Editor Pick
Oliwa Cathedral
- June 2, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Shady Ady from Hinckley, United Kingdom
If you are in the vicinity of Gdansk, then a trip to the outskirts of the city and to Oliwa (sometimes spelt Oliva) Cathedral is a must. The cathedral was home to the Cistercian Monks, who established a monastery here in 1186 A.D. The original cathedral itself was built in the early 17th century, but was unluckily burnt down by the Prussians soon after its construction. The church that you see now is probably the 4th cathedral built on this site, after all of the others were destroyed.
While the cathedral stands elegantly today, it’s not until you walk inside that you see the real beauty on show. The first thing that catches your eyes is the cathedral's unusual tunnel-like design. Having a length of 90m but a width of only 8m, it’s unique amongst cathedral designs. The sumptuous stucco work around the high altar is a real masterpiece of Baroque art. The altar that adorns the left transept is a gem of Renaissance sculpture in wood. Upon turning around and looking above the main entrance of the cathedral you will see the centerpiece, an 18th century organ, that has made Oliwa Cathedral world famous.
The organ has 725 pipes and adorned with cherubs and angels playing the trumpet, it is a majestic and artistic composition of excellent workmanship. It’s hard to believe that this organ was constructed so long ago. Unusual sounds like the ringing of bells, the blowing of trumpets from moving angels, and the rippling of water accompany the fine tune of the organ to produce church music of the highest quality. There are free-of-charge 20-minute mini-recitals held daily at 12pm and 3pm. Full evening recitals are held every Tuesday and Friday during the months of July and August. You can buy a CD of the music at the cathedral if you find it truly inspiring!!
There are other attractions nearby to the cathedral. Behind in the adjoining park is the Abbot's Palace, home to the modest Museum of Modern Art. Next to this is the Abbot's Granary, which houses the excellent Museum of Ethnography. A huge collection of tools and implements used in past days by the craftsmen of the region are displayed here.
Oliwa is approximately 9km away from downtown Gdansk and can be reached easily by frequent suburban trains from Gdansk Glowny train station. If using trains, check your tickets, different tickets are valid on different trains. It’s best to buy a SKM ticket as these trains are more frequent. Once here, follow the crowds or walk southwest towards ul. Grunwaldzka, a busy thoroughfare that runs eastwards towards Gdansk's centre. Use the traffic lights to get to the other side of the road; then walk north for about 50m until you reach ul. Opata Jacka Rybinskiego. Turn left and walk straight ahead for a further 200m. On your right is the entrance to Park Oliwski, where the cathedral is located.
More information on the cathedral can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliwa.
From journal Things to Do and See Around Gdansk, North Poland