Dunajec 3 Regions
Lesnica - Łącko - Szczawnica
Practical information
Chapel of Our Lady of Częstochowa (EN)
Kaplica Matki Bożej Częstochowskiej (PL)
Location
- Above the Lower Park, on Park Dolny Street
Parking
- Car park on Park Avenue, paid
Toilet
- Public toilet in the Lower Park, paid
Visiting
- The chapel can be viewed from the outside
- The interior is open during Sunday Mass at 16:00 (summer season only)
Nearby
- Lower Park
- Promenade along the Grajcarek River
For people with disabilities
- Fully accessible
Pets
- Dogs allowed on a leash
Last update 2025-11-20
The Chapel of Our Lady of Częstochowa in the Lower Park
Just above the Park Dolny, near the Wanda spring, stands a small octagonal chapel that originally served as a mineral water pump room. Over time, it was transformed into a place of religious worship.
History of origin
In 1867, a pump room was built for the “Helena” spring, discovered in 1844. Two years later, in 1869, an attempt was made to rebuild the intake, but it ended in failure, and the spring disappeared. Ten years later, Franciszek Tomanek, the leaseholder of the health establishments in Szczawnica, decided to convert the now-unused pump room into a chapel for spa visitors. The first Holy Mass was celebrated on July 6, 1877, marking the beginning of the site’s new function.
Tomanek funded a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa as well as an altar stone containing relics of the holy martyrs Felix and Marcelina. In 1894, the original portable altar was replaced by a larger one, crafted by the B ENB carving company from Tyrol.
Simple architecture with character
The chapel was built of brick on an octagonal plan. Its plastered gray walls are adorned with round windows featuring tracery in an oriental style. The chapel is covered with an eight-sloped sheet-metal roof. At the center of the interior stands a wooden altar with an image of Our Lady of Częstochowa. On the wall to the left of the altar hangs a commemorative black marble plaque dedicated to Father Dębski.
Visit and life of the chapel today
Holy Mass in the chapel is celebrated only in summer, on Sundays. Outside the hours of services, this historic shrine can only be viewed from the outside.