Kościoły i klasztory: Rybnik

Churches and monasteries in Rybnik: a basilica with 95-metre towers, wooden churches on the Wooden Architecture Trail and a Gothic chancel.

Rybnik has a dozen or so churches, from a Gothic chancel of the mid-15th century to neo-Baroque buildings of the early 20th century. Two are wooden churches moved to their present sites in the 1970s, and there is also a Lutheran church. The route is easier to plan if you split it into the centre, the wooden churches and the districts.

Which church in the centre of Rybnik should you see first?

Start with the basilica on Mikołowska Street, because its towers dominate the city. Then walk to the Old Church, the academic church and the Lutheran church, which stand close together, near the market square and the park.

The Basilica of St Anthony is a neo-Gothic structure of red brick put up in 1903-1906 to a plan by Ludwig Schneider. Its towers reach 95 metres, and in 1993 the church received the title of minor basilica. Locals call it the Cathedral of the Rybnik Land. Before it was built, the most important church in town was the Old Church on Plac Kościelny, Baroque-classicist, built in 1798-1801.

The oldest and smallest is the academic church at Gliwicka 7. Only its Gothic chancel of the mid-15th century survives, and until 1975 it served as a cemetery chapel. The Lutheran church at Miejska 12 has masonry walls from 1853 and a neo-Romanesque tower. An earlier Protestant church was housed in the former castle net-house. For the city as a whole, read the article on Rybnik's history since the record of 1223.

Where can you see the wooden churches of Rybnik?

Two wooden churches lie in Ligota and Wielopole, part of the so-called Rybnik loop, a section of the regional trail of timber churches. Both were moved here in the mid-1970s from other villages.

The carpenter Jakub Siedlaczek built St Lawrence's Church at Wolna 125 in 1717, but in Boguszowice, not in Ligota. It has stood on its present site since 1975, and a painting by Michał Willman hangs inside. St Catherine's Church on Górna Street dates from 1534 and came from Gierałtowice in 1976. It is the oldest wooden monument in the Rybnik area, with a late Gothic painted ceiling.

What parish churches stand in the districts of Rybnik?

The districts have churches from 1920-1937, often raised with the offerings and labour of residents. Two share the dedication to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so pay attention to the district.

In Boguszowice Stare, at Małachowskiego 38, stands a neo-Baroque Sacred Heart church, under construction from 1929. In Niedobczyce there is a second church with the same dedication, neo-Baroque too, from 1920-1921. In Chwałowice you will find the shrine of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus, a shrine since 2005.

The church of Christ the King in Golejów was finished within four months of 1926. Smolna has the church of St Joseph the Worker, run by Franciscans and built in 1937 in half a year. In Popielów stands the Holy Trinity church of 1934, with two bells of the 15th century from an old wooden church.

After the churches, see the cemeteries and monuments of Rybnik, its parks and nature and atmospheric places. The wider guide to the town is Rybnik.

Frequently asked questions

Which church in Rybnik is the tallest?

The towers of the basilica of St Anthony are 95 metres high, which makes it one of the tallest churches in Upper Silesia.

Which church in Rybnik is the oldest?

The academic church at Gliwicka 7 is considered the oldest, or rather its Gothic chancel of the mid-15th century. It is also the smallest church in town.

Where are the wooden churches in Rybnik?

In Ligota on Wolna Street and in Wielopole on Górna Street. Both are stops on the Rybnik loop of the regional trail of timber churches.

Is there a shrine in Rybnik?

Yes, the shrine of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus operates in Chwałowice. Archbishop Damian Zimoń established it in 2005.