Ninety seconds on Three Crosses Hill
Three crosses on a hill above Kazimierz Dolny give you the classic view of the town: every roof below you and the Vistula River beyond.
The hill is loess, about 90 metres above the Vistula valley, and the three crosses stand in a row on its summit, set up as an echo of Golgotha. The first crosses went up in 1708 for the town’s plague dead, and the ones standing now date from 1852.
Read the inscriptions before you turn to the view. They name the plague victims of the early eighteenth century and ask God to protect the town.
Dozens of Polish artists have recorded the view from this summit.
Look at the ground as well as the skyline. The slopes and the summit are covered in protected, rare plants, so keep to the steps and the path.
Zamkowa Street gives you two ways up from the market square. The short route starts behind the bell tower at Zamkowa 1 and climbs steeply on stone and wooden steps. The longer, gentler lane follows Zamkowa toward the castle for 600 to 700 metres.
Pay the entry fee at the booth at the top. Then walk out to the crosses on the summit.
Come down the way you went up, or take the other route to make a loop back to the square.
Wear shoes with a good grip, because the stone steps can be slippery. Carry water on warm days: even this short climb is demanding in the heat.
If you are driving in on a weekend or in the summer holidays, arrive early, because the town car park on Al. Kazimierza Wielkiego fills fast.
Explore the rest of Kazimierz Dolny
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