Pińczów lies on the banks of the Nida River. Its historical landmarks range from the Baroque bell tower at today’s Plac Wolności to the Chapel of St. Anne in the northern part of town. The Regional Museum connects the town with the history of Ponidzie; in Pińczów County, protected areas, a nature and geology trail, and routes through the landscape broaden the view.
The town’s history in specific places
The Baroque bell tower is part of the former Pauline monastery; today, the complex is a parish complex. It stands in the centre, at the northeastern corner of the market square, now called Plac Wolności. Its precise location links the building to a clearly identifiable point in the town centre, while its history recalls the former monastery.
The Chapel of St. Anne stands in northern Pińczów, on Klasztorne Hill, also called St. Anne’s Hill. Both names refer to the same hill. Nearby are the remains of 17th-century fortifications and two 19th-century stone figures. The chapel, fortification remains and figures thus provide different historical reference points for this part of town.
The Wielopolski Palace was built around 1789. A Neoclassical polychrome decoration has been preserved inside—a multicoloured decorative scheme that adds a specific art-historical detail to the building’s story. The Regional Museum in Pińczów offers a different perspective: its collections come mainly from Ponidzie and document the region’s traditions, history and culture from the earliest times to the present day. The palace and museum thus represent two different approaches to culture: through a preserved interior detail and through a region-focused collection.
Ponidzie between protected areas and a nature trail
Almost the entire area of Pińczów County is covered by various forms of protection as part of the Ponidzie Landscape Parks Complex. The Skotniki Górne Nature Reserve lies partly within the municipality of Pińczów in Pińczów County. It protects a section of a gypsum cuesta slope with xerothermic grasslands and steppe insects. The protection thus covers specific landforms and habitats.
The approximately seven-kilometre-long “Pińczów–Skowronno” nature and geology trail runs through the Nadnidziański Landscape Park. Its focus on nature and geology offers a different perspective on the landscape from the town’s historic sites.
Rail, cycling, water and air
The Ciuchcia Express Ponidzie has operated as a seasonal summer tourist attraction since 1992. The journey passes fields, meadows and the Nida’s floodplains, as well as the Pińczów Hills, a loess landscape cut through by ravines, and steppe grasslands. Check the current departure times before your trip.
The “Madonnas of Ponidzie” cycling route offers another way to explore the landscape: it starts and ends in Pińczów and is marked with a green bicycle symbol. The route is recommended for family outings and is also suitable for children and seniors. Check the route and its markings before setting off. The two activities thus differ in form: one is a seasonal train ride through described landscapes, the other a designated cycling route that starts and ends in Pińczów.
Various activities are also available on the Pińczów Reservoir: you can go canoeing, pedal boating, sailing or motorboating. The Pińczów Aero Club was founded in January 1994 and is the only aero club in Poland specialising in microlight aviation. At the club, the certified SLR “AEROKRAK” paragliding school provides paragliding and hang-gliding training at all levels. If you are considering training, check its current availability.
Discover more destinations: Opatkowice, Działoszyce, Pińczów, Chroberz, Dzierążnia, Włoszczowa, Końskie, Kazimierza.
Return to the main travel overview: Świętokrzyskie.
