Góra Świętej Anny - pilgrim's guide

Why go

This is a place where Upper Silesia has prayed for centuries: Poles, Germans and Silesians, families with children and whole parishes coming for the feasts. St Anne, the grandmother of Jesus, is honoured here as patron of mothers, families and those praying for the gift of children.

The hill combines prayer with nature and history. Next to the basilica and the calvary there is a Lourdes grotto, and on the slopes a landscape park and reminders of the region's turbulent past. That is why many people come here for the whole day, not just for Mass.

A short history

At the end of the 15th century the Church of St George stood on the hill. At the beginning of the 17th century a wooden statue of St Anne with the Virgin and Child, dating from the second half of the 15th century, was brought here, and the whole mountain took its name from it. Carved from a single piece of lime wood, the statue is about half a metre tall, and relics of St Anne brought here at the beginning of the 16th century were placed in its head. In 1910 it was crowned with three golden crowns.

In 1655 Count Melchior de Gaschin brought Franciscans here from Kraków, who built the Baroque church in 1671-1673. In 1700-1709, funded by Jerzy Adam de Gaschin, a calvary designed by an Italian architect was created, with chapels on the eastern and southern slopes. In the mid-18th century the Franciscans began leading the calvary devotions, which continue to this day. The friars were expelled from the friary several times, including during the Kulturkampf and during the Second World War, and each time they returned. In 1912-1914 a Lourdes grotto was built in a former quarry. In 1983 John Paul II visited the shrine, and since 2004 Góra Świętej Anny has been a Monument of History.

Getting there

The shrine lies between Opole and Kędzierzyn-Koźle, right by the A4 motorway, which runs along the northern edge of the village. This makes it easy to reach from across Silesia and southern Poland.

• by car and coach: via the A4 motorway or local roads from Opole, Strzelce Opolskie and Kędzierzyn-Koźle; there are car parks by the village, crowded on feast days
• by public transport: to Opole or Kędzierzyn-Koźle, then by regional bus; check the timetable before you travel
• by bicycle: popular cycle routes lead from Opole to Góra Świętej Anny

When to come

Most people come for the calvary feasts, when whole parishes walk the paths throughout the day. Those seeking quiet will choose a weekday outside these dates. The shrine publishes the dates and times for each year.

• Good Friday - calvary devotions
• July - feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
• 26 July - main feast of St Anne, with celebrations beginning on the vigil
• 2 August - Portiuncula feast
• mid-August - calvary feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• end of August - feast of the Guardian Angels
• mid-September - feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
• October - feast of St Peter of Alcántara with calvary devotions

What to see and experience

• the basilica with the miraculous statue of St Anne with the Virgin and Child, enthroned above the tabernacle on the high altar
• the Paradise Square - an arcaded 18th-century courtyard by the friary
• the calvary with chapels of the Passion and Marian paths on the slopes of the mountain
• the Lourdes grotto in a former quarry, where Masses are held for large pilgrimages
• the monument to John Paul II commemorating his visit
• the Monument to the Insurgents' Deed and the amphitheatre in a former quarry, traces of the region's 20th-century history
• the Góra Świętej Anny Landscape Park with trails and interesting geology

Practical information

• groups: register your pilgrimage in advance by phone or email, and on arrival at the friary gate
• a priest accompanying a group may celebrate Mass after agreeing a time with the shrine
• a guide and a led Way of the Cross for larger groups must be booked in advance
• clothing and footwear: comfortable shoes, as the calvary paths run over slopes and steps
• accessibility: the basilica stands on the summit and parts of the calvary have steep sections; people with limited mobility should ask the shrine about access
• times of Masses, services and the parish office: check the shrine website

Accommodation and food

Next to the shrine there is a Pilgrim House run by the Franciscans, offering accommodation for pilgrims and retreat groups; bookings are taken directly through its website. In the village there are also guest rooms and places to eat, and a wider choice of accommodation is available in Opole and Strzelce Opolskie.

On foot and on the trail

The Way of the Cross from the Chapel of Pilate, known as the Gradusy (the Steps), to the Three Crosses takes about an hour, while the full feast-day calvary paths take much longer. The chapels are spread over the eastern and southern slopes, so the route goes up and down among the trees. Walking trails of the landscape park run through the area, and every year walking pilgrimages come to Góra Świętej Anny from parishes in Silesia.

Frequently asked questions

Nearby

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