Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is located near Wadowice. Because of its uniqueness and beauty, the sanctuary quickly became a member of the UNESCO World Heritage program. Visiting Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is an excellent aesthetic and spiritual experience, so if you have the opportunity to go there, please do it necessarily!
Short historical introduction
At the beginning of the 14th century, the owner of the lands Nicholas Zebrzydowski (known from the famous rebellion against the king Sigismund III) came up with the idea of an extraordinary religious foundation. He decided to build a group of chapels dedicated to the Stations of the Cross, which had to imitate the actual and symbolic topography of Jerusalem. The inspirations for this unusual project Zebrzydowski took from descriptions of the Holy Land by the Dutch theologian, Christian Kruike van Adrichem which were very popular in Europe. Zebrzydowski settled in Kalwaria monks from Bernardine Order to take care of the sanctuary. The great Jesuit architect of Italian origin Jan Maria Bernardoni was responsible for the construction of the church and monastery and Paul Baudarth, a goldsmith and builder derived from Netherlands designed the chapels.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska sightseeing
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska sightseeingVisiting Kalwaria usually starts from the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels (built at the turn of the 17th and the 18th century) and the Bernadine Order monastery. Certainly you are going to appreciate the exquisite architecture and stunning interior of the church which now can be seen in the late Baroque entourage. You should definitely visit the Chapel of Our Lady of Kalwaria with the famous image of a great reverence.
If you plan to explore the Kalwaria Zebrzydowska chapels, then get ready for a long walk. The paths of Kalwaria in total covers up to 6 km2. They are divided into two trails: Paths of the Lord Jesus and Paths of the Virgin Mary. The first one combines chapels dedicated to the Christ Passion. The other one refers to the most important events in the life of Mary. Do not expect small chapels with Stations of the Cross – each one is an imposing building with a very original and very sophisticated plan – it is a truly subtle architecture. The Heart of Mary Chapel can serve as a good example – it was built on the ground-floor plan of the heart. It seems that Paul Baudarth used his goldsmith experience designing these remarkable buildings which makes his mannerist architectural works in Kalwaria absolutely unique.
Of course Kalwaria Zebrzydowska sightseeing is not only for architecture admirers. Buildings are situated in the unique landscape context – full of green hills territory delights and encourages to contemplate and pray. Even the surrounding hills have gained names directly referring to the topography of the Holy Land – Golgotha, Mount Moriah, Zion, and the nearby river became Kidron!
You should know that our Kalwaria Zebrzydowska tour means actually following the footsteps of John Paul II who often pilgrimage to Poland’s oldest Passion and Marian sanctuary in his youth. He also visited Kalwaria few times during his pontificate. Pope Benedict XVI wanted to experience by himself the place that so strongly influenced on the spirituality of his predecessor and also came to Kalwaria. We have to mention that the famous Kalwaria mysteries of Christ Passion takes place during Holy Week (they starts from the scene of triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday) and attracts thousands of people.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska sanctuary is a truly exceptional place. Walking through its paths remains in memory for a long time. Would you like to go there with a guide? We invite you to check our route of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska sightseeing available at Kalwaria and Wadowice Tour.
