"Jasna Gora -Out of the Way" a Czestochowa Travel Page by BruceDunning

This is a long was to get to and more tour buses to contend with close to 100 when we were there. The Monks take you around the interior grounds of the Monastery, and you do learn about the way it was protected over the years. The real disappointment was the vast number of tourists gawking at the souvenir shops so you can buy a "memory" to take with you. In fact, you are nearly trapped, and not able to find your way out without some directions, that was not forthcoming.

This is a typical courtyard-alcove area that houses some of the permanent monks.

This icon has a lot of steeped tradition. It apparently was painted around the 15th century. It is said the painting is on a table board from where the monks used to eat supper. The black connotation must be from the dark coloring over the years. Monks believe this icon saved them from the Swedes in 1655, when they held off a strong force trying to take over the monestary. There is a lot of the complex that we did not see, because the guided tours only take you a route that misses many detail items of interest