Chapel of St Vitus in Żywiec

The chapel of St Vitus in Żywiec no longer exists, but the spring by which it stood has survived. The first, wooden chapel was built in 1669 on the order of King John II Casimir Vasa, who hoped the spring would cure an eye disease.

The history of the chapel

In 1869 the wooden chapel was replaced by a brick Neo-Gothic building designed by Karol Pietschka. On 30 May 1964 it was visited by the Archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła. Still in 1964 the chapel was blown up in connection with the construction of the reservoir that we know today as Lake Żywiec.

What remains

The spring of St Vitus was moved higher up. It has a stone casing, set into the wooded slope, with a stone slab and an engraved cross. The furnishings of the former chapel are shown by the City Museum in Żywiec: wooden figures of St Barbara and St Catherine from about 1510, a wooden plaque with a poem by Andrzej Komoniecki of 1702, and a painting "The Holy Trinity" of 1886.

Practical information

• The chapel does not exist; you can see only the casing of the relocated spring in Stary Żywiec.
• Check the exact location of the spring and the way to it before setting out, because the area is a wooded slope.
• The historic furnishings can be seen in the museum; the museum gives its visiting hours.