Church of SS Peter & Paul

©Filip Stanczyk/Lonely Planet

Church of SS Peter & Paul

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The Jesuits erected this church, the first baroque building in Kraków, after they had been brought to the city in 1583 to do battle with supporters of the Reformation. Designed on the Latin cross layout and topped with a large skylit dome, the church has a refreshingly sober interior, apart from some fine stucco decoration on the vault.

The exterior is marked by a row of striking statues of the apostles that date from the early 18th century. The interior holds the longest Foucault's pendulum in Poland (46.5m), used to determine the rotation of the earth. Regular demonstrations of the pendulum, with an explanation in Polish, are normally held on Thursday mornings (10am, 11am and noon). The church is used in the evenings for classical music concerts.

Transportation

  • tram: 6, 8, 10, 13, 18

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