Pope John Paul II called Wadowice , the small Polish town in which he was born , `` the place where it all began . '' During a visit here in his final years , the popular pontiff delighted a huge crowd with anecdotes about chowing down kremowki , the local cream pastries which he reportedly once ate 13 of in a failed attempt to win a wager . The Pope , born Karol Wojtyla in 1920 , lived in Wadowice , about 50 kilometers ( 30 miles ) down the road from Krakow , until he was 18 . Unsurprisingly , the town is proud of its most famous son . When he was declared a saint earlier this year , an estimated 10,000 cheering residents and pilgrims filled the town 's streets , releasing balloons in the white and yellow colors of the Vatican . Wadowice now claims three saints -- Father Rafal Kalinowski was canonized in 1991 and Jozef Bilczewski in 2005 -- but John Paul II 's enduring popularity will ensure visitors are likely to descend for decades to come . `` Each year , hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists come to Wadowice , and the main reason for that is John Paul II , '' says Stanislaw Kotarba , a local government official . `` We expect even more visitors following the recent canonization , as more people hear of the pope 's legacy . '' To greet them , the town has created a 4.5-kilometer `` Karol Wojtyla foot trail '' connecting sites of interest to pilgrims . There are also plenty of non-papal attractions along the way . Here 's what 's on offer : . John Paul II 's family home . The apartment building where Wojtyla was born and lived with his family before World War II has been open to the public as a museum since 1984 . The rooms in which he lived have been preserved as they once were , while the rest of the building was expanded in a three-year renovation in time for April 2014 's canonization . It currently features a trove of John Paul II memorabilia , such as original school documents and childhood items . Family home ( link in Polish ) , 7 Koscielna St. ; +48 33 823 35 55 . Municipal Museum/former creamery . This 19th-century building once housed a diner where , after the death of Wojtyla 's mother , his father regularly took him . Nowadays it 's a tourist info office and a town museum with exhibitions on local history and -- let 's face it , he 's the star attraction -- John Paul II 's Wadowice experience . There 's a good coffee and gift shop in the cellar . Municipal Museum , 4 Koscielna St. ; +48 33 873 81 00 . Minor Basilica . In this elaborate baroque church from the 18th century , the future pope was baptized , received First Communion and served as an altar boy . Its ornate interior features Wojtyla 's baptismal font and a picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help , which he used to pray before . Just in case anyone 's forgotten why they 're visiting , a statue of John Paul II greets visitors at the entrance . Minor Basilica , 1 Jana Pawla II Place ; +48 33 873 20 96 . Town Hall/former General School for Men . This functional building is probably just for die hard pope enthusiasts or fans of municipal politics . It 's the current seat of the mayor and town council , but it once housed the General School for Men , which Wojtyla attended from 1926 to 1930 . Town Hall , 23 Jana Pawla II Place , 23 ; +48 33 873 18 11 . Marcin Wadowita Secondary School . Another spartan building on an otherwise charming street , this is where Wojtyla attended middle school between 1930 and 1938 . The present-day high school is named after another religious figure , Wadowice 's first renowned resident , Marcin Wadowita , a Polish priest , theologian and academic born in 1567 . Marcin Wadowita School , 16 Mickiewicza St. ; +48 33 823 41 44 . Church of St. Peter the Apostle . A futuristic , airy counterpoint to the intense opulence of the Basilica , this stylish church was built to honor Wojtyla 's election to the papacy and his survival of a 1981 assassination attempt in the Vatican 's St. Peter 's Square . John Paul II got to see the church 's space age interior for himself when he dropped in to consecrate it during his second papal visit to Wadowice . Church of St. Peter the Apostle , 90 Matki Bozej Fatimskiej Ave. ; +48 33 823 28 88 . The Cultural Center/former building of the 'Sokol ' Society . Hard though it is to imagine a pope flying through the air , in his formative years Wojtyla was a regular at `` Sokol , '' a patriotic Polish gymnastic society that hosted cultural and sporting events . The future pope took part in physical education classes and theater plays in what would later be rebuilt as a cultural center featuring a 3D cinema . The Cultural Center , 1 Teatralna ; +48 33 823 31 56 . Market Square . The recently renovated town square features numerous restaurants , beer gardens and cafes selling the cream cakes John Paul II vividly recalled . Prior to that , few people outside Wadowice knew about kremowki and there was only one baker who made them . Since the pope 's mention , however , many bakeries have opened to keep up with the huge demand . The original is long gone , replaced by new ventures . Despite modern decor and free Wi-Fi , Galicjanka is a bakery , confectionery and coffee shop with baking traditions that go back several generations . Kawiarnia Galicja is an elegant spot next door to the pope 's family house -- it features a secluded patio garden . Galicjanka , 13 Jana Pawla II Place ; +48 33 488 01 02 . Kawiarnia Galicja , 5 Koscielna St. ; +48 33 823 34 20 . Peak of John Paul II ( Gron Jana Pawla II ) It takes serious exercise to work off those cream cakes . During his school days , the future pope liked to hike in Wadowice 's surrounding Beskidy ( sometimes spelled Beskid ) Mountains , which includes an 890-meter peak , then known as Jaworzyna . The mountain has been renamed in John Paul II 's honor and a chapel is located on the summit . There 's lodging and dining available at the nearby Leskowiec hostel , in operation since 1932 . Leskowiec hostel , 34-206 Krzeszow ; +48 872 16 94 0 33 .
The Pope , born Karol Wojtyla , lived in Wadowice , Poland , until he was 18 . Wadowice has created a trail that takes in places frequented by the future pope in his youth . Devouring local cream cakes and climbing nearby mountains were among his favorite pastimes .