Malopolska (Poland): what to see in the historic region


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What to see in the Malopolska region, attractions and places to visit in the territory of this historic region of Poland between art and nature.


Tourist information

Malopolska, a name that means Lesser Poland, is a historic region in the central-southern area of ​​the nation, extended between the Tatra mountains and the Vistula valley with a series of highlands and hills, up to the border with Slovakia.

A territory rich in parks and natural reserves, with many picturesque places to admire, historic cities, castles, churches and sanctuaries, which are part of the great cultural and historical heritage of Poland.


The beautiful city of Krakow, the center of Malopolska, the nearby Wieliczka salt mine, and other sites in this region are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

About 50 km from Krakow is Wadowice, the birthplace of John Paul II, to whose memory are linked the Shrine of Our Lady of the Angels of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, and the Shrine of Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, symbolic and pilgrimage sites for the Polish people.

Near the town of Oswiecim, about 70 km from Krakow, there is Auschwitz-Birkenau, the monstrous concentration camp built by the Nazis during the Second World War, which has now become a place dedicated to the memory of deportees and victims.


What see

From a naturalistic point of view, the Tatra Mountains mountain range offers the opportunity to practice winter and summer sports in the midst of very suggestive mountain landscapes.

The town of Zakopane, the ideal starting point to stay and visit these enchanting places, which is located between 800 and 1100 meters above sea level, dates back to the second half of the seventeenth century, but began to establish itself under the tourist aspect between the end of the nineteenth century and the twentieth century, when among other things, in reference to the particular architecture of its houses, the Zakopane style was born, an architectural style typical of this locality, created by Stanislaw Witkiewicz, painter, writer and architect.

To stay on an architectural theme, the Malopolska region offers a very interesting itinerary, which concerns 252 wooden buildings, some belonging to Unesco, such as the parish church of San Michele Arcangelo in Binarowa, the Parish Church of San Michele Arcangelo in Debno Podhalanskie , the Church of San Leonardo in Lipnica Murowana and the Church of San Filippo and San Giacomo in Sekowa.

The route is signposted and affects the surroundings of Krakow, Tarnów, Sacz and Gorlice, crossing the beautiful landscapes of Orawa, Podhale, Spisz and Pieniny.

Malopolska Region of Culture (March 2024)


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