Kalvaria Zebrzidowska monastery, Poland 2014, near Krakow Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (Polish: [kalˈvarja zɛbʐɨˈdɔfska]) is a town in southern Poland with 4,429 inhabitants (2007 estimate). As of 1999, it is situated in Lesser Poland or Małopolska. Previously, the town was administered within the Voivodeship of Bielsko-Biała (1975–1998). Monastery in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The central basilica and the Franciscan monastery, the vast complex of buildings scattered among woods on the slopes of the 527-meter-high Zar mountain grew to be the biggest such compound in Europe. It is also Poland’s second most important historic destination for pilgrims. Over ages the pilgrimage to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska influenced millions of Poles. And one frequent pilgrim proved very special–Pope John Paul II, born in nearby Wadowice.

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