Upper Silesian Wooden Churches

The Wooden Architecture Trail in Silesia links around ninety buildings, of which the churches are the substance: log-built in larch, with steep shingled roofs, free-standing or attached bell towers, and in many cases a soboty - a covered arcaded walkway around the outside where people from distant villages sheltered on Saturday before Sunday mass, which is where the name comes from. The oldest date from the fifteenth century. Several are outstanding: the church at Sierakowice, the fifteenth-century church at Poniszowice, the group around Rybnik and Zory, and the churches moved into city parks at Katowice, Chorzow and Gliwice to save them. Interiors are often painted with folk polychrome and hold Gothic sculpture. Silesia's route is less known than the equally good Malopolska one, so the churches are quieter, but they are also more often locked, and finding a keyholder is part of the exercise.

What you actually see

• Larch log churches - steep shingled roofs and attached or separate bell towers.
• Soboty walkways - covered arcades where distant parishioners waited overnight.
• Painted interiors - folk polychrome and Gothic sculpture inside.
• Rescued churches - several moved into city parks to save them.

When to go

May to September. Two days.

Honest expectations

Many churches are locked and access depends on finding a keyholder in the village. The route needs a car and covers long distances. Signage varies. Some buildings are in poor condition.

Nearby

The Malopolska wooden church route continues south-east.