Wambierzyce - pilgrim's guide

Why go

Monumental stairs lead from the market square straight up to the basilica, whose façade towers over the whole village. Inside, in the high altar, stands a small Gothic statue of Mary with the Child, venerated here since the Middle Ages as the Queen of Families. It is a good place to come as a whole family and entrust your loved ones to Our Lady.

The Calvary is unique: the hills, the stream and the gates here are named after places in Jerusalem, and the chapels tell the story of Christ's life and Passion. Add to that a 19th-century mechanical nativity scene and the nearby Table Mountains, which invite you to stay longer.

A short history

According to tradition, a statue of Mary was placed on a tree here in the Middle Ages, and a chronicle records that in 1218 a blind man named Jan recovered his sight beside it. From the 13th century a wooden church stood here, later replaced by a brick one, which was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War. The present basilica was built in 1715-1723, funded by Count Franz Anton von Goetzen.

Daniel Paschasius von Osterberg began building the Calvary in 1683, and it was rebuilt many times over the following centuries. In 1936 Pope Pius XI gave the church the title of minor basilica. On 17 August 1980 Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński crowned the statue as the Queen of Families of Wambierzyce, and a letter from John Paul II was read during the celebrations. Before the war pilgrims came here from many countries of Central Europe. For a long time the shrine was run by the Jesuits, then by diocesan priests, and since 2007 it has been in the care of the Franciscans. The shrine belongs to the Diocese of Świdnica.

Getting there

Wambierzyce lies in Kłodzko County, in the municipality of Radków, about 10 km from Polanica-Zdrój. It is easiest to get here by car or coach, or by public transport via Kłodzko or Polanica-Zdrój.

• by car and coach: via Kłodzko and Polanica-Zdrój or from the Radków side; there are car parks in the area, some a little way from the market square
• by train: to Kłodzko or Polanica-Zdrój, then by local bus; check connections before you travel
• on foot and by bike: hiking trails of the Kłodzko Land pass through Wambierzyce, and the shrine rents out bicycles

When to go

The shrine welcomes pilgrims all year round. The busiest times are the Marian patronal feasts and the summer season, when a Marian evening prayer (Apel) is held on weekend evenings. In winter it is worth coming to see the mechanical nativity scene.

• end of May - patronal feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• 15 August - patronal feast of the Assumption
• 17 August - anniversary of the crowning of the statue in 1980
• August - pilgrimage of the German minority from Lower Silesia
• 8 September - patronal feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• May to September - Marian evening prayer at weekends; the shrine publishes the programme for each year

What to see and experience

• the statue of Our Lady of Wambierzyce, Queen of Families, in the high altar; the Child holds a little bird and reaches for a fruit, and the statue is dressed in robes of different colours according to the season
• the Baroque interior with a pulpit illustrating the Magnificat
• the cloisters with chapels around the oval nave
• the monumental stairs, whose numbers of steps hide symbolism of the years of the lives of Jesus and Mary
• the Calvary on the hills of Zion, Calvary and Tabor, with the valley of the Kidron stream and gates recalling Jerusalem
• the mechanical nativity scene from 1882, the work of a local clockmaker, with several hundred moving figures
• the basilica façade lit up in the evening

Practical information

• dress: modest; wear comfortable shoes for the Calvary, as the routes go over hills and steps
• accessibility: high stairs lead up to the basilica; visitors with reduced mobility should ask the shrine about an alternative entrance
• nativity scene: there is an admission charge and it has its own opening hours
• groups: it is worth arranging Mass and a guided tour with the shrine before arriving
• opening times of the basilica, Masses and the evening prayer: check the shrine's website

Accommodation and food

The shrine runs its own accommodation in several pilgrim houses and a restaurant, welcoming both individuals and groups. Bookings and prices are on the shrine's website. More accommodation and places to eat can be found in Wambierzyce itself and in nearby Polanica-Zdrój and Kłodzko.

On foot and on the trail

The Wambierzyce Calvary stretches over the hills around the village and along the old road in the village itself. Walking the whole route takes about four to five hours, while the Way of the Cross on Calvary hill is a shorter option for a single devotion. Trails lead from Wambierzyce towards the Table Mountains, so the pilgrimage is easy to combine with a mountain hike.

Frequently asked questions

Nearby

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Polanica-ZdrójPolanica-Zdrój, PL Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, BardoBardo, PL Bardo CalvaryBardo, PL Shrine of Our Lady Cause of Our Joy "Maria Śnieżna", MiędzygórzeMiędzygórze, PL Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, KrzeszówKrzeszów, PL