Kielce and the Świętokrzyskie Mountains Kielce was for a long time the property of Cracow’s bishops who used it as their residence. It is also Poland’s second largest fair city. The former Baroque Bishops’ Palace, which overlooks the town centre, was built in the mid- 17th century. The cathedral built around the same time is another tourist highlight. In the old quarry at the south end of the city, there is a geological reserve with 14 limestone caverns and an amphitheatre.
To the north-east of Kielce are the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. That massif reaching 600 metres is among the oldest in Europe. Even before Christ the locals of the region specialized in iron smelting. In the most beautiful part of the mountains, the Świętokrzyski National Park has been established.