Małopolska is senior-friendly

View of a group of elderly people walking on a forest path in the Racławka Valley Nature Reserve. Two women in the foreground hold ‘kilki’ in their hands. They’re standing amidst a gorgeous forest.
Age is only a number! Today's seniors are increasingly active people who can put many young people to shame. What to do when you have more free time in retirement? Małopolska is a region that really has a lot to offer seniors. Besides, the offer is always expanding and becoming more and more diversified, because seniors have potential. The Małopolska Tourist Information System (MSIT) will help you choose the most interesting places.

Here are some suggestions for seniors to enjoy their leisure time in an active and interesting way.

Wysowa-Zdrój. A place with a mild climate

Wysowa-Zdrój is hidden among the gentle, sparsely populated valleys and ridges of the Beskid Niski Mountains. This small town is located in a wide valley in the heart of the mountains, close to the border with Slovakia. The gentle terrain is perfect for walking and hiking. The excellent microclimate and local mineral waters make the health resort exceptionally attractive to visitors to spas of Małopolska. It has valuable healing waters used in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory, digestive and urinary systems. The local sanatorium provides a full range of spa treatments. As befits a real health resort, there is a beautiful Spa Park here.

Discover the pearl of the Renaissance. Cultural trip to Tarnów

In 2021, Tarnów was among the 15 most beautiful small European cities in the CNN television network ranking. When selecting Tarnów for the winning fifteen, the beauty of its historic monuments, the unique atmosphere and charm of its Old Town backstreets, the lack of crowds and the opportunity to enjoy the city's attractions in peace were all recognised. Tarnów is a city of many cultures. We find Jewish, Hungarian and Roma traces here. By going on a trip to Tarnów, seniors can spend time in in Poland's sunniest and warmest city among magnificent Renaissance monuments. The city also offers tourists a visit to the local museum with wonderful exhibits. Tarnów is easily accessible from almost every corner of Małopolska. You can reach the ‘Polish heat pole’ – as the city is sometimes called – by train or bus.

An active senior with Nordic walking poles

Walking with poles is one of the most frequently chosen activities by seniors. The advantages of this type of training are safety (support), the opportunity to meet other Nordic walking enthusiasts, contact with nature, and a sense of fitness and independence. It is also an excellent exercise for the whole body. Age doesn't matter here. In every nook and cranny of Małopolska, we can easily find trails that make excellent Nordic walking routes. They have varying degrees of difficulty. In Kraków, it is worth taking a walk along the Podgórki Tynieckie paths. It’s an ideal place for Nordic walking or jogging training. By stopping for a short rest in the wilderness, we can admire beautiful views of the surrounding area without feeling that we are only a few kilometres from the centre of Kraków. We also recommend the green trail around Tyniec, which will lead to the most beautiful corners of the area, including the famous Benedictine Abbey. For those planning a short trip from Kraków, we recommend a Nordic walk around Iwkowa. The loop along the red commune trail is not difficult and you can complete it with ease in about 4 hours. The route offers a very attractive landscape.

Ah, the sweet, sweet silence of the countryside!

Seniors most often look for relatively quiet places. Such as, for example, agritourism farms. And there is no shortage of them in Małopolska. Many of them specialise in recreation for seniors. Such places usually offer lovely views, nearness to nature, and clean and fresh forest air as the best companions for a healthy and joyful rest. The farms are most often located in naturally attractive areas, in many cases around national parks. They often offer organic food and, above all, an unforgettable atmosphere.

This is where it all started. On the Trail of John Paul II

If we want to follow the paths of the Polish Pope John Paul II, we suggest starting from Wadowice, the hometown of Karol Wojtyła. A magnificent church towers over the spacious square, renovated townhouses stand all around, and well-kept flowerbeds and café tables encourage visitors to stay longer. The man who would later be Pope John Paul II was born in a modest tenement house at 7 Kościelna Street, right next to the Market Square and the church. Currently, the building houses the Museum of the Holy Father John Paul II Family Home. Many other buildings related to Karol Wojtyła have also been preserved in the town. These include the schools he attended and the Neo-Romanesque monastery complex of the Discalced Carmelites. You can get to know all these places by taking the Karol Wojtyła Foot Trail. After the walk, it is finding a nice place to sit on Wadowice’s Market Square to try the ‘Pope's cream cakes (kremówki papieskie)’, which the Pope mentioned during his visit to Wadowice in 1999. Today, this pastry shop no longer exists but there are many others that serve Wadowice’s most famous cake and lots of other delicious ones, besides!

 

Seniors can find a full tourist and recreational offer, often unique and very local, in the Małopolska Tourist Information System (MSIT). There are over 30 points throughout Małopolska, often in small towns, staffed by true enthusiasts who know their regions perfectly. They are always ready to help and can give you lots of great advice.

The current list of points is available at visitmalopolska.pl/pl_PL/punkty_informacji_turystyczna.

More inspiration at visitmalopolska.pl and in the VisitMałopolska application.

 

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