Things to do in Torun, Central Poland: The Best Churches & Cathedrals

Reviewed By retireeVancouver - Vancouver, Canada

Know ahead of time what to look for inside this medieval Gothic church, otherwise you might miss something important because there is so much to look at. When I entered the old church, I was just overwhelmed with all of the baroque altars visible from the nave, but placed in niches on the side walls. They seemed massive against the whitewashed walls - tall and wide - all gold, black with gilded decor, or even blue. They were decorated with a mix of statues, paintings, and sunbursts. Epitaphs and other commemorative plaques for noble families and notable citizens were also placed on these chapel walls. Each had a low fence in front of it. Each chapel also had at least 2 Gothic stained glass windows. Biblical scenes from the Bible were illustrated with strong colors and were just beautiful. These windows were still the originals as the city of Torun had not been damaged in WWII. However, I missed the Copernicus Chapel with its baptismal font and bust of Copernicus because my attention was elsewhere. The front of the church, of course, should be the focus of any visit. In contrast to the white walls of the nave, these walls were red brick. My eye was drawn to the 1300 Gothic wood cross with a crucified Christ hanging over the 15th century triptych of St. Wolfgang with a beautiful stained glass window behind all. On either side of the window were very large paintings of the church's two patrons - St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. However, the painting that got the most attention was the one hanging on a side wall beside the altar - the Crucifixion and Last Judgement. This medieval painting was large and it needed to be to illustrate the essential elements of Christianity. On the top was Peter with the keys to heaven who ushered good people in while St. Gabriel with his sword directed sinners to hell. On the bottom were painted the various punishments people suffered in hell. In the midst of the painting, was the crucified Christ with Mary and others at his feet. The pulpit was really ornate and was placed at the front of the hall church. The white ceiling was vaulted with a repetitive subtle red and green design which also decorated the pointed arches. The north entrance to this church faces the square. The churchis about 1 block from the Town Hall at the intersection of Zeglarska and Kopernicka streets. This red brick church is easily recognized by its single wide tower that has a one armed clock on the south side of the tower. Beside the clock there was evidence of cannon ball damage (missing bricks) from the 18th century Swedish siege. There was no admission for the church, but there is a charge to climb the bell tower for city views and the chance to touch the bell's clapper which supposedly brings good luck. That bell - Tuba Dei- is one of the largest medieval bells in Poland. We took 15 minutes for our pictures, but a visit could be much longer if a closer examination of all of the altars is done. This medieval church is the main church of the old town and should not be missed.