Tyniec
Nature
ul. Benedyktyńska 37, Kraków
Tourist region: Kraków i okolice
tel. +48 126885452
fax. +48 126885453
fax. +48 126885453
The picturesque limestone hill topped by the Benedictine Abbey and the surrounding hills form a narrowing of the Vistula riverbed called the Tyniecka Gate. These limestones have undergone karstification, as exemplified by a fairly large niche formed in the southern part of the hill. Slightly above it, there is a massive block of rock divided by a fissure, as well as several smaller fragments that fell from the crest of the fissure during the earthquake of 1786. It is where the seat of the oldest functioning abbey in Poland is located.
A beautiful rocky hill towers over the Vistula Gorge, with the monumental façade of the monastery reflected in the surface of the smooth Vistula riverbed; it is one of the most charming places near Kraków. This is an excellent alternative for visitors to Kraków and the surrounding area, a magical corner of the Vistula River. The renovated abbey is worth a visit, displaying a variety of architectural styles, from medieval Romanesque to Gothic and Baroque. The Benedictine Abbey is open to the public, and the permanent exhibition in the basement shows, for example, archaeological collections as well as flint tools and fragments of earthenware, which bear witness to the settlement of the Neolithic people considered to be one of the first groups of farmers in Poland. A trip to Tyniec is an alternative to spending summertime outside the city, in a unique steppe nature reserve and refreshing proximity to water. Walking along the bank of the Vistula riverbed that forms the so-called Tyniecka Gate is very popular, and the panorama is most enchanting in the light of the setting sun.
