After the Thirty Years' War, Silesia belonged to the Catholic Habsburgs, and Lutherans in the region were allowed only the smallest favour. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 allowed them three churches, built outside the town walls, from perishable materials, without towers or bells, and in a single year. The result, in Jawor, Świdnica and a third town that has since lost its church, was one of the most surprising buildings in Europe.
The churches are made of timber, clay and straw, and they are huge. The one at Świdnica, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is a vast timber-framed barn of a building that could hold thousands of worshippers on balconies and in boxes, with a ceiling painted with scenes from the Bible, and an organ, pulpit and altar of rich Baroque. Jawor's church, on a smaller scale, has the same warmth, with painted galleries and carved decoration. Both are now UNESCO World Heritage sites, and both are still in use for services and concerts.
Jawor is a town of about twenty-four thousand in Lower Silesia, on the road between Legnica and Świdnica, and the landscape around it is gently rolling farmland, with the Sudeten hills a blue line to the south. Roads are generally good and of modest traffic, with long straight stretches between villages and a few pleasant curves through the woods. Cobbled sections do appear in village streets, and level crossings are frequent. Poland enforces speed limits strictly, with cameras in built-up areas, so watch for signs.
Fuel is easy in Jawor, and the town centre has cafés and bakeries around its market square. Silesian food is hearty: dumplings, pork knuckle, żurek, a sour rye soup, and cakes with poppy seeds, and in autumn the markets sell plums and mushrooms. The surrounding hills hold castles and quiet valleys, with Książ castle near Wałbrzych well worth a visit.
Opening hours of the churches are limited, and a visit usually involves buying a ticket from a custodian, so check ahead if you have a tight schedule.