It is hard to say which of these churches is more beautiful, both are extraordinary buildings, and despite many similarities they show distinctive differences, most notably in the interior decoration. The similarities resulted from the constraints in their construction: both churches are impressively large timber-framed structures, the exterior is rather plain with hardly any decorative elements, only little is reminiscent of a church. Therefore, the interiors are even more surprising: abundant decorations all over, adorned galleries and colourful paintings. This combination of opulent Baroque design with Protestant faith is unexpected, but it obviously should compensate for the rather austere exterior and certainly they tried to compete with the Catholic environment.

First we visited the church in Jawor, the town is an hour's drive from Wroclaw. The church is located in a small park and hidden behind tall trees. After entering through the rather unimposing wooden door, we had a real wow-effect. We stood in a rectangular hall with four galleries on both side walls, the balustrades are decorated with picture panels depicting biblical scenes and guild signs. The interior is dominated by white and blue colours, quite unusual for a church. In particular I liked the coffered ceiling decorated with blue ornaments.

Swidnica is about 35 kilometres south east of Jawor. The churchyard is enchanting, located behind high walls and with tall trees, hundreds of gravestone and iron crosses have been preserved. The Baroque interior is very similar to a Catholic church, more than it is in Jawor. This is mainly due to the decoration in red and gold, but also because the floor plan has the form of a Greek cross. The photo shows the view to the huge organ that dominates the rear part. Although we had noticed the large size from the outside, we were surprised by the spacious interior, there is room for 7000 worshippers, 3000 of them on seats.

A recommendation for those who travel by car and use a navigation system: the coordinates on the UNESCO website are imprecise, you will end up a few hundred metres away from the churches. The German and Polish Wiki entries provide the exact coordinates.

The Churches of Peace are impressive monuments. The historical context of their origin after a cruel and destructive period in European history tells a fascinating story. Reason enough to confirm an outstanding value. The churches were very much neglected during the communist regime. Today, they are beautifully restored by the joint efforts of Germans and Poles. So the churches are also a symbol of reconciliation between the two countries over the last two decades.