Pińczów belongs to the historical region of Lesser Poland (Polish: Małopolska) and lies in the valley of the river Nida.

Pińczów is sometimes called the Sarmatian Athens for its association with the Calvinist Academy founded by Francesco Lismanino, to which scholars such as the French grammarian Pierre Statorius were invited.

Pauline monks returned to Pińczów, and in the late 16th century, the Myszkowski family redecorated the castle, turning it into their residence.

The town had a defensive wall, with four gates, and a number of foreign artisans, from Italy, Scotland, Germany and France.

In 1657, Pińczów was destroyed by Swedish soldiers (see the Deluge), and during the Great Northern War, the town was once again captured by the Swedes; King Charles XII of Sweden stayed here for a while, after the Battle of Kliszów.

Pińczów was destroyed by the Germans in September 1939 during the Invasion of Poland at the start of World War II, and almost all Jews, who had accounted for about 70% of the town's population, were killed or sent to extermination camps.

Units of the Home Army and other underground organizations managed to push Germans from the area of approximately 1,000 km2, which stretched from Pińczów to Działoszyce, and from Nowy Korczyn to Nowe Brzesko.

The town's attractions include the 18th-century palace of the Wielkopolski family, several churches and monasteries (some dating back to 15th century), the Renaissance St. Anne's Chapel, the recently restored synagogue, and ruins of the 13th-century castle.