St Mary's Basilica

St Mary's Basilica holds the north-east corner of the Main Market Square in Krakow, with two unequal brick towers. The taller, about 82 metres, is the city watchtower and the source of the hejnal, the trumpet call sounded every hour. The shorter tower, about 69 metres, holds the church bells. The church was built and rebuilt through the 14th and 15th centuries.

This is the most important church in Krakow and one of the finest Gothic interiors in Poland. Inside are the great carved altarpiece of Veit Stoss, deep-blue starry vaulting and stained glass. Outside, the hejnal plays from the tower on the hour and stops abruptly each time, by tradition recalling a medieval trumpeter said to have been shot mid-call while warning the city of a raid. The midday call is broadcast live across Poland.

The high altar was carved by Veit Stoss between 1477 and 1489 and is the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world, about 13 metres high and 11 metres wide, with the central figures more than two and a half metres tall. Its central scene shows the Dormition of the Virgin. The wings are opened each morning in a short daily ceremony, so time your visit for after that if you want to see it revealed.

The nave rewards slow attention: the star-spangled vault, the wall painting and the coloured glass make it one of the most striking church interiors in Poland. In season you can also climb the taller tower on a guided basis for a close look at the bell chamber, the trumpeter's post and a high view over the square. Places are limited, so ask about times when you arrive.

A church has stood on this corner since the 13th century, and the present brick Gothic basilica took shape over the following two hundred years. The towers were raised to different heights and finished in different styles, which is why they do not match. The Veit Stoss altar, made in the late 15th century, remains the centrepiece and one of the great works of late Gothic sculpture in Europe.

Half an hour is enough to take in the nave and the altarpiece at a steady pace. Add roughly another hour if you climb the tower in season, including the wait for a timed group. Most visitors combine the church with a wider circuit of the square.

Tourist hours work around the Mass schedule, so mornings after the altar is opened and quieter weekday afternoons are the best windows. Try to be on the square on the hour to hear the hejnal. The church is busiest at midday in summer.

The basilica is on the Main Market Square in the middle of the Old Town, which is closed to cars. From Krakow Glowny, the main station, it is about a ten-minute walk south through the Planty gardens. Trams and buses stop around the edge of the Old Town.

The main body of the church is at ground level and reachable across the square's cobbles, which are uneven underfoot. The tower climb is by a narrow spiral staircase only and is not suitable for anyone who cannot manage steep stairs. Check the basilica's official information for current access arrangements.

The basilica stands on the busiest corner of the Old Town, so most central sights are minutes away:

• The Main Market Square itself, with the Cloth Hall down its centre.
• Wawel Castle and cathedral, about ten minutes south.
• Wieliczka Salt Mine, a half-day trip to the south-east.

The towers were built and finished separately over the centuries and were never matched. The taller one, about 82 metres, is the watchtower from which the hejnal is played; the shorter, about 69 metres, holds the bells.

The wings of the Veit Stoss altarpiece are opened each morning in a short daily ceremony and closed later in the day. Time your visit for after the opening if you want to see the central scene revealed.

Yes, in season you can climb the taller tower on a guided basis, with limited places. It is a steep spiral staircase, and it leads to the bell chamber, the trumpeter's post and a high view over the square.