The Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene . is a Gothic church located not far from the central market square of the city . It was built in the 13th century, although the first church in its present place appeared already at the end of the 11th century . During the invasion of the Mongols, the church was destroyed and the next one was destroyed by a fire in the middle of the 14th century . Then in its place a new large church was built in the severe Gothic style, placing on the towers more than impressive bells . The towers were were completed in 1488 ., and several lateral chapels were added in the 15th and 16th centuries . In 1525 g . it became Protestant and remained so until the end of World War II, after which it was made by the non-Catholic Catholic cathedral .

In 1887, during the celebrations in honor of Emperor Wilhelm I, one of the crackers set fire to the tower of the church, but before the end of the century the tower was rebuilt. But in 1945 the cathedral did not get off so easily: the walls remained practically intact, but the roof and towers were damaged very seriously. Restoration work was completed only in 1972

One of the most precious and noteworthy parts of the cathedral is the Romanesque portal, which dates back to the 12th century . This portal was moved here in 1546 g . from the church of St. . Mary and Vincent of the Benedictine Monastery in Albina after its closure . The monastery was closed, as the city authorities suspected that the Turkish army could use it as a stronghold for attacking the city . When moving the portal to the last centuries, a significant part of its jewelry was lost - for example, two stone lions . Nevertheless, up to now, you can see a variety of relief motifs: roses, griffins, scenes from the childhood of Jesus Christ .

Once an amazing interior of the church was partially destroyed in 1945, and partially moved to the National Museum in Warsaw. In 1945, the legendary bell of sinners, which at a height of 2 m was the largest in Silesia, was also destroyed. Anyway, the Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene is still an impressive Gothic church, and it's worth a look inside.

The narrow bridge, which connects the two Gothic towers of the cathedral, is called the "bridge Charovnik", that is, the "Witch Bridge". According to legend, on the bridge you can see the shadows of girls' souls who seduced men without intending to marry them, because they did not want to do homework.

Practical information

Address: Olowska, 19.

The church is located just behind the eastern border of Rynek (market square).

Entrance: the cost of climbing the towers of the cathedral - 5 PLN (September 2014).