Two major events occur each year and draw great numbers of visitors to this picturesque spot. One of these events takes place during Holy Week, when pilgrims arrive eager to attend the colourful, dramatic and realistic Passion Play relating to the last days of Jesus’s life. The play, regarded as an act of collective catharsis, provides a deeper understanding of traditional Polish Catholicism. During the summer Kalwaria reawakens for the Festival of the Assumption (15 August) – the most significant Polish Marian holiday.

Whether it is summer or winter, pilgrims have the opportunity to see all the enchanting small churches, chapels and other monuments that can be found within this romantic landscape. Especially precious are Jesus Christ’s Tomb, the House of Mary and the Western Gate. The most important religious artefact to be found here is the miraculous picture of Virgin Mary and Child, located in the Zebrzydowski Chapel.

It is easy to lose your way; therefore taking a guide may be advisable, particularly for organised groups. Visitors may find the two marked routes rather exhausting as both are a couple of kilometres long. The reason for the length of the routes is that Zebrzydowski told his designers to copy the original path of Jesus, only to make it ten times as long. In reality, they are three times longer, but there are still some more strenuous approaches. It takes 2-3 hours to cover each route, and visitors who wish to see both of them usually stay for the night. You can spend the second day at exhibitions and in the shops admiring the superb furniture that Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is famous for. If you are here during spring or summer you may have the opportunity to visit the Furniture Fair.