Pelplin Cathedral

Pelplin Cathedral stands on plac Mariacki in the town of Pelplin, in the Kociewie region of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. It is the former church of a Cistercian abbey established in the 13th century at the invitation of Pomeranian duke Mestwin II. The present Gothic church was built mainly in the 14th century, and it is one of the largest Gothic brick churches in the region, with a long nave, a high choir and a complex system of vaults. After the secularisation of the monastery in the early 19th century, the abbey church became the cathedral of the Chełmno diocese, and the complex has remained the seat of the bishop of Pelplin.

Inside, the church is noted for its interior fittings, including a large number of Baroque altars and stalls, many of them made by the sculptor Hermann Han and other artists in the 17th century. The ribbed and star vaults, tall windows and slender pillars give the interior a vertical emphasis. The monastery buildings next door contain the Diocesan Museum, whose collections include medieval manuscripts, liturgical items, paintings and prints. Among its treasures is a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, one of the few surviving copies of the first major book printed with movable type in Europe, which draws specialist visitors and is displayed under controlled conditions.

The church has gone through several rebuilding and restoration phases, including repairs after wartime damage and ongoing conservation of its brick fabric and artworks. It remains an active place of worship, so visits are arranged around services. The surrounding monastic complex and park add to the experience, and the town is easily combined with visits to Gniew and Malbork as part of a Pomeranian castle-and-monastery route.