Kamien Pomorski Cathedral

Kamien Pomorski was the seat of the Pomeranian bishops from 1176 and its cathedral of St John is a brick building begun in the twelfth century and extended through the Gothic period, with a well-preserved cloister on the south side, a painted wooden ceiling and a treasury. Its organ was built in 1669-1672 by Michael Berigel and carries a case with carved figures and the arms of its donor; it survived where most instruments of its age did not, and since 1965 an international organ and chamber music festival has run here through the summer, one of the longest-established in Poland. The town sits on the Kamien lagoon behind Wolin island, so it has a marina and a promenade rather than open sea, and it works as a quieter base than the coast resorts. There is a fragment of town wall, a Wolin gate, and a brine spring that supports a small spa.

What you actually see

• A twelfth-century brick cathedral - extended in Gothic, with a preserved cloister.
• The Berigel organ of 1672 - carved case, surviving where most did not.
• A summer festival - organ and chamber music, running since 1965.
• The lagoon - marina and promenade behind Wolin island.

When to go

May to September, for the concerts. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The cathedral closes to visitors during services and concerts. Festival evenings sell out. The town is small and quiet outside summer. There is no open-sea beach here.

Nearby

Wolin National Park and Miedzyzdroje are west.