Gdansk, Oliwa Basilica Organ

The Oliwa Basilica, the oldest church in Gdansk, was built in the 1100’s, and was enlarged to its present size in the 1200’s. The Oliwa Basilica is most famous for its organ, originally built in the 1700’s. This organ has 7,896 pipes, 110 registers, trumpet-playing angels, horns, moving windmills, etc., and has a large audience for a concert each day.

We enjoyed the concert, and the Basilica, but as it happened, the organ was under repair so we could not see or hear it in all its glory. While the organist was fine, our friend Henryk told us that the organist who played that day was not the best organist at this church. He said there was a big difference in their abilities, and in their choice of music.