Churches and monasteries
a Gothic cathedral on Ostrów Tumski with the largest organ in Poland and a viewing gallery on the tower
Churches and monasteries
a Gothic church with a 91-metre tower, once the tallest in Silesia, today a garrison church
Churches and monasteries
a Gothic cathedral by the Market Square with the Penitents' Bridge between its towers and the former Sinner's Bell
Churches and monasteries
a classicist synagogue from 1829, which survived Kristallnacht despite its devastated interior
Churches and monasteries
a Gothic church on Ostrów Tumski, founded by Duke Henry Probus as a votive offering after a dispute with the bishop
Churches and monasteries
a modern, two-level parish church in Tarnogaj, whose parish also covers the Gaj and Huby districts
Churches and monasteries
a baroque Jesuit church from the 17th century, today a university church on Plac Uniwersytecki
Churches and monasteries
a Gothic parish church on Piasek Island, built from 1334 to a design by master builder Pieszko
Churches and monasteries
a Roman Catholic parish church in the Gaj estate, built in the 1980s and 1990s
Churches and monasteries
a two-level Jesuit church built between 1979 and 1990, whose cornerstone was blessed by John Paul II
Churches and monasteries
late Gothic hall church from an Augustinian monastery, now a parish on Świdnicka Street
Churches and monasteries
an 18th-century figure of the saint in front of St Matthias' Church, previously standing in a now-vanished cemetery
Churches and monasteries
a 15th-century Gothic church, today the main Orthodox cathedral of the diocese, with frescoes by Jerzy Nowosielski
Churches and monasteries
a Gothic church founded by Henry the Pious, buried here after the Battle of Legnica, today a Greek Catholic cathedral
Churches and monasteries
a Baroque former Church of St Anne from 1686-1690, today an Orthodox church on Ostrów Tumski
Churches and monasteries
a Gothic pillar shrine from 1491 commemorating a beheaded senior councillor of Wrocław
Churches and monasteries
a modern parish church in the Złotniki housing estate, built between 2003 and 2005
Churches and monasteries
a small parish church in the Stabłowice estate on Boguszowska street
Churches and monasteries
a small Neo-Romanesque church from 1905 in Popowice, rebuilt after wartime destruction
Churches and monasteries
a two-level church from the 1980s on the site of a pre-war Evangelical chapel
Churches and monasteries
a church in Tarnogaj built around a post-war barrack, once a POW camp hut, then a Soviet stable
Churches and monasteries
a Gothic Dominican church with the Chapel of Blessed Czesław and the miraculous image of Our Lady of Podkamień
Churches and monasteries
the oldest neo-Gothic church in Wrocław, today a Pentecostal place of worship
Churches and monasteries
an active synagogue next to the White Stork Synagogue, with an Art Nouveau ceiling restored in 2015
Churches and monasteries in Wrocław: Gothic cathedrals, Baroque halls, synagogues and Orthodox sites. Here is where to start and how to link them.
Begin on Ostrów Tumski, the old cathedral island, where the most sacred buildings stand within a short walk. The Cathedral of St John the Baptist is the Gothic seat of the Wrocław bishops, the fourth church on this site, with the largest organ in Poland and a viewing gallery in the tower. Next to it lies Cathedral Square with the archdiocesan museum and the Christ the King column from 2000.
A few steps away stands the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and St Bartholomew, a Gothic church founded in 1288 by Duke Henry Probus. It faces Kościelny Square, a quiet square with the statue of St John of Nepomuk. The Baroque Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius, built in 1686-1690, used to be the church of St Anne and is now Orthodox.
Two Gothic buildings sit within walking distance of the main square. The Basilica of St Elizabeth of Hungary has a 91-metre tower and serves as the garrison church. St Mary Magdalene cathedral, from the 14th century, belongs to the Polish Catholic Church. Inside stands the Dompnig Shrine from 1491, which commemorates a beheaded city council elder.
Deeper in the Old Town you will find more. St Adalbert church on Dominican Square is one of the largest Gothic churches in the city and is run by Dominicans. The Baroque Church of the Holy Name of Jesus belongs to the university and was built by Jesuits in 1689-1698. The late Gothic brick church of St Stanislaus, St Dorothy and St Wenceslaus was originally an Augustinian monastery.
On Piasek Island there is the Gothic Church of Our Lady on the Sand, from the 14th century, raised where a Romanesque church once stood. The former Bernardine complex is no longer a church and houses the Museum of Architecture, so the post-Bernardine complex is visited as a museum.
Yes, close to one another. Two active synagogues stand on Pawła Włodkowica Street. The White Stork Synagogue is a neoclassical building from 1829 that the Jewish community took back after post-war devastation. The Small Synagogue was renovated in 2015 and holds services every Shabbat and holiday. The New Synagogue, burned in 1938, is now a memorial at the corner of Podwale and Łąkowa streets.
Eastern churches make a separate route. St Vincent and St James cathedral on Nankiera Square is a 13th-century Gothic former Franciscan church, now Greek Catholic, with a Baroque Hochberg chapel. The Orthodox cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God on St Nicholas Street has frescoes by Jerzy Nowosielski and two iconostases. A Pentecostal congregation meets in the neo-Gothic church on Mila Street, the oldest neo-Gothic church in Wrocław.
Outside the centre you see architecture from recent decades. The Church of the Holy Spirit in Tarnogaj is modern and has two levels. Nearby is St Stephen church, built in 1980 on the site of a post-war barrack. In Krzyki stands the Jesuit St Ignatius Loyola church, built in 1979-1990 to a design by Zenon Nasterski. St Francis of Assisi church in Gaj was raised in 1983-1994.
In Huby you will find the two-level church of St Stanislaus Kostka, built in 1984-2006 where the Methodist Christuskirche chapel once stood. Newer still is the church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Złotniki, from 2003-2005. The neo-Romanesque church of St George in Popowice dates from 1905 and was rebuilt after wartime damage. In Stabłowice you can find St Andrew the Apostle church. These churches have no medieval history, but they show how Wrocław parishes grew together with the housing estates, and they suit a quiet walk away from the tourist trail.
If you read buildings as monuments, follow the page on architecture in Wrocław. When it rains, see things to do in the rain. A quiet route on your own sits under solo, and low-cost ideas are gathered in free attractions.
After the churches, step into museums, and the city story continues in cemeteries and monuments. A wider choice from the whole region is on the page about churches and monasteries in Lower Silesia. For the full overview of the city start at attractions in Wrocław.
The Cathedral of St John the Baptist, the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and St Bartholomew and the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Cathedral Square and Kościelny Square lie next to them.
The cathedral has a viewing gallery in its tower. The Basilica of St Elizabeth has a 91-metre tower, and the Witches Bridge links the towers of St Mary Magdalene. Check the entry rules on site.
The White Stork Synagogue and the Small Synagogue are active. The New Synagogue burned in 1938 and only a memorial remains.
These are places of worship: dress modestly, keep your voice down and do not enter during a service.
