
Family. Worshippers come to the basilica also to see the marvellous image of
Our Lady of Perpetual Help. It is also worth sitting down in a café in the Wadowice market square to taste the Pope’s cream cakes.
Other local attractions include the amusement park in Inwałd – The Park
of Miniatures with models of the most famous architectural monuments –
and Dinoland, the land of prehistoric creatures.
The Passion-Marian sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, which is inscribed
on the UNESCO list, and the Renaissance castle in Sucha Beskidzka (see p. 34)
also deserve special attention.
5
 OŚWIĘCIM is an old town picturesquely situated on a steep slope above the
waters of the Soła river, although many tourists associate its name mainly with
the times of World War II and a concentration camp that was in operation then.
The city’s memento of the past is the castle which presently houses a Museum
with historical and ethnographical collections. It is also possible to visit two
underground tunnels (dating from both World Wars) located under the castle.
Near the castle, you will find the renovated Chewra Lomdei Misznajot Synagogue dating from 1914. The neighbouring building is home to a Jewish Centre
which maintains documentation on the history and culture of Oświęcim Jews.
In the old town looms, among other buildings, the Gothic St. Mary Church
while around the market square and in the neighbouring side streets stand
small and charming tenement houses.
Boulevards by the Soła river invite visitors for a walk. On the river banks,
you can find fragments of naturally precious Riparian forests.
The most important tourist destination in Oświęcim and its surroundings
is the former Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration and extermination
camp, inscribed on the UNESCO Word Heritage List (see p. 16).
In the area it is also worth visiting, among other attractions, the wooden churches in Polanka Wielka and Osieka, the Heritage Park in Wygiełzów
(see p. 23) – overlooked by a white tower of the Lipowiec castle (see p. 35)
– and Dinozatorland, the world of prehistoric dinosaurs in Zator.
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1. The Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wadowice, photo by M. Zaręba
2. The Park of Miniatures in Inwałd, photo by M. Zaręba
3. The Pope’s cream cakes, UMWM photo archive
4. The panorama of Oświęcim, Oświęcim City Council photo archive
5. The castle in Oświęcim, Oświęcim City Council photo archive
6. Dinozatorland, photo by M. Zaręba
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1
Around Zakopane
 ZAKOPANE – a highland capital of Poland, a centre of active leisure and
recreation, lying in the shadow of the Tatras, at the foot of the majestic, crosscrowned Giewont welcomes everyone both in summer as well as in winter.
From Zakopane you can set off for both short, beautiful walks to the picturesque valleys of the Tatras as well as long mountain hikes as far as the rocky
mountain peaks. Also, in winter, you cannot fail to be entertained here. The famous routes from Kasprowy Wierch, where snow sometimes remains till May,
are a real challenge for skiers. For those less adept at winter sports there awaits
a number of easier slopes, where even a total beginner can take their first skiing steps under the experienced instructors’ tutelage. Zakopane also owes its
fame to Stanisław Witkiewicz, father of Witkacy, who lived here since 1890.
Tourist Information Centre in Zakopane, ul. Kościuszki 17, Zakopane, \ +48
18 2012211, / www.promocja.zakopane.pl; › daily 9.00am–5.00pm.
 VILLAS IN ZAKOPANE STYLE are pearls of architecture. They owe their
form to Stanisław Witkiewicz, a painter, a writer and an architect, who, fascinated by highland art, creatively transformed the elements of traditional architecture and adornment. Houses erected in accordance with the aesthetic
qualities devised by Witkiewicz are set on high, square stone underpinnings
and have steep, shingled roofs. Their distinctive features include huge verandas, attics covered with separate roofs and beautiful, opulent wood carving
decorations. The first villa erected in accordance with the ­Zakopane style, the
Koliba villa from 1892, presently houses the Museum of Zakopane Style. Other
beautiful examples of this style include the Pod Jedlami villa (on Koziniec) and
Witkiewiczówka villa (the road towards Antałówka 6). Another example of Zakopane style is the beautiful chapel on Jaszczurówka dedicated to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus and erected in the years 1904–08.
 KRUPÓWKI is one of the most famous streets in Poland. This promenade is the real heart of the town. It is filled with souvenir shops, restaurants serving local delicacies, stands with mountain cheese (including the
most popular one – smoked oscypek), as well as cafes, pubs and night clubs.
 The TATRA MUSEUM is situated next to the famous Krupówki promenade.
The Zakopane style stone building houses a splendid natural collection (including about 230 species of stuffed animals) and an ethnographic exhibition,
devoted to the highland culture. The third section is devoted to the history
of Podhale and Zakopane, as well as Tatra tourism. The back of the building
features the rockery of the Environmental Protection Institute of the Polish
Academy of Sciences (PAN).
Dr. Tytus Chałubiński Tatra Museum – Main Building, ul. Krupówki 10, Zakopane, \ +48 18 2015205, 2012935, / www.muzeumtatrzanskie.pl; › Wed–
Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 9am–3pm; May–Sept, Tue–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 9am–3pm;
PLN 7, concessions: PLN 5.50.
Museum of Zakopane Style, ul. Kościeliska 18, Zakopane, \ +48 18 2013602;
› Wed–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 9am–3pm; 7 PLN, concessions: 5.5 PLN.
12
1. Kasprowy Wierch, photo by J. Gorlach
2. Jaszczurówka – Zakopane style, photo by P. Droździk
3. Highlanders, photo by D. Zaród
13
2
4
1
 The CEMETERY IN PĘKSOWY BRZYZEK is the resting place of a great number of
distinguished Poles, whose life is linked to Zakopane. Those resting here include Tytus
Chałubiński; Stanisław Witkiewicz and his son – the writer, painter and philosopher
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, also known as Witkacy; writers Władysław Orkan and
Kornel Makuszyński; the famous sportspeople Bronisław Czech, Helena Marusarzówna and Stanisław Marusarz; as well as the founder of the Volunteer Tatra Mountains
Rescue Service (TOPR), Gen. Mariusz Zaruski. Next to the cemetery, you will find Zakopane’s oldest sanctuary, i.e. the wooden St. Clements Church dating from 1847.
 GUBAŁÓWKA FUNICULAR RAIL (1120 m asl) enables you to reach the picturesque mountain ridge from the north of Zakopane, where you can admire
the panorama of the entire Tatras. Another way to view the mountains is to take
a ride on a cable car from Kuźnice to Kasprowy Wierch (1985 m asl).
Gubałówka Funicular Rail, ul. Na Gubałówkę, Zakopane, \ +48 18 2014830,
/ www.pkl.pl; › in-season rides: July–Aug, 8am–9.45pm (for more information visit the website); PLN 8–15. Cableway to Kasprowy Wierch, Kuźnice, \ +48 18 2014510, / www.pkl.pl; ›in-season rides: July–Aug, 7.30am
–7pm (for more information visit the website); PLN 27–42.
 The TATRAS, the only alpine mountains in Poland, charm with sky-reaching rocky peaks and highland valleys treasuring postglacial tarns and unique
vegetation. The Tatras’ flora and fauna have been an object of fascination
for a long time. Hence, the mountains are protected within the Tatrzański
National Park (see p. 40). The Tatras are also an excellent place to practise
different forms of active tourism: from the most advanced Tatra climbing,
through mountain hikes of varying difficulty, to strolls across the Kościeliska,
Strążyska and Białego valleys or the surrounding area of Kasprowy Wierch.
The peak is easily accessible thanks to the funicular railway built in 1936;
thus it is often visited in winter when – jointly with the slopes of Nosal and
Gubałówka – it attracts skiers from across the whole country. A much more
difficult expedition involves ascending the Giewont peak crowned with
a mighty iron cross, one of the symbols of the Tatras. The final part of the
trip requires climbing the limestone rock with the aid of embedded metal chains. Even greater skill is required when hiking on the most famous
mountain trail in Poland, Orla Perć (Eagle Path), which follows the ridge of
the High Tatras.
14
3
1. The Valley of Five Polish Lakes, photo by T. Gębuś
2. The Church in Dębno, UMWM photo archive
3. The Church of St. Anne in Nowy Targ, photo by M. Długopolski
4. Kierpce – highlanders’ shoes, photo by P. Droździk
 PODHALE is one of the most beautiful Polish regions, which lies in the
southern part of Małopolska, stretching from the Tatras to the slopes of the
Gorce Mountains. It is famous for its scenic landscape, colourful folklore and
vintage folk buildings such as the complex in the village of Chochołów (see
p. 22). Podhale constitutes one of the most important tourist regions in the
country (see p. 50). The most important cities include Zakopane (see p. 12)
and Nowy Targ.
 NOWY TARG, also known by highlanders as simply “Miasto” (City), is the
capital of Podhale, situated where the Biały Dunajec and Czarny Dunajec fork.
Its most precious monuments include the 16th-century wooden church of St.
Anne (according to tradition it was funded by highland robbers) and a stone
church of St. Katharine situated near the market square and dated partly from
the 14th century (the chancel) and the 17th century (the nave).
In the area it is also worth visiting the sanctuary in Ludźmierz (see p. 27),
the wooden church in Dębno (see p. 17) which is inscribed on the UNESCO
list, the wooden church and manor house in Łopuszna (see p. 22), and the
wooden church in Harklowa.
15
 The WOODEN CHURCHES with shingled roofs beautifully harmonise with
the highland landscape. The church in Dębno Podhalańskie (see p. 1), inscribed on the UNESCO list, is the most famous one although – in respect of
artistry – other sanctuaries do not fall far behind. The Church of St. Martin in
Grywałd dates back to the second half of the 15th century and, despite a few
reconstructions, it has retained its Gothic character. Its interior is decorated
with the 17th-century paintings and a late-Gothic triptych. Lacking in towers,
the Church of St. Sebastian and Our Lady of the Rosary was erected in the
second half of the 17th century. It is distinguished by the rich rococo interiors
that include walls and ceilings covered with colourful paintings dating from
1813, and opulently gilded altars and sculptures that complete the sanctuary
with a unique tone. The Church of Sts. Apostles Simon and Judah in Białka
Tatrzańska was built in c. 1700. The interior is decorated with the remains of
a figural polychrome dating from the 19th century and a number of sculptures
on the ceiling and walls. When visiting the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
in Bukowina Tatrzańska (1887–1900), embellished with a 20th-century figural
polychrome, it is worth paying attention to the wooden altars dating from 1907.
› Churches are open to visitors in May–Oct (usually on Thu 2pm–6pm, Fri
2pm–6pm, Sat 10am–2pm).
2
1
The Małopolska UNESCO Route
The UNESCO World Heritage List contains buildings which the
organisation has recognized as bearing “unique and universal”
historic or natural value, and which are especially protected. Out
of 16 Polish buildings inscribed on the UNESCO list, you can find
as many as 8 of them in Małopolska.
 Kraków. The justification act for inscribing Kraków on the
UNESCO list stipulates that “Kraków bequeaths to future generations a unique collection of cultural monuments of the past centuries as well as famous works of art and architecture.” (see p. 2)
 SALT MINE IN WIELICZKA (17 km from Kraków) – an underground maze of chambers and corridors bored in salt (see p. 8).
 SANCTUARY IN KAlwariA ZebrzydowskA (33 km from
Kraków) is akin to Jerusalem from the time of Christ transported
to the Beskids landscape. The baroque churches and chapels correspond to the Stations of the Cross and buildings known from
the Bible. The sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is the largest,
after Częstochowa, polish centre of Marian worship (see p. 27).
4
 Auschwitz-Birkenau CONCENTRATION CAMP (64 km
from Kraków). Initially, destined for Poles and then prisoners of
other nationalities, the camp was designed for extermination
through work. From 1942 it had become a place of mass extermination of the Jews who were put to death in gas chambers.
By 1945 about 1.5 million people were murdered, most of them
of Jewish descent. Today the main gate of the camp with the
“Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work Makes You Free”) inscription leads to
the world’s largest martyrs museum established in 1947, covering the area of 40 ha. Inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1979, the
camp serves as a warning for future generations.
Museum and Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau, ul. Więźniów
Oświęcimia 20, Oświęcim, \ +48 33 8448100, 8448099;
/ www.auschwitz.org.pl, › Jun–Aug, daily 8am–7pm, May
and Sept, daily 8am–6pm, Apr and Oct, daily 8am–5pm, Mar
and Nov, daily 8am–4pm, Dec–Feb, daily 8am–3pm; no admission fee. Note: May–Oct 10am–3pm the area of the former
Auschwitz I camp can be visited only in groups with a guide
( PLN 25, concessions: PLN 18). Visits are not recommended
for children under 14 years old.
16
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3
1. Kraków, UMWM photo archive
2. The Sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, photo by P. Mierniczak
3. The Church in Sękowa, photo by P. Witosławski
4. The National Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, photo by M. Zaręba
5. The Weimar chamber in the Wieliczka saltmine, photo by D. Zaród
 CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL IN DĘBNO (93 km from
Kraków) – one of the oldest wooden sanctuaries in Poland (built without the
use of nails!) with unique decorative paintings and precious interior furnishings (see p. 20).
Obiekty
UNESCO
UNESCO
sites
in Małopolska
w Małopolsce
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79
 CHURCH OF STS. PHILIP AND JACOB THE APOSTLES IN SĘKOWA
(155 km from Kraków) – built around 1520, charms with its majesty and soboty i.e. arcades sheltering the believers who arrived for the Mass.
Oświęcim
44
 CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL IN BINAROWA (165 km
from Kraków) – a late-Gothic larch wood sanctuary decorated inside with
paintings dating from the 16th and 17th century (see p. 21).
 ST. LEONARD’S CHURCH IN LIPNICA MUROWANA (60 km from Kraków)
– dating from the 15th century, was supposedly built where a pagan sanctuary – from which originates the Światowid’s pillar that supports the altar
– once stood (see p. 21).
17
Kraków
A4
Wisła
4 E40
Wieliczka
Kalwaria
Zebrzydowska
Lipnica Murowana
7
Binarowa
Sękowa
28
Dębno
D
jec
una
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An underground kingdom of salt
– Wieliczka and Bochnia
The mines located near Kraków relate to the legend about princess
Kinga (later the saint), the wife of prince Bolesław V the Chaste.
Leaving her native Hungary, the princess is said to have dropped
her ring into one of the local salt mines. The ring was later found
in a block of salt near Kraków, exactly where one of our saltworks
was formed.
The Salt Route enables you to visit both of the salt mines
in Wieliczka and Bochnia as well as the Saltworks Castle in
Wieliczka.
 Wieliczka. The SALT MINE IN wIELICZKA was inscribed
on the UNESCO list in 1978. The oldest traces of salt making in
Wieliczka date back to the Neolithic period. From the 13th century the mine has been systematically expanded. At the moment
the network of about 300-kilometre-long galleries (and about
3000 chambers) extends to a depth of up to 327 m. The Underground Tourist Route is 2 km long and descends to a depth of 64 to
135 m. It leads through over 22 of most beautiful chambers created in the 13th-century mine, complete with salt sculptures and
lakes. The most affecting chamber is the St. Kinga Chapel, which
can accommodate 500 people. All the ornaments of its interior
4
were made out of salt. Moreover, in the underground Kraków Saltworks Museum you can see antique machines, tools and miners’
outfits. At a depth of 135 m the Wessel Lake chamber hosts an
Underground Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre designed for
people suffering from allergies and respiratory tract complaints.
Close to the salt mine, in the 15th-century Saltworks Castle in
Wieliczka, you can visit a historic exhibition, an assortment of the
miners’ tools and outfits, as well as a collection of… salt shakers!
Wieliczka Salt Mine, Underground Tourist Route and Kraków Saltworks Museum, ul. Daniłowicza 10, \ +48 12 2788302, 2787366,
/ www.kopalnia.pl; › visits only with a guide: Apr–Oct, daily
7.30am–7.30pm; Nov–March daily 8am–5pm; PLN 50, concessions: PLN 37, family ticket: PLN 137. The temperature underground is a constant 14oC.
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5
 Bochnia is as venerable as its eponymous SALT MINE IN BOCHNIA. Two
routes have been especially fashioned for visitors. Walking along the tourist
route to a depth of 223 m takes about 1.5–2 hours. You can see here, among
other attractions, the period Sutoris shaft; the 18th-century Mysiur chamber,
which till 1963 functioned as a stable for horses working underground; St. Kinga
chapel dating from c. 1754; and an exhibition of clothes and tools used in the
mine. The geological route is more difficult and designed for people ready to
squeeze through the narrow shafts and winding corridors. Furthermore, everybody, regardless of their fitness, can avail themselves of the 140-metre slide and
also take a ride on an underground railway. The pearl of the mine is an enormous Ważyn chamber (approx. 255 m long, 14.5 m wide, and 7.2 m high), which
houses a rehabilitation and treatment centre with 200 accommodation places
and a football and basketball pitch. It is also worth visiting the Osada VI Oraczy
(Ploughmen Settlement no. VI) Archeological Park, which is a reconstruction
of the medieval settlement located next to the Campi shaft. For more information visit: www.osadabochnia.pl.
Saltmine in Bochnia, ul. Solna 2, Bochnia, \ +48 14 6153636, / www.kopalniasoli.pl; › underground tours: Mon–Fri 9.30am, 11.30am, 3.30pm (Jul–Aug
also 12.30pm), Sat and Sun every hour from 10.15am to 4.15pm; Apr–Oct PLN
32, concessions: PLN 24, Jan–Mar and Nov–Dec PLN 24, concessions: PLN 19.
19
1. The saltmine in Wieliczka – St. Kinga Chapel, photo by J. Podlecki
2. The saltmine in Bochnia – St. Kinga Chapel, the Bochnia saltmine photo archive
3. The saltmine in Wieliczka – the Wessel lake, UMWM photo archive
4. The slide in the saltmine in Bochnia, photo by M. Zaręba
5. The underground playing field in the Bochnia saltmine, photo by M. Zaręba
Podziemne
An underground
kingdom
of salt
królestwo
soli
Kraków
A4
79
Wieliczka
4 E40
Bochnia
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The enchanted word of wood
The wooden buildings, inextricably entwined with the landscape
of Małopolska, form a large group along with other monuments
of architecture preserved to this day. Overgrowing the Carpathian Mountains – the spruce, fir or larch forests as well as the broadleaf oak and beech woods – provided the building material for
the lordly manor houses, bourgeois houses, cottages, Catholic
and Orthodox churches.
A great majority of the wooden buildings are situated on the Wooden Architecture Route that measures 1500 km in length and embraces 248 buildings in Małopolska. All of them have information
boards that provide basic information about the building. In the
summer season, over 50 of them are open to visitors as part of an
“Open Wooden Architecture Route” programme. Also, the selected
buildings host concerts from the “Music Enchanted in Wood” series.
For more information about the Wooden Architecture Route visit:
/ www.drewniana.malopolska.pl.
4
 The CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL IN DĘBNO (second
half of the 15th century) has a tower that was added on at the beginning
of the 17th century, which is probably the oldest in Poland. The sanctuary was built from fir and larch wood without the use of nails. The interior is decorated with a polychrome of the patrons dating from c. 1500.
On the rood beam you can see a crucifix dating from the 14th century.
Church of St. Michael the Archangel, Binarowa 409, \ +48 13 4476396; › visitors are requested to book prior to visitation: May–Sept, Fri 12pm–4pm, Sat
10am–2pm, Sun 12pm–4pm.
 ST. LEONARD’S CHURCH IN LIPNICA MUROWANA was built in the 15th century. The walls of the sanctuary are richly decorated with paintings portraying, the
Ten Commandments, the Last Supper, and the Passion. In the sanctuary you will
also find a positive organ – a chest organ instrument – one of only seven instruments of this kind in Poland. The church is situated on the St. Simon tourist route.
St. Leonard’s Church, Lipnica Murowana 39, \ +48 14 6852601, 698641445;
› May–Jun and Sept–Oct, Mon–Sat 9am–5pm, Sundays and holidays 1pm–
5pm, Jul–Aug, Mon–Sat 9am–6pm, Sundays and holidays 1pm–5pm, Nov–Mar,
visitors are requested to book prior to visitation; 3 PLN, concessions: 2 PLN.
Church of Sts. Philip and Jacob the Apostles, on the border between the villages of Sękowa and Siary, \ +48 18 3518169; › May–
Sept, Fri 12pm–4pm, Sat 10am–2pm, Sun 12pm–4pm.
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1. The interior of the Church in Dębno, photo by M. Witosławski
2. The Church in Lipnica Murowana, photo by J. Gawron
3. The Church in Binarowa, UMWM photo archive
4. The Church in Sękowa, photo by J. Mysiński
5. The Church in Dębno, photo by J. Gorlach
 The CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL IN BINAROWA was built
from fir wood around 1500. The church charms with a late-Gothic patron saint
decoration on the ceiling, the baroque Biblical cycles on the nave walls, and ornamental and figural polychromes in the chapel of Archangels. Also deserving
special attention are the late-Renaissance altar with a Gothic sculpture of the
Madonna with Infant Jesus, the stone font dating from 1522 and the Gothic bell.
Church of St. Michael the Archangel, ul. Kościelna 42, Dębno Podhalańskie,
\ +48 18 2751797; › tours (only in groups): Mon–Fri 9.00am–12.00pm
and 2.00pm–4.30pm, Sat 9.00am–12.00pm; donations welcome.
 The CHURCH OF STS. PHILIP AND JACOB THE APOSTLES IN
SĘKOWA (1520) is built from larch wood. One of the attractions is
the tower, open on the ground floor, which allows for admiring its
construction, and the surrounding soboty (arcades). Among the interior have also survived, the late-Gothic portals, a font built in 1522,
an altar dating from the 17th century and an interesting polychrome.
5
3
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Szlak Architektury Drewnianej
The enchanted word of wood
– wybrane obiekty
7
Wygiełzów
44
28
79
Kraków
A4
Wisła
Wola
Zręczycka
4 E40
Lipnica Murowana
Lanckorona
7
28
Zubrzyca Górna
Nowy Sącz
ajec
Łopuszna Dębno
Chochołów
Zakopane
Dun
87
Binarowa
Sękowa
Szymbark
Owczary
Kwiatoń Skwirtne
Hańczowa
1
4
6
2
3
 The orthodox church of st. paraskewia in kwiatoń (the second half
of the 17th century) is considered to be a classical example of the west Lemko style.
The interior still holds rich furnishings. It is worth paying attention to the marvellous
polychrome of the figural and ornamental motifs as well as the iconostasis painted
by Michał Bogdański in 1904.
 BELLA VITA MANOR HOUSE IN WOLA ZRĘCZYCKA (1876–79) is a onestorey building made of larch logs, crowned with a mansard roof with lucarne windows. At present the manor hosts a restaurant and a gallery.
 The ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE PROTECTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN
OWCZARY. The exact date of its construction (1653) was carved over the western
portal. It is a three part structure built via log construction and entirely shingled. Inside you can see an iconostasis dating from the 18th century. Since 1988 the church
has offered Greek Catholic Masses.
 The MANOR COMPLEX OF THE TETMAJER FAMILY IN ŁOPUSZNA (1787–
90) consists of a one-storey manor house and outbuildings. The manor
house built from larch logs presently houses a Museum of Gentry Culture.
 The ORTHODOX CHURCH OF PROTECTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN
HAŃCZOWA (the first half of the 19th century) is distinguished by the clock faces
painted on the bell housing of the tower. The interior is decorated with an ornamental and figural polychrome and a baroque main altar. In the neighbouring area
you can see the preserved parish buildings dating back to the 19th/20th century.
 Chochołów BUILDINGS (19th/20th century) comprise a “living heritage
museum of the traditional regional architecture.” The oldest cottage dates
back to 1789. The most famous, however, is no. 24 chałupa z jednej jedli (the
single fir cottage) with the front wall made of a single fir trunk.
 The ORTHODOX CHURCH OF STS. COSMAS AND DAMIAN IN SKWIRTNE
(1837) is a three-part building entirely shingled. The interior features a polychrome
dating from 1900 and fragments of iconostasis dating from the 18th/19th century.
Bella Vita Manor House, / www.bellavita.krakow.pl.
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 SĄDECKI ETHNOGRAPHIC PARK IN NOWY SĄCZ presents the 19th-century folk culture of the Beskid Sądecki village. It divides into 4 sections, each
representing the ethnographic group residing in the region: the ­Lendians,
the Pogorzans, the Lemkos, and the Highlanders from Beskid Sądecki. Its
most significant elements include: a 17th-century gentry manor house,
a Lemko Orthodox church dating from 1786, a church from Łososina Dolna, and a Protestant church.
Sądecki Ethnographic Park, entrance via: ul. Wieniawy-Długoszewskiego 83b,
ul. Lwowska 226, Nowy Sącz, \ +48 18 5331823, 4414412, / www.muzeum.
sacz.pl; › May–Sept, Tue–Sun 10am–6pm, Oct–Apr, Mon–Fri 10am–2pm;
PLN 12, concessions: PLN 7, free admission on Saturday.
Museum of Gentry Culture, / www.muzeumtatrzanskie.com.pl.
 The FOLK ARCHITECTURE CENTRE IN SZYMBRAK presents, among other attractions, wooden buildings typical for the Gorlice Foothills. This includes: peasant cottages, small windmills and outbuildings.
 LanckoronA BUILDINGS (19th/20th century) exemplifies of small-town
wooden architecture that was integrated into the medieval urban layout.
The houses, all of log construction, are differentially completed with arcades
in the market square, and with porches in the exit streets.
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Folk Architecture Centre, Szymbark, \ +48 18 3513114, / www.gorlice.art.pl;
› May–Sept, Tue–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat and Sun 9am–6pm; Oct–Apr, Mon–Fri
9am–3pm; PLN 4, concessions: PLN 2, guided tours: PLN 7, concessions: PLN 4.
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1. The Orthodox Church in Owczary, photo by P. Mierniczak
2. The Orthodox Church in Kwiatoń, photo by P. Mierniczak
3. The Orthodox Church in Hańczowa, photo by M. Grychowski
4. The Bella Vita Manor, photo by J. Gorlach
5. Sądecki Ethnographic Park, photo by I. Grzybek-Dulak
4. Chochołów, UMWM photo archive
 NADWIŚLAŃSKI ETHNOGRAPHIC PARK IN WYGIEŁZÓW has gathered
over 20 buildings showcasing the culture of the Western Cracovians. You
can find here wooden small-town and rural buildings with furnishings, as
well as church buildings such as the 16th-century Church of the Holy Cross
in Ryczów. Every year the heritage park hosts the International Festival of
Organ and Chamber Music (Aug–Sep). Visiting the area, it is also worth taking a trip to Chrzanów which features a medieval urban layout and period
tenement houses.
Nadwiślański Ethnographic Park in Wygiełzów, ul. Podzamcze 1, Wygiełzów,
\ +48 32 6228749, / www.muzeum.chrzanow.pl; › Apr–Sept daily 8am–
6pm, Oct–Mar daily 8am–3pm; PLN 8, concessions: PLN 5.
 ORAWA ETHNOGRAPHIC PARK IN ZUBRZYCA GÓRNA is devoted to
the wooden architecture of the Polish part of Orawa. Its most significant
building is the Moniak family manor, which is an extended cottage typical
for this region, complete with an attic chamber called a wyżka.
Orawa Ethnographic Park, Zubrzyca Górna, \ +48 18 2852709; › May–Sept
daily 8.30am–5pm, Oct–Apr daily 8.30am–2.30pm; PLN 18, concessions:
PLN 12; last admission one hour before closing time.
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Sanctuaries and places of religious worship
In Małopolska you can find a lot of hermitages, wonderful churches and images famous for their grace. For centuries they have given
people hope and reassured their faith. Historically and culturally
they are invaluable monuments of the Polish identity.
The most distinctive feature of Małopolska is the Marian worship. In the Marian sanctuaries (such as the Kraków “Na Piasku”
Carmelites’ sanctuary or the sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska) you can find miraculous images of the Madonna, renowned
for their graces. Equally important are the mysteries of Christ’s
Passion – those taking place in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (see p. 27)
attract crowds of pilgrims every year.
Many centres of worship are connected to the saints and the
blessed who came from Małopolska. These include Stary Sącz
associated with St. Kinga or Lipnica Murowana where St. Simon
and the Ledóchowski sisters came from.
The Małopolska Province boasts a great number of thematic routes for pilgrims. Most popular with tourists are the Pope’s
trails. Of interest are also several other routes, including two international ones.
The entirety of Małopolska is covered with mementoes of
John Paul II. Kraków abounds with sites related to the Pope such
4
as the Palace of Archbishops (ul. Franciszkańska 3), the sanctuary
in Łagiewniki, the graves of his parents (in the Rakowicki cemetery), and Błonie – the site of past papal Masses.
You can find tracks of John Paul II in his hometown, Wadowice, where just by the market square, the previous flat of the
Wojtyła family is situated (today it houses a small museum). Nearby stands the Virgin Mary’s Offertory Minor Basilica, where little Karol was baptised.
The sanctuary and quiet Calvary Paths in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska was one of the most frequently visited places by Karol
Wojtyła in Małopolska.
As a young priest Karol Wojtyła spent his summer in Raciborowice near Kraków. Here, in the parish by the Gothic church, he
studied the works of St. Thomas. Niegowić (24 km from Kraków)
was the place where the curate Karol Wojtyła was sent to undertake his first pastoral job.
The Podhale and the mountain ranges – both the Beskids
and the Tatras – were also Karol Wojtyła’s favourite places.
In Ludźmierz (4 km from Nowy Targ) he made pilgrimages to the
Sanctuary of Our Lady Queen of Podhale, called “Gaździna Podhala.” He always stopped at the figure of the Lady of Ludźmierz
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carved in wood in a neo-Gothic church dating from 1877. In Zakopane you
can pay tribute to the Great Pope in places such as the Sanctuary of Our
Lady of Fatima in Krzeptówki, where the papal Mass took place and where
a monument to John Paul II stands; in the Chochołowska Valley along a trail
of the papal Tatra hike; in the Sanctuary of St. Brother Albert situated on
the slopes of Krokiew; or the Sanctuary of the Madonna Queen of Tatras in
Wiktorówki below the Rusinowa Glade. In Stary Sącz, in the Błonie district,
close to the Convent of the Sisters of St. Clare, stands an altar where the
Pope offered Holy Mass in 1999.
The tracks of Karol Wojtyła comprise not only the commemorative
plaques, monuments and recollections in the most famous sanctuaries
and the most important churches of the region. They also form the cobbled path stretching from the shack to the stream in Gorce, the peak of
his name in the Beskid Mały and the recollections of the Carpathian hikes.
1. The Sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, UMWM photo archive
2. The Sanctuary in Łagiewniki, photo by A. Błaszczak
3. The monastery in Kraków-Mogiła, UMWM photo archive
4. Statues in Lipnica Murowana, photo S. Gacek
Sanktuaria
Sanctuaries
and places
of religious
i miejsca
kultuworship
religijnego
Miechów
Czerna
A4
44
7
Wisła
Wadowice
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79
Wola Radłowska
Mogiła
Tarnów
Szczepanów
Łagiewniki
4 E40
Niegowić
Lipnica Murowana Tuchów
Dziekanowice
Szczyrzyc
Tropie
Kraków
Bielany
Kalwaria
Zebrzydowska
Raciborowice
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28
ajec
Dun
John Paul II Family Home, ul. Kościelna 7, Wadowice, \ +48 33 8232662,
/ www.domrodzinnyjanapawla.pl; › May–Sept, Tue–Sun 9am–1pm and
2pm–6pm; Oct–April, Tue–Sun 9am–12pm and 1pm–4pm; voluntary
donations. John Paul II Małopolska Trail, PTTK Tourist Information Centre,
ul. Jagiellońska 6, Kraków, \ +48 12 4222840, / www.cotg.pttk.pl.
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Ludźmierz
Zakopane
Stary Sącz
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 SANCTUARY OF ST. STANISLAUS IN KRAKÓW – in the Pauline monastery
in Skałka in 1079 Stanislaus of Szczepanów – bishop of Kraków and presently
the patron of Poland – died a martyr’s death, murdered by king Bolesław II the
Bold. Skałka is also the burial of many distinguished Poles such as Stanisław
Wyspiański and Czesław Miłosz. The monastery and the church in Skałka, by
virtue of being situated in the picturesque spot by the Vistula, are one of the
most attractive sights of Kraków.
Sanctuary of St. Stanislaus BM in Skałka, ul. Skałeczna 15, Kraków, \ +48 12 421
7244, / www.skalka.paulini.pl.
 The SANCTUARY OF THE HOLY CROSS IN KRAKÓW-MOGIŁA is situated
in a Cistercian monastery. It features a chapel with a miraculous cross carved
in the 14th century. According to the tradition, the believers go around the
altar on their knees. Crowds of pilgrims come here for the octave of Corpus
Christi (May/June) and the Feast of the Cross (14 September).
Sanctuary of the Holy Cross, ul. Klasztorna 11, Kraków, \ +48 12 6442331,
/ www.mogila.cystersi.pl.
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 The SANCTUARY OF THE DIVINE MERCY IN ŁAGIEWNIKI is the most frequently visited church in Kraków, consecrated by John Paul II in 2002. Believers make pilgrimages here to pray at the image of the Merciful Jesus, inspired
by the vision of St. Faustyna whose relics rest in the convent chapel next to
the sanctuary. By the basilica rises a 76-metre viewing tower.
Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki, ul. Siostry Faustyny 3,
Kraków, \ +48 12 2665859, / www.milosierdzie.pl.
 THE ECCE HOMO SANCTUARY OF ST. ALBERT IN KRAKÓW relates to
Adam Chmielowski (St. Brother Albert), the founder of the Order of Albertine Brothers, who devoted his life to helping the poor and homeless. Each
year on the Friday preceding Palm Sunday (Mar/Apr), the sanctuary organises
a church fair in celebration of the Ecce Homo Christ, while on 17 June there
is a church fair in honour of St. Brother Albert.
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 The BASILICA OF SAINT MARY OF ANGELS IN KALWARIA ZEBRZYDOWSKA, also known as the “Polish Jerusalem” is a baroque church dating
from the 17th century, famous for the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin
Mary of Kalwaria. It is also the centre of a vast Marian-Passion complex, comprising 43 buildings.
The cultural and landscape complex of the monastery and the Pilgrimage Park in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska have been inscribed on the UNESCO
Heritage List since 2000.
The biggest celebrations are organised here during the Holy Week
(March/April) and the church fair in honour of the Assumption of Holy Mary
(15 August).
The Passion plays in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, organised during the Holy
Week, allow thousands of pilgrims to participate in the Stations of the Cross
staged by the Bernardine brothers and local inhabitants. The setting is
framed by chapels symbolising iconic landmarks of Jerusalem as depicted in the Gospel.
Passion Marian Sanctuary – Monastery of the Bernardines, ul. Bernardyńska 46, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, \ +48 33 8766304, / www.kalwaria.eu.
The Ecce Homo Sanctuary of St. Albert, ul. Woronicza 10, \ +48 12 4135599,
/ www.albertynki.pl/sanktuarium.php.
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1. The Sanctuary in Łagiewniki, UMWM photo archive
2. The crypt of honour in the Sanctuary of St. Stanislaus, photo by S. Gacek
3. The Sanctuary of St. Stanislaus, UMWM photo archive
4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary church fair, photo by M. Grychowski
5. The Mystery of Christ’s Passion in Kalwaria, photo by P. Mierniczak
6. The Sanctuary of God’s Queen Mother of Podhale in Ludźmierz, photo by J. Gorlach
 The SANCTUARY OF THE MADONNA OF SZKAPLERZNA IN CZERNA
is famous for the miraculous image of the Madonna stored in the baroque
Church of St. Elijah. The monastery in Czerna is also known as the Sanctuary
of St. Rafał Kalinowski, an insurgent of the January Uprising and an exile. Beyond, in the nearby forest, survive the ruins of an antique hermitage, once
inhabited by eremites. The monastery also houses a museum exhibiting ethnographic collections acquired from a mission in Africa.
Sanctuary of the Madonna of Szkaplerzna and of St. Rafał Kalinowski – the monastery
of the Discalced Carmelites, Czerna 79, \ +48 12 2820065, / www.karmelczerna.pl
 SANCTUARY OF GOD’S QUEEN MOTHER OF PODHALE IN LUDŹMIERZ
Situated near Nowy Targ, Ludźmierz is the oldest parish of Podhale. The
main altar of the local church features the 15th-century miraculous statue
of Madonna of Ludźmierz – the Queen of Podhale. Each year in September
the church organises a fair with an exceptionally fine celebration.
Sanctuary of God’s Queen Mother of Podhale, ul. Jana Pawła II 124, Ludźmierz,
\ +48 18 2655527, / www.mbludzm.pl.
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 The SANCTUARY OF THE TOMB OF JESUS IN MIECHÓW is located about
30 km to the north of Kraków. The monks, also known as bożogrobcy, who were
brought along from Jerusalem in the 12th century, introduced the custom of
arranging Christ’s tomb at Easter. The sanctuary in Mnichów, whose basilica
of the Lord’s Tomb safeguarded a stone from Christ’s tomb, was well known
all over Europe till the 19th century. The 16th-century chapel of the Tomb of
Jesus (a replica of the chapel in Jerusalem) stores a copy of the Turin Shroud.
Sanctuary of the Tomb of Jesus, ul. Warszawska 1, Miechów, \ +48 41 383
1378, / www.sanktmiechow.kielce.opoka.org.pl
 The SANCTUARY OF THE MOTHERHOOD OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
MARY is situated in DZIEKANOWICE near Wieliczka. It boasts an image of
Our Lady of Dziekanowice dating from the 17th century. In the church, also
dating from the 17th century, have survived elements of the previous sanctuary, such as a Romanesque chancel.
Parish Church of the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin, Dziekanowice 7,
\ +48 12 2711314, / www.dziekanowice.diecezja.krakow.pl.
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 SANCTUARY OF ST. KINGA IN STARY SĄCZ. St. Kinga was the founder of the
local convent of the sisters of St. Clare, where she settled after the death of her husband, prince Bolesław V the Chaste. Due to a strict rule, the sisters left the convent
only three times in its history: in the 13th century, when escaping the Tatars, in the
18th century, when the convent was closed by the Austrians and in the 20th century
– for the canonisation Mass of St. Kinga. In the monastery you can view the outfit of
Pope John Paul II from the canonisation Mass, while in a baroque altar, in the chapel
by the church, is exhibited a small silver coffin with St. Kinga’s relics.
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 TARNÓW hosts three sanctuaries. This includes the SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY
OF THE SORROWS, which is a part of the cathedral basilica of the Birth of the Virgin
Mary famous for its Renaissance gravestones of the Tarnowski family; the SANCTUARY OF THE MADONNA OF SZKAPLERZNA which is located in the church of
the Assumption of Holy Mary in Burk, where the 16th-century image of the Madonna of Szkaplerzna is being stored; and finally the SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF
FATIMA, which treasures the relics of Francisco and Jacinta – the children of Fatima – who witnessed the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Convent of the Sisters of St. Clare in Stary Sącz, pl. św. Kingi 1, Stary Sącz,
\ +48 18 4460499, / www.klaryski.sacz.pl
 The CISTERCIAN MONASTERY IN SZCZYRZYC has existed continuously
since the 13th century. The church by the monastery safeguards the image
of Madonna of Szczyrzyc. In the monastic museum you can view, among
other items, a collection of coins, weapons, minerals, and even a unique assortment of Szczyrzyc beer labels.
Sanctuary of the Madonna of Szczyrzyce, Szczyrzyc 1, \ +48 18 3320004,
/ www.szczyrzyc.cystersi.pl.
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Cathedral Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, ul. Kapitulna 2, \ +48 14 6214501,
/ www.katedra.tarnow.opoka.org.pl. Parish church of the Madonna of Szkaplerzna, ul. NMP 1, \ +48 14 6213175. Parish church of St. Joseph and Our Lady of
Fatima, al. MB Fatimskiej 39, \ +48 14 6222286, / www.sanktuariummbfatimskiejtarnow.eu.
 The SANCTUARY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IN TUCHÓW attracts believers with its miraculous image of the Madonna of Tuchów, a missionary museum and
the largest mechanical nativity crib in the region.
Parish church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Stanislaus BM in Tuchów,
ul. Wysoka 1, \ +48 14 6327200, / www.klasztor.tuchow.pl.
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1. The Sanctuary of the Tomb of Jesus in Miechów, photo by M. Zaręba
2. The monastery in Stary Sącz, UMWM photo archive
3. The Sanctuary of St. Kinga in Stary Sącz, photo by J. Gorlach
4. The Church of Sts. Svorad and Benadik in Tropie, UMWM photo archive
5. The Church in Burek, photo by K. Baranowski
6. The Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Tuchów, photo by P. Fabijański
 The SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA IN ZAKOPANE-KRZEPTÓWKI
is one of the youngest sanctuaries in the region. It was blessed in 1992. The
worshipped statue of Our Lady of Fatima was donated by the bishop of Leiria
in the 60’s to Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński.
The sanctuary was built out of gratitude for the rescue of John Paul II after the attempted assassination in 1981. The treasury stores a number of
mementoes to John Paul II.
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, ul. Krzeptówki 14, \ +48 18 2066420,
/ www.smbf.pl.
 The CHURCH OF STS. SVORAD AND BENADIK IN TROPIE is one of the
oldest sanctuaries in Małopolska. Picturesquely situated at the banks of the
Czchowskie lake, it stands in the place where, according to tradition, St. Svorad lived in a lime trunk. In the chancel you will find the priceless Romanesque wall painting of St. Stephen, the king of Hungary.
Parish church of Sts. Svorad and Benadik, Tropie 6, \ +48 18 4403076,
/ www.tropie.tarnow.opoka.org.pl.
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 The Marian Trail in Małopolska
This long international route is planned to connect two famous Marian sanctuaries – the Austrian Mariazell and the Polish one in Częstochowa. It runs
across the territory of the Małopolska from the Slovakian border to Zakopane, then through Jordanów and Maków Podhalański to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. From there it continues via Alwernia, Krzeszowice and Olkusz, and
further towards Jasna Góra. This route was marked out predominantly along
the already existing tourist pathways and bicycle paths. The major part of the
route is planned to measure 220 km in total.
 Małopolska Order of Holy Sepulchre Trail
Miechów has always been the most famous seat of the Regular Canons of
the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as bożogrobcy or miechowici.
There are, however, a few other places in the Małopolska Province which
are in some ways related to the order. All of them can be reached thanks to
the Małopolska Order of the Holy Sepulchre Trail, which connects Miechów,
Uniejów (with a parish church of St. Vitus, built by the order in the 15th century), Chełm near Bochnia (known for its parish church of St. John the Baptist from the 17th century and the Museum of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre), and Chodów and Siedliska, the villages once in the custody of the
monastery in Miechów.
 Trail of St. James in Małopolska
The tradition of making pilgrimages to the sanctuary of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in far-away Spain dates back to the early Middle Ages. At
that time, the relics of St. James were stored in the sanctuary, making it the
third sanctuary of Christianity, after the Holy Land and Jerusalem. St. James
is the patron of hospices, hospitals, hat-makers, pilgrims and many more.
Nowadays, in the age of united Europe, the old pilgrimage routes of St. James (known as Camino de Santiago) seem to have revived as religious as well
as tourist destinations. The trail of St. James in Małopolska connects Sandomierz and Kraków. The great Via Regia is planned to join Korczowa on the
Ukrainian border and St. Anne’s Mountian in Silesia. In Małopolska only the
route from Tuchów via Tarnów to Kraków has been marked out.
As opposed to the organised pilgrimages to shrines such as Częstochowa,
the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela should be made individually or
in a small group.
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 Trail of St. Simon in Lipnica Murowana
Lipnica Murowana is a beautiful little old town, known for its connection to
St. Simon of Lipnica. St. Simon joined the Bernadine monastery in Kraków,
where he was distinguished due to the severity of his morals and his devotion to the Holy Sacrament and the Mother of God. He also became known
as an excellent preacher. As a result of infection from the patients he tended,
Simon of Lipnica died of cholera when the epidemic was spreading in Kraków
in 1482. It is said that when dying, he asked to be buried at the threshold of
the church so that those who enter could tread on his remains. In his iconography, St. Simon is presented as a monk who preaches.
The route named after him comprises interesting monuments of Lipnica,
as well as certain places related to the cult of St. Simon. Of particular interest are: the famous, UNESCO-listed, wooden cemetery chapel of St. Leonard (see p. 21); the market place of Lipnica with its statue of St. Simon; the
local parish church of St. Andrew and the manor house of the Ledóchowski
family – once inhabited by St. Ursula Ledóchowska and her sister, the Blessed Maria Teresa Ledóchowska.
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1. The monastery in Czerna, photo by D. Leśniak
2. Pilgrims, photo by D. Leśniak
3. The statue of the Mother of God in Olcza, photo by D. Leśniak
 Trail of St. Stanislaus in Kraków
The walking route marked out in Kraków connects various places relating to
the cult of bishop and martyr St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów. It begins with the
Wawel Royal Cathedral of Sts. Stanislaus and Wenceslaus, where the saint’s
relics are deposited in a sumptuous confession in the middle of the church’s
main nave. The route continues along precious baroque monuments, such
as the Church of St. Bernadine of Siena and the Bernadine monastery, where
one can see the relics of St. Simon of Lipnica. The route then leads to Skałka
and the Sanctuary of St. Stanislaus (see p. 26).
 Kraków Trail of the Saints
One of Kraków’s many claims to fame is the unparalleled number of burial places of the saints and blessed of the Catholic Church. The churches in Kraków
currently host the graves of seven saints, ten blessed and seven other believers who died and were considered by their contemporaries as holy servants
of God. It is worth mentioning the places where one can find the relics of the
saints, which are: the Wawel Cathedral (St. Stanislaus, St. Jadwiga), the collegiate church of St. Anna (St. Jan Kanty), the Bernardin of Siena church (St. Simon of Lipnica), the basilica of the Holy Trinity (St. Jacek Odrowąż), the Ecce
Homo Sanctuary (St. Albert Chmielowski) and the Sanctuary of the Divine
Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki (St. Faustina).
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Living castles
Medieval Małopolska was first and foremost the capital district and
the residence area of the knighthood. It was also a frontier region,
bordering on the Kingdom of Hungary in the south and on Silesia in
the west. Małopolska was, after all, on several important trade routes
to Hungary, Ruthenia and Silesia. All of these factors have influenced
the decision to build here a number of castles, royal mansions, magnates’ manors, frontier strongholds and trade route watchtowers.
In the course of the centuries, many of them have turned into ruins
(particularly destructive was the period of Swedish invasions in the
17th c.), others have been fortunate enough to survive until this day.
Among the most famous castles in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (the northern part of Małopolska) are the so called “Eagles’ Nests”
(they used to be built on rocks and were very difficult to access – hence
the name). These castles have inspired the greatest number of legends
and tales explaining their names, emphasising their affinity with a nearby wonder of nature or simply adding colour to their history.
And so the castle in Dębno is meant to have seen apparitions of the
White Lady. She is the ghost of the owner’s daughter, who was bold
enough to fall in love with a squire against her father’s will. Out of anger, the father sentenced her to death by starvation. The hapless girl
was walled up in one of the castle chambers. A similar legend is often
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told in Pieskowa Skała, except the imprisoned Dorotka was being fed
by her faithful dog, which would climb up the steep rocks to get to her.
The castle in Ojców was home to magnate Skarbimir, who fell in love
with his much younger niece, Witychna. Ignoring the ties of kinship
and the protests of the girl, he abducted her to Ojców. At the same
time, he imprisoned and planned to kill the man who Witychna was
engaged to marry. In the end, Prince Bolesław III Wrymouth released
the young couple, deprived Skarbimir of his castle and blinded him.
The most original legend is connected with the castles in Niedzica
and Tropsztyn, which are meant to hold the treasure of the Incas, buried there in the 17th century to protect it from the Spanish.
 PIESKOWA SKAŁA. The castle in Pieskowa Skała was erected in the 14th century. It gained its present Renaissance character as a result of a 16th-century conversion and expansion of fortifications carried out 100 years later. The
castle houses a museum, which is a division of the National Art Collection of
the Royal Castle at Wawel Hill. The castle rises amidst the area of the Ojcowski
National Park (see p. 40)
 KORZKIEW. The 14th-century knights’ fortress is situated 17 km
from Kraków. During the Swedish invasion of Poland (1655–
–60), the castle was completely destroyed. The ruins, however, were
reverently reconstructed. Nowadays, knight tournament shows and
cultural events are organised here. In the surrounding area of the fortress, you can stroll in the vicinity of 150-year-old trees.
 OJCÓW. Towering over the Prądnik Valley, the ruins of the castle in Ojców
are the remnants of the stronghold erected in the 14th century by King Casimir the Great. In the 17th century the stronghold was in its heyday. Today in
Ojców you can view the remains of the walls, the entrance gate (above which
a small museum is located) and a reconstructed tower.
1. The castle in Pieskowa Skała, UMWM photo archive
2. The castle in Ojców, photo by M. Zaręba
3. The castle in Korzkiew, photo by M. Zaręba
Zamki wiecznie żywe
Lipowiec
Living Castles
Pieskowa Skała
7
Ojców
Korzkiew
A4
Kraków
Niepołomice
Castle in Pieskowa Skała, \ +48 12 3896004, / www.pieskowaskala.eu; › May–
Sept, Tue–Thu 9am–5pm, Fri 9am–1am, Sat–Sun 10am–6pm; Apr and Oct, Tue–
Thu and Sat–Sun 10am–4pm, Fri 10am–1am; Nov–March, only Sat–Sun 10am–
4pm; to permanent exhibitions: PLN 10 and PLN 8, concessions: PLN 7 and PLN 5.
Wieliczka
Nowy Wiśnicz
32
28
33
Tropsztyn
7
75
Czorsztyn
Niedzica
Ojców Castle; › half of Apr–May and Aug–Sept, daily 10am–4.45pm; June–July,
5.45pm; Oct, 3.45pm; first half of Nov, 2.45pm; PLN 2.50, concessions: PLN 1.50.
4
E40
Lipnica Murowana
Czchów
Sucha Beskidzka
Korzkiew Castle Hotel, \ +48 12 4195590, / www.korzkiew.
donimirski.com.
Dębno
4
1
6
2
 DĘBNO. Erected in the 15th century, the castle in Dębno near Tarnów has survived relatively unchanged and is in great condition. The annual “Golden Plait
of Tarłówna” knight tournament, organised in September, is the castle’s main
attraction. According to the legend, upon discovering his daughter’s affair with
courtier Jasiek, Tarłówna’s father ordered her lover killed to force her to marry
a different man. Since the girl refused to do so, her father walled her up in a turret.
Museum – Dębno Castle, Dębno 189, \ +48 14 6658035, / www.zamekdebno.pl; › Sep–Jun, Tue and Thu 10am–4pm, Wed and Fri 9am–3pm, Sat–Sun
11am–2pm; July–August until 6pm; PLN 8, concessions: PLN 4.
 SUCHA BESKIDZKA. The castle, also known as “the small Wawel”, was
built between 1554 and 1580. It owes its moniker to the Renaissance galleries. From the south it is encircled by an English park with a neo-Gothic
orangery, called the Gardener’s House, which is home to a regional chamber. The castle also houses a hotel.
Castle in Sucha Beskidzka, ul. Zamkowa 1, \ +48 33 8742605, / www.muzeum.sucha-beskidzka.pl; › May–Oct, Tue–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat–Sun 10am–6pm;
Nov–Apr, Tue–Fri 8am–4pm, Sat–Sun 9am–3pm; PLN 6, concessions: PLN 4.
3
 Nowy Wiśnicz. The castle was built in the 15th century in the Gothic style but was later reconstructed in the Renaissance and baroque style,
which gave rise to palazzo in fortezza, a four-sided castle with an external
courtyard and a multi-storey loggia with round towers in the corners. Close
to the castle, the 19th-century wooden “Koryznówka” manor hosts the Jan
Matejka Museum.
5
 Niepołomice. Erected in the 14th century by Casimir the Great and extended in the two following centuries into the form of a Renaissance residence,
it served the royal court as a hunting castle. Having been refurbished, it houses
at present the Niepołomice Museum with a collection of hunting trophies, the
study of Włodzimierz Puchalski, an exhibition in the castle’s chapel and much
more. The other part of the building is an elegant hotel and conference centre.
Castle in Nowy Wiśnicz, ul. Zamkowa 13, \ +48 14 6128589, / www.zamekwisnicz.pl, › Apr–Oct, Mon–Thu 9am–4pm, Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sunday
and holidays 10am–6pm; Nov–March, daily 9am–4pm; PLN 8, concessions: PLN 5.
 Czchów. Built by Casimir the Great, the castle in Czchowa was once the
seat of the customs house as well as a stronghold guarding the trade route
to Hungary, which ran below. The tower overlooking the Dunajec valley has
survived till this day and provides a great vantage point.
Castle in Niepołomice – Niepołomice Museum, ul. Zamkowa 2, \ +48 12 261
9851, / www.muzeum.niepolomice.pl; › daily 10am–5pm; PLN 3, concessions: PLN 2.
 Wieliczka. Standing near the mine in Wieliczka, the castle, known as a salt or
saltworks castle, was erected in the 14th century for a royal clerk who administered
the exploitation of the salt deposits. The castle houses the Kraków Saltworks Museum, which contains, among other attractions, an exhibition devoted to the history
of Wieliczka and a fine collection of salt shakers, the only such exhibition in Poland.
Tower in Czchów; › visits: May–Sept after prior phone arrangement: \+48 14
6635230; PLN 3, concessions: PLN 1.
34
Kraków Saltworks Museum in Wieliczka – the Saltworks Castle, ul. Zamkowa 8, \ +48 12 2783266, / www.muzeum.wieliczka.pl; › May–Aug, Tue–
Sun 9am–8pm; Sept–Apr, Tue–Sat 9am–3pm; PLN 4, concessions: PLN 3;
admission free on Saturdays.
35
1. The castle in Nowy Wiśnicz, photo by M. Zaręba
2. The castle in Dębno, photo by D. Zaród
3. The knight tournament in Dębno, photo by D. Zaród
4. The castle in Czorsztyn, UMWM photo archive
5. The castle in Niedzica, UMWM photo archive
6. The arcades of the castle in Niepołomice, photo by M. Zaręba
 Czorsztyn And Niedzica. Seperated from each other by a ribbon of the
Dunajec, the two castles comprise the former border watchtowers. The Polish
Czorsztyn, once the seat of the royal starostas, fell into ruin in the 17th century while
the privately-owned Hungarian castle in Niedzica remained in great condition
until as late as the latter half of the 20th century. Until this day a legend about the
Inca treasure hidden from the Spaniards in the castle circulates among people.
Museum of the Castle Complex in Niedzica, \ +48 18 2629489; › May–
Sep, daily 9am–7pm, Oct–Nov, Tue–Sun 9am–4pm; PLN 9, concessions:
PLN 7. Czorsztyn Castle ruins; › May–Sep, daily, 9am–6pm; Oct–Apr, Tue–
Sun 10am–3pm; PLN 4, concessions: PLN 2.
 Lipowiec. The ruins of the castle in Lipowiec are the former property
of Kraków bishops. The castle served as a stark prison for dissident priests.
Only one escape from its confines was reported in its history. In the castle
tower were also situated the oldest cannon posts in Poland. Today the preserved tower serves as a great vantage point.
Lipowiec Castle, ul. Podzamcze 1, Wygiełzów, \ +48 32 6134062, / www.
zamek-lipowiec.republika.pl; › Apr–Sep, daily 8am–6pm; Oct–March, daily 8am–3pm; PLN 5, concessions PLN 3.
2
1
Małopolska ­– for health and beauty
The mineral waters of southern Małopolska are among the most
precious resources of the whole region. They were the origin of
the numerous Carpathian spas, such as Krynica-Zdrój, Muszyna,
Piwniczna, Wysowa-Zdrój, Szczawnica, Rabka-Zdrój and Wapienne. Except for the springs, the spas’ many qualities include the
picturesque location amidst the forests of the Beskids, the mountain climate, the interesting history and architecture. They all boast
well-developed infrastructure: spa centres, pump rooms and hotels. Slightly different in character are the sanatoria located in the
vicinity of Kraków – the salt mines in Bochnia and Wieliczka, where
volunteers are free to experience the effect of salt inhalations.
Most of Małopolska’s mineral waters are carbonated waters, sodium-chloride salt waters and sulphide waters. Carbonated waters, which can be found in the Dunajec-Poprad region,
are the most popular of all. Among the local mineral waters valued for their characteristic flavour are “Kryniczanka” and “Kropla Beskidu” from Krynica-Zdrój, “Muszynianka” from Muszyna
and “Kinga Pienińska” from Szczawnica.
4
 Krynica-Zdrój. Krynica-Zdrój – known as the pearl of Polish
health resorts, lies in the eastern part of Beskid Sądecki, in the
Kryniczanka stream valley. Not only does it bear the characteristics of European health resorts, including a promenade and, stylish boarding and spa houses, but it primarily consists of pump
rooms, which offer most of the local natural treasures, i.e. 23 mineral water intakes with the most popular one being “Kryniczanka.”
One of the symbols of the city is the Parkowa Mountain
(741 m asl) that looms near the main promenade. Tourists can
ascend the mountain via a track railway. The longest cable car in
Poland, which travels to Jaworzyna Krynicka, is one of the most
recent attractions to the resort.
Krynica-Zdrój also holds classic, opera and operetta concerts
under the patronage of Bogusław Kaczyński. The most important one, the Jan Kiepura festival, takes place in August, and
hosts guests from all around the world. Also, increasingly the
city can boast a speciality in conference and business tourism.
/ www.krynica.pl, / www.krynica.org.pl.
 Szczawnica. This well-known health resort lies between the Lesser Pieniny
and Beskid Sądecki, near the Pieniny National Park (see p. 42). Among the diseases treated here are rheumatism and the disorders of the respiratory system.
The spa was built in 1839. Its development and rise in popularity was
achieved largely thanks to the Hungarian owner of the town, Józef Szalay,
who built the first bathrooms, pension houses and spring pavilions. Today, the town boasts interesting spa architecture and an old spa park. It is
worth tasting the mineral waters of the following springs: Józefiny, Stefana, Magdaleny, Jana, Szymona, Wandy and Pitoniakówki.
Szczawnica is a popular centre of active tourism. In 1991 a chairlift connected the edge of Grajcarek and Palenica (772 m asl). In the summer it is
frequented by tourists on the lookout for mountain views; in the winter – by
skiers (owing to the nearby “Palenica” ski centre). The routes from Szczawnica lead through the Lesser Pieniny and its famous gorges: Homole, White
Water, then through Pieniny Właściwe (Central Pieniny) and Beskid Sądecki.
Thanks to numerous cycling routes, the region of Szczawnica is a great area
for the fans of mountain cycling. Fishing, canoeing and hang-gliding enthusiasts will also find opportunities to practise their sports.
/ www.szczawnica.pl.
36
37
3
1. The spa in Krynica-Zdrój, UMWM photo archive
2. The Nikifor Museum in Krynica-Zdrój, UMWM photo archive
3. Zawoja, photo by D. Zaród
4. The Dietla Square in Szczawnica, photo by B. Czerwiński
Wyprawy
po zdrowie
i urodę
Expeditions
for health
and beauty
7
79
Kraków
A4
44
ła
Wis
Wisła
Swoszowice
28
Wieliczka
Bochnia
4 E40
ajec
7
75
Dun
28
Wapienne
Rabka-Zdrój
Szczawnica
Piwniczna
Żegiestów-Zdrój
Wysowa-Zdrój
Krynica-Zdrój
Muszyna
4
1
6
2
 Rabka-Zdrój. Rabka’s salt springs have been in use since the Middle
Ages. The spa, however, was established only in 1857, when a chemical examination of the waters of Rabka – carried out by Józef Dietl – certified to their
healing qualities. In the second half of the 19 th century, spa houses and villas began to be built around the area. In the interwar period, the spa earned
the reputation for being very successful at treating children’s diseases. It
has recently been awarded the status of “the City of the Children’s World”.
The young patients, who come here to treat their diseases of the respiratory system, allergies and diabetes, award the annual Order of the Smile
– designated for adults whose work has brought children joy.
In Chabówka (about 2 km from Rabka-Zdrój) there is a Rolling Stock Heritage Park, where we can see, among other things, steam engines, electric engines and trolleys. During the tourist season, the heritage park offers its visitors
a ride with a retro train from the stylish platform of Chabówka Skansen station.
/ www.rabka.pl.
3
 Piwniczna. Specialising in the diseases of the respiratory system and
in the preventive treatment of motor organs, Piwniczna lies in the valley of
Poprad, at the very heart of Beskid Sądecki. It is worth tasting the local water
“Piwniczanka” in the two pump rooms in Zdrojowa Street. The area around
the town is very attractive for tourists in the summer as well as in the winter.
5
 Muszyna. Visitors to Muszyna – yet another health resort in the valley
of Poprad – are welcomed by the view of the ruins of a castle which once
belonged to the bishop of Kraków. The town, once in the centre of the extensive “Muszyna state”, today is a popular destination for those suffering
from diseases of the respiratory system.
/ www.piwniczna.pl.
/ www.muszyna.pl.
 Żegiestów-ZDRÓj. Neighbouring on Piwniczna, Żegiestów-Zdrój is a little health resort of a similar character. The local springs – “Anna”, “Zofia II” and
“Żegiestów II” – began to be used in the first half of the 19th century. In 1929 the
still existing Dom Zdrojowy (Spa House), the work of Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz, was
opened to visitors. Żegiestów-Zdrój is the ideal place of rest for all those who look
for peace and quiet in a natural setting (it is located within the Poprad Scenic Park).
/ www.zegiestow.com.pl.
 Wysowa-Zdrój. Located in the south-east tip of the province, Wysowa-Zdrój is a small health resort and the place of origin of the famous mineral water “Wysowianka”. In Wysowa-Zdrój’s spa park, you can experience
the effect of the local healing waters, which are used during the treatment
of diseases of the respiratory, digestive and urinary systems. The town’s
picturesque location amid the forests of the Low Beskids and the characteristic wooden Orthodox churches are among the other attractions of
this health resort.
/ www.wysowa-zdroj.pl.
38
39
1. The Orthodox Church in Krynica-Zdrój, UMWM photo archive
2. Rabka Zdrój, photo by J. Gorlach
3. Muszyna, photo by J. Mysiński
4. Rafting on the Dunajec, UMWM photo archive
5. The Beskids, UMWM photo archive
6. The pump room in Wysowa-Zdrój, UMWM photo archive
 Wapienne. Situated north of Wysowa-Zdrój, Wapienne is one of Poland’s oldest health resorts (established in 1546). The sulphide springs of
Wapienne are used to treat the diseases of the respiratory system. Before
the wars, the town was famous for its stone work. Even today there are some
Lemko families who still live in the town. Legend has it that it was in Wapienne where the injured soldiers returning from Napoleon’s 1812 expedition to Moscow were treated.
/ www.wapienne.iap.pl.
 Swoszowice. Located on the outskirts of Kraków, Swoszowice is one
of the oldest health resorts in Małopolska. Since as early as the 16th century, it has been famous for the healing powers of its sulphur-rich waters. The
spa specialises in treating rheumatism and injuries of the motor organs. We
can admire the town’s boarding-house architecture and take a rest in the
beautiful old park surrounding the spa facilities.
/ www.uzdrowisko.krakow.pl.
2
1
National parks
4
Małopolska is an outstanding region, especially in respect of its
natural resources. From the fanciful monadnocks and hot desert
sands, the scenic sash of the Vistula and the Dunajec forcing its
way between the rocks, the green Beskids and the bare summits
of the Tatras, the dark caves and roaring waterfalls…. As much
as 53% of the Małopolska area is protected. There are 6 national
and 11 landscape parks, 10 areas of protected landscape, 84 nature reserves and also 2189 natural monuments. The Babiogórski and Tatrzański National Park – two areas unique on the world
scale and of special natural value – have also been recognized as
UNESCO biosphere reserves.
are the Dark Cave and Łokietek Cave, where, according to tales,
centuries ago the future Polish ruler hid. In the park you can also
view two castles – in Ojców and Piaskowa Skała (see p. 33). The
symbol of the park is the bat.
 Ojcowski NATIONAL PARK, situated to the north of Kraków,
is one of the smallest national parks in Poland. Despite its size,
it is home to the richest gatherings of vascular plants, colonies
of bats and outstanding rock forms. The most spectacular is the
Prądnik Valley – a sheer gallery of karst works. In the park you can
also see tall rocks of fanciful shapes, sometimes even reaching
several metres high (e.g., Mace of Hercules, Diotima’s Needle),
karst springs and many numerous caves (it is estimated that there
are over 400 caves in the park). Among the caves open to visitors
 Tatrzański NATIONAL PARK is the only park of an alpine
character in Poland. It protects and stretches over the entire
area of the Tatras, the highest mountains in Poland. It is divided
into two areas – the High Tatras and the West Tatras. The former,
built from crystalline rocks, are distinguished by the cornucopia
of postglacial forms, which include corries and mountain lakes.
By contrast, the limestone part of the West Tatras is dominated
by karst phenomena, such as karst springs occurring individually or alternatively forming entire systems.
Trail admission fee: free of charge. Łokietek Cave, › May–
Oct, guided tour only; PLN 7, concessions: PLN 5. Dark Cave,
› May–Sep, by candlelight; PLN 6, concessions: PLN 4. For
more information visit: / www.opn.pan.krakow.pl.
40
Among the greatest attractions of the park’s geological features are:
Rysy (2499 m asl) – the highest peak of Poland – with, situated at its foot,
the Morskie Oko lake as well as the lakes in the Valley of Five Polish Lakes.
The most famous Tatra caves, where about 140 animal species have been
found, include the Mroźna (Frost) Cave and Lodowa (Ice) Cave. Equally attractive are the park’s waterfalls such as the Mickiewicz Waterfalls or Wielka Siklawa.
The high altitude of the Tatras allowed the formation of all vegetation
zones, including the highest peak zone occurring only here in Poland. The
curiosities of the Tatra animal world include the chamois (which is the emblem of the park), the bear, the marmot, the wallcreeper (the most northward nesting site of this bird) and the Apollo butterfly, whose nesting site
here is one of the last two in Poland.
In 1992 the Tatrzański National Park (TNP) and TANAP situated on the Slovak side acquired the status of an UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve.
Trail admission fee: 1-time entry pass: PLN 3.20–4.40, concessions: PLN 1.60–
2.20; multi-time entry pass: PLN 13–18, concessions: PLN 6.50–9, free admission for children under 7 years old, for more information visit: / www.tpn.pl.
41
3
1. The Gąsienicowa Valley in the Tatrzański National Park, photo by J. Gorlach
2. A chamois in the Tatras, photo by D. Zaród
3. The Rękawica Rock in Ojcowski National Park, UMWM photo archive
4. Giewont, photo by J. Gorlach
National parks
Ojcowski Park
Narodowy
Kraków
Babiogórski Park
Gorczański Park
Narodowy
Narodowy
Pieniński Park
Narodowy
Tatrzański Park
Narodowy
Magurski Park
Narodowy
3
4
1
 Pieniński national park. Established in 1932, the Pieniński National Park is one of the oldest in Poland. Jointly with its Slovak counterpart, it
protects the unique Dunajec gorge meandering across the limestone rocks
of the Pieniny Mountains. Moreover, the protected area also includes the
rare stenothermal rock plants and the precious plant communities, which
contain relict pine trees. A true curiosity of the park’s fauna is one of the
last nesting sites of the Apollo butterfly in the country. The park owns two
enclaves – the Homole gorge in the Lesser Pieniny range and the Zamkowe
(Castle) Hill with the ruins of the castle in Czorsztyn (see p. 35). The highest
peak of the park is Okrąglica, which is situated in the massif of Trzy Korony (Three Crowns; 982 m asl). The park’s symbol is the peak of Trzy Korony.
Trail admission fee: free of charge (including the Slovakian side of the mountains), in May–Oct fees are charged for the viewing terraces on top of Trzy
Korony and Sokolica. The ticket purchased on Trzy Korony is valid for entry
to Sokolica and vice-versa. / www.pieninypn.pl.
 Babiogórski National park was established to protect the unique
flora and fauna of Babia Góra (1725 m asl), the highest peak of the Western
Beskids. The park features an alpine zone, the only one in the Polish Beskids.
It also protects the precious stretches of the primeval Carpathian Forest.
The park’s flora consists of over 700 species of vascular plants, including about
70 alpine species. Strictly protected are 54 plant species, which include the Alpine
chickweed and the Polish Laserpitium archangelica (the park’s symbol) that occurs
only in the park. This unspoiled flora is a haven to many animals, including threatened species. The mountain areas are a habitat to large mammals such as the lynx,
the wolf and the brown bear. Also, approximately 100 bird species, such as the Western Capercaillie, and the Black and Hazel Grouse, have their breeding nests here.
The BNP, as the first one in Poland, was included on the network of
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.
Trail admission fee: May–Oct, 1-time entry pass: PLN 5, concessions: PLN 2.50, free
admission for children under 7 years old; for more information visit: / www.bgpn.pl.
2
 Gorczański national park was established to protect the tree
stands covering the Gorce slopes, grazing lands and glades which feature, among other plants, the Crocus scepusiensis. The Gorce Mountains is
a habitat for the greatest number of plant communities of alpine species,
which include the Veronica alpina and the Cystopteris montana. In the park
you can also encounter the deer, the wolf, the wild cat, the ermine, the otter and the bear.
The park was created in the middle part of the Gorce massif in 1981. At
present it covers an area of 7019 ha. It is regarded as the most tourist-friendly national park. The dense network of nature paths allows for discovering
the most precious spots of great natural interest. Some of the local glades
such as Wzorowa Hala are used for the controlled grazing of sheep (the traditional grazing). The symbol of GPN is the Fire Salamander.
The park was included in the Natura 200 network since it is a habitat to
birds rare on the world scale such as the Western Capercaillie, the Whitebacked Woodpecker, the Eurasian Pygmy-owl and the Ural Owl.
Trail admission fee: May–Oct, 1-time entry pass: PLN 2, concessions: PLN 1,
multi-time entry pass: PLN 4, concessions: PLN 2, free admission for children
under 7 years old, / www.gorczanskipark.pl.
42
43
1. Pieniński National Park, photo by T. Gębuś
2. Babiogórski National Park, photo by D. Zaród
3. The Apollo butterfly, UMWM photo archive
4. Gorczański National Park, photo by D. Zaród
 Magurski National park is the youngest of the Małopolska parks. It was
established in 1995 in the middle part of the Beskid Niski. It mainly protects the
beech forests covering, the slopes of the Magura Wątkowska range in the Beskid
Niski. The MPN is a haven to rare and threatened species of butterfly such as the
Old World Swallowtail, the Scarce Swallowtail, and the Clouded Apollo. Rare bird
species protected here are the Golden Eagle, the Tawny Owl, the Eurasian Eagle
Owl, the Honey Buzzard and the Black Stork. The Lesser Spotted Eagle, occurring
here in great numbers, has become the symbol of the park. Among the species
of large mammals, the appearance of the bear, wolf, lynx and wild cat have been
recorded here. The park aslo boasts a variety of rock forms such as Diabli Kamień
(Devil Stone), recognised as a natural feature. Equally interesting is also the Kornuty rock reserve and a small Magurski Waterfalls near Folusz.
The park was established in the area inhabited till 1947 by the Lemkos
and protects the land, which is precious in respect of its natural as well as
historical and ethnographic resources.
Trail admission fee: May–Oct, 1-time entry pass: PLN 4, concessions: PLN 2, multi-time entry pass: PLN 12, concessions: PLN 6, free admission for children under
7 years old. In Folusz, at the green trail leading to the waterfall, the following car
park charges apply: PLN 1/h; for more information visit: / www.magurskipn.pl.
1. The Bat Cave, photo by M. Zaręba
2. The Wierzchowska Górna Cave,
photo by M. Zaręba
2
Route length (m)
1
Along the trail of the underground labyrinths
Małopolska is a genuine paradise for beginner and advanced
cavers alike. It is home to 12 out of Poland’s 22 caves which are
available for tourists. Małopolska’s curious underworld – with its
intricate labyrinths, underground rivers, unique stalactite and stalagmite dripstone and grottoes with the traces of prehistory – is on
a par with some famous places of the kind abroad. In most cases
these are dripstone caves, most of which can be found in the Tatra
mountains and in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland.
In the Tatras alone 78 caves have been discovered and described, out of which 6 have been made available to tourists.
The most popular with visitors is the Mroźna (Frosty) Cave,
with its charming, beautifully-encrusted Sabałowe Lake. It is
situated in the Kościeliska Valley, within the Tatrzański National
Park. Nearby lie two other popular caves: the dark, meandering, mostly ice-covered (and therefore more challenging for
tourists) Smocza Jama (Dragon’s Lair) in the Kraków Gorge,
and the slightly more tourist-friendly, though hidden behind
a grass and rock ridge, the Obłazkowa Cave. The latter’s walls
are weathered and even though there is no dripstone, the huge
alluvium made up of sands and crystalline gravel is very impressive. By far the most thrilling of all is the experience of visiting
the Mylna Cave, as most of the tourist path needs to be covered crawling, squatting or walking on all fours. The Raptawicka Cave also deserves to be recommended, especially to
visitors without a guide. The cave lies above the Mylna Cave
and remains very attractive to tourists despite its relatively
little size. One of the most interesting phenomena to be witnessed here is the periodical underground rain whose drops
fall on the frozen surface and create beautiful glazes and ice
stalagmites. Dziura (Hole) – the only cave in Zakopane, which
is available to tourists – may become the destination of many
pleasant excursions. It is also where Jan Mateja, one of the last
Tatra robbers, used to hide.
In the Beskids, on quite a popular tourist path leading from
Lubień to Kasinka Mała, we can explore the mysterious underworld of Zimna Dziura (Cold Hole). This cave is unique because
of its narrow tunnels which for the most part of the year are covered with ice. It can be very cold here even on a hot summer day.
Caves are the most characteristic elements of the landscape of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. They were formed
as a result of karst processes taking place in Jurassic limestones.
The region of Ojców is particularly rich in caves. The biggest
44
Mroźna (Frosty)
Cave
Smocza Jama
(Dragon Liar)
Obłazkowa Cave
Mylna (Erreneous)
Cave
Raptawicka Cave
Dziura (Hole) Cave
400
37
35
300
50
50
Visiting time (min)
25
20
15
40
20
20
Temperature (°C)
6.5
Variable
5
5
5
4
Visits only with
a guide
No
No
No
No
No
No
Electric lighting
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Opening hours
1 May–31 Oct
All year long
All year long
All year long
All year long
All year long
accessible cave is the Wierzchowska Górna Cave, which has been recognised as a nature monument of the “Dolinki Podkrakowskie” Jurassic Scenic Park and constitutes one of the crucial elements of the “Jurassic Ring”.
It is visited annually by over 20 thousand tourists, largely thanks to the
breathtaking layers of dripstone covering the roof and walls of the cavern.
Other attractions include paleontological and geomorphological expositions, as well as bats (mainly lesser horseshoe bats) and the rare Meta menardi spiders. Another interesting place to visit is the Łokietek Cave, situated near the top of Góra Chełmowa. It is worth examining its beautiful
iron gate in the shape of a spider’s web, which is a reference to the legend
about king Łokietek. It is worth adding that it is one of Poland’s most famous caves and one of the most widely recognisable symbols of the Ojcowski National Park. The Nietoperzowa (Bat) Cave, in turn, is situated in
the upper part of the Będkowska Valley and is accessible only for guided
tours. This cave is well-known for being an example of the so called “Jerzmanowice culture”. It was home to a number of flint grottoes and spears
created by the first Homo sapiens. It is in this cave that several scenes from
With Fire and Sword were shot. Right next to the Kraków gate is the Ciemna (Dark) Cave, numbered among Poland’s most precious archaeological
wonders. The first traces of the existence of prehistoric man in this very
cave date back to over 115 thousand years ago. This cave is also unlike any
other because of its amazing stretches of pipelike stalactites and huge
but stable stalagmites, whose height reaches up to 1 metre. When touring the caves of Małopolska, one cannot overlook Kraków’s Smocza Jama
(Dragon’s Liar). The Dragon of Wawel is a legend but it is also a historicalcultural phenomenon, as well as a rare crustacean – Niphargus tatrensis.
Zimna Dziura (Cold
Hole) Cave
Wierzchowska
Górna Cave
Grota Łokietka
(Łokietek Cave)
Nietoperzowa (Bat)
Cave
Ciemna (Dark) Cave
Smocza Jama
(Dragon Liar)
Route length (m)
6
700
320
300
230
80
Visiting time (min)
10
45
30
30
30
20
Temperature (°C)
3.5–5.5
7.5
7.5
7.5
7.5
8
Visits only with
a guide
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Electric lighting
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Opening hours
All year long
9 Apr–30 Nov
19 Apr–30 Oct
1 Apr–11 Nov
28 Apr–30 Sep
1 Apr–31 Oct
Additional information is available from Kraków’s centres such as: Kraków’s
Tatry Cave Climbing Club, ul. Westerplatte 50, [email protected], / www.kktj.pl;
KW Kraków Tatry’s Cave Climbing Section, ul. Pędzichów 11/10a,
\ +48 12 4234730, / www.stj.krakow.pl;
45
The University Cave Climbers Club AGH, Gramatyka 8a, / www.akg.
krakow.pl; The Association of Polish Underground Tourist Trails,
Bandurskiego 16/11, \ +48 12 4135191, 4110721, [email protected], / www.podziemia.pl.
Zawiercie
Pilica
Krakowsko-Częstochowska
Kozłów
Pilica
Książ Mały
Upland and surrounding
areas
Książ Wielki
Ogrodzieniec
Łazy
Wymysłów
Wolbrom
Biała
Dąbrowa
Górnicza
Pustynia
Błędowska
Przem
sza
Wysocice
za
Jerzmanowice
Jaworzno
Balin
Chrzanów
Wygiełzów
Nadwiślański Park
Etnograficzny
Zator
KRAKÓW
Tyniec
Skawa
Skawina
HIKING TRAILS
 Kraków – Podzamcze (Ogrodzieniec) red trail: Kraków
– Giebułtów – Ojców – Pieskowa Skala – Rabsztyn – Smoleń – Pilica – Podzamcze (3-4 days). This trail comprises the Małopolska section of the Trail of Eagles’ Nests, running from the south to the north
into the Krakowsko-Częstochowska Upland. The trail runs along the
most famous castles in the area – Ojców, Pieskowa Skala, Rabsztyn
and Ogrodzieniec, as well as through the Ojcowski National Park.
 Rudawa – Podzamcze (Ogrodzieniec) blue trail:
Rudawa – Będkowice – Ojców – Imbramowice – Wolbrom – Podzamcze (3–4 days). The Małopolska section of the Trail of Jurassic Strongholds, similarly to the Trail of Eagles’ Nests, runs across
the entire upland. Slightly less impressive, it leads more often to
smaller watchtowers rather than magnificent castles; however it
is still worth following. The trail cuts across the Ojcowski National
Park as well as a few of the Jurassic landscape parks.
46
Wisła
 Krzeszowice – Pieskowa Skala yellow trail: Krzeszowice –
­Czerna – Paczółtowice –Będkowska Valley – Kobylańska Valley – Bolechowicki
Gorge – Prądnik Korzkiewski – Sąspówki Valley – Pieskowa Skała (2 days). Also
called the Trail of Jurassic Valleys (Szlak Dolinek Jurajskich), it will allow you
to see 8 of the most famous valleys surrounding the city of Kraków. Moreover, during the trek you will come across the Carmelites’ monastery in Czerne
and a wooden church in Paczółtowice.
 Bukowno – Jaroszowiec Olkuski yellow trail: Bukowno– Hutki
– Klucze – Jaroszowiec Olkuski (2 days). It tends to be called the Desert Trail
(Szlak Pustynny) as it reminds tourists of the Błędowska Desert, spanning north
of Wolbrom via a unique natural area not found anywhere else in Europe.
CYCLING TRAILS
 Wieliczka – Raciborsko – Wieliczka red cycling trail: Wieliczka – Lednica Górna – Biskupice – Dobranowice – Raciborsko – Pawlikowice – Siercza – Wieliczka (around 2 hours). Running across Pogórze, this trail
offers attractive landscapes to the north and to the south. It leads right by
a place where, in Lednica, there was said to be a small pagan temple, as well
as via settlements linked to the Arians’ (otherwise known as the Polish Brethren) movement in the Reformation period – Raciborsko and Pawlikowice.
47
Niepołomice
Kłaj
Swoszowice
Ochojno
Wieliczka
Targowisko
Kopalnia Soli
Sygneczów
w Wieliczce
Siepraw
2
Krakowsko-Częstochowska Upland
and surrounding areas
Kościelec
Luborzyca
Łagiewniki
1
Thanks to a diverse ground curve, the Małopolska district provides entertainment for every type of tourist. From the south you will first come
across the tall and rocky Tatras, gradually transforming into the Orawsko-Nowotarska Basin. From the west, the flat basin is encroached by
the Lesser Pieniny range, built from white limestone rocks, and from
the north, the lush hills of the Beskids. Amongst them rises the lone
peak of Babia Góra – the Queen of the Beskids. Whilst continuing to
trek north, we will reach an area where the Beskids make way for the
low hills of Pogórze, to further progress into a sharp threshold marking
the end of the Carpathian mountain range. A bit further we will come
across two uplands – Krakowsko-Częstochowska and Sandomierska.
A dense network of tourist trails enables us to reach all the most interesting areas of the region. Amongst the most famous Polish mountain and flatland tourist trails are the Tatras’ Orla Perć (Eagle Path), the
Pieniny’s Sokola Perć (Falcon Path) and the Perć Akademików (Academics’ Path) leading to the top of Babia Góra, as well as the longest
ones – K. Sosnowski’s Main Beskid Trail (Główny Szlak Beskidzki), the
Little Beskids Trail (Mały Szlak Beskidzki) and the trail from Tarnów
to Wielki Rogacz. We cannot also forget the famous Trail of Eagles’
Nests (Szlak Orlich Gniazd) or the Trail of Jurassic Strongholds (Szlak
Warowni Jurajskich).
Proszowice
Węgrzce
Wrząsowice
Foot, cycling and bridle routes
iaw
a
Tonie
Bielany
Rybna
sła
en
Wis
Alwernia
Wi
Przeciszów
Włosienica
Babice
Zabierzów
Tenczynek
Rudno
Wielka
Wieś
Iwanowice
Włościańskie
ła
Libiąż
Ojcowski Park
Narodow y
Ojców
Jaskinia
Łokietka
Korzkiew
Krzeszowice
Radziemice
Słomniki
Szr
Ciężkowice
Czerna
Prandocin
Pieskowa
Skała
Olkusz
Działoszyce
Miechów
Krępa
Rabsztyn
s Sławków
em
z
r
P
a
Bukowno
Biał
Byczyna
Szreni
awa
ba
Gdów
Ra
Poręba
Bochnia
Kopalnia Soli
w Bochni
Nowy
Wiśnicz
1. Kraków Valleys, photo by M. Zaręba
2. The Prądnik Valley, UMWM photo archive
 Kraków – Ogrodzieniec red cycling trail: Kraków-Bronowice
– Tenczynek – Czerna – Olkusz – Rabsztyn – Smoleń – Podzamcze (4 days).
This trail forms a part of the Jurassic Cycling Trail of Eagles’ Nests, albeit taking a slightly different curve. Similarly to its trekking equivalent, it cuts across
the Upland from the south to the north, allowing you to see the most interesting castles lying between Kraków and Częstochowa.
 Bolechowice – Kobylany – Bolechowice red cycling trail:
Bolechowice – Kluczwoda Valley – Wierzchowice – Będkowska Valley –
Kobylańska Valley – Bolechowice (around 3 hours). This trail, called the Cycling Trail of the Kraków Valleys (Szlak Rowerowy po Dolinkach Podkrakowskich), runs across the most famous of the Jurassic valleys to the north-west
of Kraków.
BRIDLE TRAILS
 Transjurassic Bridle Trail: Rudawa-Nielepice – Radwanowice –
Paczółtowice – Rabsztyn – Błędowska Desert – Podzamcze. This is an orange
trail, beginning at the horse stables in Rudawa-Nielepice, and leading north,
passing the most stunning of Jurassic castles.
Kalwaria
Zebrzydowska
Łękawica
Wadowice
Sułkowice
Lanckorona
Stryszów
Mucharz
Skaw
Królewizna
817
a
Jaszczurowa
Leskowiec
922
Mioduszyna
633
Koskowa Góra
866
Kocoń
Stryszawa
Lachowice
Hucisko
Grzechynia
Białka
Solniska
849
- Górna
Jałowiec
1111
Maków
Podhalański
Sucha Beskidzka
- Dolna
Skawica
Lubogoszcz
968
Strzebel
976
Łętowe
mapka
Sidzina
Rabka-Zdrój
C
Orawski Park
Mała Babia Góra
Sokolica
Etnograficzny
1515 Babia Góra 1366
1725
[+ całostronicowa mapa regionu z naniesionymi szlakawa
mi pieszymi, konnymi i rowerowymi]
S
Ora
Lipnica
Mała
Olszówka
AC
JA
Skansen Taboru
Chabówka Kolejowego
Ponice
Kudłoń
1276
Rdzawka
Sieniawa
na
zar
Jaworzyna
Kamienicka
1288
Turbacz
1310
Klikuszowa
Żeleźnica
912
Orawka
Nowy Targ
Babia Góra and surrounding areas
HIKING TRAILS
 MĘdralowa – Rabka Zdrój red trail: Mędralowa – Jałowiecka
Pass – Markowe Szczawiny – Diablak – Krowiarki Pass – Okrąglica – Jordanów
– Rabka-Zdrój (2 days). A part of the Main Beskid Trail, between the Jałwiecka
Pass and the Krowiarki Pass, the red trail runs within the Babiogórski National
Park. The Babia Góra area, with Diablak (1725 m asl) as its highest peak, forms
its initial part. It is also the most interesting considering both its landscapes
and natural features. At Diablak, in Markowe Szczewiny, there is the oldest
Polish mountain refuge in Beskid Żywiecki, built in the year 1906.
 Zawoja-Policzne – Krowiarki Pass – Markowe Szczawiny
blue trail (around 3 hours). The most popular with tourists is the upper
section of the trail, leading to the refuge in Markowe Szczawiny through the
Górny Plaj, a sloping forest path. Choosing the lower section requires covering
a long distance along an asphalt road between Zawoja and Zubrzyca Górna.
 Markowe Szczawiny – Diablak yellow trail (around 1 hour).
Marked by W. Midowicz, Perć Akademików (the Academics’ Path) is the
Stare
Bystre
Rogoźnik
nik
goź
Wielki Ro
Biały Duna
jec
rny
D
C za
Babia Góra
and surrounding areas
un
aje
c
Ludźmierz
Czarny Dunajec
1
G orczański
Park Narodow y
Łopuszna
Du
Zubrzyca
Dolna
Raba
Wyżna
Mszana Górna
Niedźwiedź
Konina
Skawa
Spytkowice
a
Skaw
Ćwilin
1072
Mszana Dolna
Luboń Wlk.
1022
1047
B abiogórski
Park Narodow y
Śnieżnica
1006
a
Jordanów
Bystra
Lipnica
Wielka
Kasina
Wielka
Krzeczów
Osielec
Zawoja
W
R ab
Lubień
Łętownia
Pogorzany
Szczyrzyc
Lubomir
904
Tokarnia
Sk a
wa
Mosorny Groń
ŁO
Wiśniowa
Pcim
Skomielna Czarna
Krzesławice
Trzemeśnia
Rab
a
Trzebunia
Zembrzyce
Krzeszów
Myślenice
Jasienica
Chełm
603
Raciechowice
Banowice
Bór
naje
c
3
Gronków
Dolny
Gronków
Górny Krempachy
2
most fascinating, albeit the most difficult trail in the Polish Beskids. It is
among the very few trails where assistance is provided in the form of
clips and chains.
 Hucisko – Jablonka green trail: Hucisko – Czerniawa Sucha
– Hala Kamińskiego – Jałowiecka Pass – Mała Babia Góra – Brona Pass –
Diablak – Jabłonka (around 13 hours). The trail leads through both of Babia Góra’s peaks – Diablak and the lower one called Cyl (1515 m asl). The
trail then descends into Jabłonka, located on the southern part of the
range, near Orawa.
 Kocierska Pass – LuboŃ Wielki red trail: Kocierska Pass – Łamana
Skała – Leskowiec – Żurawnica – Chełm – Bieńkowska Góra – Myślenice –
Lubomir – Kudłacze – Kasina Wielka – Lubogoszcz – Mszana Dolna – Luboń
Wielki (4 days). It is a part of the Little Beskids Trail (Mały Szlak Beskidzki). The
prettiest part is a section between Kocierska Pass and Leskowiec, where the
trail runs along the ridge of the Little Beskids. Between Żurawnica and Kasina Wielka, the trail leads through the Makowski Beskids, and the final section is formed by the Lubogoszcza and Luboń Wielki peaks which belong
to Wyspowy Beskid. Near Leskowo, in Kudłacze and Luboń, there are mountain refuges.
48
CYCLING TRAILS
 Sucha Beskidzka – Stryszawa – Sucha Beskidzka purple cycling trail: Sucha Beskidzka – Podksięże – Magurka – Zawoja Przysłop
– Stryszawa Huciska – Stryszawa – Sucha Beskidzka (around 2 hours.). This
trail will allow you to visit the northern slopes of Jałowieckie range, rising
over Sucha Beskidzka.
 Maków Podhalański – Koskowa Góra – Maków Podhalański
red cycling trail: Maków Podhalański – Bryndzówka – Przysłopski Wierch
– Koskowa Góra – Żarnówka – Maków Podhalański (around 2 hours). Marked
amongst the rises of the Mazowiecki Beskids, this spiral cycling trail will lead
tourists to the top of Koskowa Góra – known for stunning sights and a football pitch at the top.
 Jordanów – Wysoka – Ludwiki red cycling trail: Jordanów –
Wysoka – Góra Ludwiki – Toporzysko – Bystra – Jordanów (around 2 hours.).
This trail, leading through Makowski Beskid, will allow you to see the Renaissance court in Wysoka, as well as a World War II cemetery, a resting place
of soldiers from the famous 10th Motorised Cavalry Brigade under the command of General Maczek.
49
1. Tourists on Babia Góra, photo by D. Zaród
2. Babia Góra, photo by D. Zaród
3. Trails, UMWM photo archive
 Krowiarski Pass – Sokolica – Diablak – Brona Pass – Markowe
–SzczAwiny – Krowiarski Pass: (5 hours) Lone Babia Góra rises over
lower peaks and deep valleys, which makes it an excellent observation point.
Thanks to the road running across Krowiarki Pass, the approach to the highest peak of the massif, Diablak (1725m asl), is short and easy, albeit steep. The
route leads through a forest on a red trail, climbing steeply towards Sokolica, where there is an excellent observation point. Further, we are walking
through the forest for a while longer and then among dwarf mountain pine
bushes. Having climbed the many steps of the approach, we finally arrive
at the rocky top of Diablak. After viewing the panorama, we are leaving
the peak via a red trail towards the Brona Pass. Further down, the markings
leave the peak, sloping downwards to the forest and the refuge in Markowe
Szczawiny. Blue trails lead from there to the exit point, the Kowiarki Pass.
BRIDLE TRAILS
 Zawoja – Zubrzyca Górna bridle trail. This is a part of the
PTTK’s Transbeskidzki Bridle Trail, running in the area marked from Zawoja through the Krowiarki Pass, to the Zubrzyca Górna peak situated on
the Orawa’s side, where you can find a very interesting antique building
museum (see p. 23).
Szaflary
ajec
Maruszyna
Dun
Miętustwo
Skrzypne
Koniówka
Sierockie
Zabudowa
drewniania Chochołów
Leszczyny
Ratułów
SŁOWA
Ciche
Witów
Biały
Dunajec
Gliczarów
CJA
Bukowina
Tatrzańska
Suche
Poronin
Murzasichle
Gruszki
Zabudowa
drewniana
Magura Witkowska
1232
Kościelisko
Samkowa Czuba
1191
Wołowiec
2063
Kobylarz
1431 Giewont
1894
Jaskinia
Mylna
Krzesanica
2122
Ta t r z a ń s k i Pa r k
N a r o d o w y Tomanowy Wierch Polski
Jarząbczy Wierch
2137
Kamienista
2126
Kobyła
1231
Goły Wierch
1205
Tatr zański Park Narodow y
Uhrocie Kasprowe
1849
Kasprowy Wierch
1988
Smreczyński Wierch
2066
Błyszcz
2158
Brzegi
Małe Ciche
Jastrzębia Turnia
1090
1978
Trzydniowiański Wierch
1758
2
Krokiew
1378
Hruby Regiel
1339
Kominiarski Wierch
1829
Zgorzelisko
1105
Jurgów
Zakopane
Pośrednia
1305
Wierch Spalenisko
1327
Rzepiska
Groń
Ząb
Furmanowa
Dzianisz
Białka Czarna Góra
Tatrzańska
Bustryk
Nowe
Bystre
Łapsze Wyżne
Leśnica
Bańska
Wyżna
Czerwienne
Grześ
1653
Trybsz
Bańska
Niżna
C za
rny
Podczerwone
Kozi Wierch
2291
Świnica
2301
Opalony Wierch
2124
Morskie
Oko
SŁOWAC JA
The Tatras and the Pieniny
Cubryna
2376
3
Rysy
2499
1
The Tatras and the Pieniny
HIKING TRAILS
 Toporowa Cyrhla – Morskie Oko – Rysy red trail: Toporowa Cyrhla – Polana Waksmundzka – Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza – Morskie Oko – Rysy
(around 9 hours). The section from Jaszczurowka to Morskie Oko is the oldest trail
in Poland, marked in the seventh decade of the 19th century. It is a mild and attractive approach to the Fish Stream Valley (Dolina Rybiego Potoku), from where
a busy, asphalt road leads to the refuge of Morskie Oko. The second part of the
trail, leading to the highest peak in Poland, Rysy (2499m asl), should only be attempted by experienced tourists.
 Murowaniec – The Valley of Five Polish Lakes (Dolina Pięciu
Stawów) yellow trail: Murowaniec – Krzyżne Pass – The Valley of Five
Lakes (around 5 hours). The trail leads from the Murowaniec refuge in the
Gasięnicowa Valley through Krzyżne Pass to the Valley of Five Polish Lakes.
Both approach and descent are rather steep, but with no exposure.
 Chochołowska Valley – Hala Kalatówki black trail:
Chochołowska Valley – Stare Kościelisko – Przysłop Miętusi – Strążyska Glade
– Białego Pass – Hala Kalatówki (over 7 hours). Also called the “Path over forest
valleys” (“Ścieżka nad reglami”), this hiking trail runs through forests and parallel to the main Tatras massif.
 Green trail through the Chochołowska Valley (around
2 hours). It is a popular hiking trail, leading through the bottom of one of the
most beautiful of Tatras’ valleys.
 Green trail through the Kościeliska Valley (around 2 hours).
Another of the highly popular hiking trails, this time leading through the bottom of Kościeliska Valley to the PTTK refuge at the feet of the Ornak.
 Krościenko – Sromowce Niżne yellow trail: Krościenko – Pieniński
Stream – Szopka Pass – Szopczański Gorge – Sromowce Niżne (around 2.5 hours).
Running vertically through the Pieniny, this is a short trail leading through the
visually attractive Szopka Pass (called ”Thank God”, from the welcome sigh of
relief from tourists climbing the mountain), which is the source of the Pieniński
Stream, and Szopczański Gorge – one of the Pieniny’s attractions.
 Jaworki – Wysoka green trail (around 2 hours): a short trail leading through the Homole Gorge – the most beautiful gorge in the Pieniny –
to Wysoka, the highest peak of the Pieniny.
50
 Jaworki – Piwniczna red trail (around 3 hours). Jaworki – Biała Woda
– Obidza Pass – Sucha Dolina – Kosarzyska – Piwniczna. One of the oldest trails
in Poland, marked out in the year 1907. Along the way, among other things,
you can find a natural reserve in Biała Woda and a unique basalt volcanic rock.
CYCLING TRAILS
 “Murowanica” red cycling trail in Chochołowska Valley
(around 2 hours). Allows for a trip, via “Droga pod Reglami” (Path over forest
valleys), along the northern border of Tatrzański National Park. In addition,
there are marked routes across the valleys to the refuges located in the national park. This allows tourists to have access to parts of the Chochołowska,
Suchej Wody and Bystrej valleys all the way to the Kalatówka glade.
 Zakopane – Witów – GubaŁÓwka black cycling trail (around
4 hours). Leaving Zakopane and heading west via Witów and Dzianisz, we will
arrive at Gubałówka from the north.
 Szczawnica – Jaworki red cycling trail: Szczawnica – Pod Jarmutą
Valley – Klimontowska Pass – Cyrhle – Durbaszka – Jaworki (around 1.5 hours).
The trail runs through the valley at the foot of Jarmuta, a mountain built from the
post-volcanic rock of andesyte, to the top of the Lesser Pieniny range.
51
1. Tatrzański National Park, photo by J. Gorlach
2. Trzy Korony, photo by T. Gębuś
3. The hostel at the Morskie Oko, photo by T. Gębuś
 Szczawnica – Leśnica cycling trail (around 1 hour). Running via
the Pienińska Road in the Dunajec Valley, the trail leads to Leśnica located in
Slovakian borders. The trail runs along the outskirts of Pieniński National Park.
BRIDLE TRAILS
 Jaworki – Przehyba – Jaworki bridle trail: Jaworki – Ruski
Wierch – Wielki Rogacz – Przehyba – Kiczora – Stary Wierch – Jaworki. The
trail carries the name of Tadeusz Trzeszczon, a PTTK activist promoting mounted tourism. It runs along the southern slopes of the Radziejowa range in Beskid Sądecki.
 Szczawnica – Rytro bridle trail. A part of PTTK’s Transbeskidzki Bridle Trail, which leads here along the Lesser Pieniny and Beskid Sądecki
borderlands, through Jaworki, to the valley of Poprad.
Through Podhale runs a part of the Transbeskidzki Bridle Trail, which leads
from Zubrzyca Górna (on Orawa) through Bukowina Tatrzańska and Spisz to
Szczawnica. A special badge and a certificate will be awarded by PTTK for
completing this beautiful albeit demanding trail.
Laskowa
Łososin
Babia Góra
727
Kobylica
901
Modyń
1029
Szczawa
Ka
mi
en
Narodow y
Ochotnica
Makowica
948
Rytro
Łabowa
Kobylarka
956
Przehyba
Krościenko n. Kotelnica 1175
847
Kluszkowce Dunajcem
Radziejowa
Dębno Czorsztyn
Stary Wierch 1262 Piwniczna Wierchomla
Wielka
839
Pieniński Park
Szczawnica
Leśnica
Żar Niedzica N a r o d o w y
Trzy Korony
879
Eliaszówka Wierch Zubrzy
Jaworki
Białka Tatrzańska
982
1023
860
Kuraszowski Wierch
Wysoka
1040
1050
Żegiestów-Zdrój
Bukowina Tatrzańska
Ośrodek Budownictwa
Ludowego
Grybów
K am
i en
ic a
Stary Sącz
Jaworzynka
936
Gorlice
Chełm
779
Ropa
Sękowa
Magurski Park
Narodow y
SŁOWACJA
Ubocz
Ubocz
819
617
Jaworynki
756
Uście Gorlickie
Mochnaczka Lackowa
997
Krynica-Zdrój
Dzielec
793
Wapienne
Męcińska Góra
679
Szymbark
a
Rop
Kotelnica Dolna Lubań
946
1211
Nowy Sącz
Sądecki Park
Etnograficzny
d
Popra
Czuba
Ostrowska
916
ica
Park
Bi
Pustki
Synagoga, 446
kirkut
B ia ł a
Turbaczyk
1078 Kudłoń
1276
Turbacz
1310 G o r c z a ń s k i
Łukowica
Dąbrowska Góra
581
ała
Ćwilin
Mszana Dolna 1072
Bobowa
naj
ec
Lubogoszcz
968
Limanowa
Du
Śnieżnica
Beskids
Małopolska
1000Beskids,
Ropa
Binarowa
a
Jodłownik
Kwiatoń
Rotunda
771
Wysowa-Zdrój
Mareszka
801
Sucha
687
Łysa Góra
704
Dębi Wierch
684
Buków Garb
764
Muszyna
2
Wielka Polana
696
4
1
Beskids
HIKING TRAILS
 Rabka-Zdrój – Magura Watkowska red trail: Rabka-Zdrój – Maciejowa – Stare Wierchy – Turbacz – Kiczora – Lubań – Krościenko – Dzwonkówka
– Przehyba – Radziejowa – Wielki Rogacz – Rytro – Hala Łabowska – Jaworzyna
Krynicka – Krynica-Zdrój – Hańczowa – Kozie Żebro – Rotunda – Popowe Wierchy –
Bartne – Magura Wątkowska (8 days). A part of the Main Beskids Trail (Główny Szlak
Beskidzki), leading through the most interesting parts of three mountain ranges –
the Gorce, the Beskid Sądecki and the Low Beskids. On the way, the highest peaks of
the first two regions – Turbacz (1310 m asl) in the Gorce and Radziejowa (1262 m asl)
in the Beskid Sądecki, provide numerous vantage points and a few mountain refuges. Past Krynica-Zdrój along the trail there are many Orthodox churches and graveyards from World War I, the most famous of them at the Rotunda.
 Szczawa – Dobra blue trail: Szczawa – Spad waterfalls – Krzystonów
– Mogielica – Rydza Śmigłego Pass – Łopień – Dobra (around 6 hours). Running
from Szczawa, past a small Spad waterfall at Kamienica and further, past the
Krzystonowa ridge, to the vantage point on the peak of Mogielica (1171 m asl),
the highest in Beskid Wyspowy. Below it, in the Valley of Rydz-Śmigły, you can
find reminders of the legionnaires’ battles from World War I.
 Blue trail of St. Justa’s Pass – Limanowa: St. Justa’s Pass – Jaworz
– Sałasz – Limanowa (around 7 hours.). This trail provides an interesting excursion along the ridge of the Łososińskie range, rarely visited by tourists.
 Piwniczna – Lomnica yellow trail: Piwniczna – Hala Pisana –
Hala Łabowska – Parchowatka – Łomnica (around 8 hours). The route leads
through the southern slopes of Beskid Sądecki; on the way there are attractive views, especially of the Slovakian part of the Carpathian and the
Tatra Mountains – there is also a mountain refuge in Hala Łabowska halfway through the trail.
 ŻEgiestów-zdrój – Leluchów blue trail: Żegiestów-Zdrój – Pusta Wielka – Runek – Krynica-Zdrój – Szalone – Powrożnik – Dubne – Zimne
– Kraczonik – Leluchów (2 days). The trail leads through the south-eastern parts of Beskid Sądecki, and also through a Polish part of Czergowskie
Mountains in the area of Leluchów, often mistakenly avoided by tourists.
 Grybów – Konieczna blue trail: Grybów – Chełm – Sucha Homola – Bordiów Wierch – Wysowa-Zdrój – Obycz – Jaworzyna Konieczniańska
– Konieczna (2 days). Along the way you can find the famous health resort
of Wysowa-Zdrój.
52
3
CYCLING TRAILS
 Nowy Sącz – Wierchomla blue cycling trail: Nowy Sącz – Nawojowa – Hala Łabowska – Runek – Wierchomla (around 3 hours). It is an attractive trail leading through the range of Jaworzyna Krynicka in Beskid Sądecki.
 Rytro – Wielki Rogacz – Piwniczna blue cycling trail (around
3 hours). It is a visually appealing trail along the southern slopes of Radziejowa range, in the western part of Beskid Sądecki.
 Wysowa-Zdrój – Regietów – Wysowa-Zdrój yellow cycling trail:
Wysowa-Zdrój – Blechnarka – Regietów Wyżny – Regietów Niżny – Skwirtne –
Hańczowa – Wysowa-Zdrój (around 3 hours). An interesting trail, allowing one to
see a few post-Orthodox churches along the way in the area of Wysowa-Zdrój.
 Uście Gorlickie – Magura Małastowska – Uście Gorlickie blue cycling trail: Uście Gorlickie – Oderne – Przysłup – Magura Małastowska – Leszczyny – Nowica – Oderne – Uście Gorlickie (around
4 hours). This trail comprises a cycling circuit leading to the saddle at Magurza Małastowska – a long ridge that dominates the landscape. At the pass can
be found an interesting cemetery from World War I, and on the other side of
the road, a little bit higher, a mountain refuge.
53
1. Wierchomla Wielka, photo by F. Heryan
2. On the bridle trail, UMWM photo archive
3. Ruins of the castle in Rytro, photo by J. Gorlach
4. The Orthodox Church in Hańczowa, photo by J. Mysiński
BRIDLE TRAILS
 Rytro – Olchowiec bridle trail: Rytro – Uhryń – Hańczowa – Nieznajowa – Kotań – Olchowiec. A part of the Transbeskidzki Bridle Trail, which in
the area marked out leads from the Ryter in Beskid Śląski to Olchowiec in
the Low Beskids. Following Nieznajowa, the trail runs through the Magurski National Park.
In GŁADYSZÓW there is a Hucul Horse Stud Farm, the largest in Europe
(Gładyszów 53, 38-315 Uście Gorlickie, \ +48 18 3510018, 3510097, / www.
huculy.com.pl, [email protected]). Individual and group rides for tourists are organised, as well as instructor courses for beginners, holiday and horse riding camps. Around the centre there are approx. 100 km of marked horse
riding trails. Every year in September an event called Hucul Days (Huculskie Dni) is organised and lasts for three days. A Stud Farm is also located in
HAŃCZOWA (Połonina Horse Stud Farm, Hańczowa 60, 38-316 Hańczowa, \ +48 18 3532144).
Selected skiing stations
BABIA GÓRA AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Town
Name
Contact details
Website
Spytkowice
BESKID SPYTKOWICE
+48 18 2688920, [email protected]
www.narty.spytkowice.pl
Chabówka
CHABÓWKA – U ŻURA
+48 18 2677869
www.chabowka.com
Zawoja-Policzne
MOSORNY GROŃ
+48 33 8745100, [email protected]
www.mosornygron.pl
TATRAS AND PODHALE
Szymoszkowa photo by D. Zaród
Town
Name
Contact details
Website
Nowy Targ
DŁUGA POLANA (Long
Glade)
+48 18 2666262, [email protected]
www.dlugapolana.pl
Gliczarów Górny
GLICZARÓW – U STENI
+48 18 2077600, [email protected]
www.usteni.z-ne.pl
Zakopane
HARENDA
+48 18 2064029, [email protected]
www.harendazakopane.pl
Białka Tatrzańska
KOTELNICA BANIA
+48 18 2654163, [email protected]
www.narty.bania.pl
Białka Tatrzańska
KOTELNICA BIAŁCZAŃSKA
+48 18 2654133, [email protected]
Murzasichle
MAŁE CICHE
+48 18 2012944, [email protected]
www.skimaleciche.com
Zakopane
NOSAL SKI
+48 18 2062700, [email protected]
www.nosal.pl
Zakopane
SZYMOSZKOWA
+48 18 2017230, [email protected]
www.szymoszkowa.pl
Bukowina
Tatrzańska
TURNIA OLCZAŃSKI
WIERCH
+48 18 2077271, [email protected]
www.turnia.bukowinatatrzanska.pl
Witów
WITÓW-SKI
+48 18 2071330, [email protected]
www.witow-ski.pl
Nowy Targ
ZADZIAŁ NOWY TARG
+48 18 2669137, [email protected]
www.zadzial.pl
Bukowina
Tatrzańska
BUKOWINA TATRZAŃSKA
+48 18 2077511, [email protected]
www.bukowinatatrzanska.pl
Zakopane
GUBAŁÓWKA
+48 18 2015356, [email protected]
www.pkl.pl
Jurgów
HAWRAŃ
+48 695137232
www.hawran.pl
Zakopane
KALATÓWKI
+48 18 2063644, [email protected]
www.kalatowki.pl
Białka Tatrzańska
KANIÓWKA
+48 18 2654181, fax: +48 18 2077642
www.kaniowka.pl
Zakopane
KASPROWY WIERCH
+48 18 2015356, [email protected]
www.pkl.pl
Nowy Targ
ŁYSA GÓRA
+48 18 3373434, [email protected]
www.lysagora.eu
Biały Dunajec
SAMI SWOI
+48 18 2073096, [email protected]
Zakopane
SZYMOSZKOWA
+48 18 2017231, [email protected]
www.szymoszkowa.com.pl
BESKID SĄDECKI AND LOW BESKIDS
Winter in Małopolska
Małopolska, like no other region in Poland, attracts fans of winter sports. Both complete beginners and advanced skiers will find
an appropriate trail here, at the Carpathian slopes. It is here that
all kinds of winter sports can be practiced. Tourists have access to
numerous ski slopes of varying difficulty, such as trails for snowracket walking and cross-country skiing, which lead through the
broad ridges of the Low Beskids, the flat regions of Orawa and Podhale, the Jurrasic hilltops, and also through the Niepołomicka Forest or the forests of Radłowo and Wierzchosławice.
In the region there are also excellent facilities other than ski
trails for practicing cross-country skiing. Ski-tourists wishing to
make a ‘first mark’ in virgin snow will not regret choosing the local mountains. There are also enough ice rinks and places to ride
classic and Scandinavian sleds and snow scooters.
Each year fans of ski-jumping may enjoy the beautiful long
‘flights’ at the Zakopane Ski-jumping World Cup. The event has
been organised since 1980 and although a few dozen of the world’s
best ski-jumpers take part, it is hard to imagine the competition
without Poland’s Adam Małysz. It is since the days of his success
that the competition at Wielka Krokiew became an amazing, sport
and music fuelled show. The event is unanimously considered
by all independent observers to be the best of the ski-jumping
World Cup series. The record for the longest ski jump at 140 m at
Wielka Krokiew belongs to a German ski jumper Sven Hannawald.
Ski-jumping World Cup competition in Zakopane, Tatrzanski Skiing
Association, ul. Bronisława Czecha 1b, 34-500 Zakopane, \ +48 18
2015308, fax: +48 18 2012588, [email protected], / www.tzn.com.pl
Town
Name
Contact details
Website
Cieniawa
CIENIAWA SKI
+48 18 4453232, [email protected]
www.cieniawa-ski.pl
Gorlice
GORLICE MAGURA
+48 18 3526970, [email protected]
www.osir.gorlice.pl
Krynica-Zdrój
HENRYK
+48 12 6360033, [email protected]
www.henryk.hatron.com
Krynica-Zdrój
JAWORZYNA KRYNICKA
+48 18 4723400, [email protected]
www.jaworzynakrynicka.pl
Rytro
RYTERSKI RAJ
+48 18 4469012, [email protected]
www.ryterskiraj.pl
Krynica-Zdrój
SŁOTWINY AZOTY
+48 18 4715367, [email protected]
www.cnazoty.pl
Krynica-Zdrój
SŁOTWINY TABASZEWSKI
+48 18 4712726, [email protected]
www.slotwiny.pl
Nowy Sącz
ŚNIEŻNICA
+48 18 4400404, [email protected]
www.snieznica.pl
Tylicz
TYLICZ TOP-SKI
+48 18 4711356, [email protected]
www.krynica.com.pl/topski
Piwniczna
WIERCHOMLA – DWIE
DOLINY
+48 18 4143264, [email protected]
www.wierchomla.com.pl
Sękowa
MAGURA MAŁASTOWSKA
+48 18 3518818, [email protected]
www.maguraski.pl
PIENINY AND SZCZAWNICA’S SURROUNDING AREAS
54
Town
Name
Contact details
Website
Kluszkowce
CZORSZTYN-SKI
KLUSZKOWCE
+48 18 2650222, [email protected]
www.czorsztyn-ski.com.pl
Niedzica
POLANA SOSNY
+48 18 2629474, [email protected]
www.niedzica.pl
Jaworki-Zaskalskie
JAWORKI-SKIING ARENA
+48 18 2621543, [email protected]
www.arenanarciarska.pl
Szczawnica
PALENICA
+48 18 2622199, [email protected]
www.pkl.pl
55
Selected skiing stations
Snow rackets
BESKID WYSPOWY
Town
Name
Contact details
Website
Laskowa
LASKOWA-SKI
+48 18 3378810, [email protected]
www.laskowa-ski.pl
Rabka-Zdrój
POLCZAKÓWKA
+48 12 2677739, [email protected]
www. polczakowka.region-rabka.pl
Mszana Dolna
SKI LUBOMIERZ
+48 18 4488548, [email protected]
www.lubomierz.com
Niedzwiedź
near Mszana Dolna
TOBOŁÓW KONINKI
+48 18 3317581, [email protected]
www.koninki.pl
Rabka-Zdrój
OBIDOWA
+48 18 2679619, [email protected]
www.wyciag-obidowa.pl
Kasina Wielka
ŚNIEŻNICA
+48 18 3314551, [email protected]
www.snieznica.pl
JAWORZYNA KRYNICKA AND BESKID SĄDECKI
 YELLOW TRAIL TO THE BUKOWINKI SLOPE/BLUE TRAIL TO BUKOWINKA: Kopciowa – Jaworzyna – Bukowinka – Krzyżowa – Krzyżowa Pass
– Krynica-Zdrój (8.3 km, 3.15 hours). This is the western part of the circular
trail running around Krynica. Thanks to the good spacial management of Jaworzynka and Bukowinka’s surrounding areas over Słotwiny, the trail gained
a reputation as a very pleasant hiking route. The heavily forested peak of
Krzyżowa right by Krynica, also called the Urdy Wierch, is worth mentioning.
KRAKÓW’S SURROUNDING AREAS
Town
Name
Contact details
Website
Myślenice
MACIEJOWA-SKI
+48 18 2670778, [email protected]
www.maciejowa-ski.com
Myślenice
MYŚLENICE SKI
+48 12 2720517, [email protected]
www.zima.zarabiesport.pl
Siepraw
SIEPRAW-SKI
+48 12 2746490, [email protected]
www.siepraw-ski.pl
Brwinów
SMREK SPYTKOWICE
+48 22 7295355
Myślenice
ZARABIE
+48 12 2720517, [email protected]
www.zima.zarabiesport.pl
 RED TRAIL TOWARDS RUNEK/BLUE TRAIL TOWARDS JAWORZYNA/
YELLOW TRAIL TO SZCZAWNIK: Jaworzyna Krynicka – Runek – bacówka „Nad Wierchomlą” – Jaworzynka – Czerteż-Szczawnik (12.5 km,
3.30 hours). This route leads to the upper gondola station at the top of Jaworzyna Krynicka, through Runek to an equally important centre of skiing
and recreation in the saddle between Runek and Pusta Wielka. It is a very
popular trail, but unfortunately very often crowded.
TARNÓW’S SURROUNDING AREAS
Town
Name
Contact details
Website
Siemiechów
JURASÓWKA
+48 14 6258091, [email protected]
www.jurasowka-ski.pl
Janowice
LUBINKA
+48 14 6799370, [email protected]
www.lubinka.com.pl
 KOPCIOWA – KRYNICA-ZDRÓJ GREEN TRAIL: Kopciowa – Hawrylakówka – Jakubie – Huzary – Góra Parkowa Krynica-Zdrój (8.5 km,
2.45 hours). The trail leads through the eastern part of a very popular circular route around Krynica. It runs through the tranquil and forested Hawrylakówka and is lively and frequently visited by the clients of Huzary and Góra
Parkowa – a main recreational and hiking centre in the region of Krynica-Zdrój.
56
57
 RED TRAIL THROUGH RUNEK TO ŁABOWSKA HALA: Jaworzyna Krynicka – Runek – Łabowska Hala – Łabowa (17 km, 5.15 hours). This trail is an
important part of the Main Beskid Trail from Jaworzyna Krynica to Łabowska
Hala. It is a fairly easy trail that runs through forests. In the parts between
Runek and Łabowska Hala it runs alongside two unusual natural reserves:
“W Łosiach im. prof. M. Czai” (The reserve of Prof. M. Czai in Łosie) and “Uhryń”.
HALA KRUPOWA
 BLACK TRAIL: Sidzina Wielka Polana – Hala Krupowa (3.3 km,
1.15/1 hours). This is the quickest approach to the PTTK mountain refuge in
Hala Krupowa. It runs alongside the Zakulawka stream and is especially recommended during adverse weather conditions. Vast, breathtaking views
stretch from the Okraglica pass towards Podhale and Orawa.
 GREEN TRAIL: Sidzina Wielka Polana – Hala Krupowa (4.8 km,
2.15/1.45 hours). This varied route with excellent views leads from Sidzina
to Hala Krupowa. For the last 30 years it has been a popular ski tourism trail
with a number of interesting variants leading through steep, forested slopes.
 RED TRAIL: Bystra – Cupel – Urwanica – Hala Krupowa (14 km,
4/3.30 hours). This easy trail runs over a ridge through the Police range
from Bystrzanka Valley to Hala Krupowa via the Main Beskid Trail. With the
exception of Okrąglica pass (where one can enjoy fantastic views of Podhale and Orawa), the trail runs through dense forest areas.
3
1
 RED TRAIL: Hala Krupowa – Polica – Cyl Hali Śmietanowej – Krowiarki
Pass (9.5 km, 2.30/2.45 hours). This trail is a continuation of the approach
through the ridge of the Police mountain range towards its highest peak –
Polica (1369 m asl). It is here, in Prof. Klemensiewicz’s natural reserve, that
a mountain spruce thicket is preserved in its original state. Close to Polica, in the Cyl Hali Śmietanowej, there is an interesting vantage point with
views over the Babia Góra range, and partial views of Jałowieckie Mountains and Zawoja.
 YELLOW TRAIL: Zawoja-Policzne – Mosorny Groń – Hala Śmietanowa
(6 km, 2.15/1.45 hours). This trail takes the shortest possible route from Zawoja to the ridge of Police range. It runs alongside the upper part of a ski centre connecting Zawoja-Policzne and Mosorny Groń. From Hala Śmietanowa
we are able to admire almost the entire Babia Góra mountain range.
MARKOWE SZCZAWINY
 GREEN TRAIL: Zawoja-Markowa – Suchy Groń – Markowe Szczawiny
(4.2 km, 1.45/1.15 hours). Should we aim to get from Zawoja to the PTTK refuge in Markowe Szczawiny, this is the route we will take. It is completely
covered with forest along its entire length and is very popular with tourists.
 THE GREAT LOOP (WIELKA PĘTLA) RED TRAIL: Markowe Szczawiny –
Brona Pass – Babia Góra –Krowiarki Pass – Markowe Szczawiny (15.7 km,
5.30 hours). This trek can be described as a ‘great loop’ over the northern
slopes of Babia Góra. The trail runs through the Babiogórski National Park.
Its main part – from the Brona Pass through Babia Góra to Sokolica via the
Main Beskid Trail – has excellent natural resources as well as beautiful views.
 LITTLE LOOP (MAŁA PĘTLA) RED TRAIL: Markowe Szczawiny – Mała Babia Góra – Jałowiecka Pass – Markowe Szczawiny (8.6 km, 2.45/3.00 hours).
The ‘little loop’ (małej pętli) trail includes the circular routes around the northern slopes of Mała (Little) Babia Góra. Via the Main Beskid Trail we reach the
Brona Pass and then along the ridge towards the Cyl peak (Mała Babia Góra).
On the way back to the refuge we are following a part of the main Babia Góra
patch, admiring the amazing views stretching from Hala Czarnego.
GORCE MOUNTAINS
2
exceptional views of Nowotarska Basin and the Tatras. The trail is suitable for
experienced trekkers. The final section over Kowaniec is especially difficult.
 GREEN TRAIL: Kowaniec – Hrube – Bukowina glade (papal chapel)
– Turbacz (8 km, 3/2.50 hours). This is a very popular hiking trail leading
from Nowotarska Basin to the top of Turbacz. Lovely when the weather is
good (especially the plains of Bukowina), but may also become a dangerous trap when it gets bad. There is a Pope’s shrine in Wisielakówka – a gift
from mountaineers as a remembrance to Pope John Paul II’s pilgrimage to
Poland in 1979.
 BLUE TRAIL: Łopuszna – Zarębek – Bukowina Waksmundzka – Turbacz (10 km, 3/2.50 hours). This is a fairly easy hiking trail, leading up through
the enchanting environs of Bukowina Waksmudzka, and then a bit lower
through forest covered terrain to the valley of a few streams called Zarębek.
In Łopuszna there are remembrances of Reverend Prof. J. Tischner.
 GREEN TRAIL: Kowaniec – Brożek – Bukowina Waksmundzka – until
converging with the blue trail running from Łopuszna – towards the
peak of Turbacz (9 km, 3.15/2.45 hours). There is a reason why this is the
most popular tourist descent from Turbacz to Kowaniec. It stands out with
58
59
1. Zakopane, UMWM photo archive
2. Gubałówka, photo by D. Zaród
3. Jaworzyna Krynicka, photo by D. Zaród
Snow racket rental
PTTK Centre for Mountain Tourism (Centralny Ośrodek Turystyki
Górskiej PTTK), ul. Jagiellońska 6, Kraków, \ +48 12 4222840,
/ www.cotg.gory.info.
Markowe Szczawiny Mountain Refuge, \ +48 33 8775105,
/ www.markowe-szczawiny.pttk.pl.
Na Hali Krupowej PTTK Mountain Refuge, \ +48 18 4475005,
/ www.krupowa.pttk.pl.
Tatra Trade s.c., Droga na Bystre 2a, Zakopane, \ +48 18 2013428,
[email protected], / www.tatratrade.com.pl.
Morskie Oko Mountain Refuge, \ +48 18 2077609.
Na Polanie Chochołowskiej PTTK Mountain Refuge,
\ +48 18 2070510, / www.chocholowska.zakopane.pl.
Bacówka Nad Wierchomlą, \ +48 18 4488811,
/ www.wierchomla.republika.pl.
2
1
Traditions
Old Małopolska was ethnographically a very diverse region. Its
northern parts were inhabited by Cracovians, whose traditional attire became national. The costume is composed of a long,
navy blue caftan decorated with red, green or black fringes, white
pants with red stripes and a red hat with peacock feathers. Women used to wear flowery dresses and a richly embroidered corset.
Married women’s attire was complemented by scarves, whereas
single women wore their hair uncovered, often arranged in a curl.
From the south, the Cracovians’ neighbours were diverse
groups of mountaineers with varying dialects, practices and most
importantly apparel. The common elements of all male mountaineers’ clothes were white cloth pants decorated with parzenice (floral pattern) and a white shirt sewn from a single piece of
material called wałaska. Over the shirt, one would wear an embroidered vest and a cucha (a sort of jacket with its sleeves sewn
in, resting lightly over one’s shoulders) and a dark wide-brimmed
hat. The color and shape of the parzenice, the embroidery on the
vests, the shape of the hats and the length of cuchy allow for differentiation between the various groups of mountaineers, which
in Małopolska could be the Pieniny, Podhale, Babia Góra, Orawa,
Biali or Kliszczacy mountaineers.
4
In the Sądecka Basin, the mountaineers were neighbored by
a group of Lachowie Sądeccy, wearing knee-length navy blue
caftans and pants with stripes and flowery embroidery. Women
wore velvety corsets and skirts, most often navy blue in colour.
The eastern part of the region was inhabited until the year
1947 by the Lemkos, a group of Russian mountaineers, whose
attire is easily recognised by a bronze, knee-long jacket richly
decorated with fringes. Women’s attire was composed of a thin
white shirt with colorful embellishments on the collar and cuffs,
a navy blue or black corset with floral embroidery and a chintzy
skirt with vertically sewn-in colorful ribbons.
Many of the old traditions related to religious holidays have
survived until this day.
On Palm Sunday, the inhabitants of Lipnica Murowana, Tokarnia, as well as other settlements in Pogórze and Podhale still organise contests for the tallest Easter palm.
The most famous of these contests has taken place in Lipnica
Murowana since the year 1958, it is also here that the Easter palms
are the longest (up to 30 meters).
On the same day not far from Kraków Pucheroki make an appearance – young smutty boys in colorful, pointy hats collecting
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donations. Equally smutty and equally hoping for donations is the Siuda
Baba in Lednica, seeking young girls on Easter Monday in Wieliczka and
Lednica Górna.
Every year without pause since 1937, on the first Thursday of December
in Kraków’s town square, a contest for the most beautiful crib is organised.
3
1. Kraków cribs, photo by M. Zaręba
2. Lipnice palms, UMWM photo archive
3. Highlanders, UMWM photo archive
4. Lajkonik, UMWM photo archive
5. Zalipie, UMWM photo archive
In Powiśle Dąbrowskie, a tradition of artistically painting buildings is
still alive and most of such farmhouses can be seen in the ‘painted village’ of Zalipie.
In Bobowa close to Gorlice, exquisite lace handkerchiefs are being produced. A lacy, subtle handkerchief is an excellent idea for a gift.
Event
Location
Date
Website
Mountaineers’ Carnival
Bukowina Tatrzanska
January
www.bukowinatatrzanska.pl
Easter Palm Competition
and Easter Handicraft Competition
Lipnica Murowana
March/April
www.lipnicamurowana.pl
‘Painted cottage’ Competition
Zalipie
June
www.muzeum.tarnow.pl
Łemkowska Watra
Zdynia, Uscie Gorlickie
July
www.lemkounion.republika.pl
Sabalowe Telling of Tales
Bukowina Tatrzanska
August
www.bukowinatatrzanska.info/sabalowe_bajania
International Festival of Embroidery
Bobowa
October
www.ck.bobowa.pl/koronki/festiwal
The Most Beautiful crib contest and
display
Kraków
December
www.mhk.pl
Christmas Trade Fair
Kraków
December
www.kongregacja-kupiecka.com.pl
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2
1
Cuisine
The greatest strength of Małopolska’s cuisine lies in the ingredients. The variety of Małopolska’s regional produce, their unique
taste and nutritional value allow you to easily compose a perfect
meal for every part of the day.
Prądnicki bread used to find its way to kings’ dining rooms. Today, together with honey from Nowy Sącz, sausage from Kraków,
or tomatoes from Lisice and Krzeszowice, it will make for an excellent start to your day.
Morning breakfast may also be enriched by the mountaineer’s
selection of cheeses – smoked oscypek, salty bryndza or bundz.
A long wait for the main course will be eased by Kraków’s
obwarzanki or raciechowice’s apples and fruit juices from
Tymbark.
Not far from Tymbark, in a charming location, there is a small
village called Jodłownik famous for its golden kołacze pastry with
a gentle hint of cheese.
Then it’s only 4 km to Szczyrzyc, where, whilst waiting for
a meal, one will drink a pint of bear brewed according to an old
monastery recipe.
A two course meal can be started with żurek (a fermented
rye flour soup) or a beetroot soup, which is homemade and still
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5
available in the town’s markets. The taste is enriched by smoked
sausages already mentioned before.
The main course in Kraków since medieval times has been St.
Jack’s dumplings or grule – mountaineers’ potatoes sprinkled
with sheep’s cheese and served with Zator carp, famous in the
times of Bolesław III Wrymouth (12th century).
All meals are of course seasoned with salt from either Bochnia or Wieliczka.
For connoisseurs of a more fatty diet, kwaśnica is an excellent choice – a thick mountaineers’ soup made from sauerkraut
and pork ribs.
For desert one must not miss the Wadowice cream cake made
famous by Pope John Paul II.
Your thirst after the meal will be quenched by mineral water
from Krynica-Zdrój, Muszyna or Piwniczna. They will also prevent
stomach problems after too much indulgence in local cuisine.
For something a bit more fiery to add to your meal, Okocim
beer that has been brewed for the last 150 years will be an excellent choice, and in the evening you can ‘adorn your face’ with łącka
śliwowica – a drink with a very high alcohol content.
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PIEROGI (Dumplings)
Bake:
0.5 kg flour
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon of butter
1 glass of warm water, salt
Stuffing:
1 kg of potatoes
0.5 kg of cottage cheese
2 onions
salt, pepper
Boil potatoes in salty water until soft, mash and mix with cottage cheese until
blended. Dice the onions and fry until golden. Mix with the cheese and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Knead the flour, salt and egg yolk into
a soft dough while slowly adding hot water. Roll thin on a tabletop sprinkled
with flour. Use a glass to cut out small circles, put the stuffing inside and fold
and press the sides together. Put into hot boiling salty water. Serve topped
with butter and golden diced onion.
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4
1. The Małopolska Festival of Tastes –­ pretzels, photo by M. Zaręba
2. The Pierogi Festival, photo by J. Michalczak
3. Bunc, UMWM photo archive
4. The Małopolska Festival of Tastes –­ oscypek, photo by M. Zaręba
5. Regional preserves, photo by P. Droździk
KWAŚNICA (Sourkraut soup)
Ingredients:
0.5 kg sauerkraut
0.75 kg pork ribs
a handful of leafy vegetables
200 g (0.2 kg) of dried mushrooms
2 onions
garlic, pepper, salt
Simmer the meat and vegetables under cover until soft. Soak the mushrooms
separately, then slice and cook. Fry onions in oil, add sauerkraut, simmer together, and add mushrooms with water. Mix with the stock and boneless meat.
Boil everything together for half an hour; at the very end add garlic pounded
with salt and pepper and a few grains of cumin. Serve with potatoes.
Małopolska Tourist Information
PunktyPoints
Informacji Turystycznej
System
KraKów
InfoKraków, ul. Powiśle 11, 31-101 Kraków
\+48 513 099 688,
[email protected]
InfoKraków, ul. Św. Jana 2, 31-018 Kraków
\+48 12 421 77 87
InfoKraków Os. Słoneczne 16,
31-958 Kraków
\+48 12 643 03 03
InfoKraków, ul. Józefa 7, 31-056 Kraków
\+48 12 422 04 71
InfoKraków Sukiennice,
Rynek Główny 1/3, 31-042 Kraków
\+48 12 433 73 10
InfoKraków Sanktuarium w Łagiewnikach,
ul. Siostry Faustyny 3, 30-608 Kraków
\+48 12 263 60 64
InfoKraków, ul. Szpitalna 25,
31-024 Kraków
\+48 12 432 01 10 InfoKraków Pawilon Wyspiański
pl. Wszystkich Świętych 2, 31-004
\+48 12 616 18 86
InfoKraków Międzynarodowy Port
Lotniczy w Balicach, 32-083 Balice
\+48 12 285 53 41
Myślenice
Rynek 27, 32-400 Myślenice
\+48 12 272 23 12,
[email protected]
wiśniowa
Wiśniowa 301, 32-412 Wiśniowa
\+48 12 271 44 93,
[email protected]
Dobczyce
ul. Podgórska 1, 32-410 Dobczyce
\+48 12 271 01 53,
[email protected]
olKusz
ul. Floriańska 8, 32-300 Olkusz
\+48 32 72 43 282,
[email protected]
Miechów
Plac Kościuszki 1A, 32-200 Miechów
\+48 41 383 13 11,
[email protected]
Tarnów
Rynek 7, 33-100 Tarnów
\+48 14 688 90 90,
[email protected]
Tuchów
ul. Chopina 10, 33-170 Tuchów
\+48 14 652 54 36,
[email protected]
Dąbrowa TarnowsKa
ul. Polna 13, 33-200 Dąbrowa Tarnowska
\+48 14 657 00 07, [email protected]
waDowice
ul. Kościelna 4, 34-100 Wadowice
\+48 33 873 23 65, it.wadowice@msit.
malopolska.pl
anDrychów
Rynek 27, 34-120 Andrychów
\+48 33 842 99 36,
[email protected]
sucha besKiDzKa
ul. Zamkowa 1, 34-200 Sucha Beskidzka
\+48 33 874 26 05,
[email protected]
oświęciM
ul. St. Leszczyńskiej 12, 32-600 Oświęcim
\+48 33 843 00 91,
[email protected]
chrzanów
Aleja Henryka 40, 32-500 Chrzanów
\+48 32 623 20 44,
[email protected]
Trzebinia
ul. Kościuszki 74, 32-540 Trzebinia
\+48 32 612 14 97,
[email protected]
zaKopane
ul. Kościeliska 7, 34-500 Zakopane
\+48 18 201 20 04,
[email protected]
poronin
ul. Józefa Piłsudskiego 2, 34-520 Poronin
\+48 18 207 42 98,
[email protected]
wiTów
Witów 239A, 34-512 Witów
\+48 18 207 18 98,
[email protected]
biały Dunajec
ul. Jana Pawła II 363, 34-425 Biały Dunajec
\+48 18 200 16 90,
[email protected]
białKa TaTrzańsKa
ul. Środkowa 16, 34-405 Białka Tatrzańska
\+48 18 533 19 59,
[email protected]
nowy Targ
Rynek 1, 34-400 Nowy Targ
\+48 18 266 30 36,
[email protected]
r abKa-zDrój
ul. Parkowa 2, 34-700 Rabka-Zdrój
\+48 18 269 15 53,
[email protected]
nowy sącz
ul. Szwedzka 2, 33-300 Nowy Sącz
\+48 18 444 24 22,
[email protected]
Krynica-zDrój
ul. Zdrojowa 4/2, 33-380 Krynica-Zdrój
\+48 18 472 55 77,
[email protected]
liManowa
Rynek, 34-600 Limanowa
\+48 18 337 58 00,
[email protected]
biecz
Rynek 1, 38-340 Biecz
\+48 13 447 92 47,
[email protected]
sęKowa
Siary 19, 38-307 Sękowa
\+48 18 351 87 70,
[email protected]
64