Jarosław is a small Renaissance town in the Podkarpackie region, in southeastern Poland. Located about 40km east of the regional capital Rzeszów it offers some interesting historical buildings.
Understand
Jarosław was established in 1031 and grew quickly as a trade center. The town also was known for its multi-cultural atmosphere, since in the mid-eighteenth century catholics constituted about half of the population, members of the Greek Catholic church almost 24% and Jews 22%. This reflects in the cultural heritage the town of 40.000 inhabitants houses today.
- 1 Tourist information center, Rynek 5, ☏ 48 16 624 89 89.
Get in
By plane
- 1 Jasionka International Airport (RZE IATA) (58 west of Jarosław). The airport in Rzeszów is the nearest to Jarosław.
By train
From the 2 Train station (address: plac Więźniów Oświęcimia) there are connections to Rzeszów as well as Przemyśl. The train ride to Rzeszów takes approx. 35 or 55 minutes (according to the train you wish to take) and the ride to Przemyśl 35 to 50 minutes.
By bus
The 3 Bus station (Dworzec autobusowy) is located almost right next to the train station.
By car
Jarosław has two exits on the A4 highway which connects Kraków, Rzeszów with the Ukrainian city of Lviv. Depending on the direction you come from, it is more convenient to use either the Zachód (West) or Wschód (East) exit.
Get around
Since the historically interesting part of the town is rather small the best way to get around is on foot.
See
- 1 Great synagogue, Opolska 12. The main synagogue of Jarosław. It was built in 1810-1811 and got severely damaged during the Second World War. After the war it got renovated and now it is well maintained by a Jewish heritage organisation operating in Poland.
- 2 Small synagogue, Plac Bożnic 5. This synagogue was built in 1900 and the interior got damaged during the Second World War. Between 1969 and 1973 it was renovated. Since it was sold to a private holding in 2001 the building is unused.
- Dominican Church and Monastery.
- 3 Town Hall, Rynek 1. The former town halls on this location have been burned down twice. The current building was firstly built in 1625 and since 1776 it was used as the barracks of the Austrian army. The city bought the building back in 1852 from the Austrian government. During these centuries the building has been rebuilt several times which reflects in the interesting architecture that it holds today.
- 4 Greek Catholic Transfiguration Church, Cerkiewna 3. The church is built on the former location of the castle that was owned by the owners of the city. This castle fell into ruins and was demoslished in the 17th century. This church was built halfway the 18th century with the financial help of the townspeople of Jarosław. Special attention deserves the 17th century icon that is placed in the side altar. The icon of Mother of God is called the Gate of Mercy and was declared a miracle by Pope Pius VI in 1779.
- 5 Benedictine Abbey, Benedyktańska 5.
- 6 Corpus Christi Collegiate Church, Plac Ks. Piotra Skargi 2. Located on a hill north of the old town this church was built in 1580-1594. As many historical buildings it has been damaged by for example fire multiple times. In 1912-1913 the interior of the church got painted by Leonard Winterowski. In the main altar (dating back to the '60s of the previous century) there is the painting Matki Bożej Śnieżnej, which dates back to 1584.
- City Fortifications.
Do
Buy
In Jarosław there are no malls where you can spend your day shopping. However, there are a few larger supermarkets on the edges of the town.
Eat
As in every small town in Poland there are many pizzerias.
- 1 Pizza Centurion, Opolska 4, ☏ 48 601 892 201. One of the most appreciated pizza places in the town.
Drink
Jarosław is not really the place you have to go to if you want to soak up some bustling nightlife. However, there are a few places:
- 1 Galeria Przedmiotu Cafe, Opolska 1, ☏ 48 16 623 34 54. Mon-Fri: 9-17, Sat: 9-15. Good place to have a coffee with a view on the main Rynek square.
Sleep
- 1 Turkus, gen. Władysława Sikorskiego 5a, ☏ 48 16 621 56 58, ✉[email protected]. Two star hotel. 145 zł for a double room.
- 2 Hotel Jarosław, Pruchnicka 65 (One kilometre south of the railway station), ☏ 48 16 621 10 19. 190 zł for a double room.
Go next
- Przemyśl — the second oldest city in Poland is only 35 minutes away by train.
- Łańcut — here you can visit one of the most beautiful palaces of the Podkarpackie region.
- Rzeszów — the regional capital housing a pretty old town and the main logistic hub which you will need to pass if you want to travel to other regions in Poland.