Churches & monasteries

St. Anne's Church in Goczałkowice-Zdrój

On St Anne's Street in Goczałkowice-Zdrój — a leisure village in Upper Silesia, in Pszczyna County — stands the brick church of St Anne from 1883. It was most likely erected on the site of an earlier wooden temple, and its modest body has remained one of the recognisable landmarks of the village for almost a century and a half.

A miraculous relocation

Construction began in a field between today's Szkolna and Bór streets. According to local legend, the building materials mysteriously moved by night to a spot about a kilometre away from the one chosen by the builders. When the phenomenon repeated itself night after night, it was taken for a sign from heaven and the church was built exactly where — as the legend goes — the bricks and beams "wanted" to be. The tale of materials wandering by night is one of the most characteristic stories of the municipality and still resurfaces whenever the church is visited.

A good base for exploring

The church is close to the area's main attractions: the Kapias display gardens lie 0.4 km away, the shore of Lake Goczałkowickie 1.6 km, and the castle in Pszczyna 3.9 km. Goczałkowice-Zdrój has kept its spa-town character — a walk to the church combines well with a visit to the local spa park and the church of St George.