MALOPOLSKA REGION is the heart of Poland. Krakow was a capital of our country as early as from 1040. In Krakow Ladislaus The Short created beginnings of our statehood, Kazimierz the Great established the 1st University on which Copernicus used to study. King Jagiello was supplying his worriers for the coming battle at Grunwald with goods coming from the ancient forest in Niepołomice and the Tatra Mountains. Thanks to salt trade, salt coming from the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the state grew rich. The first Renaissance works of art in Poland had been created in Krakow. In the time of Baroque the first Jesuits church was built in here as well. In that very difficult time of partitions, all patriotic anniversaries had been celebrated in the old settlement of Prince Krak. When in Pieniny Mountains "a good thief" was stealing from rich to give poor we created in Krakow a national pantheon by burring heroes. The most known Polish health resorts of the 19th century were also located in Malopolska: Zakopane, Ojców - so called "Polish Switzerland". In here worked and created the most known polish artists of Modernism, Symbolism and the Art Nouveau: Stanislaus Wyspianski, Joseph Mehoffer, Stanislaus Witkiewicz. Karol Wojtyla - JPII was from Wadowice in Malopolska...

GENERAL INFO ABOUT MAŁOPOLSKA REGION