Klecza Górna – Manor House, Chapels and Hiking Trails

Manor House, History and Chapels

The manor house in Klecza Górna was completed in 1883 in the eclectic style. Even earlier, Wincenty Pol stayed there in hiding from 1833 to 1834. He later became a geographer and professor at Jagiellonian University. In Klecza Górna, the yellow hiking trail passes a single-storey brick palace dating from 1883. The site thus brings together architectural history and a specific connection to a hiking trail.

The chapels include a wayside shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and a house-shaped chapel containing an image of Our Lady of Częstochowa. The 1881 Lourdes wayside shrine stands beside a road on private property, opposite the manor house fence. Its square sandstone shaft is adorned with figures of saints. The house-shaped chapel is also on private property. It is dated to around 1846. According to tradition, its image of Our Lady dates from the time the chapel was founded. May devotions are still held at this chapel today. The different dedications, forms and traditional associations give each chapel its own character; remember the private-property status when planning your visit.

Hiking Trails and Other Themes in the Wadowice Destination

A yellow hiking trail connects Klecza Górna with Gorzeń Górny via Jaroszowicka Mountain. This connection via Jaroszowicka Mountain to Gorzeń Górny is also relevant when planning a hike. Check the current route before setting out. It is also helpful when planning to distinguish local attractions from routes: the manor house and chapels are individual cultural sites, while the hiking trail describes a connection via Jaroszowicka Mountain to Gorzeń Górny.

Wadowice is the wider destination and offers its own cultural and outdoor activities. The town lies in the western part of the Wieliczka Foothills, in a basin between the foothills and the mountain ranges of the Beskid Mały, as well as in the Skawa valley. The town center lies between the Skawa and the Choczenka watercourse. At the Family Home of Pope John Paul II, a museum presents a permanent exhibition and also welcomes visitors for individual visits. The Marcin Wadowita Town Museum focuses on historical collections from the Wadowice area; many of its temporary exhibitions are connected with Karol Wojtyła.

Two walking routes in Wadowice focus on different historical themes: the approximately 4.5-kilometer Karol Wojtyła Route leads to 14 stops covering the childhood and youth of Saint John Paul II. The approximately 5-kilometer Galician Wadowice Route has 13 stops about the town’s history during the Partitions of Poland. If you prefer cycling to a city-focused activity, the wider destination has around 55 kilometers of tourist cycling routes in the municipality. Wadowice Trails is a complex of mountain bike singletracks in the wooded area of Jaroszowicka Góra, designed for beginners, families with children and advanced mountain bikers.

The pump track and kayaking route offer further options for planning: the pump track in Wadowice has loops for beginners and advanced riders, with varying levels of difficulty; use is free. The Wadowice–Grodzisko kayaking route is 14 kilometers long, divided into three stages, with an estimated paddling time of around 3.5 hours. In Wadowice, you can also try Wadowice cream cake in the market square. This makes it possible to choose between Klecza Górna’s local architectural and chapel history and the urban, cycling and water activities specifically located in Wadowice, according to your travel interests.

Discover more destinations: Koziniec, Tomice, Jaszczurowa, Lanckorona, Andrychów, Klecza Dolna, Bachowice, Mucharz.

For the wider travel overview: Wadowice.