Wadowice

Wadowice is a small town, famous for being the birthplace of Karol Wojtyła – John Paul II. The extraordinary charisma, sense of humor and intelligences of the future Pope shaped his  growing up in this inconspicuous city, which to this day strongly cultivates the memory of its merits for Poland and Christians in the world.

Exploring the Area

Wadowice is partly located in the Little Beskids, on the Skawa River, thanks to which you can see the panorama of the mountains from the city. Probably these views have created in Karol Wojtyla such a strong bond with nature and the ability to find silence in it. The city has a very local atmosphere – despite the large number of visitors in the season, life here flows at its own pace. In addition to a group of stores and restaurants dedicated to visitors, most of the service places have retained their local character. The life of the city is concentrated around the Market Square, through which runs the route of the trip telling the story of John Paul II.

Eating and Drinking

The development of tourism has made Wadowice’s culinary offer very widespread in recent years. In the city you can eat varied meals – from American burgers, home-made Polish dishes, to sushi and Asian dishes. The prices are not excessive, but it is worth checking the place or using the guide’s guide before you decide on a particular restaurant, because of the varied quality of served meals. There are several nice cafes and confectioneries in Wadowice, which compete in plebiscite for the best cream cake. This delicate cake with cream filling was the favorite of the young Pope, which he often mentioned, longing for the taste of childhood. When visiting Wadowice, you must try it!

What to See and Do

The map of Wadowice is marked by the footsteps of John Paul – tourists visit the family home of the future Pope, learn about the place where he used to eat his favorite fondant and watch the antique baptismal font at which Karol’s baptism took place. On the route, the way the young pope went to school every day, with stops in the places of his first stage successes with the gymnasium of dramatic circles and the beginnings of the priestly ministry. A walk with a guide, anecdotes and stories associated with Wadowice create an extraordinary world – seen through the eyes of a young boy who did not even guess at what surprise the future is preparing for him.

Where to Stay

In Wadowice, there are several hotels and apartments in a good standard, where you can successfully stop planning a longer visit in the city. Most often, however, visitors return to nearby Krakow for the night, offering much better hotel and catering facilities.

How to Get Around

Wadowice is located about 50 km from Krakow, and the easiest way to get to town is by private car. It is also possible to reach Wadowice by tourist bus as part of an organized trip. The most popular are day trips organized from Krakow, with departures in the morning and back in the afternoon.

All the most important places connected with the history of John Paul are not far away from each other – their sightseeing takes place as part of a walk around the city.

Highlights

Wadowice is the perfect place for you if:

• you want to know the place of birth and growing up of Pope John Paul II,
• you want to take part in a pilgrimage around Poland – you are interested in visiting the most important religious centers in Poland and would like to stop in Wadowice,
• you want to get to know the history of the first dozen or so years of life of a boy who became Pope.

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