Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

Day Trips

Wadowice is a small city situated 50 kilometers from Krakow. Here Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II was born. The tour includes a visit to the Family Home of John Paul II, now a museum which provides exhibits of the future Pope's domestic life. The next place you will visit is the Basilica of the Offering of the Blessed Virgin Mary- an ornate Church where Karol Wojtyła was baptized and confirmed.  Finally head to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, a pilgrimage town founded in 1601 and best known for the Bernardine (Grey Friar) Monastery and its complex of 42 Chapels and Churches. Oficially called the Cultural & Landscape Complex of Monastery and Pilgrimage Park of the Bernardine Fathers, this amazing place was added to the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1999. Be sure to visit the 17th century Baroque Church famous for its miraculous painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Kalwaria (Polish for Calvary).

To make the most of your day, the recommended pick-up time is around 9:00 am. Spend around 2 hours in Wadowice, 1 hour in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and 1 hour in the Divine Mercy Sanctuary and John Paul II center in Krakow - Lagiewniki. Finally you will be dropped off at your hotel or apartment in central Krakow. The first stop of your tour is in Wadowice Town of John Paul II, situated in southern Poland, where John Paul II was born. Explore the John Paul II museum, established in the Pope's family home, with an interactive exhibition about his life from a toddler, through his studies, the Second World War, his period as a priest and the attempt against his life. On the journey back to Krakow, stop at Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Sancturay, the second most frequently visited pilgrimage sanctuary in Poland, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Over a million visitors come to this holy place every year. Travel to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy and John Paul II center in Łagiewniki. Pay tribute to the relics of the Pope and St. Faustyna Kowalska, who was canonized by John Paul II and admire the impressive basilica consecrated by the Pope in 2002.

Get picked up in the morning and head to Wadowice, the city where John Paul II was born and raised. Visit the location where, in the place of his former residence, a museum was opened in his memory. His timeless message has been delivered to people around the world and exhibits his incredible wisdom and understanding of contemporary problems, which makes this place a popular destination for many Catholics. Of course, also while in Wadowice, don't miss the famous papal fondant. The next stop is Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Sanctuary and Park, which can be found on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. It is regarded as the Polish Calvary Hill. The final stop is in Krakow at Divine Mercy Sanctuary, a location near and dear to the Pope’s heart, as the remains of Saint Faustina Kowalska rest there. After the tour, get dropped off at your hotel in Krakow in the afternoon.

Your tour begins with a visit to Łagiewniki, which is connected with the cult of the Divine Mercy, the grave of St. Faustina Kowalska and St. John Paul II. Here you can find the Divine Mercy Sanctuary and the “Have No Fear!” John Paul II Center, a center in Kraków dedicated to the life and work of Pope John Paul II, which also houses his relic, a glass capsule of his blood. On the way to Wadowice, "the place where it all began", you will visit the Sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. In Wadowice, the pope's hometown, you will see the places dearest to Karol Wojtyła during his childhood and adolescence, including the parish church where he was baptized and the house where he was born, which is now a museum. Finally, visit the Archbishop's Palace which was Wojtyła's last residence before leaving for the Vatican in 1978. There one can see the famous "papal window", where John Paul II used to show up to chat and chant with the youth of Kraków during all his visits and where thousands of people lit candles and prayed during his last days.

Enjoy a 7 to 8-hour pilgrimage tour from Krakow and visit many religious sights in Poland on this approximately 100 kilometer round trip from Krakow.  You will first visit the Lagiewniki district of Krakow, made famous by Saint Sister Faustina Kowalska who lies in the 19th century Church of St. Joseph. The church has become a pilgrimage destination where people from all over Europe come to pray and visit the St Faustina’s tomb. You will also see Sister Faustina’s Sanctuary, the Shrine of Divine Mercy and the John Paul II Center where his relic lies. You will also visit the UNESCO site of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims where you can see some of the famous Way of the Cross with 42 chapels illustrating the passion of the Christ. You will also visit other noteworthy historical sites including the church and monastery of the Friars Observants, dating back to the 17th century and the reportedly miraculous picture of the Mother of God of Kalwaria which has been there since 1641. Every year on Good Friday there is a cross road with live characters. Finally you will arrive in the town of Wadowice, where Karol Wojtyła (Pope John Paul II) was born. Here you will visit his family house with modern multimedia museum next to the parish church dating back to the 15th century where he was baptized. The order of the tour may change.

Depart from Krakow on a tour of the life of Pope John Paul II. Walk in the Pope’s footsteps as you stop by significant locations from his childhood. View the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Sanktuarium Pasyjno-Maryjne and the Divine Mercy Sanctuary. Visit Wadowice, the hometown of Pope John Paul II. See places that were important to him during his childhood, like the house where he was born and the parish church where he was baptized. Stop at the Sanktuarium Pasyjno-Maryjne, visited by the Pope when he was younger. Admire the park and rows of trees that surround the religious site. Upon arrival back in Krakow, make a visit to the Łagiewniki district to see the Divine Mercy Sanctuary. After soaking up the serenity of the sanctuary, enter into the John Paul II Center, where you will find several relics of the Pope, including a vial of his blood.

Wadowice is a small city situated 50 km from Krakow. Here Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II was born. The tour includes a visit to the Family Home of John Paul II, now a museum which provides exhibits of the future Pope's domestic life. The next place is Basilica of the Offering of the Blessed Virgin Mary- an ornate Church where Karol Wojtyła was baptized and confirmed.  Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, this pilgrimage town founded in 1601, is best known for the Bernardine (Grey Friar) Monastery and its complex of 42 Chapels and Churches. Oficially called the Cultural & Landscape Complex of Monastery and Pilgrimage Park of the Bernardine Fathers, this amazing place was added to the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1999. Be sure to visit the 17th century Baroque Church famous for its miraculous painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Kalwaria (Polish for Calvary). Visit the basilica and monastery located in the city of Jasna Góra and discover the holy relic of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa. Częstochowa is one of the most important centers of religious worship in Poland, it is regarded by many as Poland's spiritual capital and for hundreds of years, it has been a site of pilgrimage for Poles. High on the mountain top, the monastery holds the most famous shrine to the Virgin Mary in Poland and it is home to the Black Madonna painting - rumored to have been painted by St. Luke on a tabletop built by Jesus. The Black Madonna, depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child, is believed to have miraculous powers by those who visit her.

Visit sites of important religious and historical value for Poland on a full-day trip from Krakow. Your first stop is in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the monastery complex of the Bernardines Franciscans. It is an exceptional cultural monument located in natural scenery that has attracted thousands of pilgrims from the very beginning. Walk through the monastery complex with the early baroque church and dozens of chapels spread around in a beautiful countryside scenery. Then continue on to Wadowice, situated on the Skawa River at the confluence of the Vistula, in the eastern part of Silesian Foothills (Pogórze Śląskie). It is best known for being the birthplace of Pope John Paul II, and is home to a basilica from the 15th century. At the end of your tour, transfer back to Krakow.

There are many places worldwide which were beloved by John Paul II. But amongst them there are three which can unquestionably be considered the most meaningful. In Wadowice, the Pope's hometown, you will see the places dearest to Karol Wojtyła during his childhood and adolescence, including the parish church where he was baptized and the house where he was born, which is now a museum. We will also visit Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, with its splendid monastery and church, which JPII asked us to explore “during his life and after his death”. Then, we will continue to Krakow's Łagiewniki neighborhood, which is connected with the cult of the Divine Mercy, the grave of St. Faustina Kowalska and St. John Paul II. Here you can find the Divine Mercy Sanctuary and the ‘Have No Fear!’ John Paul II Center, dedicated to the his life and work, which also houses a glass capsule of his blood and relic.

On this tour from Krakow, visit the places significant and beloved by John Paul II. In Wadowice, the pope's hometown, see the places dearest to Karol Wojtyła during his childhood and adolescence, including the parish church where he was baptized and the house where he was born, which is now a museum. Visit Kalwaria Zebrzydowska with its splendid monastery and church and discover why this place was so important to John Paul II. Go to Krakow's Łagiewniki, the grave of St. Faustina Kowalska, and St. John Paul II. Here you can find the Divine Mercy Sanctuary and the “Have No Fear!” John Paul II Center, a center in Kraków dedicated to the life and work of Pope John Paul II.