Biecz Old Town

Biecz is a small town on the River Ropa in the Carpathian Foothills which, thanks to its rich history, is called the "pearl of the Subcarpathian region", "little Kraków" and even the "Polish Carcassonne" — because of the surviving fragments of its medieval walls. Today it has a little over 4,000 inhabitants, but it was once one of the largest towns in Poland. It received Magdeburg rights in 1257, became a royal town in 1306, and from September 1311 to April 1312 King Władysław the Elbow-high lived here with his court — hence the local tradition that Biecz was briefly the capital.

The town flourished in the 14th and 15th centuries thanks to trade with Hungary, above all in Hungarian wine. Land and castle courts sat here, and Biecz held the "right of the sword": it punished the highway robbers of the Beskids harshly, and the local executioner also served the surrounding towns. The memory of the executioner is one of Biecz's quirks today: there is a monument to him, and the museum organises "walks with the executioner". From the 17th century the town declined because of wars, epidemics and fires, and on 12 May 1903 a great fire devastated it.

What to see

• The town hall and tower in the middle of the market square. The first tower collapsed on 8 May 1569, killing a young trumpeter in the rubble. The new one, 58 m tall, was built in 1569–1580, largely funded by the Biecz-born historian and bishop Marcin Kromer. On its east wall is a rare 16th-century clock face divided into 24 hours. You can climb the tower.
• The Corpus Christi Collegiate Church — a late-Gothic hall church from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, one of the finest in Poland. Inside are a "Descent from the Cross" from the second half of the 16th century linked to the circle of Michelangelo, Gothic scenes in the main altar from the school of Veit Stoss, carved 17th-century stalls, a music lectern of 1633 and a large organ by Jan Śliwiński.
• Kromerówka — a Renaissance town house of 1519 with a portal bearing that date, remodelled in 1612 by the poet Jan Januszowicz and named after Marcin Kromer.
• The House with a Tower — a town house of 1523 with an adjoining defensive tower, one of the branches of the Biecz Land Museum (among other things an old pharmacy and historic musical instruments).
• The Turma — the medieval prison beneath the town hall with instruments of torture (free entry).
• The town walls with three towers (Blacksmiths', Butchers' and Council) and the foundations of a barbican, plus St Anne's Church with the Reformati monastery (1645–1663).

Practical information

Biecz lies 8 km from Gorlice, 21 km from Jasło, about 50 km from Nowy Sącz and 125 km from Kraków; the town has a railway station. The old town is compact and you can see everything on foot in half a day. The sites of the Biecz Land Museum (Muzeum Ziemi Bieckiej) are open Tuesday to Sunday: May–September 9:00–17:00, October–April 8:00–16:00 (last entry half an hour before closing). Tickets: House with a Tower 18 zł (reduced 15 zł), Kromerówka 10 zł (6 zł), Collegiate Church 15 zł (10 zł), town-hall tower 10 zł (6 zł; entry on the hour, May–September 10:00–16:00, October–April 9:00–15:00), combined ticket for the House with a Tower, Kromerówka and the tower 36 zł (25 zł). On Fridays entry to the museum exhibitions is free (except the Collegiate Church, St Anne's Church and the tower). A guided town walk costs 200 zł per group. The seasonal information point is at Rynek 1 (May to October), phone +48 13 447 13 28. Information as of October 2026.

Nearby

In neighbouring Binarowa stands the UNESCO-listed wooden Church of St Michael the Archangel. Also close by are the church in Sękowa and the Lemko church in Owczary. To the east, near Krosno, is the oil museum in Bóbrka.

Official website: muzeumbiecz.pl

Photos: Henryk Bielamowicz, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Olerys, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; mik Krakow, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons; Kraków - moje miasto, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.