St. Michael the Archangel Wooden Church in Księży Las

In Księży Las, between Pyskowice and Tarnowskie Góry, stands the late-Gothic wooden church of St. Michael the Archangel from 1498 — one of the oldest wooden churches in Upper Silesia. Five centuries of history are visible at first glance: the walls and roof are covered with shingles, and covered soboty walkways stretch along the northern walls.

Rebuilt after the war

The church’s fortunes were not calm. A side chapel was added in the 18th century, and a masonry porch in 1905. The hardest blow came during the Second World War, when the church was seriously damaged — post-war reconstruction was completed in 1955. A wooden bell tower once stood nearby, but it did not survive to our times.

Gothic written in logs

The log construction on a stone-and-brick foundation is a classic solution of Silesian timber building — austere, massive and tailored to the harsh Upper Silesian winter. Today the church serves as a filial temple of the parish of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Zbrosławice-Kamieniec.

In practice

The church lies on Wiejska Street in the centre of the village, and the drive from Tarnowskie Góry takes about 15 minutes. You can see the interior after arrangements with the parish in Zbrosławice-Kamieniec — visiting hours are not fixed. Combine the trip with the monuments of Tarnowskie Góry: the Silver Mine and the Black Trout Adit (8–11 km), both UNESCO-listed, and further with Pławniowice lake and the park at Świerklaniec.