Igliczna and the Maria Śnieżna Sanctuary

Karol Wojtyła first came to Igliczna in 1955, walking from Kudowa with a group of students from Kraków, and 28 years later, as pope, he crowned the small statue from its shrine in Wrocław. Igliczna (845 m) is a conical peak of the Śnieżnik Massif above the village of Międzygórze, and just below its top stands the late Baroque pilgrimage church of Maria Śnieżna (Our Lady of the Snows), built in 1781–1782. The terraces by the shrine and the mountain hut look out over Śnieżnik, Czarna Góra and the Kłodzko Land.

The mountain

Igliczna, known in German as Spitziger Berg, the "Pointed Mountain", lies in the Śnieżnik Landscape Park, north-west of Międzygórze. It forms the end of a long side ridge running west from Czarna Góra. It is built of gneiss, which near the summit forms a rocky crest rising from scree. Dense spruce forest covers the steep slopes, and its distinctive shape makes the mountain easy to pick out from the Nysa Kłodzka valley.

History of the sanctuary

Around 1750 Krzysztof Veit of Wilkanów brought back from a pilgrimage to Mariazell in Austria a folk copy of the miraculous statue venerated there. It is a limewood relief only 39 cm high, showing Mary with the Child. The statue was hung on a beech tree near the summit, and when a storm snapped the tree and the figure survived intact, people took it as a sign. A wooden chapel was built, and just a year later a bishop's commission recognised the first miracle: a woman from the village of Sienna regaining her sight.

The foundation stone of the brick church was laid on 10 June 1781 on land belonging to the farmer Veit from Wilkanów, and the church was consecrated on 22 October 1782. It was built largely by pilgrims and local people. The dedication to Maria Śnieżna (Maria ad Nives) refers to the Roman basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, but also to the snow that lingers in the Śnieżnik Massif and shortened the building season. Over time the church gained towers, cloisters and terraces, and it was restored in 2008–2011.

What to see

• The miraculous statue of the Virgin on the altar, since 1983 called Cause of Our Joy.
• The late Baroque interior of the pilgrimage church from 1781–1782.
• Relics of John Paul II (hair), kept in the sanctuary since 9 September 2021.
• The Stations of the Cross leading from the church to the summit.
• The viewpoint by the "Na Iglicznej" mountain hut with a panorama of Śnieżnik and Czarna Góra.

Interesting facts

John Paul II crowned the statue on 21 June 1983 in Wrocław, calling Our Lady of the Snows a protector of people with eye diseases, women hoping for children, tourists and athletes. Karol Wojtyła visited the sanctuary at least three times: in 1955 as a priest, in 1961 as a bishop and in 1968 as a cardinal, each time celebrating Mass here. The hamlet of Góra Igliczna that grew up around the church became a village in its own right on 1 January 2016.

Tripto tip

Red, yellow and green trails lead up Igliczna from Międzygórze; the red section to the sanctuary is about 2.5 km. It is easier to drive from Bystrzyca Kłodzka via Marianówka and Szklary and leave the car at the "przy krzyżu" (by the cross) car park, about 400 m from the church. The Papal Trail and the Way of St James also cross the mountain. The church is an active place of worship, so visit the interior outside services. Allow 2–3 hours for the sanctuary, the walk to the summit and a break at the hut, and in winter check conditions on the access road.