Around Krakow - the best attractions

Paternal National Park

Krakow is one of the most beautiful and most visited places in Poland. Poles admire him, and guests from abroad pride of place among the tourist attractions of the country. But sometimes we forget that the capital of the Lesser Poland is one treasure of this region. Check to see what is worth seeing just outside the former capital of Polish! 

Castle Pieskowa

Father's most precious treasure of the National Park is a castle in Pieskowa . About 30 miles north of Krakow, in the hamlet village Suloszowa lying on top of the valley Prądnik's Renaissance fortress, whose name probably comes from the diminutive name Peter - Piesiek. Built in the fourteenth century, the castle changed hands several times.Renaissance form gave him the sixteenth century, among Szafraniec. Seventeenth and eighteenth century is a time of government Zebrzydowski and Cracow in Pieskowa. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the castle was very devastated. The Foundation was founded by Adolf Dygasińskiego bought the castle and allocated it to the house for summer visitors. As a result the building survived to the present day, and during renovation work in the years 1948-1963 returned to its Renaissance appearance.He is currently an exhibition State Art Collection

at Wawel , presenting design with different periods from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century and English painting.

Valley Prądnik

Part of the Father of the National Park park is phenomenal Prądnik Valley . This is the longest and most diverse area of the belt of Jurassic valleys in the southern part of the Polish Jurassic Highland . Limestone rocks here form the rock wall, extending up to several hundred meters along both sides of Prądnik. Rocky cliff change places in the canyon valley. Wind and water have given rocks fancy forms and shapes, which are reflected in the relevant names - Needle Deotymy, Petrified Wanderer Cracow Gate, Glove and tongue twisters.

Hercules' Club

Near the castle in Pieskowa you can see one of the curiosities of our country . It's famous Hercules' Club - 25-meter rock with surprising shapes, which was treated with limestone rocky for centuries of wind and water activities. At the top of Maul is a small cross, and the company itself are numerous legends, including of Prince Krak or sorcerer Twardowski.

Short Cave

The park is about 220 caves, grottos and deep rock wells. The most famous is the Short Cave , also known as the Royal. It is situated on the slopes of Mount Chełmowa (478 m).According to legend, Prince of the Short hid here before his army pursuers Czech King Wenceslas. Cave is lit and open to the public. Another famous cave is the Dark Cave , formed caves interconnected rocky passages. 

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

Less than 40 km south of Krakow 's Kalwaria Zebrzydowska - most importantly the Jasna Gora shrine in Poland and one of the most valuable Polish sites. The sanctuary should be basilica MB Angels , the Bernardine monastery fathers and a team of over 40 chapels scattered among Calvary paths leading in the woods and fields, and the population of nearly 15 km. It is the oldest and largest Polish calvary, built in the seventeenth century on

the model of Jerusalem Way of the Cross. He raised the governor of Krakow Santa Zebrzydowski. The church and monastery are located at the peak of Mount Zar , and in the nearby forests were incorporated into the landscape Stations of the Cross (including the city hall of Pilate, Gethsemane, the palace of Herod, The Upper Room, Our Lady of the house, the house of Annas and Caiaphas' house), made by Italian and projects Dutch architects. Guardians of the shrine from the start Observants Franciscans, called in Poland Bernardienes.