Chęciny – The royal city

Chęciny is a town located a short distance from Kielce on the Warsaw – Cracow route.

Its development was determined primarily by the deposits of valuable ores: lead, silver, and copper. The picturesque panorama of the city is dominated by a gothic castle built around 1300 on a lofty mountain known as the Castle Hill.

You can meet the  spirit of the former resident of the castle – Queen Bona or take part in one of the numerous knight tournaments organized here. There are also a few other ancient buildings  in this historic town. Worth recommending are, among others: the early Baroque monastery of St. Bernardine, the Franciscan church and monastery founded by Kazimierz Wielki in 1368, the parish church erected in the first half of the 14th century and the Renaissance building of the former inn called "Niemczówka".

It is worth knowing that  Chęciny was once inhabited by people of Jewish origin as evidenced by the late Renaissance synagogue built in the middle of the 17th century and the Jewish cemetery.