Golden Forest Hermitage (Camaldolese Monastery), Rytwiany

The Golden Forest Hermitage in Rytwiany (Pustelnia Złotego Lasu; say "rit-VYAH-nih") is a former Camaldolese hermit monastery hidden in the Rytwiany Forest of southeastern Poland. A Baroque church, rows of little hermit houses and a gate inscribed "Silentium" create a place where silence still rules. Today it is a retreat and cultural center where you can stay overnight, and since 2018 it has been a Polish Monument of History. Polish TV fans also know it from the 1970s cloak-and-dagger series "Czarne chmury" ("Black Clouds").

Where it is and how to get there

The hermitage lies 3 km east of the village of Rytwiany, in the Świętokrzyskie region, about 5 km from the town of Staszów. Kielce is roughly 1.5 hours away by car, Sandomierz about an hour, and Kraków (the nearest major airport) around 2.5 hours. A car is essential – the last stretch runs through forest. Address: ul. Klasztorna 25, 28-236 Rytwiany.

A short history

The Camaldolese are a strict contemplative order in which monks live as semi-hermits, each in his own small house. The voivode (governor) of Kraków, Jan Magnus Tęczyński, and his brother Gabriel endowed this hermitage; the order approved the foundation on August 27, 1617, the cornerstone was laid on May 1, 1624, and the church of the Annunciation was consecrated on September 27, 1637. Its interior was shaped by Prior Venanzio da Subiaco, who painted the altarpieces and devised the decorative program; Italian architect Giovanni Spazzio remodeled the church in 1718.

Fires in 1737 and 1741 destroyed the library. On June 16, 1820, the tsarist authorities in Russian-ruled Poland dissolved the order; the last four monks left in 1825. After decades of decline, the church became a parish church in 1935, and since 2001 the complex has been a diocesan cultural and retreat center, restored with EU funds from 2007. Its motto, "Salus per silentium" (salvation through silence), sums up the spirit of the place. On December 28, 2018, it was named a Monument of History – the highest national heritage designation in Poland – as part of a program marking the centenary of Polish independence.

Things to see

• The Church of the Annunciation, a Baroque interior with paintings by Venanzio da Subiaco and rich stucco work.
• The "Silentium" gate and the sequence of three gates leading into the monastery.
• The hermitages – the monks' former cottages, now restored and partly used as guest rooms.
• The "Czarne chmury" museum, a small room above the church reached by a spiral staircase, where scenes for the series were filmed in 1973; it displays stills, props and a replica of the black mail coach from the show.
• The monastery garden, the Camaldolese Gallery and a historical trail through the forest about monastic life.

The Camaldolese Gallery

The former lay brothers' house now holds the Camaldolese Gallery, with a reconstructed early 18th-century monk's cell and finds from the 2014 archaeological excavations – pottery, majolica bowls and glass bottles found in the cellar of one of the hermitages. Only two Camaldolese monasteries still function in Poland, in Kraków's Bielany district and in Bieniszew near Konin, so Rytwiany offers a rare chance to walk through a complete hermitage layout.

As of October 2026, guided tours of the church and monastery are offered mainly in the tourist season. The hermitage does not publish fixed visiting hours or prices, so call reception in advance: +48 15 864 77 95, recepcja@pustelnia.com.pl.

Sunday Mass is at 9:00 and 10:30 from Easter Monday to December 31, and only at 10:30 from January 1 to Palm Sunday; weekday Mass is at 17:00. The on-site hotel and restaurant make it easy to stay the night, which is the best way to experience the silence.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if you are looking for peace rather than crowds. Allow 1.5–2 hours for a tour and a forest walk. In winter the forest road can be snowy and days are short, so arrive before noon and phone ahead if you want to see the interiors outside Mass times. Combine your visit with the Radziwiłł palace in Rytwiany village, the vast ruined Krzyżtopór Castle in Ujazd, or the historic town of Sandomierz.