The jewel of Gniezno, this grand basilica was once the epicenter of the religious orders of the country under the rule of the Piast Dynasty. Over its long, 1,000-year story, it’s seen countless coronations and even the foundation of the modern Polish state – by the king Mieszko I, way back in 966 AD. The Gniezno Cathedral itself is a wonderful medley of styles, from the old Gothic to the Baroque. It’s the gilded bronze doors depicting the martyrdom of St. Adalbert that are the masterpiece.

The French army installed a military warehouse in the Cathedral in 1809, which disappeared when Napoleon's troops left the area. In 1931, Pope Pius XI bestowed the title of the Minor Basilica Cathedral. In 1939, following the Invasion of Poland, the Nazis converted the temple into a concert hall. Another fire broke out in 1945, caused by the intentional incendiary artillery shelling by the Red Army.

This partly ruined the Gothic vault, the pipe organs and other historical architectural details. The city was re-taken by the Soviets without any resistance offered by the Germans. At the turn of the 1950's and 1960's, the temple was fully restored in the Gothic style and all baroque architectural elements were later removed from the nave and the temple itself, giving it a more medieval look to resemble the original structure present during the coronation of Polish monarchs 800 years earlier.