Monastery

Tyniec Abbey has always been of great significance, chiefly religious but also artistic and political. The attention paid to  liturgy is visible in the small but significant collection of  liturgical objects. Benedictine spirituality is the foundation of the abbey’s existence. Monks organize retreats, seminars and meditations. The interior of the church and of the monastery are a reflection of the artistic changes over time.  The remains of the older building phases permit one to trace the development of its architectural forms.  Unique stone details are preserved in the Museum. 

Tyniec Abbey is also a great place for history lessons. Situated near Poland’s former capital it was not only the witness but also the subject of territorial struggles. Its present-day look was shaped by post-conflict reconstructions  (e.g. the walls from the Bar Confederation). Successive restoration work was also the result  of damage sustained in military actions.  Tyniec is a well-known place on the map of Poland. Today, the abbey offers visitors an attractive tourist trial: through visiting the abbey and museum exhibitions as well as the educational workshops run for children and adults. They allow one to learn about the history of the monastery and the life of monks and their work. Within the local vicinity of the abbey are the village Piekary with its Paleolithic caves and a 19^th-century palace complex. At the top of Silver Mountain, a few miles from Tyniec hill, is situated  a baroque Camaldolese monastery (the former village of Bielany). This is one of the order’s nine hermitages in the world. Both hills gave their names to the Bielany-Tyniec Nature Park.