Wadowice-St John Paul II Hometown

I was there about 12 years ago. I didn't see anything that made it a worthwhile stop. A nice town square. They do sell a lot of cream cake around town - it was his favorite dessert.

It's a pretty little town but nothing really special. If you have limited time in Kraków, don't bother.

I was there several years ago, nice enough town with charming main square, yes they serve those famous cakes everywhere there, but still are quite good. I believe the Church has since converted Saint John Paul II's home into a museum, but that was not there yet when I visited. I think it's still generally off the beaten path for most foreign tourists visiting Krakow, so I think is worth visiting to see the "real poland" outside the Disneyland old town of Krakow lol!

If you have a particular interest in John Paul II, I cannot recommend the museum in his family home highly enough. It is thoughtfully organized, chronologically, starting with infancy with lovely photos, through to his death. It combines artifacts, lots of photographs, storytelling, recordings and video in an effective, entertaining way. The recreation of the family apartment combines items that were personally owned as well as period pieces. Unlike most places, the rooms are not behind glass. You actually walk through them. It was the highlight of our visit. The audio guide is well done and informative without being dry. The building is a little tight and the entrance is a bit chaotic as the ticket desk, audioguide pick up and first three small parts of the exhibit occupy about 30 square feet, but it quickly sorts itself out and the flow improves markedly. The church next door includes the/his baptismal font. We didn’t spend any significant time in town outside the church and museum as we were continuing on to Zebrzydowsa and several sites in Krakow with a wonderful Tours by Locals guide with many years of experience. Yesterday was an 11 hour day, but worth every minute.

Wanderlust, I noticed in another thread you mentioned hiring a driver for the JP2 Circuit. Would you let me know the name of the company?

We used a Tours by Locals guide Aleksander Stanclik. We’ve always had good experiences with TBL, and Alex was no exception. In addition to driving us around, which saved time and hassling with a car, we had a great time and learned a lot. I highly recommend him.

Thank you Wanderlust. I have him booked!