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Wadowice – The Birthplace of John Paul II

Karol Wojtyla, the future John Paul II, studied at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow for at least two reasons. Obviously, the future pope was attracted by the high teaching quality that the Krakow University offers to its students – but there's a purely geographical reason, too: his hometown – Wadowice – is just 50 kilometers away from Cracow.

Wadowice - the Town of the Pope

The town of Wadowice has a history of over 700 years, and a few of its inhabitants became quite famous in their time, like Marcin Wadowita (meaning simply Marcin of Wadowice), known as Wadovius or Campius, a professor and a dean of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. And indeed, there are a few tourist attractions that could lure those who don't know who Karol Wojtyla was – but the truth is the main reason tourists visit Wadowice is that John Paul II was born there.

And the authorities of Wadowice are perfectly aware of that – nearly all tourist attractions of the town are dubbed 'the place where Karol Wojtyla...'.

A good Wadowice tour should start from the place where Karol Wojtyla was born. It is the house on 7 Koscielna Street, now changed into a little museum. It was established on May 18^th, 1984, 64 years after John Paul II was born. It contains a particularly large, chronological collection of the pope's photos, some of his personal belongings (including the tourist and sports equipment) and a set of vestments.

Opposite the door to the house of John Paul II in Wadowice is the municipal museum, with a Tourist Information on the ground floor. During the summer, the museum houses temporary exhibitions devoted to John Paul II.

The Wadowice Cake-Shop

On the nearby John Paul II square, the central point of Wadowice stands the building of the Municipal Council, where, before the War, was the primary school which Karol Wojtyla attended. Not far away is also his secondary school, and, perhaps the most famous place after the 1999 pope's visit in his hometown – the cake-shop, where he and his friends used to eat cream-cakes (kremowki) after his final exams.

To be precise, the cake-shop the pope mentioned doesn't exist anymore, but the fame of the Wadowice kremowka spread quickly and two years ago about a quarter million of them were sold in one season. Though their popularity seems to be diminishing now, the 'pope's cake' and a coffee on the nice Wadowice square is a perfect way to rest during the visit in John Paul II's hometown.

Getting from Krakow to Wadowice

To see all these places, and more (including two churches – one where Karol Wojtyla received his scapular and one built by the Wadowice townspeople in thanks to God after John Paul II survived the attempt on his life in 1981), first of all you need to get to Wadowice.

By car, just leave Krakow with the Zakopianska Street (road no. 7, direction Myslenice) and after 15 or so kilometers turn right to road no. 52 (just follow the signs to Wadowice).

A bus will take you to Wadowice from the Krakow Bus Station every 30 minutes or so.

There's also a special “Pope's Train” (Pociag Papieski), leaving from the Krakow Train Station 8:55a.m., 12:55p.m. and 4:55p.m., and coming back on 10:30a.m., 2:30p.m. and 6:30p.m. On the way to Wadowice, the train stops in Lagiewniki (the World Center of Veneration of the Divine Mercy) and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, the oldest and most beautiful calvary in Poland. The whole trip from Krakow to Wadowice takes 75minutes.

The Kalwaria Zebrzydowska itself is just 14 kilometers from Wadowice, so a combined visit of the two places can be a good idea.