Attraction in Olsztyn

Co-Cathedral Basilica of St James in Olsztyn

A red-brick Gothic hall church at the centre of Olsztyn's Old Town, raised for a Latin greeting.

Reviewed and updated July 2026

Co-Cathedral Basilica of St James in Olsztyn — Photo: Marek Lewiński / CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons

The Gothic architecture of St James Co-Cathedral

The Co-Cathedral Basilica of St James was built across the 14th and 15th centuries, with its vaulting and tower completed in the 16th. It is a red-brick hall church with a nave and two side aisles set on a stone foundation, marked by tall stained-glass windows and ornamental gables with pinnacles.

How St James became a basilica in Olsztyn

The church rose to co-cathedral status in 1973 and was granted the rank of minor basilica in 2004, reflecting its role as one of the leading churches of the Warmia region.

Visiting St James Co-Cathedral in the Old Town

The basilica sits within Olsztyn's historic centre, a short walk from the market square and the castle. As a working church, times for quiet visits depend on the service schedule, so check locally before planning a look inside.

Frequently asked questions

The main body dates from the 14th and 15th centuries, with the vaulting and tower added in the 16th century.

Both titles apply. It became a co-cathedral in 1973 and a minor basilica in 2004.

It is an active parish church, so access follows the service schedule. Check locally for quiet visiting times.

More attractions in Olsztyn

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High Gate (Wysoka Brama)

The last of Olsztyn's three medieval gates and the most striking surviving piece of the old city walls.

Olsztyn Old Town

A compact market square of gabled burgher houses, ringed by fragments of the medieval walls.

Copernicus Bench

A bronze bench monument in Olsztyn showing Nicolaus Copernicus seated with an astrolabe and a scroll, unveiled in 2003 near the castle where he once lived.

Castle Park (Podzamcze Park)

A landscaped riverside park below Olsztyn's Warmian Chapter Castle, set on the site of former water mills and revitalised in the late 2010s, near the neighbouring Central Park.

Museum of Modernity (Muzeum Nowoczesności)

A museum in a restored 1884 timber mill by the Łyna river, tracing how Olsztyn and the Warmia-Mazury region industrialised across the 19th and 20th centuries.

House of the Gazeta Olsztyńska

A branch of the Museum of Warmia and Mazury on the edge of the Old Town Fish Market, telling the story of Warmia's only Polish-language newspaper and the history of printing in Olsztyn.