As you walk along ul. Katedralna, which leads to the Cathedral, you are on the same path that the original inhabitants of the island walked. Indeed, if you poke around the stones near the cathedral, you should be able to see the outlines of some of the buildings that used to stand on the island.

The cathedral remains a living, working church and as a visitor you will undoubtedly encounter queues of people waiting patiently for the confessionals and others in quiet worship. The elegant double-spired Gothic building stands like a sentinel at the end of ul. Katedralna, its elaborate portal one of the most valuable medieval artefacts in Wrocław. What we see today is in fact the fourth church to be built on this site. When construction began in 1244, this was the first brick building in Poland. Cathedral-building being what it is, work continued for five more centuries. The centrepiece of the rich, Gothic interior is the altarpiece, painted in Lublin in 1522, showing the Virgin Mary falling asleep. The Cathedral suffered massive damage in WWII, with traces of bullet holes still visible, and has been meticulously rebuilt since. Of interest, to some at least, the cathedral houses the largest organ in Poland, which prior to the war was also the largest in the world. But the real highlight of the Cathedral is the panoramic view from its tower, which can be yours for 5zł (kids under 14 free). An elevator takes you to the top of the Cathedral’s tower, which offers a wonderful view of the city and surrounding countryside. There’s also a small exhibition at the top of the tower featuring various objects brought back from missions although be warned the tower closes during the winter as it is not heated.