The Black Madonna of Czestochowa (in the south of Poland) had been on our bucket list for a long time; in the Summer of 2015, we would finally meet her. But first things first, after having arrived in Poland after a long drive Lars and I were hungry. And thirsty. We were indeed in desperate of a cold Polish beer, herring and chicken with pesto salad for our starter and pierogi and chicken with mushroom sauce for our main dish. By the way, pierogi are stuffed dumplings that come in many varieties and that are hugely popular in Poland. And they happen to be my favourite dish.
The day afterwards, we were ready for our visit to the Jasna Gora Monastery, home of the Black Madonna. The Polish are extremely devout and hold a special place in their heart for the Virgin Mary; no wonder then that this monastery is often seen as the spiritual capital of the country.
Although Lars and I arrived early, the enormous parking space was quickly filling up. A mass of people was making their way to the entrance of the monastery.
The monastery was founded in the 14th century by Pauline monks and quickly became a place of pilgrimage. If you want to see the Black Madonna, head to the Basilica.
Lars and I were blown away by the rich and colourful interior. This is without any doubt one of the most gorgeous religious buildings we have ever seen.
To be honest, I took the pictures during a Mass. I actually don't like to do this, but it seemed to go on forever. And it was in Polish. Finally, I had the chance to come closer to the altar and see and photograph the Black Madonna.
If you want to know everything about the origins of this Black Madonna, check out this website. It is, to say the least, quite fascinating!
The site of Jasna Gora also contains chapels, a visitor centre and an exhibition hall. The official address isul. o. A. Kordeckiego 2, 42-225 Częstochowa. Both Catholics and non-Catholics are welcome. Signs ask visitors to dress appropriately and to visit the site in silence.
Lars and I were quite impressed by the Black Madonna. We drove to the centre of town, had a drink and then checked out our hotel. It was time to be on the road again, for our next Polish adventure.
