Chapel of Skulls

The Chapel of Skulls in Czermna, a district of Kudowa-Zdrój, is a unique place of a sacred nature and one of the most important monuments in Lower Silesia. Built between 1776 and 1784 by Father Wacław Tomaszek, it serves as an extraordinary memento mori and is the only such object in Poland. The walls and ceiling of the chapel are decorated with the remains of about 3,000 human skulls and bones, of those who died during the Silesian Wars, cholera epidemics, and famine that plagued the region in the 18th century. The chapel has not only a religious dimension but also a symbolic one – it reminds us of the transience of life and the inevitability of death. It is a place of contemplation that attracts both believers and tourists wishing to delve into the region's history.