Stary Sacz

One of the oldest cities in Poland located in the Sądecka Valley, at the fork of the Dunajec and Poprad rivers, on the historic Amber Road. It is distinguished by historic sacral buildings and characteristic architecture. The first mention of Stary Sącz is dated to 1257, when Bolesław the Chaste, the prince of Kraków and Sandomierz, granted his wife, the Hungarian princess Kinga, the land of Nowy Sącz as a pledge for a dowry brought to Poland. Kinga granted the rights of the goods received (including the city of Stary Sącz) to the monastery of Poor Clares she had founded. For centuries she was the most important figure for the city and its surroundings. The local inhabitants were convinced of her many miracles and sanctity, which in 1999 was confirmed by Pope John Paul II on the meadows of Stary Sącz. The buildings on the square in Stary Sącz are an example of medieval architecture. The Gothic Church of the Holy Trinity adjoining the cloister is decorated with baroque polychromes.  The papal altar has been left on the meadows as a memento of John Paul II's visit. For many years, the town hosts the Old Music Festival, the Craft Fair and other events evoking the atmosphere of the Middle Ages.