Tourism
Małopolska is one of the most interesting regions in Poland, offering a wide range of cultural and tourist attractions. It is the cradle of Polish culture and valued traditions. The capital of the region, Krakow, is visited every year by over 14 million people, and this number is constantly growing.
Małopolska offers various opportunities to spend free time:
- Monuments and natural conditions unique in both Poland and Europe
- 6 national parks, 11 landscape parks, 83 reserves and 10 protected landscape areas
- Marked mountain trails (Tatra Mountains, Beskids, Gorce, Pieniny), bicycle trails (Velo Małopolska), and ski resorts
- Developed network of tourist trails (Wooden Architecture Trail, Trail of the Eagles’ Nests)
- A large number of natural objects and monuments are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including Babia Góra and the Tatra National Park (UNESCO Biosphere Reserves)
Krakow:
- The former capital of Poland, with an extremely rich history and traditions, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and recognizable cities. The Old Town with the Wawel Castle and the Jewish district, Kazimierz, deserve the greatest attention for historical and cultural reasons.
Tourist traffic:
- It has shown an increasing trend for many years (with a peak in 2019 – 17.8 million tourists) until the announcement of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020.
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In 2024, Małopolska was visited by over 26 million tourists – an increase of as much as 26.4% compared to 2023. The prevailing group of visitors were domestic tourists, the most numerous of whom were residents of Małopolska, Mazovia and Silesia. Among foreign tourists, the largest number came from the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
- Revenues from tourism in 2024 amounted to PLN 19.35 billion, which means an increase of 48.5% compared to the previous year, and 25% more than in the record-breaking pre-pandemic year 2019.
