Weekend trips MAŁOPOLSKA 14 UNESCO World Heritage List sites 255 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 6 geothermal pools Rafting down the Dunajec gorge 2600 km of bicycle trails 3360 km of mountain trails 65 ski stations www.visitmalopolska.pl fb.com/lubiemalopolske The project has been funded by Małopolska Region Rejkiawik IS MAŁOPOLSKA Weekend Trips FIN Helsinki N Oslo S Sztokholm Tallin EST RUS Ryga LV Dublin DK IRL Kopenhaga LT Wilno GB RUS Mińsk NL Londyn BY Amsterdam Berlin Bruksela Warszawa D PL B Kijów L Praga KRAKÓW Paryż Luksemburg UA CZ SK F FL Wiedeń Bratysława Berno MD Vaduz Budapeszt CH A H Kiszyniów Lublana SLO RO Zagrzeb San Bukareszt Marino HR AND Monako BIH Belgrad P E MC RSM Andora Sarajewo SRB Lizbona I At the Pieniny Mountain trail, photo by J. Gorlach Madryt MNE Sofia Priština BG Rzym Podgorica RKS Skopje V Tirana MK AL Table of Contents GR TR Chapter 1. A Weekend Trip around… Kraków . 2 Ateny Chapter 2. A Weekend Trip around… Tarnów . 12 Chapter 3. A Weekend Trip around… Nowy Sącz . 16 M Chapter 4. A Weekend Trip around… Zakopane . 20 he peaks of the High Tatra Mountains lost in the clouds, the Publisher Department of Tourism, Sport and Promotion at The Office of the Marshal white rocks of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland with the of the Małopolska Province, Regional Tourism Information System Team ul. Basztowa 22, 31-156 Kraków ruins of castles referred to as “Eagles’ Nests,” historic towns [email protected] T www.visitmalopolska.pl with old, charming tenement houses, green forests and woods… Fifth revised edition, 2017 All this is waiting for visitors who plan to expand their sightseeing Malopolska Tourist Organisation 4/13 Rynek Kleparski Street, 31-150 Kraków in Małopolska outside large cities. Once you have seen Tarnów and [email protected], www.mot.krakow.pl Nowy Sącz, once you have explored Zakopane and spent a few days Project coordinator: Agnieszka Bratek Text in Kraków, it is worth continuing your sightseeing further afield. Krzysztof Bzowski Around each of these urban centres, you will find a multitude of Publishing noteworthy places, and tourist trails that you can traverse, while ad- Amistad Sp. z o.o. – Program ul. Stolarska 13/7, 31-043 Kraków miring picturesque landscapes. tel./faks: + 48 12 4229922 [email protected], www.polskaturystyczna.pl Thanks to the rich topographical variety of Małopolska and its tur- Production management: Agnieszka Błaszczak, Małgorzata Czopik, Ewelina Wolna Project coordination: Katarzyna Thor bulent history, this region, like no other in Poland, can boast an enor- Publishing concept: Anna Niedźwieńska mous number of historic monuments and marvellous landscapes. Editor: Aurelia Hołubowska, Teresa Lachowska Proofreading: Agnieszka Szmuc, Paweł Sondej The present guide features short descriptions of suggested routes start- Cover design, graphic design: PART SA Maps: Wydawnictwo Kartograficzne Daunpol sp. z o.o. ing in each of the main tourist centres in Małopolska. These routes Typesetting, preparation for print: Michał Tincel Translation and proofreading: EuroInterpret Dominik Moser are best for one-day car trips, but many of them can be visited dur- ing hiking trips or bike rides. Some attractions are best admired from Publishing of revision: K. Syga, Virtual 3D the horseback or from the water, while sailing a yacht or kayaking. Kraków 2017, ISBN 978-83-65249-73-9 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. 1 Materials prepared as of 28 February 2017. "Wieliczka" Salt Mine, photo by K. Syga Niepołomice, photo by J. Podlecki Wawel Hill, photo by K. Bańkowski Pieskowa Rock, photo by M. Zaręba The Subterranean Salt Kingdom in Wieliczka A Weekend Trip around… About 12 km south of Kraków lies the town of Wieliczka, fea- Kraków turing the Salt Mine, established in the 13th century. The under- ground tourist trail that leads through a network of corridors, In the vicinity of Kraków you can find both rocky limestone huge chambers, and even chapels carved in salt (such as the Jurrasic valleys, as well as boggy plains covered with wild spectacular Chapel of St. Kinga with salt bas-reliefs and altars) forests. You can set out on a trip among the hills or spend is the main attraction of the salt mine apart from the under- some time in the kingdom of fishermen, that is, in the Carp ground Kraków Saltworks Museum. It houses a collection of Valley. Such landscape diversity offers great opportunities, exhibits devoted to the history and technology of salt mining. and if you add numerous historic buildings that can also be “On the surface above,” it is worth visiting the nearby Saltworks found here, you will realise with certainty that the vicinity of Castle (which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List Kraków is as interesting as the capital of Małopolska itself. in 2013) with the second part of the exhibition of the above- The Kraków-Częstochowa Upland is a perfect area to en- mentioned museum, featuring, among others, a collection of joy active outdoor leisure, especially hiking and cycling. about 600 salt shakers. A visit to Wieliczka can conclude with Here you can find Ojców National Park and a few landscape a walk around the nearby steep Górny Main Market Square. parks, protecting the picturesque region of the Krakowsko- From Wieliczka you can head 16 km south to the town of -Częstochowska Jurrasic Upland. It is also a great area for Dobczyce, passing by a small Romanesque church in Dzie- rock climbing and horse riding, e.g. along the Jurassic Horse kanowice on the way. A rocky hill in Dobczyce, by Dobczy- Riding Trail. ckie Lake, features the ruins of a royal castle. A small herit- Five out of fourteen Małopolska sites inscribed on the age park comprising several historic wooden buildings that UNESCO World Heritage List are located in the vicinity of have been transferred there, is located in front of the castle Kraków. These include: the Salt Mine gate. Nearby stands the Church of St. in Wieliczka, founded in the 13th cen- John the Baptist on Castle Hill in Dob- tury, the Saltworks Castle in Wieliczka, czyce, representing the Joseph II style the Salt Mine in Bochnia, the Mannerist (Baroque with elements of Classicism). Architectural and Park Landscape Com- Following a scenic route from Dob- plex and Pilgrimage Park in Kalwaria czyce along the shores of the barrier Zebrzydowska, and the Auschwitz-Birk- Dobczyckie Lake (a water source for enau German Nazi Concentration and Kraków), you can head to Myślenice. It Extermination Camp in Oświęcim. is a small town, beautifully located by the 2 3 Raba River at the foot of the Beskid Mountains. Worth seeing here are two Goth- ic churches, and the Greek House Regional Museum located in the 17th-centu- ry inn. The district of Zara- bie offers great sports are- as and walking promenades for those seeking outdoor activities. Alternatively, you can make a trip to the town of Niepołomice, located northeast of Wieliczka, fea- Castle in Pieskowa Skała and the Mace of Herkules, photo by D. Zaród turing a Renaissance roy- al castle with an arcaded Trail of the Eagles' Nests - courtyard and an interest- Ojców, Pieskowa Skała, Rabsztyn The Niepołomice Forest, a bison, UMWM photo archive ing museum that are worth visiting. The Gothic church, Northeast of Kraków stretches the picturesque Jurassic land founded by King Casimir the Great, is located in the town of the limestone Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. It is an ex- centre and features two chapels: the Renaissance Chapel of tensive plateau covered with rocky outliers and cut through the Branicki Family, and the Baroque Chapel of the Lubomir- by rocky gorges and deep valleys. The longest and the most ski Family. Beyond Niepołomice stretches the Niepołomice interesting one is the Prądnik River Valley. Its most scenic Forest with many tourist trails. Moreover, the oldest female area of highest natural value is now part of the protected convent in Małopolska, the Benedictine Convent in the vil- area of Ojców National Park. lage of Staniątki is also located in the vicinity of Niepołomice. Travelling from Kraków, it is best to visit Ojców, situated 25 km away. Here you can visit the ruins of the Royal Castle and the wooden Chapel on the Water, constructed directly Wieliczka Salt Mine, ul. Daniłowicza 10, Wieliczka, above the waters of the Prądnik River. Numerous tourist trails \+48 12 278 73 02, 12 278 73 33 or 12 278 73 66, run from Ojców, along the Prądnik Valley, to the foot of many =www.kopalnia.pl; visiting only with a guide rocky walls and crags, e.g. to the Kraków Gate at the end of Kraków Saltworks Museum, ul. Zamkowa 8, Wieliczka, Ciasne Skałki Gorge, and farther to King Łokietek Cave. In \+48 12 278 58 49, =www.muzeum.wieliczka.pl the vicinity, you can also follow an interesting educational Castle Museum and Heritage Park in Dobczyce, path up Okopy Mountain to Dark Cave or visit Sąspówka \+48 518 825 830 or 12 271 11 76 (branch office of PTTK), Gorge, a favourite place of the dam-building beavers. =www.zamek.dobczyce.pl. Visiting season is from April to In the northern part of the park you will find the famous October. outlier called the Mace of Hercules, and behind it, the mag- Niepołomice Museum in the Royal Castle, ul. Zamkowa nificent Castle in Pieskowa Skała, located on a cliff above 2, Niepołomice, \+48 12 261 98 51, =www.muzeum.nie- the Prądnik River and featuring an interesting museum of polomice.pl art style changes from the medieval times to the 19th centu- Greek House Regional Museum, ul.