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A visit to Frombork 

Especially for you, a fragment of a great concert from the Frombork Cathedral :) This is just the beginning :))

Panorama of the town - you can see a brick church and a fragment of the Vistula Lagoon
Panorama of Frombork seen from the Radziejowski Tower. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

The idea of visiting such a small town was born in my mother's head. Frombork is located about 140 kilometers from Olsztyn and because of the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus buried there, I said why not .... Let's go. 

in the cathedral a special plaque commemorating Copernicus and his remains
Such a plaque commemorating the Polish astronomer is in the cathedral in Frombork. There is glass in the floor, under which, the remains of Copernicus were placed. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

I carefully prepared the itinerary of our trip (without unnecessary breaks) and honestly I thought that we would see everything in a much shorter time. After all, Frombork is famous mostly for its Cathedral Hill, so how long you can visit the Cathedral? 2-3 hours will definitely be enough. But like almost always, when it comes to trips, I was wrong.  It turned out that we spent the whole sunny and wonderful day in Frombork and returned home late in the evening.

a model of the cathedral hill with all buildings
This is a model of the Cathedral Hill in Frombork, which we saw in the attic of the cathedral. Looking at it, it seems that there is not much to see in Frombork - but it's not true :) Photo by A. Rybczyńska

The main attractions include: New Bishop's Palace, the unique Hospital of Holy Spirit (why unique?…. Look at the photos below - I explained everything there) and the Cathedral, where we listened to an incredible organ concert, discovered the secrets of the treasury and the attic. Than we climbed the Radziejowski Tower, where we were hypnotized for a few minutes by the moving Foucault Pendulum. We also ate a delicious homemade dinner, went to the port, to the pier and ……. for a beer :) 

How far is it from Warsaw to Frombork?

The distance from Warsaw to Frombork is 315 km.

How far is it from Olsztyn to Frombork?

The distance from Olsztyn to Frombork is 140 km.

See the report from this trip :)

Heading from a car park to the Cathedral Hill in Frombork, we came across an obelisk in honor of the heroes and fighters of the fight for freedom and independence of Poland, founded by the inhabitants of the Frombork land. Behind the memorial stone there are crosses with the names of soldiers murdered in Katyn in 1940.

crosses made of birch wood commemorating Polish soldiers murdered in Katyn
Crosses commemorating Polish soldiers murdered in Katyn. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
brick walls around a hill
These are the walls surrounding the Cathedral Hill in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

Our first stop was at the New Bishop's Palace and the Coach House. A gallery, meeting room and workshops were arranged in the coach house. The main role of this place is to be a place of creative work for artists, adepts of art and various crafts.

a quite big building made of red bricks, there are trees behind it
The Coach House in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

The new Bishop's Palace was built in 1844-1845, during the reign of Bishop Józef Ambroży Geritz. It was built of brick in the neo-gothic style. On the ground floor there is, among others, a bishop's chapel. On the first floor are the main representative rooms decorated with wood panelling, decorative tiled stoves and stained glass windows. Since 1945, the New Bishop's Palace has been the cathedral's presbytery. Currently, we can visit some of the palace rooms: the Blue Salon, the Fireplace Salon, the Library, the Cabinet and the Pope Grzegorz's Salon. They were prepared to present the history of the palace and its inhabitants to visitors.

a woman standing in front of a brick building called the new bishops palace
The New Bishop's Palace in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyński
chapel with stained glass windows and altar
A small but impressive bishop's chapel in the New Bishop's Palace in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

I think that the biggest attraction of the palace are the tiled stoves presenting the neo-gothic and classicist styles. Their finials include mythological and ancient scenes, motifs of acanthus leaves, grotesque and arabesque motifs. The tiled stoves were made of white, glazed tiles. Their height ranges from 2.80 to 3.50 meters. The tiled stoves were founded in the years 1844-1845. Their constructor was the Berlin company of Tobias Christoph Feinler. In the years 2019-2020, the tiled stoves underwent conservation work and supplemented of defencities. They are now fully functional.

a woman standing in a big room, there are two white tiled stoves and a painting on the wall
Two tiled stoves with a court scene in the representative hall. The New Bishop's Palace in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyński
a wooden door and a tiled stove
The tiled stove with caryatids in the former sideboard salon in the New Bishop's Palace in Frombork. The author of the project was C.F. Schinkel. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
a woman and a boy standing next to a tiled stove
The stove-fireplace with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic motifs. The New Bishop's Palace in Frombork. The author of the project was Justus Heinrich Molthan. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
stained glass windows and an ornate wooden table with chairs
Wonderful interior in the New Bishop's Palace in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
two cupboards with books, there are also books on the wooden table
A salon with many books in the New Bishop's Palace in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

The complex of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit and the chapel of St. Anna is the only historic hospital building in Poland that has remained unchanged since the first half of the 18th century. The complex consists of a Gothic chapel and a Gothic-Baroque hospital and is situated in the eastern part of the city, surrounded by a herb garden. The building housed rooms for the sick and the dining room, kitchen and pharmacy. Inside, there is also a very valuable set of polychromes, mainly Gothic.

a brick building surrounded by the garden with herbs
The main entrance to the Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

Currently, it is a place of exhibition of medical monuments and temporary exhibitions related to the subject of death, diseases or corporeality.

the figure of a medic in an old medic mask and a white apron
The so-called "plague doctor" outfit always gives me the shivers. The Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
a pulpit and a sculpture of an angel
The historic pulpit and sculptures in the complex of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit and the chapel of St. Anna. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

At the temporary exhibition of the "Corpus Christi" we can see, among others, Ecce Homo (the 17th-century painting from the church in Stary Targ), Pensive Christ (the 15th-century sculpture from the church in Mątowy Wielkie), the 16th-century crucifix from the church in Garbno, the 18th-century paintings of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. John from the collegiate church in Dobre Miasto, the 15th-century sculpture of the Virgin Mary with the Child, the Pieta from the Museum of the Warmia Archdiocese in Olsztyn (15th century). The “Corpus Christi” exhibition will run until February 2024.

the mother of God with the child, wooden sculpture from the 15th century
The 15th-century sculpture of the Virgin Mary with the Child. The Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
amphorae with herbs standing on the shelf
Old apothecary utensils. The Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
an exhibition of amphorae with herbs
Old apothecary utensils. The Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
a wooden desk with many drawers where a doctor used to work
Doctor's desk. The Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
an exhibition with jars in which human organs were placed
I've never seen jars with human organs anywhere else. The Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
old corset on display
A former corset. The Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
two models showing human organs
Another terrifying exhibition. The Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
a brick building surrounded by the garden with herbs
A herb garden surrounds the Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

Finally, we are heading to the Cathedral Hill :)

entrance on a wooden footbridge through a brick gate to the cathedral hill
The Cathedral Hill in Frombork and the entrance itself made a great impression on us. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

Before we went the Cathedral Hill, we saw the great Radziejowski Tower.

a view on a tower where is an observation desk with many people
Can you see people on the observation deck on the Radziejowski Tower in Frombork? We also went there :) Photo by A. Rybczyńska
the main entrance to the cathedral
The magnificent Cathedral in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyński 

The cathedral is a Gothic church built between 1329 and 1388. Since 1994, the cathedral has been included in the list of monuments. The main altar dates back to the 18th century and is made of, among others, pink and black marble. Most of the decor comes from the period after the first Swedish invasion. Of the few surviving original furnishings, the most valuable is the former main altar - a late Gothic polyptych from 1504 (partly reconstructed) with a representation of the Virgin and Child in the central field. The church also has side altars (more than 20), two pulpits, a marble baptismal font and a valuable 17th-century organ prospectus. Also noteworthy is the rich ensemble of over a hundred tombstones and epitaph plates of the bishops and canons of Warmia.

the main altar in the cathedral
The main altar in the cathedral in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
a historic pulpit
A wonderful pulpit in the Cathedral in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

Richly decorated and carved stalls. 

wooden benches for priests in the cathedral
These stalls made a huge impression on me. The Cathedral in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
view of the interior of the cathedral, seeing the historic sculptures, the altar, benches
The interior of the Cathedral in Frombork. On the right you can see the counter where the organist gave a beautiful concert. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
three sculptures of saints in the attic of the cathedral
Even in the attic of the cathedral in Frombork, we could admire sacred art. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
the boy looks at the artificial figure of a builder
There was also an exhibition of people who participated in the construction of the church. Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

I really like this shot :)

a view on the tower
On the Cathedral Hill in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska 

Inside the Radziejowski Tower we can admire Foucault's Pendulum. 

top view of the stairs in the tower and the Foucault pendulum at the bottom
In the Radziejowski Tower in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
a view from the top of the tower on cathedral hill
A spectacular view from the observation deck on the Radziejowski Tower in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

Frombork's history is strongly associated with Nicolaus Copernicus. Although the famous astronomer was born in Toruń, he spent almost 40 years in Frombork. A doctor and lawyer, he worked there as a canon of the Warmia Chapter. It was there that he wrote his most famous work “De revolutionibus orbium coelestium” and where he died in 1543. No wonder, then, that traces of Copernicus are almost everywhere: in the Cathedral, in the market square, at the foot of the Cathedral Hill and even by the town beach in the form of a mural :) 

Copernicus monument at the foot of the cathedral hill
A powerful statue of Copernicus in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska
a church made of red brick
The historic, neo-Gothic St. Adalbert's Church in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

a white building with red roof and a mural of Copernicus

a woman standing by the mural of Copernicus
Fantastic Copernicus mural by the town beach in Frombork. Photo by A. Rybczyński
a long pier
A very long pier in Frombork. There is a town beach next to it. Photo by A. Rybczyński
a woman sitting next to the Copernicus monument
On the market square in Frombork, near the fountain, Copernicus sat down, and I sat down next to him :) Photo by A. Rybczyński

How to get to Frombork?

Polish map outline and website address
If you have any questions,
please write to me
Agnieszka Rybczyńska

aga@gotopoland.net

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