St. Mary's Church, Trzebiatów

St. Mary's Church in Trzebiatów (officially the Church of the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Trzebiatów is pronounced roughly "tsheh-BYAH-toof") is a soaring Gothic brick church whose tower reaches about 90 m. It stands in a small medieval town in northwestern Poland, roughly 30 km southwest of the Baltic resort of Kołobrzeg, and is the town's most impressive landmark. It has been a Marian shrine of the Archdiocese of Szczecin-Kamień since 1996.

Where it is and how to get there

The church is a two-minute walk north of the market square. Trzebiatów has a station on the regional line between Kołobrzeg and Goleniów; Szczecin-Goleniów Airport is the nearest airport, and Szczecin itself is about 110 km away. Drivers come via regional road 102 from Kołobrzeg. Central parking is paid on weekdays, in Polish złoty (PLN).

A church that shaped Pomeranian history

Construction began in the early 14th century; the town gives 1305–1370, while architectural historians date the vaults and upper tower to the first half of the 15th century. A Latin school operated beside the church from 1328, and its rector in the early 16th century was Johannes Bugenhagen, the reformer who later worked with Martin Luther. When the Pomeranian dukes adopted Lutheranism in 1534, St. Mary's became a Protestant church, which it remained until 1945, when the town (then German Treptow an der Rega) became part of Poland.

Between 1865 and 1867 the church was restored in Gothic Revival style under Prussian conservator Ferdinand von Quast. It was declared a shrine in 1996, and its painting of Our Lady was crowned in 2006.

What to see

• The tower, which medieval sailors used as a sea mark although the coast is about 10 km away. A viewing terrace sits roughly two-thirds of the way up.
• Star vaults over the three-aisled hall interior.
• Stained glass from 1867, donated by King Wilhelm I of Prussia.
• The Madonna painting by Ernst Deger (1867), venerated as Our Lady of Grace.
• A 1382 tombstone of Arnold Krampehl and 16th-century choir stalls.
• The triumphal arch, painted with King David and nine prophets holding inscribed scrolls.
• A musical footnote: on May 29, 1842, the Szczecin composer Carl Loewe conducted Haydn's The Creation here.
• Bells from 1399 and 1515; the older one is among the oldest in Poland, and the 1515 bell "Maria" weighs about 3.7 tonnes.

Visiting tips (as of October 2026)

This is a working parish church. You can usually enter around services; we could not confirm official visiting hours or whether the tower terrace is currently open, so ask at the parish or the tourist information point in the town hall. Allow 30 to 45 minutes, dress modestly and avoid photography during Mass. Admission to the church is free.

Nearby

The market square with its 1701 town hall and the sgraffito of Hansken the elephant is around the corner. The palace museum and the Kaszana Tower on the old town walls are within a few minutes' walk, and the beach at Mrzeżyno is about 10 km north.