Wooden Church of Our Lady of the Snows in Zarzecze

In Zarzecze, a former village on the high right bank of the San and now part of Nisko, stands a larch-wood Church of Our Lady of the Snows dated to 1722. It was not built here, though: in 1923 it was moved from Jeżowe, bought by two Zarzecze residents, Andrzej and Anna Dul. It is a modest example of wooden church architecture with an unusual story of relocation.

History: a church that travelled

The wooden church was consecrated on 7 February 1936, shortly after the Zarzecze parish was established on 18 December 1935. The new parish was carved out of St Stanislaus parish in Racławice, and its first priest, Fr Józef Markiewicz, helped spread devotion to Our Lady of the Snows. For more than sixty years the wooden church served as the parish church. In 1998 a new masonry church designed by engineer Henryk Modrakowski was consecrated next door, and it is there, in the high altar, that the venerated image of Our Lady of the Snows now hangs.

A curious detail: because it was moved from Jeżowe, the old church is not on the heritage register – in Zarzecze only the parish cemetery is listed. The 1722 date is the one given by the parish.

What to see

The church is built of larch, with board-clad walls, a tall roof and a small ridge turret. The façade, with its yellow-painted boarding and red door, stands out clearly against the grey side walls. It stands among trees next to the new church, so you can easily compare the two on one walk.

Tripto tips

The church is at ul. Mickiewicza 43 in Zarzecze (37-400 Nisko). You can see the exterior in a quarter of an hour. Regular opening hours for the interior are not published, and Masses are held in the new church, so ask about access to the old one at the parish office, open Monday to Friday after each Mass (tel. +48 15 841 10 10). The San river is close by – a good excuse for a short walk after your visit.