Churches & monasteries

St Stanislaus Church in Żarki

On Laskowiec hill, a limestone ridge near the centre of Żarki in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, stands the tidied-up ruin of the church of St Stanislaus. The masonry church was built after 1763 of quarried limestone, on the site of a wooden chapel — according to tradition, this is where the town of Żarki originally lay.

A town that became a hill

The church was small, single-naved, with three altars and two entrances; beside it, as was the custom of the time, lay a cemetery. From the mid-19th century the building fell into ruin, until in the 1980s, through the efforts of the Society of the Friends of Żarki, it was secured as a permanent ruin. The works uncovered burials from the 15th century; some researchers also argue that the hill had earlier been a place of worship and later served burial purposes.

The knight's legend and the Babka lime

Folk legend has it that the church was founded by a wealthy knight as a votive offering for a safe return from a military campaign. The hill's contemporary attraction is the roughly 500-year-old Babka lime tree — alive, though badly leaning.

In practice

The site is open free of charge around the clock; by the road to Jaworznik (Strażacka street) there is a free car park and wooden tables. A wide panorama stretches from the hill; allow 20–30 minutes and combine the visit with the nearby Old Mill in Żarki.

St Stanislaus Church in Żarki

A town that became a hill

The knight's legend and the Babka lime

In practice

What to see

Place map

Places to stay nearby

Sources and further reading

Nearby attractions

Geopark of the Northern Jura

Jura Cuesta

"Babka" Linden Tree in Żarki

Barns in Żarki

Hokus Pokuss Candy Manufactory in Żarki

Fairs in Żarki

Stary Młyn – Museum of Old Crafts in Żarki

Church of St Simon in Żarki

EtnoJura in Żarki

St Stanislaus Church in Żarki

About this place

A town that became a hill

The knight's legend and the Babka lime

In practice

What to see

Place map

Places to stay nearby

Sources and further reading

Nearby attractions