St Anne's Church

What makes it special

Look up first: a grand vaulted ceiling spans the nave, and portraits of St Anne hang below it. The parish ranks this among the most beautiful churches on the Royal Route.

Before you go in, walk round to the east end. Below the gable of the chancel, the date 1667 is set into the outside wall, marking the end of the rebuilding of the church.

On the north side, the bell tower stands apart, joined to the church only by the courtyard. Queen Anna Jagiellon paid for it in the 1580s, and its flat top, under a small domed glorietta, carries a viewing terrace, now closed.

The church sits inside the Historic Centre of Warsaw, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside is the chapel of Blessed Władysław of Gielniów, the patron of Warsaw.

Visiting

Quiet is expected on weekday afternoons into the early evening, when adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is under way, so keep to the back of the nave then. Go in through the porch and walk the nave towards the chancel, looking up at the vault as you go. The chancel is under renovation, so part of it may be screened off.

Afterwards, ask at the church for the way through to the Garden of St Anne. The garden opens every morning and stays open later on Sunday.

Tips

If a Mass is under way when you arrive, see the Garden of St Anne first and come back to the nave once it ends. The garden belongs to the church, so waiting there keeps you close by.

Groups who want a Mass of their own can ask the rectory office to arrange one in the chapel of Blessed Władysław of Gielniów.