Stary Sącz - the medieval town of Saint Kinga

Stary Sącz is one of the oldest towns in southern Poland, founded around the convent of Saint Kinga, a Hungarian princess. Its medieval centre has been protected as a Historic Monument of Poland since 2018.

On this page:

Stary Sącz at a glance
History in brief
Saint Kinga
What to see
Outdoors
Festivals
Practical information
Contact

Stary Sącz at a glance

Region: Lesser Poland (Małopolska), southern Poland
Location: where the Poprad river flows into the Dunajec, at the foot of the Beskid Sądecki mountains
Distances: about 10 km from Nowy Sącz, about 100 km from Kraków, about 30 km from the Slovak border
Elevation: about 310 m above sea level
Status: Historic Monument of Poland (Pomnik Historii) since 2018

History in brief

The valleys of the Dunajec and Poprad were the easiest route from Poland to Hungary and further south. Stary Sącz grew on this trade route, and its history has been tied to Hungary from the very beginning.

In 1257 Duke Bolesław the Chaste gave the Sącz Land to his wife Kinga, as security for her Hungarian dowry. Kinga founded two Franciscan monasteries here: one for friars and one for nuns of the Order of Saint Clare (the Poor Clares). The convent of the Poor Clares has been active ever since, for over 740 years.

Over the centuries the town suffered Tatar raids, wars and fires. After the Austrian annexation in 1770, the nuns lost their rule over the town and the friary was closed. The convent survived and still keeps treasures of art from the Middle Ages to modern times.

Key dates

1234 - Kinga is born, daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary
1239 - Kinga comes to Poland, betrothed to Bolesław, Duke of Kraków and Sandomierz
1257 - Bolesław gives Kinga the Sącz Land and agrees to build a convent in Stary Sącz
1279 - after her husband's death, Kinga settles in Stary Sącz
6 July 1280 - Kinga signs the founding charter of the Poor Clares convent
1289 - Kinga takes her religious vows
24 July 1292 - Kinga dies in the convent
1332 - the Gothic church of the Holy Trinity is consecrated
early 17th century - the stone convent is built, designed by Jan di Simoni
1683 - King John III Sobieski meets his wife Marysieńka here after the victory at Vienna
1690 - Kinga is beatified
1795 - a great fire destroys most of the town
1876 - the Tarnów - Leluchów railway line reaches Stary Sącz
1954 - the town centre is recognised as a historic urban monument; the Regional Museum opens
16 June 1999 - Pope John Paul II canonises Saint Kinga in Stary Sącz
2018 - the old town and the convent become a Historic Monument of Poland

Saint Kinga

Kinga (Kunegunda, in Hungarian Kinga) was born in 1234 into the Árpád dynasty. Her father was King Béla IV of Hungary. Her aunt was Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, and her sister was Saint Margaret of Hungary.

She came to Poland as a five-year-old girl and later married Bolesław the Chaste. During the Tatar invasion of 1241 she gave her dowry to help the country. Legend says she brought salt to Poland: her ring, thrown into a Hungarian salt mine, was found in the first salt shaft dug in Bochnia around 1251. For this reason she is the patron saint of salt miners.

After her husband died in 1279, Kinga came to Stary Sącz, founded the convent and joined the Poor Clares. She lived here until her death in 1292. Her relics rest in the convent church.

Places connected with Kinga in and around Stary Sącz:

the Poor Clares convent and the chapel of Saint Kinga
the Papal Altar, where she was canonised in 1999
Kinga's Stone on the slopes of Skałka, near the Przehyba mountain hut, surrounded by legends

What to see

Poor Clares Convent and Church of the Holy Trinity

The convent founded by Kinga in 1280 is the heart of Stary Sącz. Thanks to its picturesque walls and towers, it is sometimes called "the Wawel of Southern Poland". The Poor Clares are an enclosed contemplative order, so the convent itself is closed to visitors, but the church is open.

The stone convent dates from the 17th century. Its four wings with cloisters surround a garden. You enter through an 18th-century gate tower with an onion dome, and 17th-century defensive walls with a round bastion still stand.

Inside the Gothic church, consecrated in 1332, look for:

the 7.6 m high pulpit with the Tree of Jesse (1671), the most valuable work of art in the church
the high altar by Baltazar Fontana (1699)
Baroque wall paintings with scenes from the life of Saint Kinga
the chapel of Saint Kinga with a Gothic figure of the saint (1470) and a silver reliquary with her relics (1892)

Address: Plac św. Kingi, Stary Sącz

Market Square and the old town

The cobbled Market Square is surrounded by low townhouses. The street layout of the old town has survived almost unchanged since the 13th century. Together with the convent, it forms the protected Historic Monument.

Regional Museum - House on Dołki

The museum is housed in a 17th-century townhouse at Rynek 6. After the great fire of 1795 it was the only stone house left in town. Inside you can see metre-thick walls, vaulted ceilings and the original 17th-century floor in the hall.

The collection shows the history of the town, its craft guilds, the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1999, and a memorial room of Father Józef Tischner, a well-known Polish philosopher.

Address: Rynek 6, Stary Sącz

Church of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

The parish church is dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Kinga's aunt. Its early Baroque altar has recently been restored.

Papal Altar

The altar on the meadows of Stary Sącz was built for the canonisation of Saint Kinga by Pope John Paul II on 16 June 1999. It was the largest gathering in the history of the region.

Former Franciscan friary

At ul. Stefana Batorego 27, on an escarpment above the old bed of the Dunajec, stand the remains of the friary founded by Kinga. It was closed by the Austrian authorities and ceased to exist in 1815. A semicircular apse has survived. Today the building is a school and can be seen from the outside only.

Outdoors

Cycling

Several long-distance cycling routes meet in Stary Sącz:

EuroVelo 11 - along the Poprad towards Barcice, and over a cycle bridge to Nowy Sącz
VeloDunajec - from Zakopane, with a section around the Bobrowisko nature area
Carpathian Cycling Route - along an old trade route from southern Europe to Kraków
Royal Cycling Route - an easy route, mostly on asphalt roads
Miejska Góra - forest trails for more experienced riders

A good place to start is the Stawy bathing area, with routes along the Poprad and around Bobrowisko. Cycle paths in town lead to the Market Square, the convent and the Papal Altar.

Hiking

Marked PTTK trails lead from Stary Sącz into the Beskid Sądecki mountains, with views of the Tatras, Pieniny and Gorce:

Yellow trail: Stary Sącz railway station - Przehyba (1175 m), about 14.5 km, about 5 hours up. Part of the Lesser Poland Papal Trail.
Black trail: Gaboń Praczka - Przehyba, about 8.5 km. It passes Kinga's Stone about 1 km before the mountain hut.
Blue trail: Barcice - Makowica (948 m), about 8 km, about 3.5 hours up.
Green trail: Barcice railway station - Wdżary Niżne (770 m), about 7 km, about 3 hours up.

The PTTK mountain hut on Przehyba offers accommodation and meals. In winter, snowshoes are recommended on higher sections.

Poprad Landscape Park

The Poprad Landscape Park is the largest landscape park in Lesser Poland. It covers most of the Beskid Sądecki, from Stary Sącz in the north to the Slovak border. Its greatest assets are the valleys of the Dunajec and Poprad and the forested ranges of Radziejowa and Jaworzyna Krynicka.

For families

Stawy bathing area - summer swimming and recreation close to the town centre
Lemur Park - a rope park next to the Stawy area
Orbisfera - an educational forest trail with a raised walkway and 15 activity stations on Miejska Góra, free of charge and open all year

Festivals

The Stary Sącz Festival of Early Music is one of the oldest early music festivals in Poland, held since 1975. Soloists and ensembles from around the world play music from the Middle Ages to early Classicism. Concerts take place in churches and in the Market Square.

When: late June and early July. Programme: festiwal.wstarymsaczu.pl

Throughout the year the town also hosts fairs, folk events and concerts.

Practical information

Getting here

By car: from Kraków about 1.5-2 hours, via the A4 motorway and national road 75
By plane: the nearest international airport is Kraków Airport (KRK)
By train: Stary Sącz railway station, ul. 22 Stycznia 11, on the Tarnów - Nowy Sącz - Krynica-Zdrój line
By bus: regular buses from Nowy Sącz

Tourist Information Centre

The best first stop. You can get maps, guides and information on accommodation, trails and events.

Address: Rynek 5, Stary Sącz
Phone: +48 18 446 18 58, +48 512 248 609
E-mail: wstarymsaczu@gmail.com
Website: it.wstarymsaczu.pl
Summer (1 May - 30 September): Tuesday - Friday 9:00-17:00, Saturday - Sunday 10:00-18:00
Winter: Tuesday - Friday 9:00-15:00
Closed on Mondays

Parking

ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego (town centre)
ul. Na Stawach (Stawy bathing area)

Accommodation and food

Hotels, guest rooms, agritourism farms and restaurants are listed in our tourist catalogue (in Polish). The Tourist Information Centre will also help you find a place to stay.

Emergency

Emergency number: 112
Police: ul. Źródlana 22, phone +48 18 446 07 77
Health centre Eskulap: ul. Królowej Jadwigi 20, phone +48 18 446 11 71

Contact

Stary Sącz is the seat of the Municipality of Stary Sącz (Gmina Stary Sącz). The Mayor is Jacek Lelek.

Municipal Office in Stary Sącz (Urząd Miasta i Gminy Stary Sącz)
ul. Stefana Batorego 25, 33-340 Stary Sącz, Poland
Phone: +48 18 446 02 70
Website: starysacz.um.gov.pl