Churches & monasteries

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska park

The only calvary in the world on the UNESCO World Heritage List operates in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: a basilica and a Bernardine monastery plus 42 chapels and churches scattered across the wooded slopes of Mount Żar. Locals call it the "Polish Jerusalem" — the network of paths reproduces the topography of Jerusalem in the time of Christ.

A Polish Jerusalem

It all began in 1600, when Mikołaj Zebrzydowski, voivode of Kraków, founded the Church of the Crucifixion on Mount Żar, built to a model brought from Jerusalem a year earlier. The founding deed for the Bernardines is dated 1 December 1602; the church and monastery rose in 1604–1609 under Giovanni Maria Bernardoni, and the twelve Stations of the Cross chapels (1609–1617) followed designs by Paweł Baudarth. The nave (1680–1702) and the façade with two towers (1702–1720) were financed by Magdalena Czartoryska.

The paths in numbers

Two main routes run through the complex: the Paths of Our Lord with 28 stations and the Paths of Our Lady with 24 stations — each takes about 3 hours to walk. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels houses the venerated image of Our Lady of Kalwaria; in 1979 John Paul II elevated the church to the rank of minor basilica, and on 17 November 2000 the complex was designated a Historic Monument of Poland.

When to visit

The most powerful experience is Holy Week: passion plays staged on the slopes and the Good Friday procession, which gathers tens of thousands of pilgrims. The other great date is the August feast of the Assumption. Outside these periods the paths are a quiet walking route: allow about 3 hours per route and wear sturdy shoes, as the trails can be steep.