The Cistercian Trail in Poland is a fragment of an international route leading through the monuments of the Cistercian Order, which begins in Portugal and ends its course in Poland. The trail leads through most of western and southern Poland, although the greatest monuments can be admired on the route from the Silesian Lowland to the Niecka Kozielska. During the Cistercian Route, you can see, among others, the monasteries in Trzebnica, Krzeszów, Henryków, Kamieniec Ząbkowicki, Wąchock, Sulejów and Rudy Wielkie.
We present the Polish section of the European Cistercian Route, a tourist route connecting the objects of the Cistercian Order. Today, historic buildings of churches and monasteries are an unusual tourist attraction of the areas located between the western and southern borders of the state and the Vistula River. Traveling along the Cistercian Route is a peculiar and reflective journey into the past that allows you to deepen your knowledge about European roots. Due to the length and course of the route, the trail also allows you to see the diversity of Polish landscapes and nature.
The Cistercian Trail in Poland is a part of the European Cistercian Route, which was established by the Council of Europe in 1990 in connection with the 900th birth anniversary of Saint. Bernard of Clairvaux (spiritual creator of the order). Wandering along the trail allows us to observe the influence that medieval Cistercian monasteries had on the culture and identity of Europe. The trail connecting objects related to the presence of Cistercians runs through Poland, France, Spain and Portugal. In Poland, it creates four loops: Śląska, Wielkopolska, Kujawska, Małopolska and Łódzka.
"Maintaining one's culture, values and traditions is beyond price."
- Getano Lui
It was the 12th and 13th centuries that marked the most dynamic development of the Cistercian Order in Europe, and thanks to these monasteries, Poland developed culturally and had connections with Western Europe.