Almost all visits to Wadowice are religious, with travelers flocking to the fascinating museum in the Family Home of John Paul II. The pope was christened and took his first confession and his first communion at the attractive 15th-century Minor Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which has a chapel devoted to him. The town’s historic main square, renamed in honor of the pope, also houses a statue of him.
While the town is served by trains from Krakow, many travelers opt to book tours that combine Wadowice with other Catholic sites. Popular options include tours covering John Paul II’s Krakow or visits to Czestochowa, known for the Black Madonna, a medieval icon held in the Jasna Góra Monastery (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
When visiting sacred sites in Poland, both men and women should wear clothes that cover their shoulders and their legs to the knee.
Don’t confuse the Family Home of John Paul II in Wadowice with the site of the same name in Krakow: that’s the apartment where the family lived when he was a little older.
Wadowice is known for “the pope’s cream cake” (kremówka papieska), featuring oodles of vanilla custard cream between two thin layers of pastry, so leave room for dessert.
Wadowice lies about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of Krakow in southern Poland. It’s under an hour by road and about a 1.5-hour train ride, but many travelers opt for tours with roundtrip transport that can cover multiple papal sites. The nearest airport is Krakow’s John Paul II International Airport.
Pope St. John Paul II was born on May 18, 1920, and his birth anniversary often sees commemorations in the town. Wadowice’s weather is most pleasant in late spring and early summer, but for quieter experiences in the museum, visit during the winter off-season.
Poland remains a fiercely Catholic country. When Pope St. John Paul II became the first Polish pope in 1978 (and the first non-Italian pope in centuries), it was a source of immense national pride. Besides his sainthood, he is credited with helping break down the power of Communism and usher in the peaceful revolution that made Poland part of modern Europe.
