Gdańsk’s main cathedral is officially known as the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but no one locally refers to it as anything other than the ‘Basilica of Our Lady’.

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Gdańsk Cathedral is built in the somewhat unusual style known as ‘brick Gothic’. In terms of overall volume, it ranks second among the world’s largest brick cathedrals, after the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna.

The Gdańsk Astronomical Clock

One of the main attractions is the astronomical clock, which is unusually situated inside the basilica rather than on the outside, as is customary for such clocks.

The Gdańsk Astronomical Clock operates only once a day, at 11.57.

Admission and opening hours

Gdańsk Cathedral is open to the public daily from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm. The viewing platform on the tower is open from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm.

Entry to the cathedral is free; there is a charge to visit the tower: 16 pln.

Tickets can be purchased on site and cannot be booked online.

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Architecture and history

The first brick church was built on this site as early as 1343, but it soon became apparent that a much larger cathedral was needed, and so a major extension was begun in 1379. The basilica was completed in 1496, more or less in its present form.

Between 1536 and 1572, the church served both Lutherans and Catholics; from the late 16th century until 1945, it was exclusively Lutheran; and since 1946, it has been Catholic.

The cathedral itself is enormous and has a three-nave interior. It measures 105 metres in length and 66 metres in width. The main tower rises to a height of 82 metres and is open to the public. The basilica can accommodate up to 25,000 people.

The interior is characterised by its very austerely decorated tall white walls and a magnificent Gothic-Renaissance altar.

 

What to see around

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