Wroclaw to Holy Trinity Church of Peace in Swidnica: Private day trip

The Holy Trinity Church of Peace in Świdnica was built in just 10 months, from 1656 to 1657, as part of a reconciliation agreement in the Treaty of Westphalia following the Thirty Years' War. The treaty stipulated that Protestant churches could only be built from wood, be situated outside the town walls, and had to be finished within one year. These conditions were meant to make construction difficult and limit the life of any completed Protestant churches. Still, three so-called "Churches of Peace" were built, and two survive today (the other is in Jawor), both of which remain in use. The church in Swidnica is the largest wooden Baroque temple in Europe, and its interior is richly decorated. Step inside to admire numerous paintings and frescos, wooden galleries, carvings, and historic pews. Both the Holy Trinity Church of Peace in Świdnica and its sister church in Jawor are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites as monuments to religious tolerance, unmatched in their architectural and artistic execution.