Oliwa Cathedral

An important and unusual example of ecclesiastical architecture, the Cathedral's first surprise is its façade, a striking composition of two slim octagonal Gothic towers with a central Baroque portion squeezed between them. You enter the church by going downstairs, for its floor is more than a metre below the external ground level. The interior looks extraordinarily long, mainly because of the unusual proportions of the building - the nave and chancel together are 90m long but only 8.3m wide.

At the far end of this 'tunnel' is a Baroque high altar (1688), while the previous oak-carved Renaissance altar (from 1606) is now in the left-hand transept. Opposite, in the right transept, is the marble tombstone of the Pomeranian dukes (1613). The showpiece of the church is the organ. The instrument, begun in 1763 and completed 30 years later, is noted for its fine tone and the mechanised angels that blow trumpets and ring bells when the organ is played.

The original church from around 1200 was burnt out by the pagan Baltic Prussians, then by the Teutonic Knights. A new Gothic church, built in the mid-14th century, was surrounded by defensive walls, but that didn't save it from further misfortunes. When in 1577 the abbots supported King Stefan Batory in his attempts to reduce the city's independence, the citizens of Gdańsk burned the church down in revenge. The monks rebuilt their holy home once more, but then the Swedish wars began and the church fell prey to repeated looting, losing its organ and pulpit among other things. The monks' troubles came to an end in 1831, when the Prussian government decided to expel them from the city. The church was given to the local parish and, in 1925, raised to the rank of Cathedral and it came through the war almost unscathed.

In July and August, recitals take place on Tuesday and Friday evenings, but 20-minute performances are held daily every hour or two between 10:00 and 15:00 or 16:00 (in the afternoon only on Sunday). Check the schedule with the tourist offices before setting off.