Attraction in Zakopane

Old Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa

The oldest church in Zakopane, a wooden log building begun in 1847 on Kościeliska Street, standing beside the historic Pęksowy Brzyzek cemetery.

Reviewed and updated July 2026

Old Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa — Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Old Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa is Zakopane's oldest church, a wooden log building on Kościeliska Street that was begun in 1847 and came into use the following year. People visit for its plain timber construction, its place at the start of the town's religious history, and its position right next to the Pęksowy Brzyzek cemetery, where many notable figures connected with Zakopane are buried.

A wooden log church you can read like a timeline

The church is built in the log style typical of the Podhale region, its walls formed from horizontal timbers. The first section was raised in 1847 by Sebastian Gąsienica Sobczyk together with local residents, and the building entered use in 1848. Over the following decades a tower, a freestanding bell tower and a rectory were added, so the group of structures you see today grew in stages rather than all at once.

The icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa

The main altar holds a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the dark image of the Madonna venerated at the Jasna Góra monastery in Częstochowa. She has been the church's patroness since the 1930s, which is where its name comes from. The interior is modest in scale, in keeping with a small mountain parish of the mid-19th century.

Father Stolarczyk and early Zakopane

The additions to the church were made under Józef Stolarczyk, the town's first parish priest, a figure closely tied to Zakopane's growth from a highland village into a settlement with its own parish. Standing here gives you a sense of that early period, before the resort town that later drew writers, painters and mountaineers. The neighbouring Pęksowy Brzyzek cemetery holds the graves of many people linked to that story.

Fitting it into a Zakopane visit

The church sits on Kościeliska Street, one of the older parts of town lined with traditional wooden houses, and pairs naturally with a walk to the Pęksowy Brzyzek cemetery right beside it. It is an easy stop on foot from the centre and works well as a quiet contrast to the busier Krupówki promenade. See the Zakopane guide for how to combine it with other sights in the town.

Good to know

The church remains an active place of worship, so time any visit around services and keep noise down inside; check current opening times through the parish before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Because it is the oldest church in Zakopane. Its first part was raised in 1847 and it came into use in 1848, so locals distinguish it from the town's later, larger churches.

The main altar holds a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the church's patroness since the 1930s. The building itself is a wooden log structure in the regional Podhale style.

Yes. The historic Pęksowy Brzyzek cemetery stands right beside the church on Kościeliska Street, and the two are usually visited together.

More attractions in Zakopane

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Krupowki

The main pedestrian street of Zakopane, lined with restaurants, highland-cheese stalls, shops and the buzz of the mountain resort.

Giewont

The iconic 1,894 metre mountain overlooking Zakopane, crowned by a 15 metre iron cross erected in 1901. Its silhouette is said to resemble a sleeping knight and is the symbol of the town.

Wielka Krokiew

Zakopane's large ski jump on the slopes of Krokiew, with an in-run tower rising above the town. It regularly hosts FIS Ski Jumping World Cup competitions in winter.

Tatra Museum (Main Building), Zakopane

The Tatra Museum on Krupówki Street is the oldest and largest museum in the Podhale region, with permanent displays on the history, ethnography and natural history of the Tatras. Its purpose-built home is a listed example of the Zakopane Style.

National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima at Krzeptowki

A Zakopane church built in thanksgiving for Pope John Paul II surviving the 1981 assassination attempt, and one of Poland's leading Fatima sanctuaries.

Rusinowa Polana

Rusinowa Polana is a broad grazing meadow in the Polish High Tatras, widely rated one of the finest panoramic viewpoints in the range, with a sweep across the Slovak High Tatras and the Belianske Tatras.