St. Mary's Basilica
St. Mary's Basilica, formally the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a celebrated Brick Gothic church standing at the north-eastern corner of Kraków's Main Market Square. Rebuilt in the 14th century on the foundations of an earlier church destroyed during the Mongol invasions, it is one of the best-known landmarks of the Polish city's medieval Old Town.
The basilica is renowned for its monumental wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss between 1477 and 1489, one of the greatest masterpieces of Gothic sculpture in Europe, and for the striking disparity between its two towers. From the taller tower a trumpeter sounds the Hejnal mariacki every hour, a melody that breaks off mid-note in memory of a medieval bugler said to have been shot while warning the city of attack.
Its richly decorated interior, with star-spangled blue vaults, stained glass and polychrome walls, draws large numbers of pilgrims and tourists. A working parish church at the spiritual heart of Kraków, St. Mary's remains an enduring symbol of the city's Catholic faith and artistic heritage.
- Annual visitors
- ≈ 1,000,000
- Location
- 50.0617, 19.9392
- Local time
- 00:35 (Europe/Warsaw)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sat | 11:30–18:00 |
| Sun | 14:00–18:00 |
Tourist visiting hours; prayer entrance free; verified via mariacki.com
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
-
Mary the Virgin (Assumption) Saint
Patroness; church of the Assumption, the Veit Stoss altar depicts her Dormition
-
Adalbert of Prague Saint
Polish patron saint venerated in Krakow's churches
-
Stanislaus of Szczepanow Saint
Principal patron of Poland, venerated in Krakow
-
Hyacinth (Jacek Odrowaz) Saint
Krakow Dominican saint honoured in the city's churches
-
John Cantius (Jan Kanty) Saint
Krakow patron and university saint venerated in the city
Care & donations
St. Mary's Basilica Parish (Archdiocese of Kraków)
Admission charge for tourists; separate ticket for presbytery; free entry for prayer
Official website →The candle wall
2 candles burning now · 170 places
00:35
Tap an empty holder to light your own candle · €2.00 · hover a flame to see its intention