155 The exterior of the manor is decorated with sgraffiti and topped with a parapet. The doors and fireplace inside are lavishly decorated with imaginative Mannerist ornaments carved in stone. The New Manor was built in the early 19th century. Its high hipped roof, and the entrance marked by a small portico supported by columns, make this building characteristic of Polish architecture of this type. Both manors are set in a picturesquely landscaped park, laid out in the 19th century. Next to Branice is the village of Ruszcza with the Church of St George. The church was built around 1420 by the Royal Master of the Pantry, Wierzbięta of Branice. His Gothic memorial plaque and the Baroque high altar are both of interest. Niepołomice 4 24 km (15 miles) southeast of Cracow. Station. minibus from Cracow’s Main Railway 7am–6pm from Cracow’s Main Railway Station. Church
daily. Castle Tel 012 281 11 17. 10am–5pm Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm Sat & Sun. The royal grounds in Niepołomice, situated on the outskirts of a vast woodland, were much favoured by Polish kings. They came here to rest and hunt, and developed magnificent buildings in the town they owned. The Gothic church in Niepołomice was founded by King Kazimierz the Great between 1350 and 1358. Like other sacred buildings founded by this sovereign, this church had two aisles separated by pillars. It was later rebuilt in the Baroque style. Fragments of the rich stone decoration from the interior of the medieval church have survived and are displayed in the Old Sacristy. Outstanding Gothic paintings made between 1370 and 1375 by an Italian master, commissioned by Princess Elźbieta (daughter of Władysław the Short), are also in the Old Sacristy. Next to the church are two mausolea of noble families, both in the form of chapels covered by domes. Built in 1596, the Branicki Chapel is the earlier of the two. It features an ornamental tomb made by the Italian architect and sculptor Santi Gucci in the Mannerist style. In the Chapel of the Lubomirski family, built in 1640, wall paintings depicting scenes from the life of St Carlo Borromeo are of interest. Late-Baroque altars were added in the 18th century. The hunting lodge in Niepołomice was originally built by Kazimierz the Great. It was transformed by Zygmunt August into a magnificent residence. The new castle was constructed between 1550 and 1571. Its regular plan and the central, square courtyard differ from other royal Renaissance houses in Poland. In 1637 massive stone arcades were added to the courtyard. Part of the castle is used to house the Museum of Hunting. The dense forest (Puszcza Niepołomicka), a favourite hunting ground of Polish kings, stretches right behind the town. Brown bears, bison, lynx,
Façade of the palace in Niepołomice, a residence of Polish kings wildcat and deer are known to have inhabited it. The forest is not so magnificent as it used to be, though wild areas have been preserved, including the bison sanctuary in the Proszowo forest
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Belfry by the Church of the Benedictine Nuns in Staniątki Staniątki 5 24 km (15miles) southeast of Cracow. Cracow’s Main Railway Station and Cracow-PlaszÓw. Church during services only. The Convent and Church of the Benedictine Nuns in Staniątki is not far from Niepołomice. The convent was founded in 1228 by Klemens of Ruszcza, Castellan of Cracow. The Church of St Mary and St Adalbert, dating from the same period, is Poland’s oldest hall-church (a type of church in which the aisles and nave are of the same height). The church is a brick structure. Its rather modest decoration is carved in stone. The interior was refurbished completely in the 18th century. The lavishly decorated organ gallery, added in 1705, and wall paintings executed in 1760 by the Rococo artist Andrzej Radwański of Cracow, are of great interest. 156 Wieliczka 6 12 km (7.5 miles) southeast of Cracow. Luxbus coaches from Cracow’s Main Railway Station. from Cracow’s Main Railway Station and Cracow-Płaszów. Salt Mines Daniłowicza 10. Tel 012 278 73 02. Apr–Oct: 7:30am–7:30pm daily; Nov–Mar: 8am–4pm daily. 1 Jan, Easter, 1 Nov, 24–25 & 31 Dec. wieliczka developed and was granted a municipal charter in 1290 due to her rich deposits of salt. Salt was probably excavated here as early as the 11th century. The Latin name for wieliczka was Magnum Sal (Great Salt) and indicated the importance of this mine in comparison to a smaller one in nearby Bochnia. According to a legend, the salt in Wieliczka constituted the dowry of St Kinga (Cunegunda) when she marrried Duke Bolesław the Chaste. The salt dowry was supposedly transposed magically from Hungary to Cracow for the wedding. The salt in Wieliczka was regarded for centuries as a major natural asset of the Kingdom of Poland. An enormous network of underground galleries and chambers was created here over the centuries. Salt was also used as a building material in the carving of underground chapels and altars in front of which the miners prayed for God’s providence and protection against accidents. The Wieliczka Salt Mine Museum is housed inside the mine. The exhibits on display illustrate the old mining methods and tools. A unique underground sanatorium is also housed here.
The Chapel of St Kinga in Wieliczka salt mine
The small chapel overhanging the mountain river in Ojców Ojców 7 24 km (15 miles) northwest of Cracow. from Cracow’s Main Coach Station. Ojców National Park Museum Tel 012 389 20 40 Apr–Oct. 9am–4.30pm daily; Nov–Mar. 8am–3pm Tue–Fri. Castle Tower May–Sat; Oct–Apr. 10am–3pm Mon–Sat.
The valley of the Prądnik river is the most beautiful part of the local uplands. The river eroded a deep gorge through the limestone. The steep cliffs are overgrown with trees through which rock formations – some of which resemble pulpits, organs and needles – can be seen. Kazimierz the Great had a number of hill-top castles built in the area to guard the western border of his Kingdom. These castles were called eagles’ nests. In 1956 part of the Prądnik valley was transformed into the Ojców National Park. Among the natural formations of particular interest is a cave, which is said to have provided protection to King Władysław the Short while he was in hiding from the Czech King Venceslaus. Kazimierz the Great, the son of Władysław the Short, built in Ojców one of the most important fortresses in Poland, of which only remnants have survived. Following the discovery of the healing properties of the local springs in the mid-19th century, the village at the foot of the castle was transformed into a spa, and therapy clinics were set up. Newly-built hotels imitated the architecture of luxurious foreign resorts. The Łokietek Hotel was regarded as the most sumptuous of all the buildings. It now houses the museum of the Ojców National Park. During the Partition era, the Tsarist authorities refused to give planning permission for a church. So only a small timber chapel was built in 1901 to 1902 overhanging the Prądnik river. Grodzisko 8 28 km (17 miles) northwest of Cracow. from Cracow’s Main Railway Station. Church 9–10am Sun. Grodzisko is situated not far from Ojców, on the opposite bank of the Prądnik river. The Convent of the Poor Clares was established here in 1262. Blessed Salomea, the sister of Duke bolesław the chaste, was the first Mother Superior. The nuns moved to Cracow in 1320 and the convent buildings fell into ruin. The cult of the Blessed Salomea developed over time, and in 1677 Canon Sebastian Piskorski transformed Grodzisko into a sanctuary devoted to this pious nun. He designed a complex hermitage consisting of a church and a number of chapels enclosed within a wall. This is a charming place with surprising Baroque ideas, some of which were borrowed from Bernini, the leading architect of Roman Baroque. The elephant bearing an obelisk, for example, was modelled on his art. 157
A room in the Pieskowa Skała Castle Pieskowa Skała 9 35 km (22 miles) northwest of Cracow. from Cracow’s Main Coach Station. Castle Tel 012 389 60 04. 10am–3:30pm Tue–Fri, 10am–5:30pm Sat, Sun (3:30pm Nov–May). free Wed. The castle in Pieskowa Skała was built by King Kazimierz the Great in the 14th century as an important part of the defence system on the Cracow-Częstochowa Uplands. It became private property in 1377. Between 1542 and 1544, extensive enlargement of the castle was undertaken by Stanisław Szafraniec and his wife, Anna Dębińska. The commission was probably given to the Italian architect Nicolo da Castiglione. The rock on which the castle was built determined the scale of its enlargement. Despite limited space, the architecture
Benedictine Abbey in Tyniec on the Vistula of the castle developed around a trapezium-shaped inner courtyard and included arcades, modelled on Wawel Castle, as well as a suite of rooms on the second floor with decorative ceilings. An external open gallery offering a view over the Prądnik valley was an interesting addition. A Gothic tower, later remodelled and covered with a Baroque dome, is a picturesque feature of Pieskowa Skała Castle’s irregular structure. The castle houses a museum affiliated to the Royal Castle at Wawel, which is dedicated to the history of Polish interiors from medieval times to the 19th century. Some lavish pieces of furniture, tapestries and other decorative objects, as well as paintings and sculptures, are on display. Of particular interest are paintings by 19th-century English artists. Tyniec 10 10 km (6 miles) west of Cracow. Tel 012 267 59 112. Benedictine Abbey Benedyktyńska 37.
77. 7:30am–6:30pm daily. The Benedictine Abbey at Tyniec is situated on a high rocky escarpment by the Vistula, west of Wawel. The monks were brought to Cracow in 1044, probably by King Kazimierz the Restorer. A Romanesque basilica was built here soon after. Only parts of the walls and a few architectural fragments of this basilica have survived. The new church and monastery were built in the 15th century. The church was remodelled in the early 17th century in the Baroque style, and magnificent stalls were added to the chancel. Large altars in black marble were made in the 18th century, possibly to designs by Francesco Placidi. In the 12th and 13th centuries, during the period when Poland was fragmented into principalities, Tyniec was transformed into a fortress and played an important role during the struggles for the crown of the suzerain province of Cracow. By the end of the 16th century the fortifications were extended. A number of gates linked through an angled corridor were introduced as part of a defence system modelled on Wawel. Tyniec was a strategic site and as a result often came under attack from the enemy. Today, the Benedictine Abbey is a picturesque sight. 158 The Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in Wadowice Wadowice 11 40 km (25 miles) southwest of Cracow. from Cracow’s Main Coach Station.
Family House of John Paul II Tel 033 326 62. May–Sep: 9am–1pm and 2–6pm daily; Oct–Apr: 9am–noon and 2– 6pm daily. Wadowice was first recorded in 1327, but the town came to international attention in 1978 when Karol Wojtyła, born here on 18 May 1920, was elected Pope. Almost immediately the town became a place of mass pilgrimage and the local sites associated with the Pope include the Baroque Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in Market Square, where he was baptised, and his family home, which now houses a museum dedicated to the pontiff. Another site associated with John Paul II is the monumental votive Church of St Peter the Arch-shepherd which was built on the outskirts of Wadowice in thanksgiving for the Pope’s survival of an assassination attempt on 13 May 1981. Designed by Ewa Węcławowicz-Gyurkovich and
Jacek Gyurkovich, the walls of its nave seem to give way under the power of light, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. The town has had a chequered history, especially in the last century. Whilst under German occupation during World War II, it was renamed Frauenstadt and the entire Jewish population was either executed or sent to nearby Auschwitz (see below). More recently, Wadowice has been growing as a tourist centre, replacing the local industries which collapsed in the newly democratic economy of the 1990s. Auschwitz (Oświęcim) 12 See pp160–63. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska 13 30 km (19 miles) sw of Cracow. from Main Coach Station or Cracow-Dębniki.
from Cracow’s Main Railway Station or Cracow-Płaszów. Bernardine Church 6am–7pm daily. Calavaries, or Ways of the Cross, were introduced in the 16th century and were built throughout Europe to commemorate the Passion and Death of Christ. The landscaping of Calvary grounds had to imitate the topography of Jerusalem. They consisted of structures commemorating the “tragedy of Salvation” and imitations of holy sites connected to the Virgin Mary. Poland’s first Calvary was built by Mikołaj Zebrzydowski from 1600 onwards. He located the chapels representing the Stations of the Cross along Christ’s route to Golgotha on the Żary Hill near his residence in Zebrzydowice. Mystery plays enacting Christ’s Passion are staged in Kalwaria during Holy Week. The “funeral of the Virgin” takes place on the feast of the Assumption. Crowds of pilgrims arrive to venerate the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, whose cult in the Bernardine Church goes back to the 17th century. Kalwaria is one of the main religious centres in Lesser Poland. It is also a place where the architectural heritage of Cracow’s environs is seen at its best. The Baroque façade of the early 17th-century Bernardine Church in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska