Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska, is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a separate culture featuring diverse architecture, folk costumes, dances, cuisine, traditions and a rare Lesser Polish dialect. The region is rich in historical landmarks, monuments, castles, natural scenery and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Skała is a town in southern Poland, situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, previously in Kraków Voivodeship (1975–1998). On December 31, 2010, its population was 3,646.
Słomniki is a town in southern Poland, situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, previously in Kraków Voivodeship (1975–1998). Słomniki lies 24 kilometres north of Kraków, among the hills of Lesser Poland Upland. On December 31, 2010, its population was 4,365, and the town is a center of commerce and services for the local agricultural area. Its name probably comes from a Medieval guild called szłomiarze or szłomniki, who manufactured helmets for royal knights.
The Nidapronounced [ˈɲida] is a river in central Poland, a left tributary of the Vistula river, into which it flows near Nowy Korczyn). The Nida has a length of 154 kilometres and a basin area of 3,844 km2. This includes the protected area called Nida Landscape Park.
Wincenty Kadłubek was a Polish Catholic prelate and professed Cistercian who served as the Bishop of Kraków from 1208 until his resignation in 1218. His episcopal mission was to reform the diocesan priests to ensure their holiness and invigorate the faithful and cultivate greater participation in ecclesial affairs on their part. Wincenty was much more than just a bishop; he was a leading scholar in Poland from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. He was also a lawyer, historian, church reformer, monk, magister, and the father of Polish culture and national identity.
Sandomierz Voivodeship was a unit of administration and local government in Poland from the 14th century to the partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. It was part of the Lesser Poland region. Originally Sandomierz Voivodeship also covered the area around Lublin, but in 1474 its three eastern counties were organized into Lublin Voivodeship. In the 16th century, it had 374 parishes, 100 towns and 2586 villages. The voivodeship was based on the Sandomerz ziemia, which earlier was the Duchy of Sandomierz. The Duchy of Sandomierz was created in 1138 by King Bolesław III Wrymouth, who in his testament divided Poland into five principalities. One of them, with the capital at Sandomierz, was assigned to Krzywousty's son, Henry of Sandomierz. Later on, with southern part of the Seniorate Province, the Duchy of Sandomierz created Lesser Poland, divided into Kraków and Sandomierz Voivodeships.
Małogoszcz(listen) is a town in the Jędrzejów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland. The Battle of Małogoszcz. one of the biggest battles of the 1863 January Uprising, took place there. Małogoszcz belongs to Lesser Poland; the name of the town comes from ancient Polish given name Małogost.
Pińczówpronounced [ˈpʲiɲt͡ʂuf] is a town in southern Poland, in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, about 40 km south of Kielce. It is the capital of Pińczów County. Population is 12,304 (2005). Pińczów belongs to the historic Polish province of Lesser Poland, and lies in the valley of the Nida river. The town has a station on a narrow-gauge line, called Holy Cross Mountains Rail.
The culture of medieval Poland was closely linked to the Catholic Church and its involvement in the country's affairs, especially during the first centuries of the Polish state's history. Many of the oldest Polish customs and artifacts date from the Middle Ages, which in Poland lasted from the late 10th to late 15th century, and were followed by the Polish Renaissance.
Sobków is a village in Jędrzejów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Sobków. It lies in historic Lesser Poland, approximately 14 kilometres (9 mi) north-east of Jędrzejów and 24 km (15 mi) south-west of the regional capital Kielce.
Połaniec(listen) is a town in Staszów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, with 8,406 inhabitants (2012). The town is in Lesser Poland, and its history dates back to the early days of Polish statehood. It lies in the western part of the Sandomierz Basin, a few kilometres north of the Vistula, along the National Road Nr. 79, from Bytom to Warsaw. The town has a railway station serving a secondary line, nr. 75 from Rytwiany to Połaniec.
Osiek(listen) is a town in Staszów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, with 2,001 inhabitants (2010). The town lies in Lesser Poland, along the National Road nr. 79, which goes from Warsaw to Bytom. Osiek is located 15 kilometers northeast of Połaniec, and 18 kilometers west of Tarnobrzeg, 180 meters above sea level. The town received Magdeburg rights in 1430, was stripped of the charter in 1869, and remained a village until 1 July 1994. Its main point of interest is St. Stanisław parish church, built in the late 17th century. Osiek has a rail station called Osiek Staszowski, on a secondary importance line which joins Tarnobrzeg with Włoszczowice.
Jędrzejów Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey founded in the 12th century in Poland. The town of Jędrzejów grew around it. Blessed Polish bishop of Kraków and historian, Wincenty Kadłubek, lived in this monastery for 5 years and was buried there. In the 15th century, the sculptor Veit Stoss worked there.
Kraków Voivodeship 1300–1795 – a unit of administrative division and local government in the Kingdom of Poland from the 14th century to the partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. Located in the southwestern corner of the country, it was part of the Little Poland province.
Małopolska Upland is an upland located in southern part of Poland, in the historic region of Lesser Poland. It extends from the valley of the upper Vistula, between Kraków and Sandomierz, to Opoczno and Radomsko in the northwest. Average height is between 200 and 400 meters above sea level, with the highest peak being the Łysica in the Holy Cross Mountains. Major cities of the region are Kielce, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski and, Skarżysko-Kamienna.
Książ Wielki is a village in Miechów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Książ Wielki. It lies approximately 13 kilometres (8 mi) north-east of Miechów and 45 km (28 mi) north of the regional capital Kraków. The village has a population of 820.
Łagów is a town in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Łagów. It lies approximately 35 km (22 mi) east of the regional capital Kielce. The village, which used to be a town from 1253 to 1869, lies at the eastern edge off the Swietokrzyskie Mountains, along National Road Nr. 74, which goes from Kielce to Zamość. Historically, Łagów belongs to Lesser Poland.
Mstów is a village in Częstochowa County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of an administrative district called Gmina Mstów. It lies approximately 13 kilometres (8 mi) east of Częstochowa and 68 km (42 mi) north of the regional capital Katowice. Mstów lies on the Warta river, in western part of historic province of Lesser Poland. The village has a population of 1,704 and is known for its fortified Roman Catholic monastery.
The second Mongol invasion of Poland was carried out by general Boroldai (Burundai) in 1259–1260. During this invasion the cities of Sandomierz, Kraków, Lublin, Zawichost, and Bytom were sacked by Mongols for the second time.
Duchy of Wiślica was a district principality and a fiefdom within the Kingdom of Poland. It was formed in 1166 from the territories of the Duchy of Sandomierz, following its fragmentation onto three parts. The state was ruled by Casimir II the Just, and it existed until 1173, when Casimir had assumed the throne of the Duchy of Sandomierz, uniting two states together. Its capital was Wiślica and it was located in the southern Sandomierz Land in the southeastern corner of the Kingdom of Poland. The state was later shortly reestablished in 1230 by Grzymisława of Łuck who ruled it as a regent in the name of her son, Bolesław V the Chaste. In 1234, they had become rulers of the whole Duchy of Sandomierz, with that year being the last mention of the duchy in the documents.
Poland 
listen ); Yiddish : יענדזשעוו, romanized: Yendzshev, Latin : Andreiow) is a town in southern Poland, located in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, about 35 kilometres (22 miles) southwest of Kielce. It is the capital of Jędrzejów County. It has 16,139 inhabitants (2011). The origin of the name of the town is unknown. Probably it was named after a man named Andrzej (Jędrzej), a member of the noble Lis family, which resided in this area.
