St Catherine's Church in Golub

The tower of St Catherine's Church in Golub holds a bell donated in 1623 by King Sigismund III Vasa – brother of Anna Vasa, who was then living at the nearby castle as its governor. The church itself is more than three hundred years older: its Gothic chancel was completed in 1293, and its massive tower once formed part of the town's defences on the Drwęca River.

History: a church that guarded a ford

Golub guarded one of the two fords across the Drwęca leading into the Chełmno Land, which is why the brick church was built as a defensive structure from the outset. The first phase was the chancel, finished in 1293. In 1320–1350 a simpler nave with a timber ceiling was added, along with a mighty defensive tower 8.9 m wide; the oldest parts of its internal timber frame date from 1322. In 1414 the church was damaged in war, and in 1689 lightning struck the tower, destroying its ornament and cornices. Parish priest Szefler rebuilt it in Renaissance style, and the church took on its present form in the 19th century.

What to see

• The 1293 chancel – the finest part of the church, with buttresses topped by pinnacles, pointed windows, a polygonal apse and a cross vault with bosses carved with images of the Virgin Mary, Christ and God the Father.
• The high altar of 1640, funded by deputy governor Krzysztof Lode and the townspeople, richly gilded and modelled on the high altar of Pelplin Cathedral. Its three tiers hold paintings of the Coronation of the Virgin, St Catherine and the Annunciation, plus figures of Saints Peter and Paul, Adalbert and Stanislaus and the two Saint Johns.
• The Baroque rood beam with a Crucifixion group in the arch between chancel and nave, and a font whose bowl is held up by an angel.
• The tomb of Krzysztof Kostka, governor of Pomerania and of Golub, shown as a knight in armour.
• Late Gothic iron fittings on the sacristy door and a granite stoup by the side entrance.

The tower

The tower has six storeys, an arcaded ground floor, four corner turrets with battlements and a roof with a double cupola. In the Middle Ages it symbolised Golub's importance as a border town of the Teutonic Order's state. According to available information, in summer the tower is sometimes opened as a viewpoint on Friday to Sunday afternoons – confirm on site before you plan around it.

Tripto tip

The church stands on Kościelna Street in the historic part of Golub, a few minutes' walk from the castle. It is an active parish church, so visit the interior outside service times; 30–45 minutes is enough for the church itself. Step into the chancel and look up at the bosses – they are easy to miss if you only look at the gilded altar. Combine your visit with the castle where Anna Vasa once lived.