Chęciny - attractions worth visiting in the city apart from the castle!

Chęciny is one of those towns that can surprise. Almost everyone knows the royal castle towering on the hill in the form of magnificent ruins, but it is worth descending from it to discover the atmosphere of Chęcin, charming streets and numerous secrets! The walk is best to start from the Upper Market Square with a unique small-town aura and a wonderful view. It is around the main square that the most important attractions are located, but you will be surprised how many of them can be discovered outside the very center. It is a land full of history, noble monuments, but also wonderful nature! Check out our guide to Chęciny!

Chęciny (Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship) - access and location

Chęciny is located in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, about 15 km southwest of the capital of the region - Kielce, at the foot of the Castle Mountain. on the S7 route leading towards Krakow. The easiest way to get to the town is by car on the S7 road and exit at Chęciny. From Kielce you can get here by bus line 31. There are free parking lots on the market square and at the Centre for Culture and Sport at Armii Krajowej 18A. The city itself is compact and you can walk around it on foot, only after the surrounding attractions you will have to move your car.

Attractions in Chęciny - what to see and explore? Map of tourist attractions!

Chęciny is very picturesque and is best associated with a majestic castle. Despite their small size, they also offer many other attractions, combining medieval history, historic buildings and interesting places in the immediate surroundings. It is an ideal place for a short trip if you want to explore the town itself at the foot of the castle, where old tenement houses, traces of the former Jewish community and sacred and cultural objects that create a unique atmosphere of the city are recommended. And if you are interested in nature and additional attractions in the area, then the whole weekend will not be enough for you. Here are the best attractions of Chęcin!

Chęciny Castle - ruins of the royal castle

The ruins of a medieval castle with three towers dominate the hill above the city. They are identified with Chęciny, but in fact they are located in Podzamcze. They are open to tourists and offer unforgettable views and interesting stories, e.g. about Queen Bona, who, according to legend, hid part of her treasure here
Address: Góra Zamkowa

Upper Market Square in Chęciny - the main square of the city

Rynek Górny is a quiet and peaceful place, pleasant for a walk and rest. There is a view of the castle, and on the sloping square there are historic tenement houses and a well.

Niemczówka - Renaissance tenement house - Museum and Tourist Information Centre

Niemczówka is a captivating place that made a huge impression on us. It is a valuable Renaissance tenement house, today serving as a Tourist Information Center, but also presenting fascinating exhibitions in the form of an armory and Mr. Volodyovsky's Chamber with film memorabilia. This is a sentimental walk for me, because I love this series based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz. And here you can see the costumes of the actors, their handprints or numerous photos.
Address: Malogoska Street

Church of St. Bartholomew in Chęciny

St. Bartholomew's Church is a Gothic temple from the fourteenth century, which proudly stretches above the city, between the market square and the castle. In the interior of the parish church, attention is drawn to the early Baroque main altar and late Renaissance stalls with scenes from the life of St. Francis. Interestingly, the remains of the Fodyg family (former mayor of Chęcin) have been preserved in the burial chapel. Legend has it that the church and the castle are connected by an underground tunnel.
Address: ul. Radkowska

Franciscan monastery in Chęciny

The beginnings of the Franciscan monastery date back to the fourteenth century, when it was founded by King Casimir the Great. For centuries, the monastery enjoyed a very good reputation among the inhabitants. The humble monks saved the inhabitants from hunger, taking care not only of their souls but also of their bodies. This is how it remains to this day, in a modest and austere, but how authentic complex, people struggling with addictions find shelter. And before the buildings, there is Karol oak - one of the sons of the famous Bartek Oak.
Address: Franciszkańska Street

Synagogue and Jewish Cemetery - Jewish Culture Memorial Center

The synagogue is a unique monument from the 17th century, reminding of the multicultural history of Chęciny. Now beautifully restored, it invites you to the Museum - Jewish Culture Memorial Center, where you will learn a lot about the religion of Jews, who once constituted up to 90% of the city's community. The interior of the main hall was covered with rich polychromes, and Aron-ha-kodesh – is made of black marble, with inlays of Chęciny marble. Today, both this hall and the upstairs cabinet are painted white and tell interesting stories. It is also worth taking a look at the public cemetery, which today got lost among the trees on the castle hill
Address: ul. Długa

Łokietka Street and Lower Market Square

Chęciny is the perfect place for unhurried exploration of details. Narrow streets, low buildings and old walls give frames "as if from a postcard". A great example is Łokietka Street, leading from the Upper Market Square to the Lower Market Square. The closer the latter, the more beautiful the views it offers! A curiosity is that hiking trails in all known colors emerge from the Lower Market Square: yellow, green, blue, red and black!

Bernardine Sisters Monastery

The former Poor Clares monastery, and today the St. Bernardine is a complex formed by an oriented church and a monastery building without clear stylistic features. Interestingly, only 2 local nuns can leave the walls of the monastery, and gentlemen can enter here only with the consent of the Pope.
Address: Malogoska Street

"The Monk's Path" in Chęciny

The Monk's Path is a walking trail that follows in the footsteps of the city's sacred monuments. From the Franciscan monastery, through the Bernardine monastery and Niemczówka to the church of St. Bartholomew

Leonardo Da Vinci Science Center in Podzamcze

The Leonardo Da Vinci Science Center in Podzamcze is a complex popularizing modern science through fun. Here, the big and the small will relax. But you will also find out, for example, how difficult it is to move in a wheelchair or drive a car after alcohol. And this is just a taste of the possibilities in this place!
Address: Podzamcze 45

Manor of the Chęcin Starosts

The Manor of the Chęciny Starosts in Podzamcze is a beautiful manor house open to guided tours with live history lessons. The decor and exhibitions tell about the times of the Baroque period and more.
Address: Podzamcze 45

Miedzianka with the Museum Chamber of Ore Mining

Miedzianka is a beautiful walking spot, the mountain rises to an altitude of 354 m above sea level and is a great vantage point. This area is covered by a nature reserve, and at its foot you will learn in a small museum the history of mining in these areas and the work of miners, which was mainly based on copper, as you can easily guess.
Address: Miedzianka 23e

Góra Zelejowa

Góra Zelejowa is a place that stole my heart on my first visit. The trail running through the rocks creates picturesque areas with quarries. The transition gives a lot of satisfaction and pleasure. Mount Zelejowa measures 360 m above sea level and offers the longest limestone ridge in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. I highly recommend it!

Ars Old Car Museum of Automotive in Wolica

Ars Old Car Automotive Museum is a great place for family fun. It does not resemble a classic automotive museum, here cars are an excuse for funny stories. I'm sure you'll love it.
Address: ul. Słoneczna 2A, Wolica

Bastek Kayaking and Nida camping in Wolica

Bastek Kayaking is a well developed kayak marina with full infrastructure. You can kayak down the surrounding rivers on short or even several-day routes, all year round. Great service and expert help!
Address: Laskowa 5, Wolica

Museum of Kielce Village - ethnographic park in Tokarnia

The open-air museum in Tokarnia, or the Museum of the Kielce Village, is a particularly captivating place. It brings to mind the times of our grandparents and earlier ancestors. It literally travels back in time. It is huge and whenever we come here, it surprises us with something else. In addition to cottages and typically rural buildings, it also hides small-town buildings.
Address: Krakowska 109, Tokarnia

Cave of Paradise - one of the most beautiful caves in Poland

The Paradise Cave is one of the most beautiful caves in Poland. With a wonderful drip robe, it is available for sightseeing, but with limits and without the possibility of taking photos without permission. And all this to protect the natural microclimate of the cave, thanks to which not only life can develop here,  but also infiltrations and not be degraded. And the drip robe is really special here. This is a geological miracle with which only the Bear Cavein Kletno can compete among underground objects in Poland.
Address: Dobrzączka, Chęciny

Castle Glade under the castle in Chęciny

Castle Glade under the castle in Chęciny by the castle parking lot is a nice place for a party, concert, accommodation under a tent or just a barbecue with friends, which we have arranged here with the Chęciny team.
Address: ul. Jędrzejowska

Where to eat and sleep? Restaurants and accommodation in Chęciny

But you can't go sightseeing without resting and tasting local delicacies. During the trip, we slept in the Stara Piekarnia Apartment (517-297-049) near the market square, at Małogoska Street. It is actually located in an old bakery, it is nice and you can even go down to the old basement here! And what restaurants have we met?

• Coffee corner and confectionery with delicious cranberries, you have to try them! (ul. Łokietka)
• Restaurant and Pizzeria Gusto (Upper Market Square)
• Chęciny Inn (Lower Market Square)
• Zajazd Pod Srebrnej Górą (Upper Market Square)
• Da Vinci Restaurant Podzamcze at the Court of Starosts in Podzamcze

You can buy beautiful souvenirs and handicrafts with jewelry at Glam&Folk on the Upper Market Square.

Here you will find a wide selection of accommodations. By booking your stay on Booking.com through our link, you support the development of our blog — and we thank you in advance! It helps us reach many interesting places that we later love to show you and share our experiences and information with you.

Guides around Chęciny and its surroundings

It's amazing how many things to do in this small town, and not all of them. You can get to know and discover others yourself by wandering in these areas. Guides will help you with this: Dominik Kowalski (501-793-733), Rafał Zalewski (573 671 277) or Kamil Mietelski (537-996-051). Now you know that it is worth going down to the "city under the castle", because it can charm and turn out to be a real discovery!

History of Chęciny

Chęciny is one of the oldest towns in the region. The first mention of this village comes from 1275, and the town rights of Chęciny were most probably received in 1325 from Władysław Łokietek. The development of the city was associated with the castle, trade and mining of mineral resources, and in the Middle Ages Chęciny belonged to the most important centers in the area. The city was also repeatedly destroyed by fires and armed conflicts, which influenced its later history. The most famous monument here is the ruins of a Gothic royal castle from the fourteenth century, rising above the town on the Castle Hill, and around which life has revolved for centuries.

Rent a car

Exploring becomes much easier when you have your own means of transport. You don’t have to worry about buses or taxis, and you can plan each day your way. The search box below will help you find the right car – right where your journey begins.

What's worth seeing in the area?

If you have already visited this attraction, it is also worth visiting several other interesting ones places nearby. Within a radius of 100 kilometers you will find many interesting places places that can diversify your stay in this part of Poland.

• Paradise Cave, distance: 3.8  km
• Bobolice Castle, distance: 71.3  km
• Eagle's Nest Trail, distance: 74.9  km
• Ogrodzieniec Castle, distance: 74.9  km
• Pieskowa Skała Castle, distance: 78.4  km
• Ojców National Park, distance: 80.5  km
• Błędowska Desert, distance: 83.5  km
• Olsztyn Castle, distance: 83.7  km
• Krakowskie valleys, distance: 86.4  km
• Kazimierz in Kraków, distance: 90.7  km