MAŁOPOLSKA Weekend trips 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 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 Wysowa-Zdrój 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 Madryt MNE Sofia Priština BG Rzym Podgorica RKS Skopje V Tirana MK AL GR TR Ateny M 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 Krzysztof Bzowski Photos S. Gacek, T. Gębuś, J. Gorlach, K. Gzyl, P. Mierniczak, J. Podlecki, M. Zaręba, D. Zaród, UMWM photo archive Publishing Amistad Sp. z o.o. – Program ul. Stolarska 13/7, 31-043 Kraków tel./faks: + 48 12 4229922 Małopolska [email protected], www.polskaturystyczna.pl Production management: Agnieszka Błaszczak, Małgorzata Czopik Capital of the region: Kraków Project coordination: Katarzyna Thor Major cities: Tarnów, Nowy Sącz, Oświęcim Publishing concept: Anna Niedźwieńska Surface area: 15,190 km2 (about 5% of the surface area of Poland) Editor: Aurelia Hołubowska Population: 3.28 mil. (about 8% of the population of Poland) Proofreading: Agnieszka Szmuc Landscape: Cover design, graphic design: PART SA the tallest peak – Rysy: 2499 m asl mountains – Tatras, Beskids, Pieniny, Maps: Wydawnictwo Kartograficzne Daunpol sp. z o.o. Typesetting, preparation for print: Michał Tincel Gorce foothills – Carpathian Foothills uplands – Kraków-Częstochowa Translation and proofreading: EuroInterpret Dominik Moser Upland lowlands – Vistula valley main rivers – Vistula, Dunajec, Poprad, Raba, Skawa, Biała water reservoirs – Czorsztyński, Rożnowski, Czchowski, Kraków 2010, ISBN 978-83-63091-13-2 Dobczycki, Klimkówka the highest located, cleanest lakes – Morskie Oko, 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. Czarny Staw, the lakes of the Valley of Five Polish Lakes the largest and Materials prepared as of 29 October 2010. deepest cave – Wielka Śnieżna Cave: over 22 km of corridors, 824 m deep MAŁOPOLSKA Weekend trips Planning the trip, photo by D. Zaród Table of contents Chapter I. Weekend trip around... Kraków . 2 Chapter II. Weekend trip around... Tarnów . 11 Chapter III. Weekend trip around... Nowy Sącz . 16 Chapter IV. Weekend trip around... Zakopane . 20 he peaks of the High Tatra Mountains lost in the clouds, the white rocks of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland with Truins of castles referred to as “eagles’ nests”, historic towns with old, charming tenement houses, green forests and woods… All are waiting for everyone who plans to expand their sightsee- ing in Małopolska outside big cities. Once you have have seen Tarnów and Nowy Sącz, once you have explored Zakopane and spent a few days in Kraków, it is worth continuing your sightsee- ing further afield. Around each of these areas you will find numer- ous places that are worth visiting and tourist trails hidden among picturesque landscapes. Owing to a rich topographical variety of Małopolska and a tur- bulent history, this region, like no other in Poland, can boast a huge number of historic monuments and marvellous landscapes. If you want to hike in the mountains, you should visit places around Za- kopane or Nowy Sącz. If historic places are what you are looking for, head for towns and villages surrounding Tarnów and Kraków. In this guide you will find short descriptions of suggested routes starting in each of the main tourist centres in Małopolska. These routes are best for one day car trips, but many of them can be walked or cycled. 1 Wawel Hill, photo by M. Zaręba Wieliczka Salt Mine, UMWM photo archive Pieskowa Skała, photo by M. Zaręba Niepołomice, photo by J. Podlecki Weekend around… Kraków The subterranean salt kingdom in Wieliczka In the vicinity of Kraków you can find both rocky limestone At the distance of 12 km south of Kraków lies the town of canyons, as well as boggy plains covered with wild forests. Wieliczka, where you will find a salt mine, founded in the You can set out on a trip among the hills or spend some 13th century, and now inscribed on the UNESCO list. The un- time in the kingdom of fishermen, that is in Dolina Karpia derground tourist route that leads through a network of cor- (Carp Valley). Such landscape diversity provides great op- ridors, huge chambers, and even chapels carved in salt (such portunities, and if you think of the built heritage that can as the spectacular Chapel of St. Kinga with salt bas-reliefs and also be found here, you will realise that Kraków’s neigh- altars) is the main attraction of the salt mine apart from the bourhood is no less interesting than the city itself. underground Muzeum Żup Krakowskich (Kraków Salt- Kraków-Częstochowa Upland is a perfect area to en- works Museum). It houses a collection of exhibits devoted joy active leisure, especially hiking and cycling. Here you to the history and technology of salt mining. “On the sur- can find Ojców National Park and a few landscape parks face” it is worth visiting the nearby Saltworks Castle (zamek protecting the picturesque region of Jura Krakowsko- żupny) with the second part of the exhibition of the above Częstochowska (Jurassic Highland). It is also a great area mentioned museum, which among other things, features for rock climbing and horse riding, e.g. along the Jurassic a collection of 400 salt shakers. You can also take a walk to Horse Riding Trail. the nearby sloping main market square. The most interesting historic heritage sites in the neigh- From Wieliczka you can head 16 km south for the town bourhood of Kraków are inscribed on the UNESCO list. These of Dobczyce, passing a small Romanesque church in include: a salt mine in Wieliczka, found- Dziekanowice. On a rocky hill in Dob- ed in the 13th century, a marvellous group czyce, by the Dobczyckie lake, the ru- of Calvary paths in Kalwaria Zebrzydows- ins of a royal castle have remained to ka, and an appalling memorial of the this day. A few old wooden buildings that World War II, the Auschwitz-Birkenau have been moved here make up a small concentration camp. The surroundings heritage park in front of the castle gate. of Kraków offer much more attractions, Nearby, you can also find a Baroque so you can be sure that a trip in any direc- church built from the stones acquired tion will not be a waste of time. after the demolition of castle’s walls. 2 3 An alternative route takes you from Wieliczka to Niepołomice (12 km to the east), where it is worth visiting a Renaissance roy- al castle with an arcaded courtyard and an interesting muse- um. In the town centre there is a Gothic church founded by king Casimir the Great with two chapels: a Renaissance one of the Bra- nicki family, and a Baroque one of the Lubomirski family. Beyond Niepołomice stretches the Niepołomice Forest with many tour- ist trails. In the neighbourhood, one can also find the oldest female convent in Małopolska – the Benedictine convent in Staniątki. Wieliczka Salt Mine, Tourist Route, ul. Daniłowicza 10, Wie- liczka, \ +48 12 2788302, / www.kopalnia.pl; › Apr–Oct, daily 7.30am–7.30pm; Nov–March 8am–5pm; visits only with a guide: Polish language speaking guide, PLN 50, conces- sions: PLN 37, foreign language speaking guide: PLN 65, con- cessions: PLN 51, photography and filming: PLN 10.Kraków Saltworks Museum, ul. Zamkowa 8, Wieliczka, \ +48 12 2783266, / www.muzeum.wieliczka.pl; › same as for the Tourist Route. Museum in Dobczyce Castle and Heritage Park, \ +48 12 2711455, / www.zamek.dobczy- ce.pl; › Apr and Oct, Tue–Sun 10am–4pm; May–Jun and Sept, Tue–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat–Sun 10am–6pm; Jul–Aug, Tue–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat–Sun 10am–8pm; PLN 6, con- cessions: PLN 4. Museum of Modern Art in Niepołomice, Castle in Pieskowa Skała and the Mace of Herkules, photo by D. Zaród in a castle, ul. Zamkowa 2, Niepołomice, \ +48 12 2619851, / www.muzeum.niepolomice.pl; › daily, 10am–5pm; A trip to Ojców and Pieskowa Skała PLN 3, concessions: PLN 2. To the north east of Kraków stretches the picturesque land of the Jurassic Highland, a limestone Kraków-Częstochowa Niepołomice Forest, a bison, UMWM photo archive Upland. It is an extensive plateau covered with rocky mon- adnocks that are cut through by rocky gorges and deep valleys. The longest and the most interesting one is Dolina Prądnika (Prądnik Valley). The protected area of Ojców Na- tional Park constitutes its most scenic and precious part. Travelling from Kraków it is best to go to Ojców, situat- ed 25 km away. Here you can visit the ruins of a royal cas- tle and the wooden chapel on water constructed direct- ly above the waters of the Prądnik river. Numerous tourist routes lead from Ojców, along the Prądnik Valley, to the foot of many rocky walls and crags, e.g.