Discover 4 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Świdnica (Poland). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Świdnica Cathedral, Church of Peace, and Ławeczka Marii Cunitz. Also, be sure to include Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa - OSiR in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Świdnica (Lower Silesian).
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Świdnica Cathedral
Also known as: Katedra św. Stanisława i św. Wacława w Świdnicy
Cathedral in Świdnica. The St. Stanislaus and St. Wenceslaus Cathedral, also called Świdnica Cathedral, is a historical monument and a main Catholic building in Świdnica, Poland.
Construction of the current church began in 1330 at the behest of Duke Bolko II of Świdnica, following a fire that destroyed a wooden building that stood there. The new building, in Gothic style, was designed as a three-aisled basilica with a slender Gothic tower that measures 102 meters, the largest in the region. Between 1400 and 1410 the building was expanded. In years 1535-1546 the church was renovated after it was greatly damaged in the fire of 1532.
From 1561 to 1629 the church was owned by Protestants. From 1662 it belonged to the Jesuits who in the years 1671-1688 have added to it baroque furniture and decorations that still characterize its interior. With the gradual expulsion of the Jesuits of Prussian Silesia, the church was secularized in 1772 and the Prussian authorities converted it into a barn.
The church was renovated between 1893 and 1895 but lost many of its original architectural features. On March 25, 2004, with the bull Multos fructus, of Pope John Paul II, established the Catholic Diocese of Świdnica, and the building became the cathedral.[1]
Address: plac św. Jana Pawła II 1, 58-100 Świdnica
Church of Peace
Also known as: Kościoły Pokoju
Building in Poland. The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica in Silesia were named after the Peace of Westphalia of 1648.
It permitted the Lutherans of Silesia to build three churches from wood, loam and straw outside the city walls, without steeples and church bells. The construction time was limited to one year. The third Peace church, erected in Głogów (then German Glogau), burned down in 1758.
Since 2001, the two remaining churches are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[2]
Address: plac Pokoju 6, 58-100 Świdnica
Ławeczka Marii Cunitz
Maria Cunitz bench - sculpture by Stanislaw Strzyzynski located on the Świdnica Market Square in front of the Museum of Old Merchants. The monument was financed by the Świdnica City Hall as part of the project "2008 Year of Maria Kunic" and unveiled on March 31, 2009.
The sculpture depicts Maria Cunitz (ca. 1610-1664), an astronomer who spent a large part of her life in Świdnica. She is sitting on a bench and looking up at the sky, holding in her hands her work "Urania propitia" and an armillary sphere (astrolabe). The "Urania propitia" is autographed "Maria Cunitia", which comes from the astronomer's letter to John Hevelius (Lubnice, February 28, 1648, manuscript, Bibliotheque de l'Observatoire de Paris).
Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa - OSiR
Address: Galla Anonima 1a, Świdnica