Wadowice and Kalwaria, John Paul II Route

This tour offers an exploration of Pope John Paul II's early life. It features visits to his family home in Wadowice, the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary there, and the expansive Kalwaria Zebrzydowska complex comprising 42 chapels and churches.

Wadowice, located approximately 50 kilometers east of Kraków, serves as the birthplace of Karol Wojtyła, who later became Pope John Paul II. The itinerary encompasses a series of notable sites including the Family Home of Pope John Paul II, now housed within a museum dedicated to showcasing his domestic life. Following this, visitors proceed to the Basilica of the Offering of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an ornate church where Wojtyła was baptized and confirmed.

The final destination on the tour is the historic pilgrimage town of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, renowned for its Bernardine (Grey Friary) monastery and the extensive complex of 42 chapels and churches. Officially designated as the Cultural & Landscape Complex of Monastery and Pilgrimage Park of the Bernardine Fathers, this site was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1999. Visitors should also make time to explore the 17th-century Baroque Church at Kalwaria, noted for its remarkable depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Kalwaria (polished for Calvary).