St. George’s Church was erected on the site of a former Teutonic outpost. This temple was built by the Teutonic Knights in the second half of the 14th century, and enlarged at the beginning of the 15th century. It is surrounded by the remains of walls and towers. The church is an interesting example of sacral defensive architecture. Inside, the presbytery is offset from the axis of the main nave – this is the effect of reconstruction work conducted after a fire in 1500, which damaged part of the temple. An undoubted attraction of the Basilica is a high-quality crystal vault created in 1515 by that Gdańsk master, Matz. The Basilica has other important relics, including a mannerist lectern dating back to 1594, with scenes from the Judgement Day and the Meeting of Christ with Two Apostles on the Road to Emmaus, and historic organs from 1721 which nowadays have 43 notes. Currently, St. George’s Church is called Basilica Minor, and functions as a collegiate church. In the tourist season, it is possible to admire the view over Kętrzyn and its vicinity from the church tower.
