Grabarka

Holy Mount Grabarka (say "grah-BAR-kah") is the most important Eastern Orthodox pilgrimage site in Poland, a wooded hill near the town of Siemiatycze in the Podlasie region of northeastern Poland. Around its church stand thousands of wooden crosses carried here by pilgrims over three centuries, which is why many visitors simply call it the Hill of Crosses. It is an active convent and place of prayer rather than a museum, and that is exactly what makes it one of the most moving places to visit in eastern Poland.

Where it is and how to get there

Grabarka lies about 12 km (7.5 miles) east of Siemiatycze, in a quiet corner of Poland close to the Belarusian border and the Bug River. It is roughly 90 km from Białystok and about 170 km from Warsaw, which means around 2.5 hours by car from the capital. From Siemiatycze, follow the local road toward Hajnówka and Białowieża; the sanctuary is half a kilometer from the village of Grabarka.

You can also come by train. The convent recommends Sycze station, on the regional line linking Siedlce and Hajnówka, from where the Holy Mount is a few minutes' walk. Trains are infrequent, so check the timetable carefully.

A short history

Nobody knows how far back the hill's religious use goes. Its fame dates to 1710, when a cholera epidemic swept through Podlasie. According to tradition, an old man dreamed that salvation could be found on the nearby hill; people walked here carrying crosses, prayed and washed in and drank from a spring. The parish chronicle in Siemiatycze speaks of about 10,000 people spared. A wooden Chapel of the Transfiguration was built in thanks, and a document from 1717 already permits services in it.

On the night of July 12–13, 1990, the church was set on fire and burned to the ground; only a Gospel book and two icons survived. It was rebuilt in its earlier shape, now as a masonry building clad in wood, and consecrated on May 17, 1998. Since 1947 the hill has been home to the Orthodox Convent of Saints Martha and Mary, whose nuns look after the sanctuary.

What to see

• The crosses. Thousands of them, from small handheld crosses to ones several meters tall, crowd around the church and spill down into the pine forest. Many carry ribbons, embroidered towels and handwritten prayers in Cyrillic. Each one stands for a personal request, thanks or grief, so please do not touch or move them.
• Church of the Transfiguration. The main church and parish church of the sanctuary. Since 2000 it has held an Iviron icon of the Mother of God painted on Mount Athos.
• Smaller churches of the convent, including the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow."
• The spring at the foot of the hill, whose water pilgrims still use and take home.

Allow 60–90 minutes to walk around the hill, the churches and the spring.

The August feast

The big event of the year is the Feast of the Transfiguration, celebrated according to the Julian calendar on August 18–19. Pilgrims walk here from across Poland, many carrying their own crosses, and in the late 1980s attendance reached tens of thousands. It is an extraordinary sight, but this is not a time for sightseeing: in 2026 the convent did not take tourist visitors between August 16 and 20.

Etiquette and opening hours

Treat Grabarka as you would any active place of worship:

• Cover shoulders and legs; people in shorts or with bare shoulders are not admitted to the church.
• Keep quiet throughout the grounds.
• Do not take photos inside the church.
• Pets are not allowed, and smoking and alcohol are banned.

The convent gives approximate visiting hours of 10 am–4 pm on weekdays, 11 am–4 pm on Saturdays and 1–4 pm on Sundays and holidays, with visitors asked to wait if a service is underway. In fall and winter there is no regular staffing for visitors; current notices are posted on the door of the souvenir shop (as of October 2026). Entry is free. Groups should arrange their visit by phone (+48 507 761 241). Notices on site are in Polish, so it helps to read up before you go.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if you are interested in Eastern Christianity, religious art or simply unusual places. Grabarka gives a real sense of Podlasie's Orthodox heritage, which is very different from the Catholic churches seen elsewhere in Poland. Combine it with Białowieża Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site roughly 1–1.5 hours' drive north, or with Mielnik on the Bug River. Keep some cash in Polish złoty (PLN) for small purchases at the convent shop.