Churches & monasteries

St. John the Baptist Church in Biskupice

At the western end of Biskupice village, near the medieval town of Byczyna, stands the wooden Church of St John the Baptist. The present church was built in 1626 as a Protestant church and later became Roman Catholic. It is a quiet, small monument on the Wooden Churches Trail, valued for its structure and furnishings from several periods.

A church from 1626

An inscription on the chancel beam names carpenter Hans Hase and founders Zygmunt von Heydebrandt and Jerzy von Prittwitz-Gaffron. The church has a log structure, a single nave, a narrower three-sided apse and an east-facing layout. A timber-frame tower with a pyramidal roof was added later, around 1777, on the west side.

Patron’s gallery and interior

A patron’s gallery — a private upper box for historic founders — survives above the porch. The chancel beam carries a 17th-century crucifix and an inscription commemorating the building. The interior also contains a late-Baroque altar with figures and heraldic cartouches, a late-Renaissance pulpit, a baptismal font and historic pews. Together they show how the church’s furnishing changed after it passed from Protestant to Catholic use.

Visiting and planning a trip

This is a filial place of worship, and regular interior opening hours are not confirmed. Ask the parish about access before travelling; visits must not disturb services. Entry is free. Combine Biskupice with Byczyna, whose preserved town walls and gates provide a useful historical context for the wooden church.