Wieliczka County

Wieliczka County (Pol. powiat wielicki) is one of 19 land counties of Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It covers an area of 429.2 km², its population is 113,000 people, the population density is 265.5 p/km². The county's administrative centre is Wieliczka. Wieliczka County came into being on January 1, 1999 as a result of an administrative reform.

Wieliczka County as well as Bochnia County are famous for their salt mines. Wieliczka salt mines are considered to be among the oldest in Europe. Salt mining was launched here 5.5 thousand years ago, the first records of industrial mining date back to the XIIIth century. Salt trade was one of the biggest resources of income for medieval Poland. In the XIVth century due to the received funds from the salt trade, king Cazimir the Great founded one of the most famous and oldest Polish educational establishments — The Jagiellonian University. In 1978 Wieliczka salt mine was enlisted into UNESCO World Heritage list.

Niepołomice Forest is located on the territory of the county, within which there is a Król Puszczy reserve, it occupies 69 hectares, about 30 bisons live there in the wild. Besides, within the Niepołomice Forest there are several interesting reserves that have become the place of enlargement of the quantity of rare animal and plant species. 5 tourist routes run across the Forest:

  • Niepołomice — Szarów (cycle route, 7 km)
  • Niepołomice — Royal Road — Poszyna (14 km, green marking)
  • From Stanislawic in direction to Król Puszczy reserve (8 km, red marking)
  • Podłęże — Przyborów — Sitowiec (12 km, blue marking)
  • Grodkowice — Błotow (Dąbrowy hamlet) — Sitowiec (12 km, green marking)

Worth seeing:

Sacred architecture

  • Sts. Peter and Paul wooden Catholic church (XVIIIth century), Bodzanów
  • St. Martin Parish church (1223, 1673, 1888), Biskupice
  • Catholic church of St. Sebastien (1581-1598), Wieliczka
  • Catholic church of St. Clement (1381, 1786, XIXth century), Wieliczka
  • Monastic complex of the Franciscan Fathers reformers (XVII-XIXth, XXth centuries), Wieliczka
  • Old synagogue (XVIIIth century), Wieliczka
  • Church of Ten Thousand Martyrs (1350−1358), Niepołomice

Fortifications and palaces

  • Żupny castle (XIII-XIVth, XVth, XIX-XXth centuries), Wieliczka
  • Konopków palace (XVIIIth century), Wieliczka
  • Przychocki palace (XIXth century),Wieliczka
  • Żeleńskich Mansion (XIXth century), Grodkowice
  • Royal castle (XIVth century), Niepołomice

Other architectural sights

  • City Council building (XIXth century), Wieliczka
  • Wieliczka Starostwo Residence (1898), Wieliczka
  • Wieliczka salt mines (XIIIth century), Wieliczka
  • Town Hall (1902), Niepołomice

Sights of Nature

  • Groty Kryształowe underground nature reserve, Wieliczka
  • Niepołomice Forest, near Niepołomice (Gmina Kłaj)

Museums

  • Wieliczka salt mine; Wieliczka, Daniłowicza St. 10
  • Museum Żupy Krakowskie; Wieliczka, Zamkowa St. 8