Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

The church of St. Wenceslas was built in the 13th century in the Gothic style. It is a three-nave building with adjacent chapels and a Gothic tower ending in later Renaissance ramparts. From 1997 to 2004, the building underwent a major reconstruction.

Middelkerke became an independent parish in 1293, but their church flooded in 1334. The building was destroyed in 1576 because of the wars of religion. The south aisle was restored in 1635 and the tower, which now served as the west tower, in 1681. The building was demolished again from 1848 until 1850, but the tower was preserved. A new church was built in neo-Gothic style. During the First World War, the church and tower were shelled by the Allies and blown up by the German occupier in 1915. From 1919 until 1921, the church was rebuilt to a design by Gustaaf Vandamme, whereby the destroyed church was reconstructed as much as possible. From 1932-1935 the church was greatly expanded, with the existing church with choir still serving as an extension of the nave, now transverse to the new church, which was constructed in a neo-Romanesque style in a south-north orientation. This last design was also by Gustaaf Vandamme.

St.Willibrordus Church, beautifully situated on estate 't Suideras in Vierakker, was built in 1869-1870.

St. Wolfgang's Church is a pilgrimage church, first mentioned in 1183. According to legend, it was preceded by a church founded by St. Wolfgang himself in 976. The present building, however, dates mainly from the 15th century, after the previous church was destroyed by fire in 1429. The church was enlarged in the Rococo style in 1713, but the church is still almost entirely preserved in its late Gothic style.

St. Zygmunt’s Church in Żelichów was built in 1642 and moved to its current location from Pleśna in 1938.

St. Luke's Church was built from 1859 to 1861 as a cross-armed nave under the direction of the public works inspector Gustav Möller. The design in the style of the Royal Basilica concept came from the head of the Prussian court and state buildings Friedrich August Stüler. The church was destroyed on 29 April 1945 and was rebuilt under the direction of architect Georg Thofehrn. It was rededicated on 19 December 1954.

Today's Marienkirche was founded in the 13th century on a former Romanesque stone church (probably dating from 1165-1170). The building underwent many changes during the Reformation, but also in the 18th century, when Baroque elements were added to the church. In the years 1878-1880, the Baroque tower was replaced by a neo-Gothic tower with a pointed helmet.

The Nikolai Church was built between 1772 and 1782 on a former medieval church that had become too small. The church could be used for services from 1782 onwards, but the interior work continued until 1798. Although the church did not belong to the adjacent monastery and was not owned by the minorities, the Hessian Landgrave's ministry ordered the closure of the monastery and the church as part of the secularisation process on 11 October 1803. It was not until 1968 that the church became the property of the parish. Between 1976 and 1979, the church was completely restored.

St.Nicholas Old-Believers' Church is the only wooden church in Rēzeknes. The present church was built in 1896, although the church was considerably rebuilt in 1906, with a bell tower and three silver and copper bells. The St. Nicholas Prayer House is famous for its three bells. The largest of them weighs 4,832 kg and is the largest call in the Baltic States.

There, probably, used to be a medieval church from the 12th century on the site of the current Saint Olofs Church. The oldest parts of the current building date from the first half of the 13th century. Skanör and the neighboring village of Falsterbo became important trading centers from the 12th until the 16th century. Because of this, the parish became bigger and the church needed to expand: the nave was made double its size and the bell tower was added. All these additions were made in the new Gothic style. Later, a large choir with high Gothic windows was added. These reconstructions were probably only the beginning of a bigger plan, which never was finished.