Szczepanów: Sanctuary, Pilgrim Routes and Historic Sites

Szczepanów is a destination for travelers interested in sacred culture, pilgrimage connections and local places of remembrance. At its heart are the Sanctuary of St. Stanislaus and the Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Stanislaus. There is also a tourist and religious trail, a short Via Regia leg and several places listed as worth seeing by the Municipality of Brzesko. This makes it possible to tailor a stay to different interests: church and pilgrimage history, a trail with information boards, or smaller historical details around town.

Church and Sanctuary

In 2003, Pope John Paul II elevated the Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Stanislaus in Szczepanów to the status of a minor basilica. This distinction is part of the church’s history and gives it a special place among the area’s cultural attractions. The Sanctuary of St. Stanislaus is also a reference point for several of the pilgrimage and trail options described in Szczepanów.

Visitors interested in sacred history can connect a visit to the church with the town’s other religious themes. One stop on the discovery trail through the Municipality of Brzesko is the Pantheon of Saints in Szczepanów.

Pilgrim Routes and Trail

Via Regia leg 14a runs from Szczepanów to Brzesko. It is classified as a six-kilometer access route and connects the Sanctuary of St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów to the pilgrimage route network. If you want to plan a specific route for your trip, this is a named leg with a stated length. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

A tourist and religious trail runs around the sanctuary and through its immediate surroundings; there are 20 information boards along the route. The trail and the Via Regia leg are two different points of reference: one explores the area around the sanctuary through information boards, while the other is a six-kilometer access route to Brzesko. Check local conditions for the trail before your visit.

Other Places of Interest in Szczepanów

Places listed as worth seeing by the Municipality of Brzesko include the bell tower in the parish cemetery and Military Cemetery No. 273 from the First World War. Both add sites of remembrance to the religious history of the sanctuary. The market square offers another point of interest: it is home to a stone communal well with a crank and a shingle roof. It is the only surviving communal well of its kind and is no longer in use. Those who want to explore Szczepanów beyond its church and pilgrim routes will also find architectural and commemorative themes.

More Cultural Attractions in the Wider Destination of Brzesko

Brzesko itself also offers distinct attractions that differ from those in Szczepanów. The Regional Museum in Brzesko features two bourgeois interiors, landscapes, portraits and objects recalling local history. In Okocim, an English-style landscape park dating from 1900 surrounds the palace; native and exotic trees and shrubs grow in the park. The contrast in themes is clear: in Szczepanów, the focus is on the sanctuary, pilgrimage connections and places of remembrance, while the museum and park appeal to different cultural and historical interests.

For your trip, you can first choose what you want to focus on, then look for suitable accommodation. If the church, sanctuary and pilgrim routes are what draw you, Szczepanów offers several specific places and routes to explore. If you also want to include the cultural attractions of the wider Brzesko destination, you can add the museum and park to your plans without confusing them with the sites in Szczepanów.

Discover more destinations: Brzesko, Iwkowa, Mokrzyska, Czchów, Połom Mały, Uszew, Łysa Góra, Biesiadki.

Back to the main travel guide: Brzesko.