Wooden Church of St. John the Baptist – Orawka (Poland)
Orawka was part of the Hungarian Orava Chair. Its parish was founded around 1650 and became the center of Catholic Upper Orava. The log larch church of St. John the Baptist, built in the 1650s, also dates back to those times. Today it is one of the most valuable monuments on the Lesser Poland Wooden Architecture Route.
What will you see?
The greatest treasure is the painted interior decoration from the early 18th century. It depicts scenes from the life of the patron, Hungarian kings and saints, the coats of arms of the Orava Šoltys and the Ten Commandments on the choir parapet. The chapel of the Seven Sorrows Virgin Mary from 1728 is attached to the nave. The church is also known for its four painted Lenten curtains - the oldest is from 1676.
Good to know
- From Slovak Orava through the Trstená – Chyżne pass to Jabłonka. Orawka lies a few kilometers east of it.
- Allow about 30-45 minutes to explore the interior.
- The trip can be combined with the church in Podwilk and the open-air museum in Zubrzyca Górna.
- Lenten curtains hang in the church only shortly before Easter.
Photo: Jerzy Opioła (CC BY-SA 3.0), Jacek Daczynski (CC BY 3.0), Mimikla at Polish Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0), Jacek Daczynski (CC BY-SA 4.0) – Wikimedia Commons
- Guide/tour
Other places – Churches and wooden churches
Church of St. Cosmas and Damian – Sedliacka Dubová
Romantic ruin of a Gothic church from the 14th century on a hill above Sedliacká Dubová with a tower, remains of chapels and a view of the village.
Wooden Church of All Saints in Tvrdošín
A 15th-century Gothic wooden church listed by UNESCO - a shingle roof, a Baroque altar and a ceiling like a starry sky.
Church of St. Wendelin in Zuberec
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