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Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

While the Jasna Gora sanctuary in Czestochowa is certainly the best known pilgrimage destination in Poland, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, the biggest and oldest Polish Calvary, is a close second. Both Czestochowa and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska have their own important paintings of St. Mary, both believed to be miraculous – and both sanctuaries were places that John Paul II was very fond of and knew well. No wonder – both Czestochowa and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska lie close to Wadowice, the town where the pope was born, and Krakow, the city where he studied and lived later on.

The Town and the Calvary of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a 4,4 thousand town in the Lesser Poland region, about 35 kilometers south-west of Krakow and 14 kilometers east of Wadowice. Its name derives from the calvary that was founded there in the 17^th century by crown marshal Mikołaj Zebrzydowski, allegedly a very religious Polish nobleman inspired by the accounts of Jerusalem in the times of Jesus Christ.

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage in 1999 as Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park. The lengthy name says it all: the calvary is a complex of 42 mannerist chapels, situated on a hill in a manner imitating the points Christ visited in the last days of his life, concentrating on the actual Golgotha (Calvary) hill in Jerusalem. Contrary to the Italian calvaries, usually situated on lonely hills dominating the landscape, the complex of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is beautifully blended into the hillside, and therefore is more of a park suitable for contemplation than an 'official' place of worship.

The Catholic Holidays in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

This of course doesn't mean that on 'official' Catholic holidays Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is visited only by lone, silent pilgrims. The holidays most connected to the Calvary cult, especially the Good Friday, bring tens of thousands people to the sanctuary. Obviously, the visits of the popes (three of John Paul II and one of Benedict XVI), attracted even larger groups. But even the annual holidays, and the everyday visits, are enough to make Kalwaria Zebrzydowska the second most popular Polish sanctuary.

Another time when many pilgrims come to Kalwaria is mid-August and the Assumption Day – as well as other holidays linked to the cult of St. Mary. Apart from the obvious reasons (the Calvary traditionally includes the routes of St. Mary along with those of Christ), there is one more: the sanctuary also contains a miraculous painting of St. Mary. On May 3^rd, 1641 a short time after being moved to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, the painting allegedly cried bloody tears.

Getting to Kalwaria from Krakow

The best way to see Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is to book Krakow Informer's Wadowice Day Tour.

To get from Krakow to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska by car, drive the road no.7 (E77), and then turn right into no. 52. The 35-kilometer drive takes about 30 minutes. If you continue on the 52 for another 14 kilometers, you will get to Wadowice.

Trains from the Krakow Train Station leave 4 times a day between 9a.m. and 5p.m. and arrive in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska after 50 minutes.

Buses to Kalwaria leave the Krakow Bus Station once an hour or so, and reach their destination after 45-50 minutes.