Jodłownik: Wooden Churches, Marian Images and Nature

Wooden Church and New Parish Church

The branch church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in 1585 under the patronage of Przecław Niewiarowski. A log-built church made of larch wood, it has vertically boarded walls. Its furnishings include a late Renaissance pulpit from the end of the 16th century and a wooden baptismal font from 1915. The furnishings thus span the period from the building’s construction to a substantially later piece. The wooden church is part of a larger parish complex with parking areas and paths, which situates the church within its surroundings.

The new parish church was built over six years beginning in 1981, following approval granted in 1980, and was consecrated on August 2, 1987. Its history is also connected to the older church: the image of Our Lady of Jodłownik and two 16th-century bells were transferred to the new building. The image belongs to the Madonna of the Snows type. The history of the area can therefore be explored through both churches from different perspectives: through the older church’s construction and furnishings, and through the new church’s building period, consecration, and transferred religious objects.

Churches as Waypoints on Cycling Routes

Both the Żeleński Cycling Route and the Carpathian Cycling Route list the historic and new Marian churches as tourist attractions. If you are planning a cycling trip with historical and cultural waypoints, you can include the churches in your route research. The two churches thus provide historical and cultural points of interest on both routes for your cycling trip.

Nature in the Municipality: Góra Kostrza

For nature-related activities, look beyond Jodłownik to another part of the municipality: Góra Kostrza is a separate settlement and mountain area. A steep ascent through a beech forest leads to the summit. The forest is also home to Pan Buk, a 180-year-old natural monument; a group of plants of the fern species Harts-tongue fern also grows there. If you plan to visit the summit, bear in mind that the ascent is steep. Pan Buk and the fern offer different points of interest in this natural area, from a natural monument to plant life.

Szczyrzyce: Devotion and Museum

Szczyrzyce is also part of the municipality, but is a separate place. There, the Shrine of Our Lady of Szczyrzyce preserves a miraculous Marian image that has been venerated for almost 800 years. The monastery barn houses a museum with historical, military, and religious collections. The municipality’s cultural attractions therefore extend beyond the churches of Jodłownik: in Szczyrzyce, museum collections with a range of focuses complement the religious heritage. If you would like to explore several of these themes, it helps to keep the locations distinct when planning your trip.

Choose Your Stay Location

The attractions mentioned are not all located in Jodłownik itself: the churches are there, while Góra Kostrza and Szczyrzyce are other parts of the municipality. Consider whether your trip will focus mainly on the churches in Jodłownik or whether you would also like to include the municipality’s nature and cultural attractions in separate locations. You can then search for accommodation based on the location you want, without treating the various destinations as a single place.

More Destination Pages

More destination pages at the same level: Rupniów, Kamionka Mała, Podobin, Nowe Rybie, Kobyłczyna, Dobra, Kamienica and Pogorzany.

For the broader travel overview: Limanowa.