Located in the southern suburbs of Kraków and an immensely important place in the late Pope's life, the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in the district of Łagiewniki is a new church standing on a larger site including a 19th-century convent Karol Wojtyła visited daily to pray during WWII. The place is most famous for being a pilgrimage site for followers of an obscure, semi-literate nun and mystic, Faustyna Kowalska (1905-1938), who saw a vision of Christ on the evening of February 22, 1931. In it, Jesus appeared with red and white shafts of life emanating from his heart, an image known as the Divine Mercy that is supposed to have miraculous healing properties. The small church inside the convent contains a fragment of bone from the body of Faustyna and is a major place of pilgrimage for Catholics all over the country.

The new church, known as the 'Sanctuary of Divine Mercy' (Sanktuarium Bożego Miłosierdzia) was consecrated by the Pope himself during his visit to Poland in 2002. Faustyna was beatified on April 18, 1993 and eventually canonised on April 30, 2000. Attached to the church is a tower offering superb views of the city, and next door is a building called the 'House of Św. Faustyna' displaying everyday objects from her life (open 10:00-18:00). Here you'll also find tourist information points, open 8:30-17:00.

Getting there is as easy as a 20 minute ride on trams 8, 19, 22; get off at the 'Sanktuarium Bożego Miłosierdzia' stop.