RABKA-ZDRÓJ

Two temples

We head for Rabka where two temples wait for us. The first one is the beautifully located Church of the Holy Cross ‘On Obidowa’ which dates back to the second half of the 18th century. It is of log construction and the nave is partially surrounded by arcades (called ‘soboty’ in the region). The walls and the ceiling are decorated with the polychromy which dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Most of the historic, baroque equipment was consumed by the fire in 1994. Moreover, in Rabka-Zdrój we ought to visit the former parish Church of Saint Mary Magdalene. The temple was erected in 1606, on the site of a previous church. It was modelled on wooden, gothic churches but it was reconstructed a lot of times. Inside we can see the rococo-classical polychromy from 1802 and small fragments of the polychromy which is almost 200 years older. The pipe organs from 1778 are exceptionally valuable. The church does not serve a religious purpose anymore – since 1936 it has been the seat of the Regional Museum of Władysław Orkan. Therefore, apart from the polychromy and the altars, we can see interesting exhibits inside. There are four exhibitions on pottery, the regional costume, pasturing, crafts and sculptures.