If you walk around the streets of Poland, any city or village, there is a high chance of spotting a church. It shouldn’t take you more than 20 or 30 minutes. The reason for this is that Poland is highly religious country. 85% of Poles are Catholics. It used to be more in the past, but year after year, fewer people pray. It is due to the younger generation. They do not attend church activities so much. The latest statistics say, there are 32,4 million Catholics in Poland. It is worth mentioning this number refers to baptized people. The survey was conducted by GUS (Main Statistical Office in Poland) in 2021.
- Make sure you also read this article from which you can learn and understand why there are so many churches in our country: Catholicism in Poland: How its History Shaped Country’s Identity
Are There Many Churches in Poland?
There are about 10,114 churches in Poland. About 25,000 priests serve in these churches. Every week, they hold masses in them. We are talking here about the Church of the Roman Catholic faith. Data on the Catholic Church is based on figures provided by SAC. It is the Institute of Statistics of the Catholic Church SAC (Societas Apostolatus Catholici).
Orthodox Christians are a large religious group in Poland. The Polish Autocephalous Orthodox religion has 236 churches, 444 priests, and 504,400 members. The Protestants have about 100,000 believers. The Evangelical Augsburg religion in Poland has 134 churches, 201 priests, and 61,654 believers.
Let’s have a look at how the Roman Catholic church is organized in Poland. As I mentioned earlier, there are 10204 churches, 30820 priests, and 20610 nuns. These numbers may look huge, the truth is that there is a church in every city or village. If you take a look at the bigger cities, you will spot two of them in every district. The most shocking thing is that new churches are being built.
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Map of These Churches
There is a map created by the community of colaska.pl website. It clearly shows the scale of the churches development in my country. Let’s have a look:
This is how many churches there are in the capital city (Warsaw)
The 5 most Interesting Churches in Poland
There are some churches in Poland that should be seen regardless of whether someone is religious or not. The size and the architecture are stunning. I encourage you to visit any of the places mentioned below if you are nearby.
Biggest Church in Poland – Basilica in Licheń
This building is not so old. It was created in the XX and XXI centuries. If you are there, you definitely need to climb the 140-meter high tower. On top of the tower, there are two viewing decks. From each of them you may enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding nature. The church itself is not only the biggest in Poland.
There are also the biggest church pipe organs in the whole country. Three chapels were built in the underground section. The whole basilica’s interior is able to accommodate as many as 17,000 people. The outdoor grounds can hold several times that number up to 250,000.
- More Pictures and Google Maps Location: Click Here
St. Mary’s Basilica in Gdansk – The Crown of Gdansk
The church is famous for its brick construction. It represents the largest brick church in the world. The Basilica was under construction for as many as two centuries and was finally completed in 1502. It is 105 meters in length and represents the Brick Gothic style. It is typical for this region.
The tower, which is a part of the church, was built in 1466. It keeps many secrets. On top of the tower, there is a bell that is usually used during the mess. It also bells whenever there is a need for a fire alarm. When you are in the tower, you definitely need to take a closer look at the 150 small crosses. They are in-built into the brick wall which makes them spectacular.
- More Pictures and Google Maps Location: Click Here
The Wawel Cathedral in Krakow – Poland’s One of The Most Famous Churches
This church is located in Kraków (Cracow). If you are visiting Poland, you should not have any problem seeing this church. Kraków should definitely be the target of your trip. The city was a home for kings for centuries, and many of them were buried in the underground section of the church. The church was already under construction in the 11th century.
Its current shape was created 3 centuries later. One of the most interesting facts about this building is that it holds 20 chapels inside. It should be mentioned that there are 5 towers with bells, and one of them, the largest and most well known is called – Zygmunt.
- Pictures and Google Maps Location: Click Here
The Basilica of Jasna Góra in Częstochowa
If we are speaking about most recognizable churches in Poland, the Jasna Gora should definitely take one of the first places. The church is located in one of the most Catholic cities in the country – Częstochowa. The city that gathers millions of believers every year. It is also the destination of several foot pilgrimages.
Some of them begin hundreds of kilometers away and last a few weeks. If you take a look at the church from the outside, it is nothing special. However, the place itself is very spiritual. If you are not religious, I do not recommend visiting this place. There are many more interesting churches out there to be visited and admired from a construction point of view.
- Pictures and Google Maps Location: Click Here
St. Mary’s Church in Cracow
This church is located in the city’s main square. It is not possible to miss it if you are there. It is the most well known church and monument in Poland. Like many churches in this country, it was built in the Gothic style in the 14th and 15th centuries. An interesting fact is that every single hour there is a bugle call played from one of the church towers.
Usually, underneath gathers a crowd to listen to how it is played on the trumpet. If you happen to get inside of the church, please take a look at the main altar. Wit Stworz made it in the 15th century. A very famous piece of art in Poland.
- Pictures and Google Maps Location: Click Here
St. Kinga’s Chapel in the Wieliczka Salt Mine
This is the one you should definitely see if you are visiting Krakow. It is not close by, but definitely worth the trouble of getting there. It should be very interesting for those who like underground exploration. This chapel is a part of the tourist route at Wieliczka Salt Mine.
Make sure you read more about this amazing underground church in this article: World’s Largest Salt Mine Church -A Must-See Wonder in Poland
The underground chapel is located hundreds of meters below the ground surface and is a home for saints’ relics. It is also where the masses and concerts are organized. You will definitely enjoy the great acoustics of this place.
- Pictures and Google Maps Location: Click Here
Bibliography
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Poland
- https://www.oikoumene.org/member-churches/polish-catholic-church-in-poland
- http://conciliumcivitas.pl/poland-as-an-anomaly-in-church-state-relations/
