Zamo

Zamo, sometimes spelled Zamość in Polish, is a city in eastern Poland and the capital of Zamość County in Lublin Voivodeship. It lies in the Roztocze region and was founded in 1580 by Chancellor Jan Zamoyski on a site previously settled by merchants and craftsmen. The city was laid out according to a deliberate Renaissance plan by the Italian architect Bernardo Morando, creating a compact, regularly patterned urban core around a central market square.

Zamo is renowned for its well-preserved Renaissance architecture and cohesive urban design, including a full defensive wall with bastions surrounding the old town. The Market Square is framed by the Town Hall and a sequence of arcaded houses, while the surrounding churches and academic buildings reflect the period’s architectural unity. The fortifications and the town’s overall planning earned Zamoż designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, under the listing “Zamość, a Renaissance Town.”

In modern times, Zamo serves as a regional cultural and educational center, with museums, theaters, and higher education institutions. It remains a popular tourist destination for those seeking Renaissance architecture and a stroll through a relatively intact historic urban fabric. The city is connected by road and rail to larger Polish cities and serves as a gateway to the Roztocze region.