Beskydy is a mass of mountains that stretches to form an arc on the territory of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia from Moravská Brána (Moravian Gate) to Kurovské sedlo (Kurovské saddle). In the Czech Republic you will find Moravskoslezské (Moravian-Silesian) and Slezské (Silesian) Beskydy, in Slovakia Beskydy mountains are titled Kysucké, Oravské and Nízké Beskydy and in Poland we know nine mountainous blocks named Beskid.

The Beskydy landscape has had the power to enchant people with its picturesque beauty since the time out of mind. The first inhabitants, as the archaeology unveiled, were dwelling here already in the Old Stone Age. They were coming to these places for ages in order to settle here and create a community of people with characteristic culture and folk customs that have been preserved until today. The extensive region of Beskydy has got plenty of forms, ranging from deep forests, steep hills and wild natural sceneries up to urban landscapes of Frenštát, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm or Frýdlant nad Ostravicí.

The first historical mentions about the settlement places in Beskydy are usually associated with the construction of religious objects, chapels and castles. Let?s go and have a look at these picturesque constructions that were left to us by our ancestors. Let?s examine this extraordinary set of churches built by the hands of folk wood carvers and architects from the best available construction material, i.e. wood.

Wooden churches in Beskydy constitute a part of a unique set of sacral folk constructions. This set of wooden churches built in the course of five centuries is with regard to the concentration, variability and good state of preservation of individual constructions considered absolutely unique in Central Europe.

The typology of the Central European wooden churches is associated with bricked churches. Single-aisle type of church is predominant, but exceptionally we can encounter also three aisles (Polish Mogila). When talking about the structures of the churches, the oldest one was probably the palar structure. Another technique was the grooved structure with wooden panelling and mesh.

These techniques are followed by traditional technique of timbering or logging, which survived more or less until today. Another important structure that came to the Central European region from the West was so-called Western frame. Its principle consists in frame structure with panelling inserted to the beam thickness. In 16^th century the churches are enriched with a porch along their perimeter that protected the beams of the church walls against rotting and concurrently it also protected parishioners against unfavourable weather. The ceilings of the wooden churches are usually flat, with filler blocks, but we can encounter also characteristic arch imitations (Hervartov, Gůty). Roof timbers were also an important structure. The oldest and the simplest type of roof timberwork is the so-called ridge purlin. A new type of roof timberwork appears in gothic period, i.e. collar beam roof. A new type of roof timberwork called studded timberwork appeared in the 16^th and especially in the 17^th century, which survived until 19^th century. The towers of the wooden churches appear in the 16^th century, by that time their function was substituted by individual standing belfries. The towers are not logged and therefore they have a lightweight, static and economical structure that resists well to the wind. Architectonic form responds to the contemporary period-style architecture, though usually with substantial delay. Especially those elements are received that can be easily transformed with carpenter?s tooling into the wooden material.

The typology of portals with medieval churches in Central Europe includes almost all the types known from the bricked architecture (keel arch, saddle portal, canopy arch, lancet arch, rectangular) especially in the neighbouring Poland. The exterior of the wooden churches is very simple and modest. The situation in the interior of the churches is considerably different, as it is the most representative part of the church. The flourishing era of wooden churches was in the 16^th and especially in the 17^th century thanks to the Protestants. The most complicated churches were born in hands of trained architects and under supervision of relevant lords of the manor. The most progressive features taken over from the period-style architecture appear especially in these churches within the wooden architecture.

Therefore Beskydy mountains are a real fairytale paradise not only for the wood carvers. There is no other place with such concentration of wooden constructions. These wooden religious constructions, churches, chapels and belfries are completely exceptional and today unique constructions. A visit to Beskydy mountains will allow you to see with your own eyes these unique constructions and make yourselves acquainted with the heritage of folk constructors, carpenters, wood carvers and painters, which they left to further generations.