St Stanislaus Church in Frydman

Below the parapet of the church tower in Frydman, wooden beams stick out of the wall – all that is left of a watch gallery that burned down in the 18th century. The church dates from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries and is considered the oldest sacred building in the Podtatrze area below the Tatras. Here the Gothic of the Spiš region mixes with Baroque, and local legend claims that King John III Sobieski heard Mass here on his way back from Vienna.

History: Spiš under the Hungarian crown

Frydman was first mentioned in 1320; the village belonged to the Berzewiczy family, lay within the Kingdom of Hungary until 1918 and had the status of a small town from the 17th century. The church was built of rubble stone quarried on the nearby Gallows Hill (Szubieniczna Góra). From 1587 to 1640 it was in Lutheran hands. Thorough repairs in 1640–1642 and 1683 were followed by a fire in 1708; rebuilding lasted until the mid-18th century, and the interior was renewed in 1751–1757. In 1764 the chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was added. Another fire in 1783 destroyed the roofs and tower, and in 1971–1978 the walls and the tower parapet were strengthened.

What to see

• A Romanesque-style window in the east wall of the sacristy and an early Gothic stone head on the corner of the nave above it – the oldest parts of the church.
• An early Gothic portal on the south side and Gothic tracery in the windows.
• The tower with its parapet from the late 18th century and a historic clock; beneath it are the wooden corbels of a burnt hoarding, a wooden watch gallery.
• The octagonal Lady Chapel on the north side, with a two-faced Rococo altar that can be approached from all sides.
• In the high altar, behind a curtain painting, a mirror-lined niche with a scene of the martyrdom of St Stanislaus.

Interesting facts

In 1760 the church was surrounded by a wall with two gates and a gate tower housing the bells; the largest bell is called "Bratni" (Brotherly). According to tradition the parish already existed in 1073, and legend has it that in 1683 John III Sobieski attended a thanksgiving Mass here while returning from Vienna through the Zamagurie area – no historical source confirms this. Frydman also has a fortified manor house (kasztel) built in 1585–1590 by György Horváth Palocsay, with cellars where wine brought from Hungary was stored until the 19th century.

Tripto tip

Allow 30–45 minutes for the church and its grounds; photography is permitted. Address: ul. Kościelna 1. The church lies on the cycle route around Lake Czorsztyn, and on the shore of the reservoir in Frydman there is a marina renting rowing boats and pedalos. Opening hours are not published on the official portal, so the surest way to see the interior is around a service.