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St. Mary's Church

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Shady Ady
Shady Ady
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5 out of 5
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3
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St. Mary's Church - Tower

  • November 22, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by mightywease from Carshalton, United Kingdom
St. Mary's Church - Tower

The tower of the Church of St. Mary stands at a bit over 76 meters and is topped by a crucifix which is illuminated at night.

The walk to the top of the tower is not for the faint hearted, a narrow spiral staircase stretches the calf muscles and when you reach the top and think “Thank goodness that’s over” you realise that you are only half way there and can see sets of stairs attached to the side of the building going upwards and resembling Max Escher’s “Ascending and Descending” never-ending staircase. Now it’s not just the leg muscles that are stretched! Mind over matter may come into play. However, this staircase is not never-ending and once at the top you are rewarded with some fantastic views over the city.

There is surprisingly not a lot of space at the top of the tower and it is enclosed with a wire safety net, however, there are handy apertures cut into that for photo taking – or to look through if you chose to rent a pair of binoculars from the man at the top, I think the rate was about 5 zl for 5 or 10 minutes - though depending on how many visitors are there at the time, you may have to wait your turn with the camera.

Despite the rather cramped area the views are wonderful and give you a real sense of the geography of the city. And on a clear day you can see, well, maybe not forever but for a good distance! I’d recommend it. Even with the aching legs.

From journal Gdansk - Free Spirit City

Editor Pick

St. Mary's Church

  • November 22, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by mightywease from Carshalton, United Kingdom
St. Mary's Church

The Church of St Mary is the largest medieval brick built church in Europe and its spires and square tower are a recognizable site on the Gdansk skyline. Begun in 1343, it took 150 years for the church to be completed. Sadly, it suffered a lot of damage during Word War II, the roof was burnt, windows destroyed and the floor ripped up. Many of the treasures from inside the church were, however, saved by being stored in out-laying villages and some, though not all, of these were returned to the church during its post-war reconstruction.

Surrounded by smaller buildings it isn’t easy, externally, to get a sense of how large the building really is, that is better done by viewing the towers and spires from a distance or climbing up the tower itself. Internally the high ceilings and white washed walls make the space self-evident and quite striking. The plainness of the walls forming a suitable backdrop for the ornamental elements contained within the buildings.

The side chapels contain some beautiful pieces of painting and sculpture, particularly the serene Madonna of Gdansk, by an unknown artist, and an especially effecting pieta. In the main body of the church are an impressive carved altar piece, highly decorated pulpit, a number of wall tablets illustrating such religious themes as Charity and the Ten Commandments, a copy of Hans Memling’s “The Last Judgement”, the original of which is in the National Museum, Gdansk and a highly decorated Astronomical Clock. The latter was constructed by Hans Duringer between the years 1464 and 1470. It stands 14 metres tall and depicts not only the time and date but the day, month, lunar phases and positions of the Sun and Moon. At noon a parade of figures representing Adam, Eve, the Apostles, Three Kings and death appears. It is a wonderful piece of practical art, detailed and, with its figures, carvings and dial of zodiacal creatures, quite fascinating to look at.

We stayed in an apartment very near to the church and I liked the way it became a part of our daily routine, passing by its walls as we walked to and from the flat, hearing its bells as we were getting ready in the morning. It exerted a presence even before we visited it and, after, it continued as a kind of comforting focus to our time in the city.

From journal Gdansk - Free Spirit City

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

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