All you need to do is to put on some athletic wear and comfortable shoes and then hit the trail, which will lead you through numerous parks, forests and groves – there, you can walk, run or cycle. Beautiful nooks and crannies of the Bielany-Tyniec Landscape Park, the Wolski Forest, Podgórki Tynieckie, the Nowa Huta Meadows, the Dłubnia River Valley and the Rudawa River Valley lure the visitors with the wealth of opportunities for active recreation and relaxation, all the while places such as Nowa Huta Lake, Błonia Park and Bagry can give you respite from everyday noise. Avid cyclists can take advantage of a vast network of bicycle paths, in particular the Vistula Bicycle Route, a cycling highway which takes them on a journey along the banks of the Vistula River. Kraków is a city of many surprises. On the one hand, it offers you the interesting industrial views of Nowa Huta, on the other, it lures you with the idyllic atmosphere of Bronowice and the traces of Young Poland’s bohéme.

Simply crossing the city limits and moving a couple of kilometres opens up completely new perspectives. Regardless of where your eyes and legs will take you, the regions surrounding Kraków abound in places perfect for a family walk, where you can feel closer to nature and find blissful relief from the urban hustle and bustle, all while enjoying the sight of the monuments that dot the landscape.

Rediscover the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland with its Ojców National Park – a land of legendary medieval fortresses and a perfect example of harmony between the works of man and nature’s creation. What’s more, both Ojców trout and wines from the Upland are a staple of the region's renowned culinary tradition.

If you are on the lookout for beautiful places, experience the Pogórze Wiśnickie south of Bochnia, between the Raba and Dunajec rivers, a place that has inspired artists and attracted art lovers for centuries. Its gentle hills with a height of just more than 500 metres above sea level, with flowering meadows, pastures and groves make for a colourful palette of fields, orchards and forest glades. The picturesque landscape is made even more beautiful by numerous gems of architecture – both secular and sacred, including the popular Wiśnicz Castle, as well as the polychromatic features of the Gothic church of St. Leonard in Lipnica Murowana, which is included on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. The region is distinguished by a unique cultural landscape as well as regional traditions that are well-known across the entire country, including the Easter Palm Competition held in Lipnica. 

Thanks to the Greenways Amber Trail, you can set off from Kraków to get to the Renaissance royal castle in Niepołomice, and then follow along the green trails of the Niepołomice Primeval Forest to encounter wildlife, including the king of the forest – the European bison.

Travelling southwards, it would be nigh-well impossible not to stop for a while in the area of Myślenice and Dobczyce to experience the unique atmosphere of these towns, admire the landscapes with its surrounding hills and the panorama of Dobczyce Lake with the Royal Castle towering over it and the Open-Air Museum of Wooden Folk Architecture.

During your green trip, you simply cannot miss the Miechów Upland – a truly idyllic landscape dotted with gentle hills and a colourful mosaic of fields, meadows and forests, a patchwork of wheat, rye, oats, corn and cabbage – the staple crops of the area – all adorned with poppies, cornflowers and millions of other field flowers. The easiest way to get here is to go by train – Małopolska Railways (Koleje Małopolskie) will take you there – and your bike, too, if you want to grab it as well. And you might definitely want to do so, since exploring Miechów with its Basilica Minor of the Holy Sepulchre, as well as Racławice, the site of a historic battle and Przesławice with its church – part of the Wooden Architecture Trail – is easiest to do on two wheels. The bicycle path leading along the route of the now defunct narrow-gauge railway is also a great attraction.

Planując wycieczki po  Krakowie i okolicach koniecznie poszukaj inspiracji w ekoprzewodniku  „Podróżuj po Małoposce w rytmie eko”, szczególnie, że w zakładce Wypoczywaj w rytmie eko znalazły się dwie, premierowe wycieczki „Wyrzyna Miechowska – mozaika pól i kwietnych stepów” i „Rodzinnie wokół Krakowa”.