Rynek Wielki

Top choice in Małopolska


The Great Market Sq is the heart of Zamość's attractive Old Town. This impressive Italianate Renaissance square (exactly 100m by 100m) is dominated by the lofty, mauve town hall and surrounded by colourful arcaded burghers' houses, many adorned with elegant designs (arcades were made compulsory by Jan Zamoyski). Spending time absorbing the beauty at a cafe or sitting on a bench people-watching is one of Zamość's great pleasures.

Originally, all of the houses in the square were topped with decorative parapets, but these were removed in the 1820s; only some have been restored. Each side of the Rynek (bar the northern side, which is dominated by the lofty mauve town hall) has eight houses bisected by two main axes of town; one runs west−east from the palace to the bastion, and the other joins the three market squares north to south.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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1. Town Hall

0.03 MILES

The town hall was built between 1639 and 1651, and features were added and extended over the years: its curving stairway came in 1768. Zamoyski didn’t…

2. Museum of Zamość

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Two of the row of iconic and colourful Armenian houses on the northeast side of the Rynek shelter the Zamość museum, with intriguing displays such as a…

3. Synagogue

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The city’s fascinating synagogue was built around 1620 and served as the Jewish community’s main house of worship until WWII, when it was shuttered by the…

4. Bell Tower

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You can climb this free-standing bell tower by the cathedral, though the terrace is not high enough to offer a bird’s-eye view of the Old Town. The…

5. Academy Zamoyski

0.1 MILES

The academy was founded in 1595 by Jan Zamoyski as the third Polish centre of higher education at the time – after universities in Kraków and Vilnius. For…

6. Cathedral

0.1 MILES

The cathedral was built by Morando between 1587 and 1598 as a votive offering and mausoleum for the Zamoyskis. The exterior changed dramatically in the…

7. Religious Art Museum

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Behind the church is the former vicarage from the 1610s with its splendid ornate doorway. The Religious Art Museum features a collection of sacred art…

8. Franciscan Church

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Built between 1637 and 1655, this church was reputedly one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Poland. In 1784, the Austrian Empire abolished the…

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