Historic sites

The Rzeszów Cellars Underground Route

Below Rzeszów's market square, at a depth of half a metre to 10 metres, stretches a labyrinth of 15 corridors and 25 cellars, dug into the loess between the 14th and 18th centuries. The 369-metre "Rzeszowskie Piwnice" route runs across three underground levels that served merchants as warehouses for centuries — and during the Second World War gave shelter to Jews fleeing the ghetto.

The cellars of a merchants' town

Rzeszów received its town charter from Casimir the Great in 1354, and with the town came townhouses with deep cellars. They were dug out and reinforced with oak timber, stone or brick, and used as "earth shops", trade warehouses and workshops. Over time some of them were linked by corridors — including the artificial Lubomirski Corridor.

From a sinking old town to a tourist route

In the 1960s rainwater softened the loess and the old town began to subside, forcing the foundations of the townhouses to be secured. The underground was opened to tourists in 2000 (initially 213 m) and extended by 156 m in 2007. After a renovation begun in 2017, the site reopened in January 2022 with a multimedia exhibition and adaptations for visitors with disabilities.

Practical information

The entrance is at Rynek 26; guided tours only, Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm. Admission is PLN 25 (reduced PLN 20). The narrowest point of the route is the Tatar Dungeon, with a passage just 70 cm wide. The cellars belong to the Estrada Rzeszowska cultural venue and host concerts, workshops and theatrical performances.