St Anne's Church in Ząbkowice Śląskie

Everyone comes to Ząbkowice Śląskie for the Leaning Tower, and hardly anyone looks inside the church it once served as a bell tower. Yet the Gothic Church of St Anne, founded by Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg, holds a Renaissance tomb of dukes from the Poděbrady family, a pulpit from 1619 and a statue of St Anne whose date shows the number 4 written as half of an 8.

History: from imperial foundation to neo-Gothic restoration

The church was built between 1354 and 1415. In 1428 the Hussites sacked the town, and rebuilding the church took until 1453. In the 16th century the nave and chancel were given new vaults, in 1772 a late-Baroque chapel of St Anne was added, and in 1893–1896 a neo-Gothic restoration faced the walls with machine-made brick and created today's red-brick look. After the war, in 1976–1977, the damp interior was renovated, followed by the roof in 2008. The parish continues conservation work, including on the sculptures and coats of arms of the Poděbrady tomb.

What to see inside

This is a three-aisled hall church with four bays. Look up at the vaults, because there are four different types: rib vaults over the side aisles, net vaults over the chancel and nave, an eight-pointed star vault over the western bay of the nave and a four-pointed one over the north porch.

• The statue of St Anne with the Virgin and Child, dated 1493. The 4 in the date takes the medieval form of "half an 8".
• The tomb of Duke Charles I of Münsterberg (died 1536) of the Poděbrady family and his wife Anna of Żagań (died c. 1541), with full-length figures. It was made by Jan Ulryk, court architect to the Polish king Sigismund the Old. The sides of the sarcophagus carry the coats of arms of lands and families linked to the couple.
• The 1619 sandstone pulpit with alabaster reliefs, paid for by the town council.
• The high altar of 1754–1759 with a painting of St Anne by J. Classen of Antwerp.
• Epitaphs on the outer walls, including one for Veit Stoss the Younger, grandson of the famous sculptor.

The Leaning Tower next door

Right next to the church stands the Leaning Tower, a former defensive tower converted into the parish church's bell tower. It's 34 m tall and leans 2.14 m off vertical, which makes it the tallest leaning tower in Poland. According to records, on 24 August 1598 it tilted by 1.5 m.

Tripto tip

• Getting inside: this is a working church and admission is free. Mass times (as of October 2026): weekdays 7:00 and 18:00; Sundays and holidays 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, 12:00 and 18:00. The parish doesn't list separate visiting hours, so your best chance of finding it open is just before or after Mass. Please don't sightsee during services.
• Address: ul. św. Wojciecha 12. The parish office is open Tuesdays and Thursdays 16:00–17:00 and Saturdays 9:00–10:00 (tel. +48 74 815 14 71).
• Time needed: 30 minutes for the interior, about an hour with the Leaning Tower.
• What to look for: find the statue of St Anne and read its date. It's a great way to show children how numbers were written in the Middle Ages.