St Roch's Church in Głuchołazy

On Skłodowska street in Głuchołazy stands the small church of St Roch, a filial church of the St Lawrence parish — a place born of plague. The first chapel was erected here in the mid-14th century, when Europe was ravaged by the epidemic of bubonic plague known as the Black Death.

A church from 1626–1627

The present church was built in 1626–1627 at the pastor's own expense — we know this from the records of Father Eliasz Bom. From the beginning it gathered the faithful in times of epidemic: every week a Mass for the dead was celebrated here, and on St Roch's day a solemn procession walked the town streets exactly where the plague had taken its heaviest toll.

Gothic details and a Renaissance altar

The small body of the church has Gothic features: a three-sided apse, a wooden bell turret, pointed-arch windows and a portal. Inside, attention is drawn above all by the fine late-Renaissance altar, while the furnishings mix several styles. The ruined church was restored in 1860 by Father Bulang.

In practice

The church stands a few hundred metres from the centre of Głuchołazy, near the Upper Gate tower; 15–20 minutes is enough for a visit, and it combines well with a stroll through the spa part of town.