Sanctuary of Our Lady of Jasna Góra — Bachledówka
Czerwienne-Bachledówka 341, 34-407 Ciche
Tourist region: Tatry i Podhale
A 959-metre tall hill on the Gubałówka Ridge, Bachledówka offers a beautiful panorama of the Tatra Mountains, Gorce and the Beskids. The place is as mysterious as it is beautiful. There are many stories and legends associated with this place. One of them has it that a hundred years ago it was a hideout of the infamous robber named Bachleda. It is also where the Pauline monastery and church were erected at the very top of the hill. The Pauline Fathers arrived on the hill in 1955 and were given the old house, which, renovated and expanded, became a place of rest and retreat. The sanctuary with the chapel of Our Lady of Jasna Góra is a meeting place for local highlanders. In 1984 the chapel was rebuilt and a wooden bell tower was erected on the site. In addition, a new cemetery with a chapel was established there. In 1985, the site for a new church was blessed. Consecrated by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski in 1991, the new church is famous for its unique highlander architectural style and highlander interior design. Between 1967 and 1973, Primate Stefan Wyszyński was a frequent guest here, spending a month on retreat every July. Karol Wojtyła, the then Metropolitan Bishop of Kraków, would also host retreats at Bachledówka. To commemorate the vacations of the Primate of the Millennium, the Pauline Fathers are erecting the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński Memorial House. It will be an educational centre with an interactive museum, as well as a resting place for pilgrims and tourists.