Sandomierz is a town with 1000 years of history, picturesquely located on the River Vistula, at a steep slope of the Swietokrzyskie Mountains.

After the foundation of the Polish State, Sandomierz, next to Krakow and Wroclaw, played the role of a sedes regni principales, i.e. main ruler’s seat. Later, it served as the capital of the Sandomierz Duchy, and of the Sandomierz Province. It was in the Sandomierz Castle that the town charter for Lvov/Lviv  was signed. In 1570, at the Olesniccy’s tenement house, the Sandomierz Accord was agreed, under which representatives of Lutherans, Calvins and Czech Brothers living in Poland developed their catechism. The Jewish community of Sandomierz was the second largest in Poland.
 
The royal town, which was rich thanks to its affluent residents, enjoyed numerous privileges granted by individual monarchs. Traders’ caravans passing through the town offered their goods for sale and local traders dug deep in the ground to build adequate cellars and stores for them, which today can be seen along the Underground Tourist Route. In the inter-war period, Sandomierz was planned to become the capital of a Central Industrial District, however the outbreak of World War II put these plans to a halt.
 
Tourists coming to Sandomierz will find original medieval street layout and development there. Knight fights and Renaissance dance shows organized there each weekend of the tourist season augment the historic appeal of the town. From the deck of one of the excursion ships that sails along the River Vistula, you can admire the panorama of the Old Town. The Opatowska Gate, the only preserved town’s gate, is a very popular local spot and flagship of Sandomierz, from which you can see the view of the bending river and neighboring areas. Sandomierz features 120 different historic sights. The most popular ones, apart from the Opatowska Gate, include the Renaissance Town Hall, Cathedral and Castle that date back to the times of King Casmir the Great, and four hundred years old Collegium Gostomianum, one of the oldest schools in Poland.
 
Visitors to Sandomierz can attend numerous events held there. The most popular ones include Strawberry Sunday staged in June, Szantomierz Festival held in July and Music in Sandomierz held in September, as well as a two-day St Vincent’s church fair. Tourist season lasts from April to October. The town is situated on the River Vistula, on seven hills, where you can hike in picturesque loess gorges. Pieprzowe Hills nature reserve, which is the ending of Swietokrzyskie Mountains is situated within the town’s limits. Thanks to local parks and neighboring orchards, the town is covered in greenery.