Discover Jawor: Peace Churches, Castles and Trails

Churches and castles in Jawor and Bolków

The Church of the Holy Spirit in Jawor was built in 1654–1655 as a rectangular, three-aisled basilica with a shortened, three-sided chancel. The Peace Churches in Jawor and Świdnica are among the largest Baroque timber-framed religious buildings in Europe; they were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. At the Church of St Martin in Jawor, a different detail awaits you: it contains a 14th-century sculpture of St Martin in bishop’s robes.

The castles, too, tell of different periods of construction. Bolków Castle was built around the middle of the 13th century and expanded towards the end of that century by Duke Bolko I. Its 25-metre-high tower offers sweeping views across the Nysa Szalona valley. At the ruins of Świny Castle, which date from the 14th century, surviving features include fragments of vaults, stucco and a dressed-stone portal, Gothic windows and exterior sgraffito decorations. In Słup, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and its cemetery chapels lie on the Lower Silesian Cistercian Trail.

Music adds a cultural touch to these historic places: since 1995, the Regional Museum in Jawor has organised the Jaworskie Koncerty Pokoju chamber music festival. When planning your trip, you can combine architectural discoveries with a glimpse into the town’s concert tradition.

Hiking trails, nature and cycling routes

Several named hiking trails pass through varied landscapes in the municipality of Paszowice. “Leśna Przygoda” runs through the landscapes of the Kaczawskie Mountains and their foothills. The approximately 12-kilometre “Turystyczna” trail passes through Paszowice, in the heart of the Land of Extinct Volcanoes. “Szlak Salamandry” leads through Jakuszowa and Myślibórz and over Rataj Hill. The “Ptasi Trakt” educational trail loops around a pond in Pogwizdów.

The “Widokowa” trail passes through Myślibórz, Jakuszowa, Siedmica, Grobla, Kłonice and Paszowice. It leads through the Land of Extinct Volcanoes and offers viewpoints and nature experiences. Another natural attraction is the 68-hectare “Wąwóz Siedmicki” nature reserve: it is located in Jakuszowa and Nowa Wieś, in the municipality of Paszowice and in the southern part of “Chełmy” Landscape Park.

Bolków also offers cycling routes and a designated tourist route. The blue cycling route initially follows the Nysa Szalona for about 5.5 kilometres, then passes through Sady Dolne, Sady Górne, Figlów, Nagórnik and Półwsie before returning to Bolków. The yellow route also loops back, passing through Wierzchosławice, Wierzchosławiczki, Stare Rochowice, Płonina and Pastewnik; much of it runs through spruce forests. The “Szlak 4 Zamków” links medieval fortifications in the municipality of Bolków and is designated as a tourist route. Forests, ravines, valleys and streams define the route described; wild mouflons and salamanders may be found there. The red hiking trail also offers a distinct route: it runs through “Chełmy” Landscape Park from Bolków to Myślibórz, with a short southern section passing through the municipality of Bolków.

For geographical context, the S3 road runs for 16.1 kilometres through the municipality of Paszowice and has two junctions there. The wider travel destination of Lower Silesia is also home to Karkonosze National Park and Stołowe Mountains National Park. The latter has a dense network of hiking trails totalling 100 kilometres, including a section of the Mieczysław Orłowicz Main Sudetes Trail; designated cycling routes can be found in the park and its immediate surroundings. These regional destinations offer a broader view of Lower Silesia, but should be distinguished from the places described in Jawor County.

More places in Jawor County

For getting around the destination: Chełmiec, Bolków, Kondratów, Granowice, Męcinka, Paszowice and Jastrowiec. Another destination at the same level is Głogowski.

For the broader travel overview: Lower Silesia.