Although rather modest on the eyes, this is one of Poznań's, no Poland's, oldest churches, and the source of the city's extensive St. Martin's Day celebrations. Documents from 1132 reveal that St. Martin's (Św. Marcin) was the only parish on the left bank of the Warta River at that time, and a church has stood on this site since at least the mid-1200s, making it the most historic religious building in Poznań not located on Ostrów Tumski.
The church's current Gothic appearance dates from the 16th century. Note the bas-relief of St. Martin cutting off part of his cloak to clothe a beggar above the entrance on the west side of the church.
The bas-relief depicts one of the main legends about St. Martin - how, as a member of the Roman Army, he cut his cloak in half to clothe a freezing beggar. That night he dreamed of Jesus wearing his half-cloak and decided to become baptised.
Despite being Poznań’s most damaged church during WWII, the interior is still a sight to behold. The wooden Gothic sculpture of the Madonna in the nave dates back to 1510, and the Gothic Silesian altar triptych is from 1498.
Also don’t miss the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes standing behind the church. It was built here in 1911 after the vicar, Tadeusz Wierbiński, was miraculously cured of blindness by the healing waters of Lourdes.
The grotto behind St. Martin's Church, alongside an iconic mural of Poznań's goats.
