Wincenty Pol was born on 20 April 1807 in Lublin to father Franciszek Ksawery and mother Eleonora née Longchamps de Bérier. He spent his childhood and youth in L’viv, where the family moved in 1809 and where, at the local university, he took an introductory course in philosophy. The difficult situation in which the family found themselves after the death of his father prevented him from continuing his studies. In 1830, he received his first job at the University of Vilnius. As a Polish patriot, he took part in the November Uprising in Lithuania. For his brave attitude, he was awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari. Until the summer of 1832, he lived in exile in Saxony. Having returned to Galicia, he resumed his underground activity. In 1837 he married Kornelia née Olszewska, with whom they had four children: Wincenty Jr., Julia, Zofia and Marek Stanisław.
The time of struggle, the defeat of the uprising and his stay in exile influenced the development of his poetic talent. In 1835, the first volume of poems, Songs of Janusz, was published in Paris. It was followed by numerous other literary works, including: Song of Our Land, Mohort or Rok myśliwca (Year of a hunter). As an excursionist, geographer and ethnographer, he made numerous journeys, exploring the Tatra Mountains, the Beskids, the Eastern Carpathians, Podolia, Pokuttya, Volhynia, Polesia, Silesia, Greater Poland, Cuyavia, Gdańsk Pomerania, and Rügen. Among many of his scientific works, the following should be mentioned: Rzut oka na północne stoki Karpat i przyległe im krainy (A glance at the northern slopes of the Carpathians and the adjacent lands), Obrazy z życia i natury (Pictures from life and nature), Północny wschód Europy pod względem natury (North-East Europe in terms of nature), Historyczny obszar Polski (Historical area of Poland) or Geografia Ziemi Świętej (Geography of the Holy Land).
He was the founder of the first geography department in Poland and the second one in Europe (after Berlin), which was established at the Jagiellonian University in 1849. Shortly before his death, he was admitted to the Academy of Learning.
He died in Krakow on 2 December 1872. He rests in the Crypt of Merit in the Church of Pauline Fathers at Skałka.