St. John Paul II – born Karol Józef Wojtyła, a saint of the Catholic Church. The first non-Italian Pope since 1523. He served in Vatican for 26 years (1978 to 2005), which makes it the longest pontificate in the 20^th century and the third-longest in the history of the Church. Very frequently called Saint John Paul the Great, he was one of the most influential leaders of the  20^th century as he played a significant role in shaping the history of Europe in the 80s and 90s. Pope John Paul II was known for his great affinity towards the devotion of Divine Mercy, which Jesus revealed to St.  Faustina Kowalska. John Paul II, as a supporter of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, contributed considerably to the improvement of relations of the Catholic Church's with Islam , Judaism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. During his pontificate, John Paul II beatified and canonised a great number of people as part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness. John Paul II is also the person behind the idea of organizing  World Youth Days and , together with Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, a patron of the event.

 Routes of John Paul II  - Places in Krakow associated with the Pope:

- Błonia Park and the Papal Stone at Błonia -  a large meadow adjacent to the city centre on which JPII celebrated masses during his visits to Krakow

- John Tyranowski’s house -  the place in which young Karol Wojtyła would meet his great spiritual mentor -  Servant of God Jan Tyranowski

 - Quarry in Zakrzówek -  During wartime Karol Wojtyła worked  here as  a manual labourer (apart from the limestone quarry, Wojtyła also worked at the Solvay chemical factory and  a wastewater treatment plant in Borek Fałęcki)

- St. Stanislaus Kostka’s Church in Dębniki  - Karol Wojtyła conducted his first mass as a priest here

- The Jagiellonian University in Krakow  - Karol Wojtyła was a student of  Polish studies at the Faculty of Philosophy

 - The Bishop's Palace in Krakow - the seat of Krakow Metropolitan Curia with its famous ‘Papal Window’ from which  John Paul II spoke to the crowds that gathered to see him.

- Divine Mercy Sanctuary and Sanctuary of  St John Paul II – two places of religious cult directly related to John Paul II, located in Łagiewniki district very close to each other