Czarnochowice: Wayside Shrines, Church and Local History

In Czarnochowice, you will encounter various examples of sacred architecture: the church, a stone wayside chapel nearby and a wayside shrine on a small hill. There is also the “Ogród Hortensjowy” pocket park. The different forms and the periods in which they were created give the place its own cultural character.

Church, Wayside Chapel and Marian Wayside Shrine

The story of the new church building is associated with two notable years: Pope John Paul II blessed the cornerstone in 1983; Cardinal Franciszek Macharski had it laid in 1990. The two dates relate to different stages of construction and make the development of church building in Czarnochowice tangible.

Near the church stands a three-storey stone wayside chapel, crowned with a cross. Its niches contain figures of saints, including a polychrome statue of Saint John of Nepomuk. An inscription on the base gives 1988 as the year it was restored. This distinguishes the chapel from the Marian wayside shrine standing on a small hill in the village.

The wayside shrine was built in the second half of the 19th century and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Figures and reliefs with distinctive features of local folk art adorn it; it was restored in 2015. A stone Passion cross depicting the Crucifixion rises above the structure. The chapel and the wayside shrine thus tell stories of religious design in different ways: one has a multi-storey form with niches, while the other features figures and reliefs on a wayside shrine.

The dates also add a distinctive detail: the wayside chapel’s inscription refers to a restoration in 1988, while the wayside shrine’s restoration is dated 2015. If you are interested in local architectural and artistic forms, you can consider the two dates alongside the different depictions without confusing the two structures.

A Different Feature of the Village

Czarnochowice is also home to the “Ogród Hortensjowy” pocket park. The park offers a different theme from the church, chapel and wayside shrine. When planning your trip, you can consider the sacred buildings and the pocket park as separate points of interest.

When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to decide first what you want to focus on during your trip: would you like to centre it on the history of Czarnochowice’s architecture and wayside shrines, or also include the culture and activities of the wider Wieliczka destination?

Wieliczka as a Wider Regional Setting

In the wider Wieliczka destination, the salt mine is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines”. The underground Miners’ Route covers 7 to 14 mining chambers in the rough workings around the oldest preserved Regis Shaft and is up to 2 kilometres long. The Miners’ Route in Wieliczka therefore offers a different focus from Czarnochowice’s sacred buildings and wayside-shrine motifs.

The routes in the Wieliczka destination also vary in their focus. The yellow trail is a hiking and cycling route between Wieliczka and Dobczyce. The red cycle trail forms a 27-kilometre loop through Wieliczka and Siercza. When weighing up these options, you can choose between a route for hikers and cyclists and a trail described specifically as a cycling loop. Check the trail conditions before setting out.

Other historic buildings add to this regional picture, although they are not attractions in Czarnochowice: the wooden Church of St Sebastian in Wieliczka was built in 1582 and contains Renaissance paintings. The parish church in Grabie dates from 1742; its features include a Gothic stone baptismal font from the 15th century. This lets you distinguish between the wayside shrines in the village and older churches elsewhere in the Wieliczka destination when planning your trip.

Please note when visiting Wieliczka: Zamek Żupny and its courtyard are closed for renovation work, which is expected to continue until the end of 2028 (as of 8 September 2026). Check the latest information before planning a visit.

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