Piesze pielgrzymowanie na Jasną Górę

Foot pilgrimages to Jasna Góra

Summary: The pilgrimage traditions of Jasna Góra date back to the beginnings of the monastery, that is the year 1382. Annual foot pilgrimages appeared in the seventeenth century, and the pilgrimages starting in Kalisz and Warszawa are among the oldest ones. The predominant motive for pilgrimaging to Jasna Góra has always been and still is a religious one, but in the difficult periods of Polish history a significant part was played also by other motives: patriotic, political or social. In 1995 Jasna Góra was visited by 3,055,000 pilgrims, including 181.8 thousand (6%) foot pilgrims. Foot pilgrimages arrive in circa 270 groups, which number from a dozen or so to several thousand people. They come in the four-month period between June and September, but 92% of the traffic falls on a few days of August. The main festivities which attract pilgrims on foot are the indulgence ceremonies on the Assumption of the BVM (15th August) and the feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa (26th August). Foot pilgrims, especially those from remote regions, often arrive several days earlier and stay in Częstochowa. This influences the overall number of visiting pilgrims, which in August amounts to 410 thousand people. For a few years there has been observed an increased participation of foreigners in Polish pilgrimages, and there have appeared also individual pilgrimages on foot, for instance, from Slovakia or the Czech Republic. Częstochowa is the destination on over fifty pilgrimage routes whose network is developing owing to the inclusion of new pilgrimage departure points. Some pilgrimages, especially those gathering thousands of participants, depart in groups or so-called segments, follow different routes, and before entering Częstochowa form a single column (e.g. the Kraków pilgrimage). Generally, pilgrimage routes go along back roads, but they also pass through the places that are the centres of the Marian cult. While walking along a public road, pilgrims are obliged to comply with special traffic safety regulations. On the days of the highest traffic density, Częstochowa is entered by 25-45 thousand people. This requires efficient traffic flow management in the town. To that effect, ten entrance routes were drawn, while the day and time of the entrance are appointed earlier. The heaviest entrance traffic is concentrated on the main avenue named after the BVM (Aleja Najświętszej Maryi Panny). Within the town boundaries there are areas where pilgrimage traffic penetrates most deeply, but their spatial location varies depending on the day. Some pilgrims (12.4%) return home on foot, retracing the same routes in the opposite direction. The remaining ones, on their way back, use chiefly railway transport, which plays a crucial role in the case of long distances. Other means of transport commonly used are buses and coaches as well as automobiles. For pilgrimages on foot, the Częstochowa region fulfils vital functions. The region itself generates many pilgrimages and is a transit area and a stopover area for pilgrimages coming from afar. An exceptional situation took place in 1991, when the Sixth World Youth Day was attended by approximately 400 thousand foot pilgrims, some of whom found accommodation outside Częstochowa. A special pilgrimage zone demarcated around the town comprises an area with a radius of about 30 kilometres. Częstochowa does not possess sufficient infrastructure to serve pilgrims, including walking pilgrims. Constant traffic observations and measurements are necessary, and their results should constitute the basis for organising pilgrimage space in the town and catering for service planning.

Peregrinus Cracoviensis, 1998, z.6, s. 111-135.

Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UJ

ISSN 1425-1922, ISBN 83-907568-5-4

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