Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
9 days ago
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
9 days ago
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
9 days ago
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
10 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Poland Warsaw Old Town Wishing Bell

Old Town Wishing Bell

This bell stars in a tragic love tale and is said to make wishes come true.

Warsaw, Poland

Added By
CoolCrab
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Old Town Wishing Bell.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Old Town Wishing Bell.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Old Town Wishing Bell.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Old Town Wishing Bell.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Old Town Wishing Bell.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  michellepercha / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

When walking through Warsaw's Old Town, you’ll come across many beautiful buildings and objects all over the place. Each one has its own intriguing history, and this old wishing bell is no exception.

This overlooked relic of the past stems from the 17th century. But its age isn’t what’s so enchanting about the bell, as it’s also a key feature in a local fairytale with a tragic ending.

According to the love legend, a young bellmaker named Kajetan was in love with Marynia, the daughter of a bellmaker. Both wished to mary, but fate would not have it.

Kajetan had a rival, a bell maker's apprentice named Hans. Hans was a selfish man who also wished to mary Marynia and take over her father’s business. When Hans learned of Marynia's love for Kajetan, he became enraged and decided to kill him.

Hans laced Kajetan’s wine with arsenic, and on top of that, added tin into the bronze mixture that Marynia's father was making for an important bell commission. Then, to lower suspicion against him, he proclaimed his love for another girl and left town for a while, hoping to have both the job and the girl when he returned.

Legend says that at the same moment that the completed bell was rung, the instrument broke and Kajetan died from the poison. But Hans didn’t get either the job or the girl. Marynia’s father kept his job. And Marynia became so heartbroken that she joined a convent. Hans eventually went insane and died by suicide.

The bell was placed on the square as decoration, never to ring again. It’s said that any prayer said at the structure will go straight to heaven. It’s also said that the ghosts of Kajetan and Hans visit the bell at midnight on the last night of October. Tour guides like to tell tourists that if you touch the bell while walking around it, your wish will be granted.

Related Tags

Roadside Attractions Legends Love Luck

Know Before You Go

The bell is freely accessible. It is located behind the cathedral.

Community Contributors

Added By

CoolCrab

Edited By

michellepercha

  • michellepercha

Published

February 15, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://imgur.com/a/ghaGoB9
  • https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g274856-d12851543-Reviews-The_Wishing_Bell-Warsaw_Mazovia_Province_Central_Poland.html
  • http://imit.org.pl/uploads/materials/files/Charles%20Bodman%20Rae%20-The%20research%20projekt%20Music%20blank%20pages%203rd%20edition.pdf
Old Town Wishing Bell
10 Kanonia
Warsaw, 00-401
Poland
52.249279, 21.013977
Get Directions

Nearby Places

St John’s Arch Cathedral

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

Gnojna Góra (Dung Hill Lookout Point)

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

The Warsaw Basilisk

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Warsaw

Warsaw

Poland

Places 41
Stories 2

Nearby Places

St John’s Arch Cathedral

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

Gnojna Góra (Dung Hill Lookout Point)

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

The Warsaw Basilisk

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Warsaw

Warsaw

Poland

Places 41
Stories 2

Related Places

  • The Golden Dove up close

    Darłowo, Poland

    King Eric's Golden Dove

    This statue is said to bring good luck to visiting lovebirds.

  • The cathedral exterior.

    Genoa, Italy

    Genoa Cathedral

    This cathedral hides a sculpted dog that determines your fate and an unexploded shell from World War II.

  • The grave of the Hel-horse.

    Roskilde, Denmark

    Grave of the Hel-Horse

    According to legend, this is the burial place of a mythical three-legged death omen horse.

  • An overview of the twin lakes in the lush laurel forest.

    São Miguel, Portugal

    Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lagoon of the Seven Cities)

    Legend has it the lovelorn tears of a princess and a shepherd boy formed the blue and green twin lakes in the Azores archipelago.

  • This is Forest, a gigantic Bigfoot figure at the Bigfoot Crossroads of America Museum, created in the home of Bigfoot true believer Harriett McFeely in Hastings, Nebraska.

    Hastings, Nebraska

    Bigfoot Crossroads of America

    This museum started by a curious collector is now a place for believers and skeptics alike.

  • Budapest, Hungary

    Prince of Buda and Princess of Pest Statue

    On Gellért Hill, this statue depicts the tragic tale of lovers divided by the Danube.

  • The Loch-Eel Monster - the OG

    Lochiel, Australia

    Lake Bumbunga

    This salt lake in South Australia features seasonal color changes and its very own loch monster.

  • A closer look at the stone

    Shiroishi, Japan

    Shinseki Shiroishi (God Stone of Shiroishi)

    A town's namesake rock has served as a spiritual matchmaker for hundreds of years.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.