home chevron_right Wrocław (Wrocław) chevron_right Places

Garrison Church of St. Elizabeth - the highest viewpoint in the center of Wrocław

Świętej Elżbiety 1/2
50-001 Wrocław

In a room
Restaurant or bar nearby
Shop nearby

The highest viewpoint in Wrocław's Old Town!

The tower of the Garrison Church of St. Elizabeth is the highest viewpoint in the heart of Wrocław, right next to the market square. It stands at 91 meters tall and requires climbing over 300 stairs to reach the top! The ascent can be tiring, but the views make it worthwhile! However, if you want to save your energy for other attractions, there are two other great and less demanding viewpoints nearby: Penitent's Bridge and Mathematical Tower.

Viewing terrace on the tower of the Garrison Church of St. Elizabeth

View of the market square in Wrocław from the tower of the Garrison Church of St. Elizabeth

Opening hours and ticket prices

The tower is open during the spring-summer season (April-October) every day from Monday to Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The entrance fee is 10 PLN for adults and 6 PLN for concessions - you can find up-to-date information on the archdiocese's website. The ticket office is located outside the church, to the side of the main entrance. Access to the tower is through a separate, small entrance.

Climbing the tower

To reach the viewing terrace, you will need to climb very winding stairs. Pay attention to the red metal railing that goes almost vertically upwards. Be careful, especially when descending, as it can make you dizzy.

The steps are also of considerable height, higher than standard steps:

The passage from the staircase to the wide metal stairs leading to the terrace is very narrow:

The ascent to the tower is made through metal, openwork steps:

Metal, openwork steps leading to the terrace

Viewing Terrace and panorama of Wrocław's Old Town

The tower is located in the heart of Wrocław, right next to the Market Square. From here, you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the Old Town and the Wrocław Market Square. The small houses of Hansel and Gretel, located below, also look interesting.

Hansel and Gretel houses - view from the tower of the Garrison Church in Wrocław

View from the tower of the Garrison Church in Wrocław towards Sky Tower

View from the tower of the Garrison Church in Wrocław towards the hydroelectric power plant

The tower with a helmet - an interesting fact

Originally, the tower was even taller! It reached a height of 130 meters and was one of the tallest in this part of Europe. Unfortunately, the tower's helmet collapsed during a storm. A bas-relief depicting the scene of the tower's collapse is embedded in the wall of the church, not far from the ticket office. The bas-relief shows angels gently lifting the tower's helmet and bringing it down to the ground.

Tower with a Helmet in Wrocław - bas-relief depicting the collapse of the tower

Garrison Church of St. Elizabeth

The church used to have rich furnishings donated by wealthy townspeople. It also served as a concert hall, and its organs were used during the Wratislavia Cantans festival. However, the organs were completely destroyed in a fire in 1975. Despite this, much of the church's rich furnishings and original building material were consumed by three fires.

Around the church, there was a cemetery surrounded by a circle of small houses for altarists (caretakers of the altars). In the late 19th century, most of the altarists' houses were demolished to increase the capacity of the streets. Two connected houses, with a gate between them, are known as Hansel and Gretel houses.