I decided to see this world heritage site which is not far from Krakow. After taking the 11:30 bus I reached the town of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska 45 minutes later; from the bus stop it was another 20 minutes to reached the monastery I intended to visit. The Monastery and its park was inserted in the world heritage list due to its Mannerist architecture set into a cultural and natural landscape. Built during the 17th century, along with other Calvary monasteries throughout Europe to counter the reformation, this was also modeled on the Calvary of Jerusalem. So after reaching the top of the hill, I entered the main church, the Basilica of St Mary. Built in the Baroque style by an Italian architect who was quite active in Poland, also building a church in Krakow, it holds a nice organ, a golden altar and a nicely decorated chapel. The site is a popular pilgrimage place and even though it was a wednesday of november there were still quite a few people around. The monastery around the church is still inhabited by several monks who were also heading out into the park for their daily walk. So after getting out of the church I headed further uphill and visited the various mannerist and baroque chapels scattered throughout the park. After a nice walk around I decided to walk back down to town and catch the next bus back to Krakow, after the leisurely hour and a half in this quaint monastery.
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| View of the Basilica |
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| The Mannerist chapel |
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| View of the Basilica from the hill |
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