Easy hikes and walks around gmina Ruja

The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in Legnica (Katedra Świętych Apostołów Piotra i Pawła) is a significant sacred building with a rich history and impressive architecture. Here are the key details: 🏰 Historical Overview First church built: Already mentioned in 1208, originally dedicated to the Apostle Peter. Gothic Rebuilding: Built between 1328 and 1378 under master builder Wiland, modeled on St. Elizabeth's Church in Breslau. Consecration: On September 20, 1342, by Bishop Wacław; St. Paul was added as a second patron. Reformation: From 1522/23, the church served as a Protestant church under Duke Frederick II. Fire & Reconstruction: After a fire in 1835, it was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style according to designs by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. 🛐 Catholic Cathedral Return to Catholics: After 1945, following the transfer to Poland. Elevation to cathedral status: On March 25, 1992, by Pope John Paul II, the main church of the newly established Diocese of Legnica. Visit of the Pope: John Paul II visited the cathedral on June 2, 1997. 🎨 Architecture & Furnishings Three-aisled hall church with cross vaults in the side aisles and a ribbed presbytery. Northwestern main portal: Around 1370, with a Gothic statue of the Madonna and Child (ca. 1340) – a masterpiece of stonemasonry. West portal: Scenes from the Adoration of the Magi. Interior: Renaissance pulpit (1586/88) Baroque high altar Bronze baptismal font in the shape of a Gothic chalice Gravestone of Duke Ludwig II of Brieg and Elisabeth of Brandenburg. 📍 Location & Surroundings Directly on Liegnitz Square, centrally located in the old town. In the immediate vicinity: Church of Our Lady, Liegnitz Castle, Copper Museum, and Modrzejewska Theater.

The Church of Our Lady in Legnica (German: Liegnitz, Polish: Kościół Marii Panny) is one of the oldest and most historically significant churches in Lower Silesia. Here is a comprehensive overview of its heritage:🏰 Origins & Architecture Founded: Around 1170 by Duke Bolesław I the Long, originally as a wooden, single-nave church near his castle. Reconstruction: In 1192, a Romanesque sandstone church replaced the wooden structure. It featured a short chancel and a semicircular apse. Destruction & Gothic Revival: After a devastating fire in 1338, the church was rebuilt between 1362 and 1386 as a three-nave Gothic basilica, incorporating earlier foundations. 🛐 Religious Significance Evangelical Conversion: In 1522, the first Protestant sermon in Legnica took place here, marking the transition to Lutheran worship. After World War II: The church continued to serve the German Protestant minority until 1962, when Pastor Wolfgang Meißler was expelled. He later founded the "Schlesienhilfe PWM" foundation to support the church's preservation. Interior & Restoration Neo-Gothic Renovation: After a fire caused by lightning in 1822, the church was rebuilt (1824–1829) as a hall church with a neo-Gothic interior. Redesign 1905–1906: Interior decorated with Moorish geometric patterns by Prof. Detkana of Berlin. Stained-glass windows by August Oetken. Addition of a chapel on the south side and restoration of the towers. Artistic Highlights: A neo-Gothic altarpiece depicting the "Adoration of the Shepherds" (1770). Stained-glass windows depicting biblical scenes such as the Baptism of Jesus and the Conversion of Paul. Renaissance and Baroque epitaphs embedded in the walls. 🏛️ Structure & Style Built of brick with sandstone foundations. Dimensions: 50.5 m long, 20 m wide, with two towers reaching 62 m. The interior features cross-ribbed vaulted ceilings and octagonal columns with Moorish motifs. 📍 Heritage & Recognition A square in front of the church was named Plac Pastora Wolfgang Max Meißler after its last German pastor in 2009. Today, it stands as a symbol of Legnica's multifaceted history—Polish, German, Catholic, and Protestant.

In former times, there was a ferry crossing the Oder at this spot. Directly adjacent is the entrance to the old Oder harbor. A memorial stone on the main street commemorates the 1997 Oder flood. A little further along the Oder, there are several flood markers from other years.

On March 25, 1992, the Church of St. Peter and Paul was raised to the cathedral under Pope John Paul II and has since served as the main church of the diocese of Legnica. Since then, a statue of the Polish Pope John Paul is standing next to the Kathedrahle in the park.