Matyska Hill – Golgotha of the Beskids

The stainless-steel cross on top of Matyska gleams in the sun and can be seen from far away. The hill (609 m above sea level) above Radziechowy, about 7 km south-west of Żywiec town centre, is the last distinct high point on a ridge of the Silesian Beskids. Leading up to it is the Golgotha of the Beskids — a Way of the Cross with fourteen stations designed by Prof. Czesław Dźwigaj, which have sparked debate from the start.

History: a cross for the new millennium

The Millennium Cross and the Way of the Cross were the idea of Mgr Stanisław Gawlik, parish priest of Radziechowy. The cross went up on the summit in 2001, and the makeshift stations were gradually replaced with sculptures. First, in August 2004, Station XIV appeared next to the cross, followed a month later by Station XIII. In 2007 a mound was raised beside the cross containing soil from Katyń and from the grave of Stanisław Pyjas in nearby Gilowice — an opposition activist murdered in 1977. Work on the stations was completed in September 2009, and on 12 September 2009 Bishop Tadeusz Rakoczy blessed the Way of the Cross.

Sculptures that divide opinion

Dźwigaj's stations are monumental, expressive sculptural compositions, far removed from traditional wayside shrines. The Silesian Tourist Organisation describes them as an unconventional take on the Passion in which some viewers see Masonic symbolism. The dispute was loud, but the Diocese of Bielsko-Żywiec fully supported the project. The best way to judge is to walk from station to station and look at the details yourself.

What to see

• The Millennium Cross in stainless steel on the summit, with a plaque from the parishioners on its stone base.
• Fourteen Stations of the Cross with sculptures designed by Czesław Dźwigaj, including Station VI with Veronica wiping the face of Jesus.
• The 2007 mound holding soil from Katyń and from Stanisław Pyjas's grave.
• A panorama covering about three-quarters of the horizon: Żywiec, Lake Żywiec, the Little Beskids, Skrzyczne and, in good visibility, Babia Góra, Romanka and Rysianka.

Nature and curiosities

Matyska is made of Cieszyn limestones and shales that surface here in the so-called Żywiec tectonic window. The slopes still show traces of quarries where limestone was dug until the mid-20th century for burning lime. Several species of orchid flower in the meadows, and the slopes are home to Lycoctonum monkshood (wolf's-bane), rare in Poland. On old maps the hill was called Szot or Sot.

Tripto tips

A blue-marked trail leads from Radziechowy to the summit — several dozen minutes' climb along a field track. From Przybędza, on the south side of the hill, an unmarked road goes up. On Good Friday a solemn procession follows the Way of the Cross, and on New Year's Eve a midnight Mass is said on the summit — expect crowds on those days. Allow 1.5–2 hours to walk all the stations at a relaxed pace and enjoy the view, and in winter wear shoes with good grip, as the field track can be slippery.