The Jesus Church in Cieszyn is one of the most remarkable Lutheran churches in Central Europe — a grand Baroque sanctuary that, for decades, was the only Protestant church within a radius of over seventy kilometres. Known as the 'Mother Church', it can hold up to 7,000 worshippers and continues to impress visitors with both its extraordinary history and its architectural beauty. Whether you are drawn by the story of the Reformation or simply love exceptional historic buildings, this place is not to be missed.

The church was built following the Convention of Altranstädt of 1707 and is the only one of the six original Silesian 'Grace Churches' that has survived as a Lutheran place of worship to this day. The building is a fine example of late Austrian Baroque — a five-nave basilica on a Greek cross plan, with a 75-metre tower crowned by an onion-shaped dome that is visible from afar. Inside, three levels of wooden galleries (called 'pawłacze' in the local dialect) surround the nave, while a stunning Baroque altar from 1767, adorned with sculptures of the four Evangelists, commands the interior. The 1923 organ by Oscar Walcker of Frankfurt, the largest in the Cieszyn Silesia region, fills the space with sound.

• Cieszyn town centre — the church is located on Bielska Street, near the Upper Gate, clearly visible from the city centre; about a 10-minute walk from the Market Square
• Parking available near the centre; Cieszyn is well connected by train and bus from Katowice, Bielsko-Biała and Ostrava

• The church is open to visitors; check current opening hours before your visit
• Next to the church is a former Evangelical cemetery now serving as a park, with ancient protected trees and the 'old barn school' — a former Evangelical school from 1725
• Nearby, the Tschammer Library holds over 17,000 volumes, including rare early printed books and incunabula

Look out for the bust of Swedish King Charles XII, donated by Swedish Lutherans in 1935 — it was his intervention with Emperor Joseph I that made the construction of this extraordinary church possible in the first place.