The Oliwa Cathedral

The Cathedral Basilica is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Blessed St Mary and St Bernard, and measures 107m, making it the longest church in Poland, and also the longest Cistercian church in the world! Its origins date back to the thirteenth century, but the Gothic building which we admire today dates from the fourteenth century. It was rebuilt after a great fire in 1350, and has since survived without any major changes, at least on the outside. You can still admire its two slender towers, each with a height of 46m, with sharply tipped domes. The latter which is a baroque portal dating from 1688, towers over the intersection of the nave tower bells, a typical element of Cistercian architecture. The Gothic features were not so lucky, as they were burned down in 1577. It is presently finished in a Baroque style, but there are hidden works of Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Classicism religious art, including 23 altars, the rococo chapels of St. John of Nepomuk and the Holy Cross, the pulpit, tombstones, epitaphs, as well as the tomb of the dukes of Pomorze. The pride of the church are undoubtedly the famous rococo organs from the years 1763-1788. They were made by the masters Jan Wulf and Frederyk Rudolf Dalitz. Originally, the instrument had 83 notes, 5,100 pipes, as well as 3 manual and 14 wedge bellows and was recognized as the biggest organ in Europe. Since that time it has been rebuilt several times. For years there have been organ concerts held here, and the buildings of the former monastery are now occupied by the Gdańsk Theological Seminary, and there is also room for the Diocesan Museum collection.