Like all of Wrocław's churches, the Cathedral remains a living, working church. 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 sentinal at the end of ulica Katedralna, its elaborate portal one of the most valuable medieval artefacts in Wrocław. This is 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. 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 this closes during the winter as the tower is not heated.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist comments Add Yours

• Frederic - Paris 21 May 2011
  Quite interesting but for baroque lovers like me the church of the Holy name of Jesus (just near the University) is by far much more beautiful.To sum up in my humble opinion this is the cathedral the neighborhood is interesting you must see this church but this is not the most beautiful church to see in Wroclaw.
• leszek - krakow 21 May 2009
  It is cathedral in Poznan...not in Wroclaw (photo). :]
• Dave - Aspen 19 November 2007
  Unbelievably cool! The weather was hazy when I was there in October of 2007, so the views were not crystal clear but the hike and elevator ride to the top are well worth the $2.00 US admission price. I must have spent an hour on top taking in the views of Wroclaw.