Chapel ‘On the Water’ in Ojców

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The “On Water” Chapel – a chapel located in Ojców within the Ojców National Park, at the foot of rock formations called Prałatki. It is a historic wooden religious building dedicated to Saint Joseph the Worker.

Built in 1901 on the site of the former Goplana spa baths, it stands on concrete foundations straddling both banks of the Prądnik stream. Legend has it that this unusual location was chosen to circumvent a Tsarist ban on building on Ojców land – hence the chapel was constructed “on water.”

The chapel is designed in the so-called “Swiss-Ojców” style. Alpine architectural elements are visible in the filigree bell tower, while the interior reflects the Zakopane style popular in the early 20th century. It features three altars shaped like peaks of peasant cottages. The main altar contains a symbolic sun, five saints, and a painting of Our Lady of Help created in 1901 by one of Goplana’s patients. Patriotic elements are also present – two eagles hovering above three rising snakes flank the altar. The eagles symbolize Poland, while the three snakes represent the three partitioning powers.

In front of the chapel lies a meadow called Goplana Clearing and the Spring of St. John.