Attractions in Sandomierz

Sandomierz is a Polish city in the swietokrzyskie region, located upon the river Vistula. The earliest traces of settlement in this area originated from the neolithic period. During the partitions of Poland, Sandomierz became the border city between the so-called Polish Kingdom and Galicia. The city was severely destroyed during World War I, but later it was brought back to its former glory and went through dynamic development. Today, most people associate the city of Sandomierz with the popular TV series „Ojciec Mateusz”. But this city has much more to offer. This article wil give you information about some of the best attractions in Sandomierz.

The Main Market Square

The Main Market Square in Sandomierz is a rectangular piazza located in the middle of the city’s Old Town district. Its central part is occupied by the gothic town hall with its statue of the Mother of God and the city well.

On November 22nd 2017, the Main Market Square in Sandomierz was included in the historical monument list by the decision of president Andrzej Duda. Its area occupies the monuments of the Old Town in Sandomierz, including the cathedral basilic, several churches, the house of Dlugosz, the medieval urban layout of the city and the town hall.

The castle in Sandomierz

The royal castle in Sandomierz was constructed on the Vistula escarpment by Kazimierz III the great. It was expanded in the 16th century.

It is uncertain whether the castle was conquered during the Lithuanian invasion in 1349, but we do know that shortly afterwards king Kazimierz the Great ordered the construction of a new brick-made defensive castle in its place. This was most likely the place where king Wladyslaw Jagiello accepted the feudal tribute from his brother Lingwen.

In 1480, staroste Rafal Jakub Jaroslawski decided to expand the castle. The gothic building standing from the side of Vistula was extended to the west.

The church of st. James in Sandomierz

The church of st. James the Apostle in Sandomierz is an early gothic Roman catholic church from the 13th century.

The current church of st. James is located in the place of an even earlier temple, which was most likely associated with the trails of st. James, because there are 7 churches under the calling of

st. James between Sandomierz and Krakow, in the distance of approximately 30 kilometers from each other.

This is one of the oldest churches in Poland to be constructed entirely from bricks. It is an example of the combination of romanesque and gothic architecture.

The House of Dlugosz

The House of Dlugosz is a 15th-century building founded by Jan Dlugosz. It is located in Sandomierz at 9 Jana Dlugosza street.

The House of Dlugosz was constructed in 1476 in late gothic style. In the 16th century the building was decorated with an attic. In the 19th century, after the dissolution of the congregation of mansionaries, the building fell into ruin. Between 1934 and 1936, the building was thoroughly renovated for the needs of the Diocese Museum from the initiaive of bishop Wlodzimierz Jasinski.

The Underground Tourist Route

The Underground Tourist Route in Sandomierz is a complex of former cellars and storage areas connected into a tourist route. The tourist route in Sandomierz became available for visitors in 1977. In 1963, a team of science workers of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow developed a program with the purpose of preserving the Old Town of Sandomierz. The current routeconsists of 34 rooms connected to each other. The route is 470 meters long and runs under the buildings at Opatowska street and the Main Market Square.