Sandomierz Old Town can boast magnificent, original architectural buildings. It is a characteristic complex with a medieval checkerboard layout, centered around the rectangular Market Square, with a visible outline and preserved fragments of medieval city walls. It is one of the best-preserved and most beautiful old towns in Poland, with great historical and architectural value. Historic tenement houses with a rich history, often nowadays are teeming with life, e.g. in the basement of the Bobola boarding school there is a fantastic Knight’ Armory.
Sandomierz Market Square is a large, main square of the city with cute tenement houses and an impressive Town Hall in the middle. It is a characteristic building from the 14th century, rebuilt in the 16th century in the Renaissance style and it is one of the most beautiful and recognizable town halls in Poland. Sandomierz Market Square is quite unusual because it is sloping. The difference in levels is 15 meters. The square itself measures 110 x 120 meters. It is surrounded by the beautiful tenement houses, each of which looks different.
Cathedral Basilica of St. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a 14th-century Gothic temple in which the relics of the Holy Cross Tree, donated by King Władysław Jagiełło, are kept. Side walls and vaults above the altar in the cathedral are decorated with Byzantine-Ruthenian frescoes, one of four surviving frescoes of this type in Poland. The paintings, made in the fresco technique on fresh plaster, were funded by King Władysław Jagiełło around 1420. The interiors are in the late baroque and rococo style. The black marble altar looks particularly spectacular.
Sandomierz Royal Castle building dates back to the 14th century, it was built on the site of an earlier stronghold. It is located on a slope near the Vistula River. The first building was built in the gothic style during the reign of Casimir the Great, while in the 16th century, Sigismund I the Old commissioned the rebuilding of the castle in the Renaissance style. Now, it houses the Regional Museum.
Opatowska Gate is the only preserved city gate, an element of the medieval defense system of the city. It dates back to the 14th century. Tourists can visit an observation deck at the top and also admire hanging statue in front of it.
The Underground Sandomierz Tourist Route is built in original loess cellars of townspeople. Tourists descent by the Oleśnicki Tenement House at the main Market Square. Underground cellars and dungeons have been functioning for centuries, they have not only been places of goods storage but also served the inhabitants as a shelter from invaders. The length of the route is 470 m, and the depth varies up to 12 m below the Market Square. Sightseeing takes about 45 minutes.
The Synagogue in Sandomierz was established in 1768. From the 1970s, the building houses the State Archives.
The Queen Jadwiga Ravine is an extraordinary natural attraction, unparalleled in other places, especially as it is located in the city center. It is a loess ravine, where you can see very interestingly formed roots of old trees, protruding above the surface of the loess sands. It length is about half a kilometer and the depth is up to 10 meters.
Pieprzowe Mountains are ancient mountains, which are part of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. It is a small but picturesque fragment, perhaps a more appropriate name is rose hills, with wild species of roses and a beautiful view of the Vistula and the old town of Sandomierz. A natural reserve was created here.
The health-promoting Brine Graduation Tower is one of the newest attractions of Sandomierz, it is located in the Estate Park at Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński Street. This device can be used free of charge.
Vistula cruises in Sandomierz have 4 variants: school tours, sunset tours, fishing tours and standard tourist tours. The lower section of the Vistula is a particularly charming area, rich in unique vegetation and habitats of wild birds. Cruises on a strolling ship on the Vistula River are a great opportunity to contact pristine nature and the magnificent backwaters of the queen of Polish rivers. It is said that he beautiful panorama of the Old Town of Sandomierz is best admired from the deck of a cruise ship sailing the lazy current of the Vistula River.
Sandomierz is truly magical small Medieval town with beautiful unique market square, enchanting small tenement houses and multitude of historical monuments. When we add picturesque loess ravines, Pieprzowe Mountains and the Vistula cruises we have the best recipe for a tourist attraction. We heartily recommend visiting this Świętokrzyskie region marvel. ITS Poland professional group coordinators will happily assist you in this trip.
Author: Agnieszka Szwedzińska