Nowy Sącz

Nowy Sącz is a historic city located in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship of southern Poland, serving as the administrative capital of its own county within the Beskid Sądecki region. Founded on November 8, 1292, by Wenceslaus II, the King of Bohemia and Poland, it holds the unique distinction of being the only Polish town established by a Bohemian monarch. The city was built upon the site of an earlier village called Kamienica, following the initiative of Paweł of Przemanków, the Bishop of Kraków. Upon its foundation, it was granted Magdeburg rights, which facilitated its rapid development into a significant economic and cultural hub during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries within the Kingdom of Poland. Its name, meaning New Sącz, was derived from the nearby older settlement of Stary Sącz.

The city's medieval heritage is physically represented by the ruins of the Royal Nowy Sącz Castle, which stand as a testament to its former strategic importance along key trade routes. Throughout its long history, the settlement has been known by various names reflecting its diverse cultural influences, including Neu Sandez in German and Tsanz in Yiddish. Today, Nowy Sącz remains the largest city in its immediate geographic region and the third most populous in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, with a population exceeding 83,000 residents. While the castle itself exists today primarily as a historical ruin, the city continues to function as a vital local center, preserving its legacy as a foundational piece of Polish urban history that bridges Czech and Polish royal traditions.