Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

The first church at the location of the present Wrocław Cathedral was built during the rule of the Přemyslids in the mid-10th century. This original structure was a fieldstone building with one nave and a transept, and was about 25 meters in length. However, after the Polish conquest of Silesia and the establishment of the Wrocław diocese under Piast Duke Bolesław I Chrobry in the early 11th century, this church was replaced by a larger basilica with three naves, a crypt, and towers on its eastern side. Unfortunately, this first cathedral was soon destroyed, likely by invading troops led by Duke Bretislaus of Bohemia around 1039. A larger Romanesque-style church was built in its place soon after, under the rule of Duke Casimir I, and was later expanded upon the request of Bishop Walter of Malonne in 1158.

After the end of the Mongol invasion, the church underwent another large-scale renovation and was built in the Brick Gothic style, becoming the first building in the city to be made of brick when construction of the new choir and ambulatory started in 1244. The nave with sacristy and the basements of the western towers were added later, under Bishop Nanker, until 1341. A fire in 1540 destroyed the roof, which was restored 16 years later in a Renaissance style. Another fire, in 1759, damaged the towers, roof, sacristy, and quire, but these were slowly repaired over the following 150 years. In the late 19th century, the interior and western side were rebuilt in neogothic style by Karl Lüdecke, and further work was done by Hugo Hartung at the beginning of the 20th century, especially on the towers damaged in the 1759 fire.

During the Siege of Breslau and heavy bombing by the Red Army in the final days of World War II, the cathedral suffered severe damage, with about 70% of the building being destroyed. Despite this, parts of the interior fittings were saved and are now on display at the National Museum in Warsaw. The initial reconstruction of the cathedral was completed in 1951, when it was reconsecrated by Archbishop Stefan Wyszyński. Over the following years, additional renovations were made to the cathedral. The original conical shape of the towers was finally restored in 1991.

The Wrocław Cathedral is also home to the largest pipe organ in Poland, which was built in 1913 by E.F. Walcker & Sons of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, for the Centennial Hall. At the time of its construction, it was the largest organ in the world.

The present cathedral is a three-aisled Gothic basilica with an ambulatory, and has three entrances: the main western portal and two additional ones from the north and south. Behind the choir are the Chapel of St. Elizabeth, the Gothic Marian Chapel, and the Baroque Elector's Chapel (also known as the Chapel of Corpus Christi). The Chapel of St. John the Baptist, the Redeemer Chapel (now the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament), the Chapel of the Resurrection, and the Chapel of St. Casimir are also part of the cathedral. These chapels contain a mix of baroque, gothic and Renaissance architecture and artwork by various artists, such as Giacome Schianzi, Ercole Ferrata, and Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.