BASILICA NOTRE-DAME

Also known as Saint Mary's Basilica, it is one of the city's symbols. Rebuilt in its present form in 1355 after its destruction by the Tatars, its beautiful exterior conceals a fascinating interior that remains etched in visitors' memories for a long time to come.

Its façade, with its two unequal towers (the one on the left is 81 m high and dominates the one on the right, which is only 69 m high), has given rise to the legend that the architects were two brothers who became rivals on the building site, and that a fratricide cut short the work. The chapel of Saint-Antoine, located at the foot of the tallest tower, is also known as "la chapelle des Malfaiteurs": the place where criminals spent their last night with confessors before execution. The highest tower has always served as the town's watchtower. Its capital is topped by a crown weighing 350 kg, and a golden ball said to contain the history of the city.

The famous Hejnał sounds every hour from the tower's apartments. This trumpet tune, played by a fine team of retired lookouts and musicians who take constant turns on the site, always stops abruptly in the middle of its tune, at the spot where, according to legend, the Tatars who had broken into the city killed the lookout who had tried to warn his compatriots with an arrow. You can visit the trumpeter and see the tower bells by appointment.

The interior of the church is richly decorated with unique woodwork (what a superb ceiling!) embellished in 1753-1754, then in 1889-1891, notably by the painter Jan Matejko. Its centerpiece is the main altar, a gigantic pentaptych with painted and gilded limewood carvings by sculptor Veit Stoss, created between 1477 and 1489. Almost 16 meters high and 11 meters wide, this impressive altarpiece is adorned with some 200 wooden carvings, with sculptures up to 3 meters high and shockingly realistic. The altarpiece was dismantled and hidden in Sandomierz in 1939, but was found by the Nazis, who transported it to Nuremberg Castle, where it suffered extensive destruction. It only returned to its original position in the church choir in 1957. In recent years, with the help of the European Union, a gigantic, in-depth restoration project has been carried out, which has just been completed, restoring the altarpiece to its former glory. Don't miss the impressive video describing the work.