Opole Cathedral (Cathedral of the Holy Cross)

Opole Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, is the main church of the Opole region and the tallest building in the city: its two neo-Gothic spires rise to about 73 meters. The red-brick Gothic hall church stands a short walk from the Market Square and holds the tomb of the last Piast duke of Opole and a revered image of the Virgin Mary. After three years of restoration it reopened in December 2025.

A thousand years in one church

Tradition links the first church on this site to Bolesław the Brave, Poland's first king, in the early 11th century, and says relics of the Holy Cross arrived in 1024 – which is why half a cross appears in Opole's coat of arms. Firm records start in the 13th century, when a chapter of canons served here; a brick church funded by Duke Bolko I was consecrated on November 16, 1295.

Fire destroyed it in 1415, and rebuilding dragged on until 1520 under Duke John II the Good. The present three-aisled Gothic hall dates from that time. Later fires and the Thirty Years' War took their toll, and the interior was refurnished in Baroque style. The twin-towered west front was added in 1899–1900, when Opole (then Oppeln) belonged to Prussia. After 1945, when the region became part of Poland, the church served as the seat of the new Polish church administration for Opole Silesia, and it became a cathedral in 1972, when the Diocese of Opole was created. The future Pope John Paul II attended its rededication during Poland's millennium celebrations in 1966.

What to see inside

• The Piast Chapel – the marble tomb of John II the Good, who died in 1532 as the last duke of the Opole line of the Piast dynasty, Poland's founding royal house. A late Gothic triptych from 1519 stands opposite.
• Our Lady of Opole – a late 15th-century painting on linden wood that came from Piekary Śląskie. It has been in Opole since 1702 and in this church since 1813; Pope John Paul II crowned it in 1983.
• The high altar (1773) and the Baroque Holy Trinity altar (1652), the oldest in the church.
• A 14th-century Gothic baptismal font, rediscovered by chance in the 20th century.
• Bronze doors by Adolf Panitz (1997) showing scenes from the city's history.

Restoration

The cathedral was closed from August 2022 for new flooring and archaeological excavations, which uncovered remains of earlier churches. According to the regional daily Nowa Trybuna Opolska, worshippers returned on December 20, 2025.

Visiting: hours, tickets, tips

Entry is free. The parish does not publish separate visiting hours; the church is generally open during the day, but avoid Mass times and dress respectfully. Allow 20–40 minutes.

Getting there and nearby

The cathedral is about 250 meters northwest of the Market Square, a 15–20 minute walk from Opole Główne railway station. Opole itself is about an hour from Wrocław by car (A4 motorway) or train. Combine it with the Town Hall, the Franciscan church with its Piast mausoleum, the Młynówka canal promenade and University Hill.