Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ludźmierz

Ludźmierz is a village just outside Nowy Targ and home to the main Marian sanctuary of the Polish highlanders. A small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary is venerated here, affectionately known in Podhale as the "Gaździna Podhala" — the lady of the house of the region. Ludźmierz is the oldest Catholic parish in the area: in 1234 the Kraków voivode Teodor of the Gryfita family received the right to found settlements along the Dunajec and that same year began building a larch-wood church here. He also brought Cistercian monks, who soon moved to Szczyrzyc, although they ran the parish until 1824.

The present brick church in neo-Gothic style was built in 1869–1877 on the site of the wooden one, and the Rococo altar with the miraculous statue was moved into it. In 2001 it was given the title of minor basilica. The 125 cm statue of the Virgin is probably about 600 years old. According to a medieval legend, a Hungarian merchant taking wine to the fair in Nowy Targ got stuck at night in the Ludźmierz marshes; after praying, he saw a radiant Lady who led him to the church, and where he knelt a spring began to flow. In gratitude the merchant vowed to bring a similar statue to the church.

On 15 August 1963 the statue was crowned by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and the then Bishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła. As the highlanders were blessed with the crowned statue, the sceptre fell from its hand and Wojtyła caught it in mid-air; the Primate joked: "Well, Karol, Our Lady is handing you power." In 1979 the authorities would not let the Pope come to Ludźmierz, so the highlanders carried the statue on foot to the airfield in Nowy Targ. John Paul II visited the sanctuary in 1997.

What to see

• The basilica with its Rococo high altar and the miraculous statue; the church has a 26-stop organ brought from the Gothic church in Oldenburg in Holstein.
• The spring by the entrance with a copy of the statue — its water is believed to have miraculous properties.
• The Rosary Garden — a well-kept park with ponds, flower beds, a field altar and a rare monument showing John Paul II kneeling.

Practical information

The sanctuary is at Jana Pawła II 120. By car from Nowy Targ, head towards Czarny Dunajec: Ludźmierz begins just past the town boundary; turn right at the first junction and after about 1 km the sanctuary is on the right just past the bridge. From Kraków, leave the Zakopianka road at Klikuszowa and follow signs to Ludźmierz. Without a car: take the train or bus to Nowy Targ, then suburban buses no. 2 or 7 from the bus station (DEKADA stop) or minibuses to the Ludźmierz-Kościół stop. Admission is free. Sunday Masses are at 7:00, 9:00, 11:00 and 18:00 (17:00 in winter), weekday Masses at 6:30, 12:00 and 18:00 (17:00 in winter). The most pilgrims come on 15 August, and on the first Sunday of September highlanders celebrate the harvest festival with a procession from the Podhale Union House. The garden is flat and pleasant for a walk with children. Schedule as of October 2026.

Nearby

Ludźmierz combines well with a trip east to the Gothic wooden church in Dębno and Lake Czorsztyn with Niedzica Castle. To the west lies the village of Chochołów with its timber houses.

Official website: mbludzm.pl

Photos: Piotrekwas, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons; Freta, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; WieKo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.