St Nicholas' Church

The main attraction of the northern part of Main Town is St Nicholas' Church, one of the oldest in town. It was built by the Dominican order on its arrival from Kraków in 1227, but only reached its final shape at the end of the 15th century. Amazingly, it was the only central church to escape damage in WWII - according to one story the attacking Russian soldiers deliberately avoided shelling it, due to Orthodox believers' high regard for St Nicholas.

Unlike most of the other Gothic churches in the city, the interior of St Nick's is very richly decorated. The magnificent late-Renaissance high altar of 1647 first catches the eye, followed by the imposing Baroque organ made a century later. Don't miss the bronze rosary chandelier (1617), which features the Virgin and Child carved in wood, hanging in the nave in front of the entrance to the chancel.