Tradition, history, pride
Cities of multi-century long history and tradition, top-notch monuments, health resorts, sanctuaries, regions of magnificent landscapes… Lesser Poland province voivodeship. You can actually find everything here, literally speaking. In terms of tourism it is one of the most attractive regions of Poland. Famous Poles, Wawel, the Main Market Square, Wieliczka…
Cracovie
Lesser Poland’s capital, Cracow, is a city of several-hundred years of tradition and one of the most frequently visited by domestic and foreign tourists. The former capital of Poland attracts with its fascinating history and remarkable, diverse architecture. Royal Castle – Wawel, St. Mary’s Basilica, Cloth Hall, these are just some of the examples of ancient builders’ skill. Dozens of textbooks have been written about Cracow, it was glorified in prose, poetry, songs and films, and its panorama was painted on pictures. Churches, monuments, museums, theatres, you could count them forever. A city of students, festivals, concerts and meetings. One of the cultural centers of the country.
The earth’s salt, folklore traditions
To the southern east of Cracow, in Wieliczka, there is a well-known tourist attraction – a salt mine. It has been functioning since the XIIIth century and is one of the must-sees on the tourist map of Poland, entered into the UNESCO list. Apart from Cracow and Wieliczka there are other urban complexes rich in architectural monuments, like Tarnów or Stary Sącz and Nowy Sącz. Not only ancient architecture invites to visit the region. Lesser Poland is a birthplace of Polish tradition and folk art as well as folklore. Up to this day in Podhale, Orava and Spiš folk traditions are still cultivated, unchanged through several hundred years. Architecture and folk art of this region are a significant element of Polish culture.
Podhale and Gorals
Podhale is another countrywide-known region of Poland, traditionally linked to winter sports. Zakopane – the capital of winter sports, offers numerous ski-lifts and cable railways, whilst in summer it is a perfect area for hiking, which is enormously popular due to incredibly beautiful landscapes and numerous, well signed Tatra trails. Tatra Mountains, by the way, are among the most beautiful Polish regions, rich in magnificent landscapes, rare flora and unique fauna. Only in Tatra National Park you can see a protected Swiss Pine or Edelweiss, while when on a trail towards Morskie Oko you might stand face to face with a brown bear. Now this is something we do not recommend as a bear is both wild and dangerous animal. Agile fellows might try catching up with chamois running up and down the steep slopes.
Limestone hills
Apart from the highest Polish mountains Lesser Poland encompasses mild hills, like Beskid Sądecki or Beskid Wyspowy. An undisputed tourist attraction is definitely an enormous region called Polish Jurassic Highland or Cracow-Częstochowa Upland (also known as Polish Jura). It is cut by a ridge of jurassic limestone hills and rocks, approximately three hundred to five hundred-meters high. The area attracts crowds of climbing enthusiasts and speleologists due to numerous caves found there as well. It is here, where the Ojców National Park and the complex of Jurassic Landscape Parks are located. The Trail of the Eagles’ Nests offers a view of ruins of XVIth century castle in Ogrodzieniec. We recommend you to visit a well-kept castle in Pieskowa Skała. When writing about Lesser Poland you cannot fail to mention the only Polish desert – Błędów Desert, which is a nature monument and Poland’s remarkable landscape sensation.
Get healthier
An enormously diverse region, in terms of tourist attractions, is also well-known for health resorts spots, like Rabka, Krynica or Szczawnica, where numerous springs of medicinal waters can be found. It is nowhere else but in Lesser Poland, where the greatest pump room-orangery in Europe, with marvelous medicinal waters, is located. Health resorts are specialized in treatment of nervous system diseases, respiratory tract catarrhs, asthma, skin diseases and obesity.
The most prominent health resorts include:
Krynica-Zdrój
Muszyna
Piwniczna-Zdrój
Rabka-Zdrój
Szczawnica
Wapienne
Żegiestów
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