Tucked away in the forests near Zakopane, the Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Jaszczurówka is one of the finest examples of the Zakopane Style in Poland. Designed by the legendary Stanisław Witkiewicz and consecrated in 1907, it is a place where mountain architecture, sacred art and nature come together in a truly memorable way.
The chapel charms visitors at first glance — its log-frame construction, tall stone arcaded base, shingle roof and a delicate bell turret look as though they belong in a fairy tale. Inside, a wooden main altar styled after a highland shepherd's hut and stunning stained-glass windows by Stefan Matejko — depicting Our Lady of Częstochowa and Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, along with the coats of arms of Poland and Lithuania — make the interior feel both intimate and extraordinary. The surrounding forest creates a magical atmosphere in every season: lush green in summer, golden in autumn, and snow-dusted and serene in winter.
How to get thereAn interesting detail: the stained-glass windows feature not only Marian imagery but also the heraldic emblems of Poland and Lithuania — a rare combination of the sacred and the national that gives this small chapel a surprisingly rich symbolic depth.