Editor Pick
St. Mary's Church
- September 2, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Shady Ady from Hinckley, United Kingdom
Within Gdansk’s old town, and standing formidable against the skyline, is St. Mary’s Church, or, as it is officially known, Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At 105m long and 66m wide, St. Mary’s Church is the largest brick church in the world and one of the largest brick Gothic buildings in Europe. Inside the church there is room for 25,000 people, very handy during the Solidarity strike in the early 1980s.
As you arrive in to Gdansk and walk towards the old town, St. Mary’s Church is one of the first buildings that catches your attention, and when up close, it is even more impressive. It’s absolutely huge, and dwarfs all other buildings surrounding it.
Work on the Church was finally finished in 1496, over 100 years from when it was started. Until the 20th century, both the church interior and exterior were well preserved, but unfortunately, during World War II, the church was severely damaged. The wooden roof was burnt completely, most of the ceiling fell in, windows were destroyed, and 14 of the large vaults collapsed. In some parts of the church, the heat was so intense that the bricks simply melted. It is amazing to walk around the church today, as there is very little evidence of the damage the church received, apart from the different coloured bricks on the outside.
The interior of the church displays many pieces of Medieval and Baroque art, including the Stone Pieta from 1410, a copy of the Last Judgement by Hans Memling and the astronomical clock built by Hans Düringer between 1464-1470, which is unlike any other clock you will ever see. Its complex dials show the time and date, phases of the moon, the position of the moon and sun in relation to the zodiac signs, and the calendar of saints. Adam and Eve ring the bell on the hour. According to legend, the clock's creator had his eyes gouged out so he'd never make a clock to better than this one. Inside there are also 300 tombstones and 31 chapels. You can enter the church through anyone of the seven gates, which have intriguing names like the Purse Maker’s Door.
If you're fit enough, you can scale the 405 steps to the top of the 78m tower, where you'll be rewarded with a breathtaking panorama of Gdansk, from the shipyards to the surrounding plains. The tower opens between 9am and 6pm. The church is open during daylight hours. There are services every Sunday for visiting Catholics, where the enormous white-washed interior echoes to the haunting sound of Polish hymns.
St. Mary’s Church can be found at ul. Podkramarska 5, just a short walk from the main train station. Upon leaving the train station by the main exit, turn to your right and in the distance you will see St. Mary’s Church. Just follow the church! You will be there in less than 10 minutes.
Photos to follow shortly.
From journal Things to Do and See Around Gdansk, North Poland