Monuments & mounds

Papal Altar in Stary Sącz

On the meadows of Stary Sącz stands an altar that was meant to be temporary — and that is precisely why it survived. It was built for June 1999, when the town was visited by John Paul II, who on 16 June presided over the solemn canonisation of St. Kinga. Other papal altars were dismantled after the events; this one pleased residents and visitors so much that it was left in place permanently.

Salt columns

The structure echoes the pastoral wooden architecture of the Podhale highlanders, and its most unusual feature was the columns — made of salt, in honour of the saint to whom legend attributes the discovery of the salt deposits of Wieliczka and Bochnia. The salt pillars did not withstand the weather, though; the originals went to the Bochnia Salt Mine, into the Chapel of St. Kinga.

The Pilgrimage Centre

Next to the altar operates the Diocesan Pilgrimage Centre of John Paul II, with a pilgrim house and a John Paul II Museum. The historical context here is unique: it was Kinga who founded the Poor Clares convent in Stary Sącz in 1280, which survives to this day.

In practice

The altar at Papieska 10 is accessible round the clock, all year, free of charge. The visit combines naturally with the Poor Clares convent and the market square of Stary Sącz — the museum at the Centre will also guide you along the papal trail.