The historic St. Mary's Church in Ystad was built in the 13th century, making it one of the oldest brick churches in Skåne. The church pulpit is one of the most valuable baroque works in the region. It was built in the 17th century of limestone and wood. It is also worth paying attention to the baroque altar from the 18th century.
The first church on this site was a Romanesque temple, then expanded in the Gothic style. Its elements, including a single vault with paintings, have survived to this day. Over the following centuries, the church was expanded until it achieved its modern appearance. The baroque tower was added in the 18th century.
Every night a guard watches over the city in the tower. Between 21.15 and 1.00 a bugle call can be heard every quarter of an hour. This tradition dates back to 1748. Watchmen were tasked with looking out for fires or other dangers. Until the mid-19th century, they faced the death penalty for neglecting this obligation.