Czestochowa Black Madonna Tours - details
Czestochowa is home to the famous painting of Black Madonna. Pauline Monastery on Jasna Gora hill is a Mecca for pious Catholics. Millions of pilgrims come to Czestochowa every year to pray to the holy image of Black Madonna. Along our trip to Czestochowa from Krakow you can also see the so-called Eagles’ Nests trail. Several castles, now in ruin, were built in the Middle Ages as to protect the southern borders of Polish Kingdom. During our Czestochowa Black Madonna tours you have a chance to see these symbols of Polish statehood, as well as the most important religious place in the country.
Czestochowa tours
A small 15th-century Gothic chapel in the heart of the sanctuary houses the painting of Black Madonna. It is the oldest part of Pauline Monastery in Czestochowa.
Origins of the Black Madonna are uncertain. Different hypothesis say that the painting could have been made in the 2nd century as well as in the 14th century. The fact remains, that it is the most worshipped religious object in Poland. Its cult dates back to the 15th century.
The most famous story connected with Black Madonna is the Siege of Jasna Gora. In the middle of 17th century Sweden invaded Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Jasna Gora was then the last hope to resist the attack. The monastery was defended by monks and volunteers. Swedes outnumbered them ten to one. Yet, after a long occupation, invaders failed to capture the monastery. Accordingly to common beliefs, Madonna from the sacred icon saved Jasna Gora through St. Mary’s intercession.
Trip to Czestochowa from Krakow
Our Czestochowa Black Madonna tours include private, modern, comfortable Mercedes Benz vehicle, door-to-door pick up and drop off and English speaking driver at your disposal. One-way trip to Czestochowa from Krakow takes up to 2.5 hours. We usually arrange pick up time between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. The whole tour takes about 8 hours.
You can book your Krakow Czestochowa tour for any number of people. If you are travelling with children, please let us know. Thus, we will equip our car with a suitable booster seat or child seat. We also provide necessary amenities for people with mobility problems. Please notify us in advance, if you or someone you travel with is a wheelchair user. It will allow us to send a car with larger boot for your comfort and safety.
In Jasna Gora there are some facilities for wheelchair users, however not every place is wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair users are able to visit chapel of Black Madonna, basilica, as well as exhibition halls in St. Roch bastion and arsenal.
Czestochowa Black Madonna tours from Krakow
In Czestochowa you can join a special holy mass dedicated to the painting of Black Madonna. It usually takes place at 1 p.m. Please inform us in advance, whether you wish to join the mass, in order to arrange your pick up time accordingly. In Czestochowa tours take around 3 hours.
There is also a possibility to have a guided tour in any available language. Usually local monks or nuns perform as guides. Tours are available in Polish, English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Russian and Ukrainian. In order to book a guided tour of Jasna Gora, please contact us. Guided tours are paid additionally and prices may vary depending on the number of participants. Guided tours takes approximately 1-1.5 hour.
Please remember, that due to sacred character of the place, visitors should behave and dress appropriately.
Eagles’ Nests Trail
After your visit in Jasna Gora, our driver will be waiting for you to take you back to Krakow. If you wish, you can also extend your Krakow Czestochowa tour. Upon request, we can arrange a detour that includes Eagles’ Nests trail. For additional 150 PLN, you can visit the most interesting castles of the Eagles’ Nests trail. They include Bobolice, Ojcow, Ogrodzieniec and Pieskowa Skala. Our driver will take you from one castle to another. There you have a chance for quick sightseeing.
If you wish, you can have a lunch break in Czestochowa or on your way back to Krakow. Please, do not hesitate to ask our driver for suggestions. Our drivers are very well familiar with the area and are happy to help. After your Krakow Czestochowa tour finishes, our driver will drop you off directly to you hotel in Krakow or anywhere else in the city centre.
To pay for your Krakow Czestochowa trip, choose our online payment system. You can also pay in cash to the driver. We prefer payments in Polish zlotys. We also accept Euros, Pounds and U. S. Dollars in amount according to current exchange rate. Yet, our driver will give you the change in Polish zlotys.
Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We are open for your suggestions and make every effort to meet your needs.