Church of St John the Baptist in Budzistowo

The Church of St John the Baptist in Budzistowo measures just 8 × 5 m, yet it is the oldest brick church in Central Pomerania and the only surviving monument of early medieval Kołobrzeg. It stands in a village that for centuries carried the German name Altstadt – "Old Town". This is where Kołobrzeg was born, on the Parsęta river a few kilometres from today's centre.

Budzistowo – the first Kołobrzeg

In the mid-9th century a stronghold with a timber-and-earth rampart rose on the high right bank of the Parsęta, about 4 km from the river mouth. Suburbs and a small harbour grew up around it, and the settlement may have had two to four thousand inhabitants. In the year 1000 the chronicler Thietmar of Merseburg recorded the founding of the Kołobrzeg bishopric under Bishop Reinbern – the first cathedral stood here. In the early 12th century the stronghold was taken by the Polish duke Bolesław III Wrymouth, and when the town was re-founded closer to the sea in the 13th century, the old centre declined into a village.

New finds keep confirming its importance. The wreck of a clinker-built boat from the first half of the 11th century – one of the oldest such finds in Poland – was discovered in the Parsęta near the village. According to the Museum of Polish Arms, it shows that Budzistowo was an important port at the time; finds from the river are on display at the Kołobrzeg Town Museum.

History of the church

The foundation is attributed to the Pomeranian duchess Mirosława, mother of Barnim I, in 1222; the first church may still have been wooden. The brick building was probably raised around 1250 and is mentioned in records by 1281 at the latest. It belonged to the abbey in Mogilno and in 1333 came under the Bishop of Kamień.

The following centuries were hard on it:

• after the Reformation and the Thirty Years' War demolition was considered, but the church was repaired in 1670,
• it was damaged during the sieges of Kołobrzeg in 1760 (Russian troops) and 1807 – French soldiers sold both bells,
• rebuilding in 1824 added a west entrance and a half-timbered, shingled turret,
• after damage in 1945 it was restored in the 1960s and 1980s and reconsecrated in 1980.

What to look for

• Brick walls – the plaster was removed in the 20th century, revealing medieval brickwork and walled-up side portals.
• The chancel with its rib vault – the nave was originally vaulted too, but now has a timber ceiling.
• The wooden turret on the roof, the church's trademark since 1824.
• The former churchyard with old limes and maples, listed together with the church.
• The hillfort – an early medieval, two-part stronghold of about 4 ha; traces of the rampart survive in its northern section.

Tripto tip

A district road runs from Kołobrzeg to Budzistowo, easy by car or bike. You can see the church from outside at any time; official sources give no opening hours for the interior, so your best chance to look inside is during a service. Allow 30–45 minutes for the church and a walk towards the hillfort, and combine the trip with the Kołobrzeg Town Museum to see the finds from the Parsęta.