Wadowice

Situated 50 km away from Kraków, by the Skawa River at the foot of the picturesque mountain range of the Low Beskids, Wadowice is best known as the hometown of Karol Wojtyła, the late Pope, St. John Paul II. The house in which he was born in 1920, at the Market Square, next to the 17th century Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, now hosts a museum devoted to the Polish pontiff’s life and legacy. Visitors to Wadowice should also try the town’s famous cream cakes, Pope’s John Paul II favourite treat, now served in many of the town’s cafes.

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

The Mannerist architectural and landscape complex of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska dates back to the first half of the 17th century. It has been modelled on the hills of The Low Beskids mountains range to resemble the Mount Calvary in the Holy City of Jerusalem. The sanctuary consists of a Bernardine monastery and a number of churches, chapels and other architectural structures scattered along paths cut in the forest, on which pilgrims enact the mysteries of the Way of Cross to venerate the Passion of Jesus Christ and celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The forms of worship which have remained almost unchanged for over 400 years are still being practiced by thousands of pilgrims visiting each year this UNESCO World Heritage Site.