Kielce. Sights and attractions worth seeing in and around Kielce
Kielce surprised us very positively. This city offers valuable and majestic monuments and plenty of green areas. But they also contain amazing geological flavours. After all, Kielce stands by geology. It is a city of reserves, hiding as many as 5 of them, and all together they form the Świętokrzyski Geopark with UNESCO status, the first entirely Polish one! If you add to this a 600-meter-long roller coaster, where you ride next to a big last resort at a height of 40 meters above the ground, a nearby cave standing in ranks as the most beautiful cave in Poland or a free walk around the city with colorful stories, then Kielce becomes a unique gem in which you can not be bored and which is worth appreciating by entering it into your travel schedule!
Kielce. Attractions worth seeing in Kielce - map
The accumulation of attractions and recreation places in Kielce, where in addition to monuments, there are a lot of green areas and super interesting geological pearls, is amazing. It is a great starting point in the beautiful and old Świętokrzyskie Mountains with low peaks, but interesting monuments scattered in the surrounding towns. Check out our guide to the best attractions in Kielce and the surrounding area!
Frankincense in Kielce - the most popular tourist attraction of the city with a roller coaster
The incense kiln is a picturesque hill in the heart of the city, cut through by the excavation of a former quarry. Once, Devonian limestones were mined here, building this land, and created in the conditions of a colorful coral reef of the warm sea. Today it is a place of fun and recreation. The reserve is created here by the impressive Rock of Geologists, which you will get to know up close by climbing it (note, there are falls), or sliding past it with a zip line. I recommend, great experience. The route is 600 meters long and will consist of 3 sections. You float it up to 40 meters above the ground. In addition, there is an amphitheater known to everyone from television and cabaret nights as well as an underground route in the caves in Kadzielnia. It connects 3 caves, and in general you will find more than 20 caves in the Kadzielnia cave. Walking paths and viewpoints allow you to fully enjoy this place.
And where did the name Kadzielnia come from? There are several theories, it seems most likely that when lime kilns operated here and limestone was fired in the 19th century, the smoke was directed to the center, pushed into people's homes and simply suffocated them. Hence Kadzielnia. This is confirmed by the cases that were established at the time in the court on this subject.
Palace of the Bishops of Cracow in Kielce
The bishop's palace was built by the bishop and the great crown chancellor, Jakub Zadzik. It is the best-preserved early Baroque residence in Poland. It was established in 1637-44. It delights from the outside and inside. The walls hide the museum in the wonderful scenery of unusual rooms. The original furnishings have not been preserved, but the furniture and decor elements come from the era. Notice what wonderful ceilings are here, and not only wooden, but very original frame ceilings. They are divided into 5 parts and filled with paintings depicting historical scenes, e.g. struggles with the Swedes. They are beautiful and reportedly, outside Kielce, you can find such in Poland only in the Gdańsk town hall. Those in the Kielce palace are decorated with bishop's coats of arms, which are here from thunder. On every ceiling and in every window, as if someone were to forget who was the builder of the palace. The exhibitions are paid, but the chambers are very impressive. They bring to mind the most beautiful residences of our country, but also of Europe. An interesting fact is that Stanisław Staszic founded the first technical school in Poland in this palace in 1819.
Kielce Cathedral
Formerly, the palace was connected by a passage with the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its roots date back to the 12th century, but it gained its current shape in the 18th century. Be sure to look inside, because I have not seen such a beautifully painted temple in Poland in a long time. I was most impressed by the colours, turquoises, blues and cornflowers used here, which are rarely found in religious buildings. Something magnificent. Opposite the pulpit there is a booth to which the bishop could go straight from the palace with his dry foot and head. The Baroque main altar is made of wood, all gilded.
On the facade of the cathedral, in the portal you will see a plaque placed here by Bishop Poniatowski in the 18th century. He conveyed the basic truths of faith in Polish, but also the basic units of measurement, as well as the alphabet, which, surprisingly, in addition to our letters that we know today, have additional, that is, for example, A, B, M with a hook, that is, the so-called softening. Such a curiosity.
Karczówka - a place of power in Kielce
Karczówka is a picturesque, scenic and powerful hill with a Pallottine monastery. It towers over the city like a Holy Cross. You have to visit this place in Kielce, especially since the townspeople actually locate good energy here. Karczówka is the largest and highest reserve in the city. It combines the mining past and the spiritual heritage of the region. In the 17th century, the church stood here in thanksgiving for saving the city from the plague. Soon after, the Bernardines came here, although the Pallottines are currently taking care of this place. And they do it brilliantly. In the monastery, you can rent guest rooms, have a party, and see the heaviest Baśka in the temple. This is a statue of St. Barbara, made of 1 lump of galena. It weighs 2 tons!
Botanical Garden in Kielce
The Botanical Garden spread out at the foot of Karczówka. It offers a beautiful walk among the interesting vegetation and characteristic rocks of this land. In summer, everything blooms beautifully here, but [carnage all year round looks very impressive from above, because the whole creates an interesting composition with geometric shapes.
Geoeducation Center in the Wietrznia Reserve
Windmill is a former excavation of Devonian rocks, really distant Palaeozoic era, 420 - 360 million years ago. What attracts the most here is the magnificent, invaluable Geoeducation Center. Available free of charge! Every layman and even a child will understand here how this region was created, why the climate used to be like in the Caribbean and why everywhere in the area we will find rocks with fossils, i.e. fragments of long-extinct animals. Underfoot on a walk, but also in a palace or church. Life took place underwater, and although sharks lived then, armored fish ruled, eating everything they encountered. In this land, they reached about 6 meters, but in general they reached up to 18 meters in length. I highly recommend, the place is fantastic, just remember, closed on Saturdays
Ślichowice Reserve - the oldest of the Kielce reserves
Ślichowice Reserve is the oldest reserve in Kielce. It includes a fragment of a quarry of Devonian limestone and forms a hole in the ground with a water heart and the famous wall of geologists. You will see the ripples of rocks on it, as if they were plasticine. It is an uplifting effect and a beautiful place where you can see the processes that have shaped the Earth for millions of years.
UNESCO Świętokrzyski Geopark
The Świętokrzyski Geopark is the first Polish geopark with the status of the UNESCO World Geopark. It was established in 2021 and is a significant and very valuable area in terms of geology. The most important tourist attractions of the Geopark are: Cave of Paradise, Geoeducation Center, which is the main information center of the Geopark, Wind Reserve, Kadzielnia, Karczówka, Miedzianka, Ślichowice Reserve or the Biesak-Białogon geological site.
Market Square in Kielce
The Kielce market does not have a regular shape. It is surrounded by neat tenement houses, some of which are decorated with arcades. One frontage was occupied by the town hall. Unfortunately, in the nineteenth century, an earlier fire burned down, which stood in the middle of the square. Today, only the outline of its walls can be admired on the square slab. There is also a mock-up here, which depicts the old view of the market square. And next to it there is a pillory. It stood like this already in the 16th century. Public punishments were carried out here, including flogging, in accordance with the law of the time. For many years, the pillory served its function until it was likely destroyed in a fire in 1800. He returned to the Kielce Market Square only in 2011. The new pillory is a faithful replica of the old structure. It rises as a two-meter granite monolith with wheels to which convicts were chained. Next to it, a beautiful kiosk, which stood here at the beginning of the 20th century, was also reconstructed. He was not the only one in the city at the time.
Museum of Toys and Play in Kielce - attractions for children and adults
The oldest Toy Museum in Poland is located in a historic building. Nicely staged, it takes you to the world of childhood of different times. The oldest "doll" here comes from the 18th century. Interestingly, she has folded her hands to pray, because she originally served religious purposes. The children did not have it easy then. Of course, the heroes of our evenings cannot be missing in such a place. Today, our children cannot imagine that once fairy tales flew only for 10 minutes in the evening. We remember it well, as well as playing with soldiers or wooden blocks. And did you know that at the top of the building from the Museum, a witch comes out of the door at a full hour?
Church of St. Adalbert - here stood the oldest church in Kielce
This is where Kielce grew up. St. Adalbert's Church was the first temple in the city, but this is not the building seen today. The first church was built in the 11th century, and the current temple dates back to the 18th century. In the church you can see paintings from 1889 by Jan Styka, co-author of Panorama Racławicka. On the corner of the church wall there is a plaque saying that the first houses stood here. There is even a sandstone outline of medieval houses that have been archaeologically discovered here.
Old Cemetery
If you like such atmospheres, I recommend an old cemetery with several denominations. There are a lot of historic graves, including cast-iron ones, and mysterious family crypts, which you enter through a door or a tomb that is divided by a wall, because part of the family was of a different religion.
Saucer or bus station in Kielce
in 1984, a saucer landed in Kielce. It is a bus station and a symbol of this city. One of the most modern that was created at that time, had electronic timetables, today beautifully modernized. Interestingly, buses move around the perimeter, and people from the inside arrive at individual departure points. Did you know that the saucer landed in Katowice 13 years earlier?
Sienkiewicza Street - representative promenade of Kielce
Henryk Sienkiewicz Street is a representative street of Kielce and at the same time a promenade. It was demarcated in the 1920s Of the 19th century. It is over 1,200 meters long and stretches from the railway station at Independence Square to Stanisław Moniuszko Square with a monument to Henryk Sienkiewicz. This is the red city trail.
Institute of Design on the Castle Hill in Kielce
The Design Institute is a modern exhibition center, built on the Castle Hill (although in fact the castle has never been here). The place is characterized by unique architecture, as it is located in a building after a former prison. Unique interiors of the Main Gallery and the Brama Gallery were organized here. It is also a place of meetings and cultural events.
Stanisław Staszic City Park
Stanisław Staszic City Park is one of the oldest parks in Poland. It is located in the city center and is limited by Jana Pawła II, Ogrodowa, Paderewskiego, Solna, Staszica and Zamkowa streets. It will be decorated with a smooth surface of a picturesque pond and the Biruta spring supplying it, as well as an aviary and old-timber specimens with information boards. There is no shortage of beautiful vegetation.
Zieliński Palace in Kielce
At Zamkowa Street there is an interesting palace in the vicinity of the Municipal Park. Currently, it houses the House of Creative Environments.
Monument to the Wild Sprout
The statue of the wild sprout stands at Kapitulna Street. It measures over 2 meters and weighs about 4.5 tons. Solid, therefore, is the Sprout, the mascot of the city, from whose fangs the name of the city came. This is mentioned in the legend I described below.
Avenue of Fame
On the Grey Ranks Scouting Square, along the main alley, the Avenue of Fame invites you. It consists of busts of famous people placed on granite pedestals: writers, composers, singers or painters. You will find busts of, among others: Niemen, Grechuta, Baczyński or Łempicka. Some of these people lived in Kielce, e.g. Paweł Pierściński, a photographer.
Telegraph summit with ski resort
Telegraph peak is the highest point of Kielce. A ski resort was established here at Skiarska Street. The resort offers a chairlift and a groomed, illuminated and snow-covered ski slope. There is also a ski lift and a route for beginners. There is a ski school and equipment rental.
Paradise Cave in Chęciny
The Paradise Cave is a pearl of the Geopark. It is considered the most beautiful cave in Poland, along with the Bear in Kletno. It is a reserve, which is why tourist traffic is limited, but it is open for most of the year. The route is 180 meters long, and walking along it you will see wonderful infiltrations. Not only such well-known ones as stalactites and stalagmites, but also a harp, cave pearls or helictites. A Neanderthal man once lived here, and the latest research wants to discover the mystery, or homo sapiens as well. Normally, you can't take pictures in the cave, but we had permission.
Museum of Kielce Village - open-air museum in Tokarnia
The Museum of the Kielce Village in Tokarnia is a sentimental and charming place. Quite intimate, thanks to which it beautifully reflects the atmosphere of the village at first glance, creating a coherent village with cottages standing close to each other. The place is known to us, but also very popular. I love open-air museums. There is a church here, beautifully painted in blue, and you can organize a wedding here. Very cool scenery. I think it's a fantastic idea. The more that in the open-air museum you can also stay overnight and walk until late hours. It is only necessary to take into account that in the evening "in the village" there is no light, but in the past it looked like this.
Świętokrzyskie Mountains
The Świętokrzyskie Mountains are a range of parallel, low hills. The most famous, and at the same time the highest mountain range is Łysogóry with the highest peaks of Łysica (612 m above sea level) and Łysa Góra, i.e. the popular Holy Cross (594 m above sea level) with the Benedictine abbey. On these peaks there are characteristic gołoborza, i.e. rock debris. The range is protected by the Świętokrzyski National Park, whose modern museum is located in the abbey on the Holy Cross.
Where to eat in and around Kielce
For a quick and cheap meal, we recommend ZapieCKanki, which is what should be in every city in Poland. Our national good, Polish fast food, good and healthy. Like Cieszyn sandwiches. Zapieckanki can be found practically on the market, there are as many as 14 flavors. Tasty, cheap and fast. Of course, we recommend it with Kielce mayonnaise. And a very delicious bun, crispy and soft at the same time. How do they do it?
For a longer and elegant meeting, we recommend a restaurant in the Grand Hotel near the station. We tasted here a really delicious duck with interesting additions. There is also a large selection of dumplings. Dumplings and other Polish dishes, such as pork chops or ribs, are also waiting in the Wilaneska restaurant. It is an inn by the open-air museum in Tokarnia. It is worth tasting the regional soup, i.e. the Świętokrzyska potato soup. A bit like sourdough, usually made with sourdough, in which, of course, potatoes and some sausages swim. This is not a soup "ąą", just a home version. The dishes are right, very tasty and at a decent price.
City walks in Kielce
We visited Kielce with Kuba from the blog Tymraz. We sincerely thank and recommend its fantastic city walks, which usually take place once a month, on Sunday at 10.00. They are free and show Kielce from a very interesting side. Congratulations on your idea and perseverance!
Accommodation in Kielce
While visiting this city, we slept in the Grand Hotel Kielce. It is located opposite the saucer station. We had a phenomenal apartment for newlyweds at our disposal. A bit late, but an extremely nice experience. And the breakfast was brilliant, including an egg with mayonnaise, of course Kielce. Our guests have been staying at our house for a long time, because it has a healthy composition. Is that your favorite too?
Where did the name Kielce come from? Legend of the Wild Sprout
The legend of the wild sprout is associated with the beginnings of Kielce. He says that one day the prince fell off his horse while hunting. Saint Adalbert appeared to him at that time and a river flowed from under his staff, thanks to which the prince regained his strength. When he woke up, he saw the fangs of a wild boar that had once been called sprouts. In memory of this miraculous rescue, the prince decided to create a city here, and the sprouts as wild boar fangs, which he associated with it, went to the name of the city as Kielce. This is what the legend says, and the wild sprout stands in the park as a monument, but it also appears in other places, such as the mascot of the handball team.
Our film about Kielce
Finally, we leave you with our film about this original city.
What's worth seeing in the area?
If you are looking for more ideas for interesting places to visit, we have it for you some options in the area. There are several attractions within a radius of 100 kilometers, that are worth adding to your travel plan.
- Paradise Cave, distance: 10.3 km
- Bobolice Castle, distance: 84.7 km
- Eagle's Nest Trail, distance: 88.8 km
- Ogrodzieniec Castle, distance: 88.8 km
- Pieskowa Skała Castle, distance: 91.7 km
- Ojców National Park, distance: 93.6 km
- Olsztyn Castle, distance: 96 km
- Rabsztyn Castle, distance: 96.7 km
- Błędowska Desert, distance: 97.4 km
- Krakowskie valleys, distance: 99.6 km
