The Old Cemetery in Tarnów

The Old Cemetery in Tarnów (Stary Cmentarz, once called the Zabłocie Cemetery) is one of the oldest surviving cemeteries in Poland — older than Warsaw's famous Powązki. Spread over less than four hectares in the south of this Renaissance town in southern Poland, it holds thousands of graves, from baroque and neoclassical sculpture to grand family chapels and a patriotic plot for insurgents. It is a quiet, atmospheric place to read the history of Tarnów and Austrian-ruled Galicia in stone.

History

The cemetery was created after Emperor Joseph II of Austria banned burials in churchyards inside towns in 1784. The municipal cemetery authority believes it was laid out around 1787; the first recorded burial, of a Bernardine friar, took place on November 23, 1788. A separate Protestant cemetery opened alongside it in 1836 and was merged into it in 1872 — graves with German inscriptions survive to this day.

According to the authority, more than 70,000 people have been buried here, and close to 2,000 monuments on its roughly 3.7 hectares are protected as heritage.

What to see

• The baroque tomb of Princess Maria Radziwiłł, née Lubomirska (died 1795), the earliest monument in the cemetery.
• The tomb of Bishop Florian Janowski (died 1801).
• The wavy cemetery wall from the early 1800s, designed by Franz von Grottger, grandfather of the painter Artur Grottger.
• The Radzikowski (St. Joseph) Chapel from around 1811.
• The Neo-Romanesque Sanguszko Chapel of 1870, designed by Michał Zajączkowski, with sarcophagi by Antoni Madeyski; almost the entire Sanguszko family, former owners of the town, rests in its crypt.
• The patriotic plot, which began with a mass grave of victims of the 1846 Galician peasant uprising; January Uprising insurgents were buried beside them, and a stone mound topped with a cross was raised in 1891. Polish Legionnaires and soldiers of both world wars lie here too.

Visiting tips

This is a working municipal cemetery, so be respectful and keep off the graves. Allow 45–90 minutes; the most interesting 19th-century tombs are in the older part. Entry is free. The operator does not publish fixed gate hours (as of October 2026), so visit in daylight; around All Saints' Day (November 1), Tarnów's cemeteries have been open around the clock, and the candlelit graves are a moving sight.

The Sanguszko Chapel is private and normally closed. It occasionally opens, for example during the annual fundraising collection for the cemetery's monuments around All Saints'. Signage is in Polish only.

When to go and who it suits

Autumn is the most atmospheric season, when the old trees turn gold, and November 1–2 is unforgettable, with thousands of candles glowing along the paths — though expect crowds and traffic changes nearby. Main paths are paved and manageable with a stroller; side paths between plots can be narrow and uneven. It is best suited to history lovers and anyone interested in funerary art, less so to small children.

How to get there

Tarnów is about 80 km east of Kraków (roughly an hour by train). The main gate is on Narutowicza Street, about a 15-minute walk south of the Market Square.

Nearby

• Tarnów Market Square and its Renaissance town hall.
• St. Mary's Church, right next to the cemetery.
• The Wątok riverside promenade.