Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Religious pilgrimage site in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a small town in Lesser Poland known as a religious center with a basilica and a large park of chapels spread across surrounding hills. The complex covers wooded slopes with paths leading to individual buildings, each dedicated to a different location from biblical accounts.
Mikołaj Zebrzydowski founded the site in 1600 as a recreation of Jerusalem locations based on a contemporary map of the Holy Land. Franciscan monks later took over management of the monastery and chapels, which became a destination for pilgrims from across Poland over the centuries.
The town takes its name from the Zebrzydowski family who owned land here in the late 1500s. Pilgrims today follow the paths between chapels, often walking in groups during major religious celebrations in spring and summer.
The main basilica sits at the center of town and serves as a starting point for walks to the various chapels on the hills. Most paths are unpaved and climb uneven ground, so sturdy shoes help.
The layout uses natural hills and valleys to mirror Jerusalem's topography, making the walking distances between chapels roughly match the original separations. Some chapels carry Hebrew inscriptions alongside Polish ones that name biblical locations.
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