our guide was a monk

Jasna Gora

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May 18th 2007
We departed at 7:30a to visit the monastery at JASNA GORA that stood against Swedish forces during the 17th century religious wars. It was beautiful inside with much gold decoration and had so many rooms to see and we were guided by a monk. We saw the Black Madonna which has become the national symbol of Poland. What I didn't like about it here was how commercialized it was for tourists. I felt un ... read more

Europe » Poland » Lesser Poland » Kraków

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Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived near the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation. In a series of ... ... read more