Just the short bus ride away (buses to Olkusz via Ojców) is the Ojców National Park, the smallest and the most popular National Park in Poland. It covers the surroundings of the Prądnik Valley, and protects its spectacular Jurassic limestone landscape, with caves and oddly shaped rocks and steep white limestone slopes. There are various colour-coded trails to follow around the Park. In the centre of the Park is the old wooden church, built "on water" across the stream. Also in Ojców is the Łokietek Cave, with 270 meters of passageways and chambers, with underground lighting. Further within the Park is the Pieskowa Skała Castle (medieval, rebuilt during the Renaissance), with preserved medieval features and a beautiful renaissance courtyard. Inside the castle, there is a collection of Renaissance art. Near the castle is the most famous feature of the Park, the Hercules' Club rock.
Wieliczka Salt Mines, a World Heritage Site, go back to the thirteenth century. Although this is still a working mine of 300 km in length and reaching 327 km below ground, a part of it is converted into a museum, with guided tours of 3 km of underground corridors on the less deep levels. Inside the mine, there are corridors, lakes, chambers and former workings, as well as galleries with sculptures of salt, as well as a couple of chapels, made of salt, complete with chandeliers, "tiled" floors, sculptures and wall carvings, the most famous of which is the chapel of the Blessed Kinga. The main has also natural crystal caves, where the sides of salt crystals reach 40 cm. Exhibitions on the development of mining techniques are also provided. This is a brilliant option for a cold and rainy day.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is one of the famous holy places in Poland. A monastery on top of the hill has a spectacular baroque church, with an impressive courtyard and statues of saints on its wall and gates. Outside the church in the woods, there are carvings of the Stations of the Cross dotted around the hill. Religion aside, this is a really beautiful and peaceful place for hilly woodland walks.
Zakopane is about 3-4 hours away from Kraków by train. Located in the Tatra Mountains, this is a tourist resort with some traditional highland wooden buildings and a crafts market, an excellent place to purchase some authentic highland hand made products, such as leather slippers, knitted jumpers and hats, walking sticks and some excellent salty smoked sheep's cheese, called the Oscypek. Zakopane is also the gateway to the Tatra National Park, with colour coded walking trails starting here, and going up the alpine peaks or wandering in the valleys. There are also minibuses taking you to the more remote parts of the mountains, including the Morskie Oko tarn, high up on the mountain pass. Late spring is a great time to visit, when the mountain meadows are covered in crocuses.
Getting there:Zakopane is the main resort serving the Polish Tatras. Buses friom Zakopane can take you to the more distant parts of the mountains. There are regular buses from the main bus station, stopping trains run from Kraków Płaszow, and some fast trains from the main station Krakow Głowny. Overnight trains leave Warsaw mid evening.
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