The ancient port city of Gdansk is full of fabulous wonders and unexpected discoveries. One of the few cities in the world that has preserved the heritage of the past for descendants has an attraction that is a sufficient cause to visit this fantastic place.

The second-largest brick church in the world, a true masterpiece of medieval Gothic architecture, and the main city shrine adorns the historical centre of Gdansk. St. Mary’s Church or the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary has carried an honorary status of a basilica since 1965 after the Pope consecrated it. It is a pride of all Polish people.

The difficult history of the temple began in 1343. The construction lasted for about 160 years, and until 1945 the majestic monument remained the largest Lutheran church in the world. Unfortunately, the church was damaged during the battle for Gdansk in the Second World War. The ancient brick vaults partially fell off and were later restored as concrete ones. In 1955, it became a Catholic cathedral.

Nowadays, St. Mary’s Church is 105 metres long and 66 metres wide and can accommodate more than 25 thousand believers. There are regular religious services for Orthodox Catholics, and the flow of curious tourists of different faiths never ends. The impressive exterior of the temple amazes with its scale, and the interior is unprecedentedly austere. Renaissance and Baroque sculptures, including a stone statue of the Virgin Mary of the early 15th century, make the modest decoration brighter. The central place belongs to the 16th-century altar and an ancient astronomical clock. Its hands display date, time, and even phases of the Moon, and at noon, figures of Adam and Eve, the twelve apostles, and Death itself appear on the dial. For many years, the main church relic was the priceless triptych, The Last Judgement, by the famous Flemish artist Hans Memling. Today it has been replaced by a replica. You can see the original in the Gdansk National Museum.