Sandomierz

Sandomierz stands on hills above the Vistula near the mouth of the San and is among the oldest and most important towns in Poland. As early as the early 12th century, Gallus Anonymus named it alongside Kraków and Wrocław. In 2017 the Old Town was declared a national monument. The market square measures roughly 110 by 120 m and slopes by up to 15 m; the Town Hall in the middle dates from 1349. The 14th-century cathedral holds relics of the Holy Cross and 15th-century frescoes.

Beneath the Old Town, the Underground Tourist Route (about 500 m long, up to 12 m deep) runs through merchants' cellars. The 14th-century Opatów Gate is the only surviving town gate and has a viewing platform. Casimir the Great's castle was blown up by Swedish troops in 1656; one wing survived and houses the museum. There is a small car park near the Opatów Gate, a good starting point.