Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Reszel

Above the rooftops of Reszel, a few steps from the castle of the Prince-Bishops of Warmia, rises the brick tower of the parish church – 52 metres high and eight storeys tall. The Church of Saints Peter and Paul was almost destroyed by fire twice, and each rebuilding added a new layer: 15th-century star vaults, a 19th-century tower cap, altars from the years after the great town fire. Next to it stands a building local historians call the oldest presbytery in Warmia.

History: two fires, two consecrations

Construction probably began after 1360; the nave and the lower part of the tower came first, with the sacristy and porch added in the 15th century. In 1474 a fire partly destroyed the church. Rebuilding began a year later and brought a new east gable and the star vault over the nave. The tower was raised around 1500. The church was consecrated on 3 April 1580 by Bishop Marcin Kromer, a noted historian and diplomat.

The town fire of 1806 wrecked the church again. Rebuilt, it was reconsecrated on 31 May 1817; in 1837 the tower received a new cap with a lantern, and between 1822 and 1843 the interior was refurnished.

What to see

• The hall interior, with three aisles of equal height under a star vault resting on octagonal piers.
• The Tetragrammaton (YHWH) in the high altar – the Hebrew name of God.
• Outside, by the north porch, a pillory in the form of a round stone slab from the 14th or 15th century, with a late Baroque Passion group above the portal.
• The east gable with its row of pinnacles and an octagonal bell turret.
• The Gothic library of 1471 on the east side; in 2012 a 14th-century library cabinet was discovered here.

The old presbytery

On ul. Słowackiego, on the way to the church, stands the old presbytery, built against the town walls. According to Fr Georg Matern, a pre-war parish priest who researched the parish's history, it is the oldest residential building in Reszel and the oldest presbytery in Warmia. The parish account book mentions work "next to the presbytery" under the year 1444, which dates the building to the first half of the 15th century. It has been rebuilt many times: originally Gothic with an upper floor, it is now single-storey.

Tripto tip

Climb the tower if you like views: the author of a walking route published on the town's website compares the panorama from the church tower with the one from the castle tower and rates it at least as good. Check current opening hours and prices on site. The church and the castle are a few minutes' walk apart, and you pass the presbytery on the way. Allow about an hour for the church and tower. This is a working church, so avoid visiting during Mass.