Filling the middle of the courtyard with its huge Gothic-brick facade and with a slim octagonal tower at each corner, this impressive building was erected between 1329 and 1388, and was the largest church ever built by the Warmian bishops. So chuffed were they with the result that it became a blueprint for most of the subsequent churches they founded across the region.
Frombork’s cathedral certainly doesn’t save the best until last: there it is, right in front of you as you enter the main door – the highlight of a visit for most – the tomb of Nicolaus Copernicus himself. Buried under the floor, his casket is visible through an illuminated glass panel.
The rest of the chilly, elongated main nave is cluttered with a riot of baroque altars and other 18th-century embellishment. Magnificent in powder blue, gold and silver, the organ, dating from 1683, is a replacement for the one nicked by the Swedes in 1626. The instrument is noted for its rich tone, best appreciated during recitals held daily at 11.30am, 1pm and 3pm Tuesdays to Saturdays in July and August and less frequently in May, June and September.
