— — a brick church the size of a small city.
“The largest brick church in the world, by most measures. Bazylika Mariacka. Begun in 1379, finished in 1502, set in the centre of Gdańsk's Main Town a few streets from the Motława quay. White vaults, an astronomical clock from 1464, a tower 78 metres high. Walk in from the noise of Długi Targ and the air goes still. — from the studio
Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.
Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.
St. Mary's Basilica, Bazylika Mariacka, stands in the centre of Gdańsk's Main Town, a few streets inland from the Motława river quay. Construction began in 1379 and finished in 1502, spanning a hundred and twenty years and three master builders. The church measures 105 metres long, with a transept 66 metres across, and is generally counted as the largest brick church in the world. Interior capacity is estimated near 25,000 standing. The tower reaches 78 metres.
The building is brick Gothic, the style that defines the Hanseatic cities of the Baltic. The vaults are white-plastered net and crystal patterns running across a hall church plan, where the nave and aisles rise to almost equal height. An astronomical clock built by Hans Düringer between 1464 and 1470 stands in the north transept, restored after wartime damage. The high altar is a Hans Schwarz triptych from 1517. Most of the interior was burned in March 1945; the rebuild took decades.
The basilica is an active Catholic parish and admission is free; a small fee is asked for the tower, with around 400 steps to the viewing platform and the long roof of the Main Town below. Hours run roughly 8:30 to 18:00 most days, shorter on Sundays during Mass. The church sits a short walk from Długi Targ, the Royal Way, and the Crane on the Motława. Quietest in the half hour after opening.