The Ponidzie Region is an area which almost entirely covers the Nadnidziańska Basin. The region is famous for the largest gypsum deposits in Europe, nature reserves with unique semiarid vegetation, diverse forests, roadside shrines and other sights worth visiting as well as the world-famous sulphate mineral waters. The Ponidzie Region covers the following counties: buski in the east, jędrzejowski in the west with the Pińczów County located in the centre.
The area is mainly renowned for the valley of the Nida River with its numerous meanders, which form an important ecological corridor. It is also an aquatic wildlife sanctuary providing a rich habitat for birds drawn to the valley’s watery and muddy conditions.
Ponidzie is a perfect place for spending your free time actively – you can go hiking, cycling, canoeing, horseriding and even try hang-gliding here, but it is also a good destination for tourists looking to improve their health and spend a few days of rest. The area’s unique microclimate, sunny weather, unspoiled nature, natural mineral and medicinal waters attract thousands of Polish and foreign visitors who come here to receive various forms of medical treatment and recuperate.
These unique wildlife values of Ponidzie are adequately safeguarded within a project called ‘NATURE 2000’ as well as by the three landscape parks: The Nida Landscape Park, The Szaniec Landscape Park and The Kozubów Landscape Park.
WHAT IS WORTH SEEING:
WITHIN 25 KM OF PIŃCZÓW:
Pińczów, Regional Museum (+ Old Synagogue, + Printing House of the Arian Brothers) https://muzeumpinczow.pl/
Pińczów, The Wielopolski Family Palace https://pinczow.travel/informator_turystyczny/zabytki/dawny_zespol_palacowy_wielopolskich_w_pinczowie
Pińczów, St. Anne’s Chapel with a viewpoint of the picturesque panorama of Pińczów and its neighbourhood https://pinczow.travel/informator_turystyczny/zabytki/kapliczka_sw_anny
Michałów, The Arabian Stud Farm in Michałów http://stadninamichalow.pl/pl/
Młodzawy, The Garden at the Crossroads http://ogrodnarozstajach.pl/
Chroberz, Wielopolski-Family Palace in Chroberz https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/chroberz-palac
Sobków, The Knight Castle http://www.zameksobkow.eu/
Jędrzejów, The Przypkowski Museum of Sundials http://muzeum.jedrzejow.pl/
Busko-Zdrój, The Świętokrzyskie Health Resorts https://www.ubz.pl/pl/
Busko-Zdrój, Brine Graduation Tower https://www.busko.pl/pl/teznia-pl.html
WITHIN 50 KM OF PIŃCZÓW:
Wiślica, Museum of Archaeology in Wiślica https://mnki.pl/wislica/
Szydłów, The Szydłów Castle https://www.zamkipolskie.com/szydlow/szydlow.html
Grabki Duże, Complex of Palace https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/grabki-duze-zespol-palacowy
Kurozwęki, Complex of Palace in Kurozwęki https://www.zamkipolskie.com/kurozweki/kurozweki.html
Chęciny, Chęciny Castle https://zamek.checiny.pl/pl/
Chęciny, The Cave Raj https://jaskiniaraj.pl/
Tokarnia, The Museum of Kielecka Village, The Etnographic Park in Tokarnia https://mwk.com.pl/o-muzeum/park-etnograficzny-w-tokarni
Kielce, The National Museum in Kielce https://mnki.pl/
Kielce, The Kielce Geopark https://geopark.pl/
Kielce, Toy & Entertainment Museum http://muzeumzabawek.eu/
WORTH MENTIONING:
Stradów Gord– in the past (the early Middle Ages) the largest hill fort ever built on Polish land. The major gord called Zamczysko comprised the area of 1,5 hectares and it was surrounded by the smaller ones: Waliki, Mieścisko and Barzyńskie. In total, it covered the area of 25 hectares. The existence of the gord is connected with the land occupied by the Vistulans (in Polish Wiślanie- an early medieval Lechitic tribe).