Located some 50km southwest of Kraków, the small town of Wadowice features a population of around 20,000 and is fairly unremarkable beyond the fact that it was here on May 18, 1920 that the future Pope John Paul II was born, an event that's turned the otherwise sleepy municipality into a major place of pilgrimage complete with tacky tourist trappings. Everything of interest revolves around the town's small central square, the appropriately named Plac Jana Pawła II, including John Paul II's Family House ('Dom Rodzinny Ojca Świętego Jana Pawła II,' ul. Kościelna 7) - a museum dedicated to the great man's life and work, which is currently undergoing restoration that will last until spring 2013. In the meantime, a replica of the original family house has been created in the nearby 'Dom Katolicki' at Pl. Jana Pawła II no. 1, where many of the original furniture, photographs and relics are on display during the restoration.

Also on Wadowice's square stands Virgin Mary's Offertory Minor Basilica ('Bazylika Mniejsza Ofiarowania Najświętszej Maryi Panny,'), a rather splendid 15th century structure renovated in the 18th and the site of Karol Wojtyła's baptism on June 20, 1920. Inside is a chapel dedicated to him as well as a likeness in the form of a rather bizarre-looking wooden statue.

John Paul II had a remarkably sweet tooth. During his 1999 visit to Wadowice he made a passing remark on his fondness for kremówka, a local cream cake he used to buy in the town's Karol Hagenhuber confectionery shop at the other side of the square that's now a bank. The locals went wild for his comment and just about every shop in Wadowice, regardless of whether it sells food or not, now sells slices of kremówka for visitors to try.

Admission 5/3zł, family ticket 8zł. Tue free.