Interesting places
1. The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Płock is one of the oldest representatives of religious architecture in Poland. Constructed on the initiative of Bishop Alexander of Malonne, the cathedral was frequently rebuilt and eventually consecrated in 1144. Among the many precious works of art which can be found inside are altars, chapels, tombs, epitaphs, and stained glass windows, and at the main entrance, a bronze replica of the 12th century Płock Doors. One of the attractions of the Płock cathedral is the Royal Chapel, which is the tomb of two Polish rulers -
Władysław Herman and Bolesław the Wrymouth, while a crypt located below contains the remains
of fifteen Mazovian princes.
2. The Museum of the Warsaw Province in Płock
The museum, which originated as a social initiative in 1821, is now the oldest in Poland, and houses the largest collection of secession art in the country. This is why it is often referred to as the “Art Nouveau Museum”. The exhibit is truly extraordinary and includes sets of glass, tin, silver, jewellery, pottery, sculptures, paintings, costumes and accessories, furniture, appliances and other home furnishings. The museum also has its own ethnographic division, which is located in a specially adapted granary on the Wisła.
3. The Old Market Square
The Old Market Square is flanked on three sides by rows of tenement houses, which date as far back as the 17th century, like the baroque No. 17. A second noteworthy representative of the period, built at the turn of the 17th century, is located at ul. Grodzka 2. Yet another of the square’s many attractions is the modern Aphrodite Fountain.
4. The Diocesan Museum
The Diocesan Museum in Płock was built in 1903 by Stefan Szyller on the initiative of the Blessed Archbishop Antoni Julian Nowowiejski. In its current collection of over 10,000 pieces, among the most prized items are precious manuscripts and documents, medieval Mazovian sculptures, golden artefacts, kontusz sashes (distinctive items of the Polish nobility’s clothing), vestments, and paintings.
5. The Płock Zoological Garden
Founded in 1951, the Płock zoo is located on a picturesque escarpment on the Wisła river and covers an area of 12 hectares. It is home to some 3,000 animals of more than 344 different species.
6. The Mariavite Cathedral
The Mariavite Cathedral was built on the initiative of St Maria Franciszka Kozłowska between 1911 and 1914. Besides the church itself, the complex includes a monastery which is the official seat of the Old Catholic Mariavite Church.
7. The Zieliński Library
Run by the Płock Scientfic Society, the library is housed in the Providence House (“Dom pod Opatrznością”), which was erected in 1828–1832. The library’s special collection contains a wealth
of rare incunabula, old books, prints, and maps, including the first edition of Nicolaus Copernicus’ De revolutionibus orbium coelestium of 1543, Jan Łaski’s Statute of 1506, a set of Francisco Goya’s Caprichos prints, and Dante’s Divine Comedy of 1487.
8. The Tumskie Hill (Wzgórze Tumskie)
The Tumskie Hill, a tall escarpment overlooking the Wisła river, is the heart of Płock. The hill boasts
a scenic vista of the wide river valley below. Before the Christian era, the Tumskie Hill was a place
of pagan worship.
9. The Władysław Broniewski House
The Władysław Broniewski House, where the poet (1897–1962) was born and lived, is located in Płock, at ul. Kościuszki 24 (formerly ul. Warszawska). The house is now the home of the Polish Teachers’ Union. A single room was converted into a modest hall of memory in which memorabilia associated with Broniewski are displayed.
The yard behind the house is dominated by a stately oak tree, several hundred years old, a natural monument under which the poet grew up and which inspired many of his works.
10. The Płock Amphitheatre
The Płock Amphitheatre is among the most modern and largest open-air entertainment venues
in Poland. It was originally built in the 1960s, then thoroughly remodelled and reopened in 2008. Located on the steep slope of Płock’s escarpment, the amphitheatre can seat 3,500 people.
11. Lake Sobótka
Sobótka is a lake created as a public bathing spot for Płock’s inhabitants as well as tourists.
Any visitor can rent a pedalo, kayak or one of the 20 brand-new plastic beach chairs.
12. Płock City Hall
Built in 1824–1827 to a design by Jakub Kubicki, the classicist City Hall was the site of the last Sejm
of Congress Poland. Every day at noon and 6pm, a trumpeter walks up the clock tower to sound the hejnał (a bugle call). After the noon hejnał has sounded, mechanical figures of Mazovian princes appear on the tower to re-enact the knighting of Bolesław the Wrymouth.
13. Orlen Arena
The Orlen Arena complex comprises a sports and performance hall for 5,467 people, and a two-level parking garage for 530 cars. The arena is the venue of many sports events, including handball, volleyball, basketball, tennis, table tennis, and martial arts tournaments, and also hosts plays, movie screenings, concerts, conferences, symposia, and exhibitions.
The complex includes a large restaurant and a number of small snack bars.
14. The St Faustina Kowalska Museum
The convent of the Congregation of the Nuns of Our Lady of Mercy, located off the Old Market Square, houses the Divine Mercy Shrine, where the famous Divine Mercy painting and St Faustina’s relics are stored.
The museum commemorates St Faustina’s stay at the Płock monastery in 1930–1932. One of the rooms has been converted into a replica of the bakery where she worked. Visitors can also see what Faustina’s monastic cell looked like in her lifetime.
What’s more, various memorabilia associated with St Faustina and her revelations are on display
at the museum.
15. The Palas of Bolesław the Wrymouth
Dating back to the late 10th century, the Palas of Bolesław the Wrymouth is the oldest stone building in Płock. The monument was discovered during excavation works in the 1960s. Originally, the palas consisted of a residential section and an adjacent rotunda with an apse.