Zamość Cathedral (Cathedral of the Resurrection and St. Thomas)

Zamość Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of the Resurrection and St. Thomas the Apostle, is a Renaissance church founded by Jan Zamoyski and designed by Bernardo Morando, the Italian architect behind the whole town of Zamość (say "ZAH-moshch"). The founder lies in the family chapel, generations of the Zamoyski lords rest in the crypts, and in summer the bell tower next door offers one of the best views over the UNESCO-listed Old Town.

History

The church was built in 1587–1598 as a collegiate church; its interior was finished in the early 17th century, after Morando's death, and it was consecrated in 1637. In 1824–1826, when Zamość was a fortress in the Russian-ruled Kingdom of Poland, the building was lowered and given plainer Neoclassical facades, and the Zamoyski coats of arms and inscriptions were removed. It became a cathedral in 1992, when the Diocese of Zamość-Lubaczów was created, and Pope John Paul II visited in 1999. A major restoration of the cathedral and bell tower, largely EU-funded, followed from 2010.

What to see

• The Zamoyski Chapel, with the black marble tomb slab of Jan Zamoyski.
• The high altar from the mid-18th century and a Rococo silver tabernacle.
• The organ with 25 stops, built in 1896 by Jan Śliwiński of Lviv.
• The crypts, where the lords of the Zamoyski Entail, most of their wives, professors of the Zamość Academy and church dignitaries are buried.
• The bell tower: 122 steps lead to a viewing terrace 22.45 m up, passing the bell "Jan," cast in 1662 and weighing about 5.5 tonnes, one of the largest in Poland.

Good to know

The church looks surprisingly plain from outside because of the 19th-century remodeling, so step inside: the Renaissance interior with its side chapels is the real highlight. The bell "Jan" was cast in 1662 by Mikołaj de la Marche of Lublin, and in 2000 Cardinal Józef Glemp crowned the cathedral's revered image of Our Lady of Protection. A statue of John Paul II, the first in Zamość, has stood beside the church since 1988.

How long to stay

Allow 20–30 minutes for the church, or about an hour in summer with the crypts and the tower. Visits are not possible during services; dress modestly.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026 (per the Zamość tourist office):

• Cathedral: all year, Monday–Saturday 9 am–5 pm, Sunday 1–5 pm, except during services. Suggested donation PLN 3, reduced PLN 2.
• Crypts: July and August only; PLN 5, reduced PLN 3, family PLN 15 (includes the cathedral).
• Bell tower: July and August only, Tuesday–Sunday noon–4 pm; PLN 5, reduced PLN 3.
• Winter 2026/27: only the church itself is open; the crypts and tower are closed.

How to get there

The cathedral is at Kolegiacka 1A, about 200 m southwest of the Great Market Square. Zamość is about 90 km (55 miles) southeast of Lublin; direct trains take roughly 2 hours from Lublin, 4.5 hours from Warsaw and 4 hours from Kraków.

Nearby

• Zamoyski Palace and the equestrian statue of the founder, about 200 m.
• Former Zamość Academy, about 150 m.
• Great Market Square, about 200 m.