Things to see and do Little Poland

Here you will find a presentation of the park's natural treasures as well as an explanatory film in English. Also a tourist information center, this is where you can find all the information you need to visit the Roztocze Park, whose forests, often of a primitive character, have greatly contributed to the creation of the natural park in 1974. We recommend it before venturing into the depths of the park.

This monastery dates from the 17th century. It is accessed by a covered staircase dating from 1699. One can enter the courtyard and ask to see the well, which is located in a second courtyard further in the compound. During World War II, the building was requisitioned as the headquarters of the Gestapo, and the Nazis used the headstones of the Jewish cemetery as partitions between the prison cells they created in the basement of the monastery. Since then, the monks have been trying to consecrate the place again in peace.

Among the few Jewish relics in Chełm, one cannot miss the Little Synagogue (Synagoga Mała). Built between 1912 and 1914, its façade is richly decorated and enriched with Art Nouveau elements. In the past, there was a second synagogue, which was destroyed during the Second World War. The synagogue was the object of an international scandal after it was bought in 2004 to install a restaurant despite its categorization as a place of worship. Jews from all over the world entered into a heated debate that ultimately did not change the fate of the site.

The Jewish community was quite important in the town. It had a synagogue and contributed to the dynamism of this rural town. Unfortunately, the Nazi barbarism reserved it a fate as fatal as the neighboring towns. Of these centuries of cohabitation, there is not much left, not even a cemetery, dismantled by the occupier. The monument that bears the name "Wailing Wall" stands on the site of this former burial ground.

Located on a hilltop and completely abandoned since the last survivors of the Holocaust left the area, you will see beautiful graves, some dating back to the 17th century. The Jewish cemetery in Szczebrzeszyn was established in the late 15th century. About 400 visible matzevot have survived to date, the oldest dating from 1545. In early 2021, the Coalition of Custodians of Jewish Cemeteries in Poland was formed and took on the responsibility of restoring and maintaining the one in Szczebrzeszyn. It is a quick visit.

Built in 1325, this is the oldest place of worship in the city. First of Gothic style, it was redesigned during the Renaissance after a fire in 1561, in the style of Lublin. Inside, the arch of the church is covered with geometric decorations, such as circles, squares, hearts, stars and rosaces. It houses an organ of 1620, among the oldest in Poland. It is closed outside offices, which are held twice a day at 9 a. m. and 6 p. m. The church was completely restored in the 2010 s.

This small baroque church, built in the 18th century, is an integral part of the Zamoyski residence. It is situated in a beautiful setting on a small island connected by a bridge. This is where the name "Chapel on the Water" (Kaplica na wodzie) comes from. The place lends itself beautifully to a gentle reverie worthy of the greatest romantics of the 19th century. The interior of the church is a delightful mixture of fresh paint and a slight air of abandonment.

Here's an address to remember! To prepare your visit to the town and its surroundings, head to this small tourist office. The welcome is always very professional, and you'll find plenty of information about Chełm and the surrounding area, as well as advice on how to prepare your walks, find an address to drop your suitcases or a good table to recover from the day's activities. In short, this tourist information center is really very practical.

The regional museum occupies the halls of a former monastery and is mainly concerned with contemporary painting. The museum has several branches, including the archaeological and ethnological section (ul. Lubelska 56), which exhibits various objects from the Stone Age onwards and houses temporary exhibitions. The historical section (ul. Lubelska 57) is devoted to the history of the city between 1392 and 1944. The Chapel of St. Nicholas (ul. Św. Mikołaja 4) exhibits religious art from the 18th to the 20th century. Classical music concerts are held here.

Located south of the city, beyond the Szczebrzeska Gate, in a wooded park, this 19th-century circular fort was part of the fortifications and served as a powder magazine. The red-brick fort became the site of mass executions by the Nazis during World War II. About 8,000 people were murdered. Today on the site, a cemetery honors the martyrs, and a museum recalls this painful period in the history of the city.

The museum is housed in the former Gestapo prison, the "house under the clock". The exhibition is dedicated to the martyrdom of the Poles during the Second World War. It's a small exhibition, partly financed by the European Union. The building was the scene of the cruellest tortures. The cell windows were barricaded and covered with earth, and despite the thick walls, the screams of the tortured reached the cells. It is estimated that two hundred people were murdered in the two years of operation.

Located on the second floor of the Cloth Hall, this museum, a branch of the National Museum, boasts a fine collection of ^19th-century Polish paintings, including works by Jan Matejko, the national Romantic painter, and Piotr Michałowski, the great painter of horses and riders. There are also paintings by Malczewski, Gierymski, Witkacy and Chełmoński, representing the realist and impressionist currents. A café is located on the panoramic terrace.

Underground tunnels dug in the chalky rock, spread over five levels and tens of kilometers. Unique in the world, this labyrinth comes from an old chalk mine, whose exploitation started at the beginning of the 13th century and continued for hundreds of years. Forgotten until the collapse of a road in 1960, the labyrinth was soon opened to the public. During the visit, geological, archaeological and historical exhibitions follow one another.

The ruins of this castle, the largest and most beautiful in the Cracovian Jura, stand 2 kilometers from Ogrodzieniec, in Podzamcze, on the road to Pilica. Built in the ^14th century on the highest hill in the region, it was remodeled in the ^16th century in Renaissance style. Its purpose was to protect southern Poland from Czech and Tatar attacks. Ransacked and pillaged following the Swedish invasion, it was abandoned in 1810.

At the entrance, on the left, are the former stables. In front of the same gates, a small fragment of the moat remains. The château's courtyard is impressive for its size, its protective wall and the huge white boulders built into the wall. A path leads to the ruins, which you enter through a well-preserved gate. You enter the château via a tower that opens onto the inner courtyard. This leads to the kitchen with its well, the bedrooms and toilets, the refectory... The château also contains basements and a tower from which you can admire the surrounding area. Its construction is perfectly integrated into the natural rock. During the high season, the castle hosts knights' shows every Sunday.

The fortress (2 km from the castle) Built of wood, it lets you imagine what a bastion looked like under the Piasts dynasty. It also offers a fine view of the castle. Not an essential visit, but it does offer another view of ^13th-century defense systems.

On the top of the castle hill (Góra Zamkowa) stands this graceful 17th century basilica. It acquired its Baroque style during its reconstruction in 1735-1756.

The buildings surrounding it are part of a religious complex, formerly a bishop's palace (built in 1771) and monastery (1640-1649). At the foot of the basilica, on the right, you will see the ruins of a medieval fortress from the 10th century, which disappeared a long time ago.

Built between 1610 and 1638 in the Lublin Renaissance style, it belonged to the Franciscans. After the departure of the Franciscans from the monastery to which it belonged in 1783, military barracks were set up in the adjacent buildings and in 1812 a hospital was built. In 1888, the church was transformed into an Orthodox church and was run by nuns before being returned to Catholic hands. Today the church has a beautiful and imposing interior. The decorations are numerous, especially the frescoes.

The present Gothic building was built by King Casimir the Great in 1360. The exterior facade has retained its authenticity, but the interior has been redone several times. The interior is decorated with rococo altars, in black or pink marble. On the walls of the nave, paintings represent the destruction of the city by the Tatars and the Swedes. Others, grouped under the name of Kalendarium predicts in twelve parts the way in which everyone will die.

The palace was built in the years 1736-1742 and features a lavish French-style park, perfectly preserved baroque interiors and a beautiful rococo façade. The museum also has a fantastic collection of socialist realism paintings and sculptures, with representations of the great figures of world socialism, led by Stalin and Mao Zedong, but also scenes of everyday life under communism. It is an amusing contrast that is played out in the best preserved noble residence in Poland.

This place of worship built at the beginning of the seventeenth century has known degradations and humiliations common to the period of the Second World War and the Nazi hatred. The synagogue was even burned before the conflict ended and is now a shadow of its former self. The local authorities made the effort to restore and renovate it, partially, during the 1960s. Although it is not open to Jewish worship, the community having disappeared like everywhere else, it now houses the city's cultural center.

Built by the architect Tylman Van Gameren between 1676 and 1679, this magnificent palace has been redesigned several times before acquiring its final neo-classical appearance. Today it hosts an agronomic research institute and cannot be visited. The palace is located in the middle of a beautiful English park, wanted by the Princess Izabela Czartoryska in the eighteenth century. This beautiful green space has many pavilions that host temporary exhibitions in summer, or classical music concerts.

Gothic house. Opened in 1809, the Gothic house (Dom goticki) was used mainly for art exhibitions from abroad. Here was also the Lady at the Hammerard de Vinci. Following the insurrection of November 1830, most of the collection was transported to France, where Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, the last owner of Pulawy, exile. At the end of the nineteenth century, Władysław Czartoryski brings the collection to Krakow, where it is to date. Today, the Gothic house displays a collection of objects from the Czartoryski family, including many portraits.

Sybille Temple (Şwiatinia Sybilli). It was built in 1798-1801 on the model of Tivoli Temple near Rome; It is the most important historical monument in the city. According to Princess Izabela Czartoryska, who asked the foundation, he had to serve as a temple of memory. Here, the objects of the Sieniawski, Lubomirski, Czartoryski and other Polish nobles were exposed to remind everyone of the greatness of the Polish nation. In 1830, before the uprising in November, the collections were transported to Paris, and then to Krakow, where they became the nucleus of the Museum of the Czartoryski Princes.

Caves. In the north-west of the palace, along the Vistule, we arrived at caves (groty, 3.50 zl, tickets for sale at PTTK office, flares supplied), created in 1791 when Izabela decided to enlarge limestone quarries.

Regional Museum (Muzeum Czartoryskich w Puławach, ul. Czartoryskich 8). 200 m north of the palace, presents an ethnographic and archeological collection. Between May and October, part of the collection is exposed to the Gothic house and the Sybille temple.

Chapel Czartoryski. 200 m further, on Piłsudskiego Street, is the Czartoryski chapel, dating from the beginning of the nineteenth century, a copy of the Roman pantheon. It is a pity that interior parts are no longer of origin, but we will still appreciate the quality of the interior decoration.

Here you will find all the necessary information to visit the Wieliczka salt mines including accomplishing therapeutic stays here. You can also buy the entrance tickets at mine in advance.

In the center of the old town, this trapezoidal square is surrounded by beautiful Renaissance-style facades. Among the most beautiful houses are those of the Przybyla brothers, located next to each other at numbers 1 and 2. In the direction of the parish church, there is a bronze statue of a small sitting dog. Legend has it that if you stroke its nose while making a wish, it will come true. This statue represents the dog that came every day from Janowiec, on the other bank of the Vistula River, which it swam across, to be stroked.

This museum, housed in one of the two white buildings that face each other next to the village's paid parking lot, exhibits collections of geology, archaeology, zoology and botany of the park. From there, there are marked paths that lead to the different natural curiosities (rocks, caves, gorges). It is an entertaining stop for those who want to discover what they are dealing with in the park, but certainly not necessary to enjoy it.

This historic brewery dates back to 1802 and is the most famous beer house in Poland. The group of buildings includes the brewery, the cooperage, the porter's lodge and the director's house (1889-1890). Guided tours are organized from May to the end of September with the classic tour/tasting (tours only in Polish). It is also the main meeting place of the city! There is a popular beer garden and an open-air cinema that operates in the summer and offers a good selection of films, both documentary and original.

Built in 1640, the Kupa synagogue was the last to be built for the Jews of Kazimierz. It owes its current appearance to renovation work in the 1930s and to the restoration undertaken in the years 1990-2000. The impressive polychromy of the ceiling with representations of the cities of the Holy Land, and the paintings with the signs of the zodiac decorating the balustrade of the gallery are noteworthy. A fragment of the old medieval ghetto wall can be seen in the inner courtyard on the Warschauera Street side.

Built in 1860-1862 in the neo-Romanesque style with interiors inspired by Moorish art, it is, along with the Remu'h synagogue, one of the two synagogues still active in Krakow. Also called the "progressive synagogue", it was attended by maskilim Jews, "enlightened" in the sense of "opposed to the precepts of the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic" who, at the time, were linked to the Remu'h synagogue. A ritual bath, the mikva, was located behind the synagogue and remained in operation until the late 1960s.

At the end of Grodzka Street, before arriving in front of the Wawel, this wooden cross, installed in 1990, commemorates the victims of the Katyn massacre in 1940, when 22,000 Polish officers and managers were murdered on Stalin's orders and their families deported to Kazakhstan. Despite the evidence, the Communist authorities believe that it was a Nazi atrocity and it was not until the fall of the USSR that Boris Yeltsin acknowledged Moscow's responsibility.

This museum traces the life of Józef Czapski, an exiled Polish painter and writer whose biography is emblematic of an entire generation of patriotic intellectuals who fell victim to both the Nazis and the Soviets. Archival footage, video interviews, archive documents and his personal effects explain the changing geopolitical situation in Europe during the life of Czapski, survivor of the Katyń massacre. Personal objects include a superb collection of coins, medals and banknotes.

In the castle's basement kitchens, you'll find an astonishing exhibition that aims to reconstruct what Wawel Hill looked like a thousand years ago. Models and computer representations illustrate parts of buildings that no longer exist, hence the unusual name of this museum. Also on display are the reconstructed foundations of the Rotunda of the Virgin Mary, the oldest stone church built on the hill in the early ^11th century.

The first floor boasts a magnificent collection of Orthodox art from the Czech Republic, including icons and cult objects from the ^16th-17th centuries and an ^18th-century iconostasis. The collections on the second floor are devoted to Polish art from the ^12th to the ^18th centuries. Enthusiasts can really spend hours in this museum, while the more layperson will come away impressed. A must-see in Krakow.

This small and unusual museum offers an interesting collection of old objects used by pharmacists, some of which date back to the 16th century. Founded in 1946, it is located in a magnificent 15th century building. Among other things, it houses a reconstruction of a 17th century pharmacy and an apothecary's cellar. It is ideal for pharmacy enthusiasts who wish to discover the history of pharmacy from the Middle Ages to the present day. The others, you can pass your way without regrets, there is nothing here that is absolutely necessary to see.

It is the newest mound in Krakow as well as the highest in Poland. It was erected in honor of Marshal Józef Piłsudski after his death in 1935 using soil from World War I battlefields. It is located 1 kilometer north of the zoo. It can also be reached by following the marked trail from the Kościuszko Mound. It was the subject of a real memorial battle: the Nazis thought of razing it in 1941 and the communists removed the cross from its top.

Nice bike ride through the old town, Kazimierz and Podgórze. The tour is in English and really good quality. The guides alternate a description of the history of the city with amusing anecdotes and practical tips for enjoying it. The average group size is 8 to 12 people, which is more intimate and allows you to feel comfortable asking questions. Beware, the tour lasts about 3h30, which can be a bit long! A perfect tone for a relaxed and fun tour!

This artillery tower was built around 1460, during the reign of Casimir IV Jagellon, to reinforce the castle's defenses. In times of peace, it was used as a prison. From its summit, you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the city.

It's one of Poland's most beautiful neo-Gothic buildings. Delicate, sublime, romantic, this church captivates with its architectural harmony. It took five years to build this masterpiece, consecrated on October 24, 1909. More beautiful on the outside than on the inside, it nevertheless boasts a number of marvels, including a relief by Vit Wisz and Marian Krzyk, depicting The Marriage of St. Joseph and the Mother of God. Behind the main altar, you can also admire Sigismund Langman's image of Christ crucified in 1909.

From Rękawka Street to the left of house n. 22, a small trail leads towards a wooded hill with a rather bucolic framework. Here, the little church of Saint Benedict, one of the oldest in Krakow. Its construction, dated by archeologists in the twelfth century, remains wrapped in mystery. This Romanesque church, redesigned several times, especially in the sixteenth century, may have been founded by the Benedictine Benedictines, as suggested by the name of the saint to whom it is devoted. The fort of Saint Benedict was built in 1850 by the Austrians to reinforce the defense of the bridge on Vistule. If we continue south, we arrive at the old cemetery of Podgórze, located at the intersection of the streets Limanowskiego and Powstańców Śląskich. Probably created in 1790, it is the oldest cemetery in Krakow, where the heroes of the 1846 insurgency against the Austrians, as well as many Polish artists, are resting. South of the cemetery, a pedestrian bridge crosses the Powstańców Śląskich Street, along which there is a huge fresco on the history of Krakow. Once crossing the bridge, we arrive at Krak's tertre and, behind, at the camp of Płaszów.

Built by King Casimir the Great on the model of the Church of Our Lady on the Rynek, this church remains, despite its troubled history, one of the finest examples of Gothic style in Krakow. From the mid-15th to the mid-18th century, earthquakes, floods and fires followed one another until, in the first half of the 19th century, it was converted into an arsenal by the Austrians. This explains its bare interior. It has excellent acoustics and is therefore often used for concerts.

The Rynek is the main square of Sandomierz, set on a singular slope and surrounded by beautiful bourgeois houses where Gothic and classical styles alternate. Very beautiful is the Oleśnicki house at No. 10, the former post office. In the center of the square stands a beautiful town hall, one of the most beautiful Renaissance-style town halls in Poland. Its origin is said to date back to the 13th century, and it now houses a rather interesting, though very small, Historical Museum of the city.

In the heart of a lush park, you'll find numerous sculptures by Polish artists, most of them surprising works that will tickle your curiosity. The Center's collections include hundreds of sculptures. The collections also include paintings, drawings and tapestries. Exhibitions are scattered throughout the manor complex, which also includes an orangery, chapel, annex, attic, coach house and stables.

Located on the banks of the Vistula, this fortified monastery town dates from the 13th century. It was here that the "Dames of Zwierzyniec", also known as the Norbertine sisters, settled. At that time, the convent welcomed young noble girls and was often run by superiors from princely families. Every year, on Easter Monday, a big fair, called Emaus, is held in the vicinity of the monastery. It is also the starting point for the famous Lajkonik festival.

The Plaszów camp was built in 1942 on top of two Jewish cemeteries whose gravestones(matzevahs) were used by the Nazis to make roads. In 1944 it became an extermination camp and more than 50,000 prisoners are believed to have disappeared there. At ul. Jerozolimska n. 3, you can see the house that housed a prison and torture rooms. In ul. Heltmana n. 22, was the residence of Amon Goeth, the SS officer in charge of the camp, known for his cruelty and executed in 1946.

The Cricoteka, one of the city's major cultural centers, occupies the buildings of the former Podgórze power plant. The permanent exhibition presents the work of Tadeusz Kantor (1915-1990), one of the greatest theater artists and reformers of the 20th century. Sets, props, sketches, photographs and recordings of his performances show the successive stages of his theater's development. The café on the top floor offers a superb panoramic view of this stunning post-industrial complex.

Built in 1644 by the rich merchant Isaac Jakubowicz, it is the most beautiful of the Kazimierz synagogues. In 1924, a double staircase was added to the façade to allow women to reach the gallery reserved for them. Today there is also a kosher restaurant. Every Monday, Thursday and Sunday at 6 pm, klezmer music concerts are held here. Tickets can be purchased in the synagogue or in tourist offices (around 60 zl).

In this seventeenth century building, successively a convent and then a prison, there is a presentation of the Little Poland of the Paleolithic at the beginning of the Middle Ages, as well as the archeological excavations of the site of Nowa Huta prior to the installation of the industries. Another unusual object and centerpiece of the museum, the only statue of a pagan god, called «Swiatowid Zbruczanski». This stone phallus sculpted on four faces measures 2.50 meters and was found in the Zbrucz River in Ukraine in 1848. The museum has a beautiful rose garden.

Located between the steel mill and Mogiła, this mound was probably built in the 8th century. It is connected with the legend of Princess Wanda, daughter of King Krak. According to the legend, the German prince Rytgier threatened to attack Kraków if she refused to become his wife. Wanda chose to throw herself into the Vistula River rather than give in, thus becoming a symbol of national independence. At the top of the mound stands a monument designed by the painter Jan Matejko.

The old market square of the city is the heart of the district. Lined with houses dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is dominated by the church of St. Joseph, with its majestic octagonal tower of 74 meters. In the square is also the old town hall dating from the mid-nineteenth century with its richly decorated facade. This square is gradually becoming the trendy heart of Krakow, as residents migrate to this new district.

An interactive and educational park named Stanisław Lem, famous Polish author of science fiction. Several optical illusion games involving the use of the laws of physics. Possibility of guided tours in English for 25 zl, to book three days in advance.

Built between 1556 and 1563, it takes its name from the location of the prayer room, which was high above the street. Destroyed during the Second World War, it was used for a long time as a warehouse. Since 2005, an exhibition on Jewish history and culture and a well-stocked Jewish bookstore can be visited. Its austere façade has been preserved, with three large semicircular windows framed by four large buttresses.

Spread over 422 hectares, the Wolski forest estate is a real forest at the gateway to the city. A number of trails, a bike path and a cross-country ski trail have been laid out among beech, oak and birch trees. A popular destination for Sunday hikers, the Wolski estate is also well known for its Ogród Zoologiczny (Zoological Park) in the heart of nature. The zoo is home to 250 different species and a total of 1,500 animals, including Przewalski horses, wallabies, hippopotamuses and more... (admission: 40 zl).