Wooden Articular Church of the Holy Trinity, Kežmarok

A church from an age without religious freedom

The Wooden Articular Church of the Holy Trinity (Kostol Najsvätejšej Trojice) in Kežmarok is one of the town's most precious monuments and one of the finest timber buildings in Slovakia. Its name comes from the “articles” of a law passed in 1681 at the Diet of Sopron. After a revolt of the Hungarian nobility led by Imre Thököly, a native of Kežmarok and owner of the local castle, Protestants were allowed to build churches: one in each free royal town and two in each county. But only outside the town walls, on a site fixed by a commission and at the congregation's own expense — hence from the cheapest material, wood.

A first, low wooden church was begun here in 1687. The present building dates from 1717: on 1 June the congregation signed a contract with the Poprad builder Juraj Müttermann, and on 15 August, just 75 days later, the church was consecrated. The builder received 660 Hungarian gold coins, three barrels of beer and cloth for a suit. The log structure of red spruce contains no metal parts — only wooden nails and wedges. Since 2008 the church, together with other wooden churches of the Slovak Carpathians, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Of 38 articular churches only five survive: in Hronsek, Istebné, Kežmarok, Leštiny and the one moved to Svätý Kríž.

What to see

From outside the church looks like a large farm building with a tall shingle roof, but inside it dazzles with Baroque splendour. It has the plan of an equal-armed Greek cross, and the vault rests on four turned pillars. Five galleries and the ground floor seated 1,541 people. Look out for:

• the ceiling painting — a blue sky with clouds, apostles and evangelists, created over decades from 1717;
• the altar (1718–1727) and pulpit (1717) by the Kežmarok woodcarver Ján Lerch;
• the stone font of 1690 — the oldest object from the first church;
• the Baroque organ by Vavrinec Čajkovský of Levoča (1719–1720) and the galleries painted with angel musicians;
• the round stained-glass windows — according to legend, Swedish sailors helped build the church.

The church is still in use: Sunday services are held here, and its excellent acoustics make it a concert venue too.

Practical information

Getting there. The church stands on Hviezdoslavova street next to the New Lutheran Church, a few minutes' walk from the centre of Kežmarok. From Poprad it is 14 km (about 15 minutes), from Zakopane about 59 km via Łysa Polana and Ždiar (about 1 h 15 min). Buses and trains run to Kežmarok from Poprad.

Hours and tickets. From May to October guided tours run Monday to Saturday every half hour from 9:00 to 16:30 (break 11:30–12:30); from November to April only on Tuesdays and Fridays. There are no tours on Sundays and holidays, but visitors may attend the service; during weddings the church is closed to tourists. Admission is €5 for adults and €2.50 for students and children under 15. Groups of 10 or more can book a tour by phone on +421 52 452 22 42.

Nearby

A 10-minute walk away is the Thököly family's Kežmarok Castle. From here it is not far to Belianska Cave and the Goral village of Ždiar, and to the east to the Basilica of St James in Levoča with the tallest Gothic wooden altar.

Official website: ecavkk.sk

Photos: Smerus, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Karelj, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Karl Gruber, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Henryk Bielamowicz, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.