Kielce

Kielce is the largest city of the Holy Cross Voivodeship (Świętokrzyskie) with a population just under 200,000 residents. Its history dates back to the 10th century. In 1364 Kielce becomes recognised as a city and gains certain privileges connected with this legal status. In 1496 Kielce is conferred its coat of arms by the Fryderyk cardinal Jagiellończyk, Polish prince and primate, serving as a bishop in Kraków. The history of Kielce is rich in important events for the history of Poland, for example here, in 1816, was organised first Polish higher technical university (that was free of charge and had two teaching languages: Polish and German). The city has hosted howsoever the unfortunate scene of the Kielce pogrom, which resulted in the deaths of 40 Jewish Holocaust survivors and another 80 injured nearly a year after the final Nazi death camp was liberated. The antecedence of the pogrom are still not clear and many hypotheses are still being considered.

• Regional Tourist Information Centre

  phone: +48 41 348 00 60
  address: ul. Henryka Sienkiewicza 29

By plane

There is an international airport in the near town of Kraków Kraków-Balice Airport (KRK), but more flights go from Warsaw: Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW): For those travelling from Warsaw serviced by Polski Express. See also: Routes/Timetable

By train

Kielce is very easy to reach by train, as it is on the main line between Kraków and Warsaw. You can check train timetables in English at

By car

You can easily get there by car from Warsaw, Kraków and Łódź.

By bus

Many international connections (see Poland::By bus).

• The National Museum

  phone: +48 41 344 40 14
  address: pl. Zamkowy 1

• Palace of the Kraków Bishops

  phone: +48 41 344 40 15
  address: plac Zamkowy 1
  The Palace nowadays is a branch of the National Museum in Kielce.

• The Kielce Village Museum

  address: ul. Jana Pawła II 6
  Open air museum.

• Toy Museum

  phone: +48 41 343 37 06
  address: plac Wolności 2

• Cathedral of the Ascension of Mary

  address: plac Najświętszej Maryi Panny
  In near proximity to the Palace of the Kraków Bishops.

• Municipal Park

• Stefan Żeromski's School Years Musuem

  phone: +48 41 344 57 92
  address: Jana Pawła II 5
  Another branch of the National Museum in Kielce.

• Kadzielnia Amphitheatre

  address: aleja Legionów 1

• Institute of Design Kielce

  phone: +48 41 367 68 01
  address: ul. Zamkowa 3
  Located in renovated jail house.

• Sienkiewicza Street
• Forest Alleys

• Sienkiewicz Street

  address: Henryka Sienkiewicza
  The main shopping street in Kielce and partially pedestrianized.

• Galeria Echo

  address: Świętokrzyska 20

• Pasaż Świętokrzyski

  phone: +48 41 368 90 96
  address: Edmunda Massalskiego 3

• Centrum Handlowe Radomska

  address: Radomska 8

• Hotel Kongresowy

  phone: +48 41 332-63-93
  address: Al. Solidarności 34
  The Hotel Kongresowy is a modern 3 star hotel catering to business people.

• Best Western Grand Hotel

  phone: +48 41 365 50 00
  address: Ul. Sienkiewicza 78

• La Mar Hotel

  phone: +48 41 33 02 200
  address: Ul. Sikorskiego 2
  This hotel is only a few years old and has very large rooms. The hotel also has a swimming pool and bowling alley.

• Qubus Hotel

  phone: +48 41 243 81 00
  address: ul. Składowa 2
  4 star hotel located between the bus and train station and the historic city centre.

• Hotel Kameralny

  phone: +48 41 348 25 30
  address: ul. Tarnowska 7

• Hotel Ibis Kielce Centrum

  phone: +48 41 3406900
  address: ul. Warszawska 19
  A recently opened chain hotel (May 2009) in the city center with reasonable rates.

• Dom Harcerza Hostel Kielce

  address: ul. Pańska 1A
  A cozy & friendly hostel invites you to rest and relax about 6 km from the city center of Kielce.

• Youth Hostel Wedrownik (HI hostel)

  phone: +48-41-3423735
  address: ul. Szymanowskiego 5
  Budget hostel in a school, about 15 minutes by foot from the city center, with Wifi accessible from the entry of the TV room. Nearby are Tesco on the one side (in Bohaterow Warszawy), Biedronka and Lidl on the other side (Sandomierska-Slaska intersection).

• Łódź
• Częstochowa
• Sandomierz — a very important historic town on the banks of the Vistula river, relatively close to Kielce