Kielce - the capital of Świętokrzyskie

The capital of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship is located on the gentle hills of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. In this way, Kielce combines a naturally mountainous landscape ideal for activity with the city's cultural attractions.

How much time are you planning to spend here? Two hours? All day? Maybe the weekend? It doesn't matter, as Kielce will fill all your time. Spend it doing what you most like!

What to see in Kielce?

• The Palace of the Krakow Bishops (National Museum)
• The Cathedral and Castle Hill
• The Kadzielnia Nature Reserve
• The Karczówka Nature Reserve and Botanical Garden
• The Alley of Fame (Szare Szeregi Square)
• Henryka Sienkiewicza Street
• The Museum of the History of Kielce
• The Centre of Patriotic and Civic Reflection

A short walk around the city is enough to realise that Kielce must have a rather unusual and rich history. The market square is a sloping square with an irregular shape. The streets diverge from it at different angles. A few hundred metres away rise the towers of the monumental palace and cathedral. The two sites are separated by the representative Sienkiewicza Street.

It is history that has influenced the appearance of Kielce today. The street layout, buildings and space all shape the unique character of the modern city.

How was Kielce established?

It is difficult to find out today, as the origins of the small settlement are lost in the mists of history. However, archaeological research confirms that the first houses were built as early as the 10th century in the vicinity of what is now St Adalbert's brick church.

Who founded Kielce and who decided to settle here? Historical sources are silent about this, but we can always rely on a legend. We will get to know it at Artystów Square, where you can see a statue of a... wild boar. The animal, according to the story, plays a very important role in the history of the city. The decorative plaques around Fang (that's how people in Kielce refer to this friendly animal), tell the legend of how Kielce was founded.

You will also find the Regional Tourist Information Centre at Artystów Square (29 Sienkiewicza Street). A place definitely worth a visit! You can also write at: informacja@swietokrzyskie.travel or call: 41 348 00 60.

Around the 12th century, the new owners of Kielce, the Bishops of Krakow, erected their first buildings on the surrounding hills.

The market square, which was built slightly later, had to fit in between two settlements - the one inhabited by the settlers and the one created by the bishops. Hence the irregular shape of the market.

Say again? Krakow Bishops? In Kielce? Yes, that's right. We do not know exactly from when or why, but until 1789 it was the Bishops of Krakow who owned Kielce. Among other things, they left behind the spectacular Castle Hill building complex.

The 17th century palace is now the home of the National Museum. The cathedral dates back to the 12th century.

Numerous outbuildings and administrative buildings remain next to the palace. After the bishop's estates were taken over by the state, it housed, among other things, a severe prison, the history of which can be explored in the interactive Castle Hill exhibition. The architecturally interesting Zieliński Palace is a former riding school. It is now a place where you will encounter art at its best while sipping aromatic coffee.

You probably know that saying. However, it does not refer to a railway or bus station, but to... "the station", i.e. the manor (palace) of the Bishops of Krakow.

Speaking about stations.... lovers of architecture associate Kielce with the unique building of the bus station. The building, which dates from the 1970s, has undergone a major revitalisation. The distinctive, innovative design and functionality of the Kielce "flying saucer" make the station a destination not only for architecture students.

Even if you are not planning a bus journey - take a look inside and experience the atmosphere of communist architecture in its most modern form. And if you're waiting for a bus to leave for the Świętokrzyskie Mountains or Sandomierz - use the interactive media centre. Play a game, read a book, browse the region's guidebooks.

From the station, it is only a few steps away from another showpiece of Kielce - Sienkiewicza Street. It was laid out in the 19th century, when Kielce became part of the Kingdom of Poland. The city was to become an important centre for culture, education and administration. To this end, a new development plan for Kielce was drawn up. It included, among other things, the laying out of a new street which gave rise to the current Sienkiewicza Street.

Today, the promenade is about 1,270 metres long. It starts at the Kielce Cultural Centre building and ends near the railway station.

A walk along the gently climbing Sienkiewka is one of the must-do things in Kielce. If you don't have time to walk the entire promenade, take a stroll from Paderewskiego Street. Take a look at the buildings that surround you - the Żeromski Theatre or the Bristol Hotel.

And at the end of the walk, behind the modest Evangelical church, you will see the monument of Henryk Sienkiewicz himself.

From Sienkiewka we are only a step away from the city park. It is a former bishops' garden and a perfect place to relax. Nearby, along the promenade on Solna Street, you will find cafés, patisseries and restaurants, also with regional cuisine.

There is also a cycle path that leads you to the Green Velo Trail. It is the longest cycle route in Poland. Following the orange Green Velo signs, you will reach Elbląg.

However, we advise you to stay in Kielce. An extension of the city park is the so-called Avenue of Fame along Szarych Szeregów Square. These are dozens of busts of people of cultural and artistic merit. Among them - Edith Piaf, Czesław Niemen, Stanisław Lem and Marylin Monroe. Walking in such good company, you will reach Kadzielnia.

the ground. A peaceful stroll along the wide avenues and a break from the street hustle and bustle of the city centre. An unforgettable concert in the amphitheatre set among the rocks of a former quarry. All these attractions are offered by a single place in Kielce - Kadzielnia!

Geology enthusiasts will find traces of life from 400 million years ago, when the area of the present Świętokrzyskie Mountains resembled... the Bahamas. And this is not the only location in the city where the land reveals its secrets to us.

In addition to Kadzielnia, we have four other reserves in Kielce. On the Karczówka hill, you will find peace and quiet that emanates from the walls of the 17th-century monastery. This is where the 20-kilometre-long hiking trail starts, which will take you to Chęciny. On the way, you will pass traces of the activities of the old miners who mined lead and even silver here for centuries.

When going to Karczówka, be sure to visit the Botanical Garden. In addition to the ever-growing collection of plants (including those growing in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains), you will find amazing views of Kielce and the surrounding area, as well as some geological curiosities!

The Geoeducation Centre at Wietrznia Nature Reserve will take you on a journey through time and space. At the Centre, you will find out that geology is an exciting science and you will be eager to visit other sites on the Świętokrzyskie Archaeo-Geological Trail, such as the former Biesag Białogon and Ślichowice quarries.

In Kielce will you find a street where toys live along a cobblestone street in brightly lit townhouses. Here is a wax doll from the 18th century. Dizedzia the bear, who survived the Warsaw Uprising, is happy to share his story.

You will probably ask - where is this alley? It is one of the elements of the multimedia exhibition at the Museum of Toys and Play.

The Magic of Carmel From here, we are only a few steps away from the pharmacy of imagination. However, no medicines are produced here, only sweets and lollipops. Handmade from natural ingredients, the delicacies come in more than 40 flavours. You will find many of them only here!

"Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember; involve me and I will understand." Without experimentation, it is difficult to learn about the world around us. How is energy created? Where does it come from? And what do we use it for? The Energy Science Centre exhibition will help the little ones answer these questions. However, it will not be easy - to learn the secrets of energy, you have to think hard and sometimes work hard. Hard work of body and spirit guaranteed.

Children's attractions in Kielce

• Geoeducation Centre
• Energy Science Centre
• The Pharmacy of Imagination - The Magic of Carmel
• The Museum of Toys and Play
• Ara Parrot House
• FlySky Amusement Park
• Kubuś Puppet and Actor Theatre

The Kielce Trade Fair is a well-known and respected meeting place in Poland and Europe. Almost every weekend the trade fair halls fill up with exhibitors and visitors. The Trade Fair hosts 75 exhibitions and presentations from almost every walk of life. Defence industry, road construction, bicycles... Kielce attracts representatives from many industries!

Kielce Trade Fair

The Kielce Trade Fair also offer excellent conference facilities: 19 halls, including a congress hall for 850 people and unique conference spaces at the top of a 57-metre-high viewing tower. It is here that nearly 700 congresses, conferences and gala training events are organised.

A weekend stay in Kielce can be enriched by a concert at the Philharmonic Hall, a performance at the Stefan Żeromski Theatre or the Kielce Dance Theatre. In the streets of Kielce, you will also find places where, in a less obliging atmosphere, you can let loose and listen to live music.

A weekend stay in Kielce can be enriched by a concert at the Philharmonic Hall, a performance at the Stefan Żeromski Theatre or the Kielce Dance Theatre. In the streets of Kielce, you will also find places where, in a less obliging atmosphere, you can let loose and listen to live music.