Marvel at the Unbelievably Beautiful Texas Painted Churches!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to visit old churches. Part of that is my music background. I love to see and experience the acoustics that were a part of the building style in the old days. If no one is around, I might even sing a few notes just to hear how beautiful it sounds. I also love to see the ornateness and marvel at how people without our technology were able to paint and design such beautiful buildings. So, with all that in mind, Traveling with Terriers took a drive in April 2024 to visit the painted churches of the Texas Hill Country!

Texas Painted Churches? Never Heard of ‘Em!

This is one of the most frequent responses we have received when we talk about this marvel in Texas. In fact, friends and people who comment on our videos living in Texas were all surprised there was something like this. They had never heard anything about them. The churches can be found in the Texas Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio near the town of Schulenburg. In fact, Schulenburg calls itself the home of the painted churches. Their chamber of commerce even offers a map to help you find the various painted churches located nearby. What they don’t tell you is that they only offer maps and tours of five of the painted churches. There are actually around 20 of them scattered throughout the Hill Country, but most of them are not listed on the tour.

Where did They Come From?

In the 19th century the Texas Hill Country was home to a lot of German and Czech immigrants. As they settled in small communities with their fellow Czech or German brethren, they built houses, businesses, schools and most importantly, churches. Most of the Czech immigrants were of the Catholic faith, while the Germans were Lutheran. So the painted churches are a mix of the two. Of the ones we saw, only one was Lutheran, the others were Catholic. As the Czech and German people built their churches, they spent some extra time and care painting the interior. This was to remind them of their culture and homeland. So, the exterior of the churches look like any other church, but when you walk through the doors the artistry within will rival that of many of the churches of Europe.

“The Queen of the Painted Churches”- St. Mary’s of High Hill

High Hill Road just outside of Schulenburg is where you will find the “Queen” of the Painted churches. This was one of my favorites of the churches we saw. It is awe-inspiring! The most ornate of the Painted churches with intricate paintings as well as lots of detailed sculptures and carvings on the alter, it is truly beautiful inside. The alter, which was inset with a stained glass rendering of the crucifixion and the ornate carvings on all the woodwork added to the air of holiness inside. Danny and I enjoyed just sitting for a while in one of the pews and taking everything in. There is a lot to take in!

St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Praha

This was also one of my favorites of the churches we saw. Unlike the others, St. Mary’s of Praha gives the visitor a foretaste of what is to come. The doors of the church are decorated with ornate pictures of the disciples. Upon entering the church, this theme is repeated in the doors on the confessional, as well as multiple other doors throughout the sanctuary. The altar is again ornately decorated and the whole feeling of the church is one of holiness. Since there was no one around, I gave the acoustics of this one a try and they were amazing! It is so fun to sing a hymn and hear that sound amplified and reflected back towards yourself as well as upwards to heaven. Truly an awesome experience!

An Awe-Inspiring Day

While those two were my favorites, all of the painted churches were lovely and awe-inspiring. It reminded me once again of the ability that we humans have to create amazing works of art – even with few tools at our disposal – when we set our minds to it. This is one of the last videos of our Texas trip for now. We will be moving on to other trips and other awe-inspiring scenery, so keep your eyes peeled for our newest Travel-a-Longs coming soon. In the meantime, be sure to check out our other Behind-the-Scenes Blogs, Top 5 Tips and Tricks, Hike-a-Longs and Drive-a-Longs. Be on the lookout for our Merch Store coming soon! See you soon and Happy Traveling!