Things to do in Olkusz
Olkusz, a royal town that lived from silver and lead mining for centuries, has preserved its market square with the outline of the Gothic town hall in the pavement and the Gothic Basilica of St Andrew. The surroundings offer the trails of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland and the Kraków Valleys — perfect for a day trip from Kraków.
Map of attractions in Olkusz
All 8 places on one map: see what is close together and plan your route.
All attractions (8)
Churches & monasteries
Basilica of Saint Andrew in Olkusz
Olkusz
St. Andrew's Basilica in Olkusz (say "OL-koosh") is the Gothic parish church of Poland's old "Silver Town," standing at the corner of the Market Square about 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Kraków. Two treasures make it worth a detour: the l…
Fortifications
Defensive Tower in Olkusz
Olkusz
The tower in Olkusz is a reconstructed half-tower with a stretch of defensive wall, standing in a corner of the Old Town right next to St Andrew's Basilica. It is the best-preserved and most legible trace of the medieval fortifications of…
Free entry
Historic sites
Stary Olkusz Hillfort
Olkusz
Less than 3 km west of Olkusz town centre lie the remains of a medieval stronghold: a deep moat, two rings of earthen ramparts and the ruins of the Gothic Church of St John the Baptist. This is where the town's story begins – before Olkusz…
Free entry
Museums
African Museum in Olkusz
Olkusz
In the centre of Olkusz, in an outbuilding of the former hospital at 32 Szpitalna Street, sits a remarkable collection of art and everyday objects from West and Central Africa. The African Museum was founded in 1971 on a gift from a local…
Museums
Olkusz Land Firefighting Museum
Olkusz
The Stefan Ząbczyński Olkusz Land Firefighting Museum is a small institution on ul. Floriańska in Olkusz, a few steps from the market square. Open since 1978, it displays 19th- and 20th-century firefighting equipment: horse-drawn pumps, en…
Museums
PTTK Regional Museum in Olkusz
Olkusz
In front of a house on Olkusz's market square stands a statue of a miner holding a sword. Inside the museum behind him is a real sword, known as the executioner's sword. Legend says two miners were beheaded with it for searching for silver…
Museums
Underground Olkusz
Olkusz
A few metres below the paving of Olkusz Market Square lie the cellars of a town hall that has not stood above ground for two hundred years. Underground Olkusz (Podziemny Olkusz) is a pair of underground exhibitions – one beneath the remain…
Old towns & squares
Market Square in Olkusz
Olkusz
The Market Square in Olkusz (say "OL-koosh") is the heart of Poland's old "Silver Town," a medieval silver and lead mining center about 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Kraków. Since a makeover completed in 2013, the square has been car-free,…
Free entry