Fatima Sanctuary, Krzeptówki

This sanctuary was built as a votive offering following the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, and it carries deep meaning for many Polish visitors who come here specifically as a place of pilgrimage rather than sightseeing. The architecture is modern rather than the traditional timber style seen elsewhere in Zakopane, with clean lines and a large open plaza that can hold considerable crowds during religious observances. Inside and around the grounds there is a real sense of quiet devotion, quite different in register from the shops and music of Krupówki just a short distance away. Visitors who are not religious themselves can still appreciate the scale of the site and the story behind it, and staff are generally welcoming to anyone showing respectful curiosity. It rewards a slower pace, and combining a visit here with a walk through the surrounding Krzeptówki neighbourhood, which has its own share of traditional houses, makes for a peaceful stretch away from the busier central streets.

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