Why should one visit Zamość?
Zamość is one of very few places in Poland that are included on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Dubbed the Pearl of the Renaissance and the Padua of the North, it preserves, in excellent condition, the urban system of a Renaissance ideal city, unique on a global scale. Situated just 250 kilometers southeast of Warsaw, Zamość is the cultural center of the picturesque Roztocze region, with events of regional and national importance held throughout the year. Like the rest of Roztocze, Zamość is still waiting to be discovered. I hope visitors to our region will become our best ambassadors.

This is a very special year for Zamość. Why?
In order to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of Jan Zamoyski and the 425th anniversary of the city's founding, the City Council adopted a resolution proclaiming 2005 the Year of Zamość. There is a special agenda for the celebrations, aimed to popularize the figure of Zamoyski and the city itself. Throughout the year, Zamość is holding special exhibitions, lectures and classes. One of the central events during the celebrations will take place Sept. 17, when a monument of Zamoyski-the founder of Zamość-will be unveiled, followed by a three-day international academic conference. President Aleksander Kwaśniewski is the honorary patron of the celebrations.

What are the tourist assets of Zamość?
Alongside unique examples of Renaissance architecture, numerous museums and galleries, Zamość offers a number of cultural events which have become permanent elements of the city's character. In May, we host a show entitled Siege of the Zamość Stronghold, early June is the Hetman Fair, which showcases cultural heritage and folk art. Open-air shows in Zamość's Old Town-the Zamość Theater Summer-are held in late June and early July. These are just a few examples of what the vibrant city can offer visitors.

With its diversified tourist base, Zamość is an excellent departure point for expeditions to nearby Roztocze. The Roztocze National Park and five scenic parks are situated only a dozen or so kilometers from the city. Those who like peace and quiet in the unspoiled open will find them perfect for relaxation, hiking and short bike trips. Few know that the shortest way from Warsaw to Lviv is via Zamość. Lviv, which like Zamość is entered on the UNESCO list, lies just 80 kilometers from the city, which is little over an hour away by car or bus thanks to the border crossing in Hrebenne.

It is not common for a mayor to be a descendant of the city's founder. How does it feel?
When the city residents asked me to run for mayor in the early 1990s, I took it as a sign of respect, but it is also a huge commitment on my part, especially since at the time, my father Jan Zamoyski was a senator. In my second term as mayor, I feel proud on the one hand as well as immensely responsible for the city and its inhabitants. This sense of duty to serve the city is with me all the time.

Marcin Zamoyski, mayor of Zamość, talks to Bartosz Grzybiński.