St. James' Church, Toruń

St. James' Church in Toruń is the Gothic parish church of the medieval New Town, standing at the eastern corner of the New Town Square. The city calls it the most beautiful Gothic church in Toruń, and it is the only one here with external flying buttresses, modeled on the stone cathedrals of Western Europe. Inside you will find a mystical crucifix with Christ on the Tree of Life, medieval murals and one of the oldest organ cases in Poland.

Getting there

Toruń sits on the Vistula River in north-central Poland, a little over two hours from Warsaw by Intercity train and about 180 km from Gdańsk on the A1 motorway. St. James' Church is in the New Town, a pleasant walk of around 10 to 15 minutes east of the Old Town Square along Szeroka Street. From Toruń Miasto station, allow about 15 to 20 minutes on foot.

History: the New Town's parish church

Toruń's New Town was founded in 1264 as a separate town next to the Old Town, with its own market square and parish church. Work on this church, dedicated to the Apostles James and Philip, began in 1309, a date recorded in an inscription running around the chancel. The chancel was finished around 1320 and the church came into use around 1340. The tower rises to about 49 m; its distinctive double roof was added after a fire in 1455.

From the mid-14th century the church was under the patronage of Cistercian, later Benedictine, nuns. Like several Toruń churches, it served both Catholics and Lutherans for a time. From 1667 the Benedictine nuns ran it for more than 150 years. In 2021 it was raised to the rank of a sanctuary.

The flying buttresses

The builders borrowed a solution from Western European cathedrals: flying buttresses that carry the weight of the nave vault to outer piers. When side chapels were added in the 15th century and the aisle roofs were raised, most of the buttresses disappeared under the roofs, but one is still visible above the small sacristy. Walk around the outside to spot it.

What to see inside

• a 14th-century mystical crucifix: Christ on the Tree of Life, its branches entwined with figures of 12 Old Testament prophets,
• wall paintings from the 14th to 16th centuries and fine brick tracery in the chancel,
• a Passion painting in the chancel whose figures inspired the small statues of medieval burghers on Podmurna Street and in the Old Town Hall courtyard,
• a Baroque high altar,
• the Renaissance organ of 1611, decorated with delicate carving and the coats of arms of Royal Prussia and of Toruń's Old and New Towns.

Outside stands a Baroque statue of St. James, and a scallop-shell sign in front of the church marks the old pilgrim route from the Baltic countries through Poland to Santiago de Compostela.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, particularly for lovers of Gothic architecture and Camino pilgrims. Allow 20 to 30 minutes inside, or about 40 minutes if you also walk around the exterior. It is an active parish church, so visits are restricted during Mass. Kids may enjoy counting the twelve prophets on the crucifix.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

• Location: eastern corner of the New Town Square (Rynek Nowomiejski), Toruń.
• Opening hours and admission: not confirmed on an official website; check the parish notice board or ask at the tourist information center on the Old Town Square.
• Parking: the New Town is part of the central paid parking zone (Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.); the city recommends its Park&Ride car parks on Olimpijska and Dziewulskiego streets.

Nearby

On the way back to the Old Town you pass the Old Town Hall and St. Mary's Church. Podmurna Street, along the old wall between the Old and New Towns, leads to the burgher figures inspired by the painting in St. James'. Down by the river are the ruins of the Teutonic Castle and the medieval city walls.