An underrated region of Poland. The “wow” effect is guaranteed

There will be a bit of history, a lot of surprises and a few attractions that we definitely wouldn’t expect to find here. This is an ideal weekend route for those who like to discover places beyond the first pages of guidebooks. Along the way, you will find medieval atmosphere, huge ruins, mysterious undergrounds, a lake hidden among the rocks, local flavors and places created by people with true passion.

You can watch the entire episode here: THE MOST UNDERESTIMED DIRECTION IN POLAND? Świętokrzyskie surprised me

The Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship is not the first choice of Poles who go on holiday or a short trip. Still, it has a lot to offer. An example of a place that creates a wow effect is Szydłów. Although the city is small, after a while you can see that it has retained a piece of old Poland. Szydłów does not impress with just one point, but with its entire character, history dating back to the times of Władysław Jagiełło and Casimir the Great, and… the smell of plums. It is one of the most beautiful towns not only in the Świętokrzyskie region, but in Poland in general.

What impresses the most is the Krakow Gate. It is one of the best-preserved medieval city gates in the former Kingdom of Poland. It is a showcase and architectural symbol of Szydłów. It was built in the 14th century entirely of local limestone. Later it was expanded. Everyone who came here immediately noticed her. It was a sign of the power and wealth of the royal city, which Szydłów was then. You can enter the gate completely free of charge. And it is worth doing it, because from there you can see the real pearl in the crown of this town – the medieval walls.

Szydłów is also home to the oldest synagogue in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship and one of the oldest Jewish temples in Poland. It was built between 1534 and 1564. It is also one of the best preserved in our country. Here you will visit a prayer room with an original interior. You must also see the market square in Szydłów and the castle.

Those who like castles will certainly like Krzyżtopór Castle. The castle, or rather what is left of it, makes a huge impression and is one of the showcases of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. Admiring it up close, it’s hard to believe that this building was the largest palace building in Europe until the construction of Versailles.

The castle was built in the first half of the 17th century and was the life’s work of the chamberlain of Sandomierz, and later voivode and member of parliament, Krzysztof Ossoliński of the Topór coat of arms. He became rich from war supplies and therefore decided to build a headquarters larger than all other magnate palaces, and it must be admitted that he succeeded. The volume of all rooms was 70,000. sq m. The palace itself was built as a kind of calendar. Apparently it had as many towers as there were quarters, large halls – as many months, rooms – as many weeks, and windows – as many days in a year.

The next point of your trip around the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship may be Lake Chańcza. It sounds familiar, but it’s not about the popular lake in the Suwałki region. Świętokrzyska Chańcza is not as deep as Suwałki, because it is a maximum of 11 m deep. In addition, it is actually a reservoir that was created in the times of the Polish People’s Republic. And one note: the name of this reservoir is written with Ch, not just H, as in the case of Hańcza from the Suwałki region.

This is only a fraction of what can be seen in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. You can also admire Opatów and the local monastery complex and many other places. To find out what else is worth visiting in this area, be sure to watch our video.

Read also: Holidays for a fortune? Here are the most expensive attractions by the sea in 2026