A visit to Tarnów, the second largest city in Małopolska, is also an excellent opportunity to encounter many cultures – Poles, Jews and Roma have lived here side by side for centuries. Among others, General Józef Bem, the hero of the Polish and Hungarian nations, and Jan Szczepanik, known as the ‘Polish Edison’, the inventor of colour photography and the bulletproof vest, come from here.  Tarnów, once the keystone of many trade routes, is also very easy to reach today. It is accessible via a modernised railway line, the A4 motorway and VeloMetropolis – an option for lovers of two wheels – which crosses the city from east to west.

Tarnów is also the warmest city in Poland, and the specific microclimate surrounding it has led to several vineyards being established in its vicinity in recent years (their products are not only being recognised, but are winning awards). They can be found, among others, in the ENOTarnowskie area, which includes the districts of Tarnów, Brzeski, Dąbrowski and the city of Tarnów. It includes the following well-known vineyards: Dąbrówka,Janowice, Uroczysko, Zadora, Manru or Nowizny...

Whoever wants to learn more about this beautiful area and its rich history  should visit the Tarnów Tourist Information Centre, located in a historic townhouse on the Market Square. In fact, it is from this point in the very heart of Tarnów that a tour of this unique city should begin. The Centre's staff will provide expert and up-to-date information about the city and region, sights worth seeing, cultural events, horse-riding centres, vineyards, places to stay, as well as restaurants and inns worth recommending.

Here, visitors are free to take a tourist guide and map of the city  including ones dedicated to cycling as well as an audio guide to Tarnów (a collection of stories about the city and its monuments, created by Tarnów historians, which is also available on the website and on an Android app). Of course, souvenirs and guide books can also be purchased here. Thanks to the Centre, we can also use free WiFi in the Market Square area. It is worth remembering that there is a conference room for about 50 people at CIT, a bicycle parking area, luggage storage, and a café. It is also a Bicycle Friendly Place. Also unique for an information point are four double guest rooms with full sanitary facilities.

The Tarnów Tourist Information Centre also organises study events for travel agents and journalists, participates in tourism fairs at home and abroad, and publishes promotional materials about Tarnów. It is also the venue for meetings with pre-school children, primary school pupils and teachers, during which are discussed the attractions, monuments, history of Tarnów and the region, tourism itself, and much more. Children leave such meetings with new knowledge and materials for parents to help them organise family holidays.

The Tarnów Tourist Information Centre, in addition to carrying out important tasks in the service tourists visiting the city and the region, strives to inspire and support the development of the local tourist market by, among others, lobbying activities, training and consultancy, organisation of cooperation of tourist entities, realisation of joint promotional campaigns, and searching for funds to finance tourist undertakings.

The Tarnów Tourist Information Centre offers services in yet another unique location in Tarnów – the Cafe Tram. The passenger carriage housing the unusual café is parked at Sobieski Square. It is a faithful replica of the former Tarnów ‘ladybirds’, as Tarnów’s pre-war trams were so admiringly called. Many elements of the charming café, such as the rails, chassis, bell and lamps, come from former trams.

The Tourist Information Centre in Tarnów is a municipal budget unit functioning as part of the Małopolska Tourist Information System – an integrated network enabling coherent and comprehensive activities. It is certified as not only a Bicycle Friendly Venue but also as a Parent-Friendly Facility for Young Children. In 2023, for the second consecutive year, it won the 'Eagles of Tourism' competition.

More about Bicycle Friendly Places and VeloMetropolis can be found at narowery.visitmalopolska.pl.