“Pearl of the Renaissance” that is how Tarnów’s Old Town is spoken about by art connoisseurs. In the epoch of Renaissance Tarnów was one of the most beautiful towns in Poland. Its extraordinary beauty and atmosphere were created by structures such as: majestic parish church, magnificent Town Hall and the townsmen houses with polychrome finished front walls.
At the beginning of the 16th century Tarnów had ca. 1,200 inhabitants. The city was surrounded with fortified walls and had water supply and sewage systems in place. The inhabitants made their money on trade and craft.
The then owner of Tarnów was a world renown nobleman, politician and traveler, royal hetman Jan Tarnowski. His family residence was the castle located some 1.5 mile south of the town, on the top of Saint Martin Hill. In the 1620s the city was surrounded with new fortified walls, which were partially renovated in 1960s and can be seen today.
Today, while walking the streets of Tarnów one can admire the beauty of the Renaissance houses within the Old Town, unique tombstones inside the Cathedral and remains of the once magnificent castle on St Martin Hill.