At
one time in history, I’m going to guess there were dozens and dozens of old
castles located in the Dolny Sląsk (Lower Silesia) region
of Poland – built to protect borders
and secure trading routes.
I’d
wager that guess because during my 4-day road trip here I saw 10 castles and
the badly deteriorating ruins of an 11th castle (plus palatial palaces and
historic churches). Maybe I could have seen a few more, but I was already
pushing the number of things I did during that short time. Most tourists would
have planned a saner travel schedule, but not me. This was my last BIG trip in
Poland, so I wanted to make it count!
Most
of these castles have histories dating back to the 12th to 14th
centuries when castles were needed as strongholds in the area. During the 15th
and 16th centuries, castles and palaces served as official
residences of the country’s lords and bishops. However, the importance of
defensive castles began to decline as early as the 17th century
because of advanced artillery. This issue was brought to the forefront during
the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) with the Swedes, which damaged many castles
and some were never rebuilt after the war.
In the 18th century after Silesia became part of Prussia, some of the castle
owners started rebuilding their castles into palaces while others fell into
ruin after owners left them behind. This was the case with Zamek Pankowie I came across, hidden amongst the trees.
Although some castles have faded into history, I still found plenty to see in
this picturesque part of the Lower Silesian landscape. Here is my list for 10
Must-See Castles in Lower Silesia Poland.
BTW,
zamek is the Polish word for castle,
so I’ve used that word to describe the castles.
Zamek Sobótka-Górka
Forty
minutes after leaving the Wrocław airport
with my lil red rental car, I arrived at ZamekSobótka-Górka, which operates as a hotel and restaurant. I walked in and
didn’t see anyone for a bit so I simply started wandering. This building
functioned as a Romanesque monastery, which was rebuilt several times, between
the 12th and 17th centuries. From what I understand,
there may still be a chapel on premise, but not one that I saw on my
self-guided tour. In the mid-1800s, the Prussian von Kulmitz family bought the
former monastery and had it reconstructed into a Neo-Renaissance castle.
Today,
two Romanesque lion sculptures, re-discovered during renovations, stand guard
near the entrance. This would be the perfect place for a wedding party or other
celebration!
GPS: 50.887228, 16.707851
Zamek w Domaniacach
I
couldn’t find much information about Zamek w
Domaniacach since it is closed to the public and possibly owned by
Union of Polish Scenes’ Actors. As I tried to get closer from the road to take
some photos, two dogs starting barking at me. This castle, originally built in
13th century, was remodeled extensively in the 18th and
19th centuries and has 125 rooms. This estate, surrounded by stone
defense walls with bastions, also consists of a pavilion, granary, horse
stables, guardhouse and storage buildings.
Zamek Pankowie
If
you blink, you would easily miss this stop. I almost did as I was trying to
figure out where my GPS was taking me. If you’re in the area, it’s worth a
quick peek at Zamek Pankowie, which
dates to the 14th century, near the village of Panków. The castle,
surrounded by a moat and ponds, served as a fortified manor house, a hunting
lodge and a local residence before finally being destroyed during WWII.
GPS:
50.898855, 16.527435
Zamek w Piotrowice Swidnickie
Built
between 1568-1591, Zamek w Piotrowice
Swidnickie is located 10 km north of the small town of Swidnica. This
castle features four round towers at the corners, decorated in the Renaissance
style, is privately owned and closed to the public. In fact, the castle has
served as a private residence for noble families for the past 400 years! I only
had a slight detour off the main road in order to photograph this castle from
an empty field.
Zamek Książ
Allocating
only 2 hours or so to tour Zamek Książ,
simply wasn’t enough time! Standing dramatically on a steep hill, encircled by
a gorge, the 13th century castle towers majestically over the area.
Being the third largest castle in Poland with 415 rooms, Książ is often called
“the pearl of Lower Silesia.” With so many rooms, it’s easy to see why the
castle is used as a hotel and for special events.
During
the 14th and 15th centuries, Czech and Hungarian kings
ruled the castle. In 1509, the aristocratic von Hoberg (later Hochberg) family
acquired the castle, which was continuously enlarged and remodelled until well
into the 20th century. Today, you can follow a self-guided tour through the
castle and see some of these beautifully restored rooms
The
castle features excellently manicured English-style gardens outside and is
surrounded by a forest within a 315,000-acre nature reserve.
Książ
remained in the Hochberg family until 1941 when the Nazis, under Hitler’s
direct orders, confiscated the castle and began construction of a mysterious
underground complex beneath the building and surrounding areas. The tunnels
were dug by Polish, Hungarian and Greek Jews who were prisoners of the Nazis. A
visit to the nearby underground city of Gluszyca-Osowka will give you
an idea of the giant scale of Hitler’s Project Riese, which included Książ. The
castle has a small exhibit with old photos explaining its history during WWII.
|
Check out the magnificent, restored 18th-century Maximilian Hall, which is the largest room in the castle. Don’t forget to look up and admire the ornate ceiling (designed in 1733), painted with mythological scenes. |
Zamek Grodno
Zamek Niesytno
Dating originally to the 13th century, it’s not
known who built Zamek Niesytno,
located about 10 minutes away from Bolków. The
castle, later turned into a palace, played a role in WWII when German airmen
(the Luftwaffe) resided here before joining the eastern front in battle. Unfortunately,
much of the castle lays in ruins now, but during my spring visit, builders were
working on renovation projects here.
GPS: 50.903985,
16.003548
Zamek Bolków
Originally
built in the 12th century, Zamek Bolków helped protect the
trade route to the Czech border and to Jelenia Góra. In the 16th
century, the castle was expanded to a total area of 7,600 square meters, making
it one of the largest castles in Silesia.
Although
built on a hill overlooking the small town of Bolków, the castle disappeared
from my view as I walked from the town square. I was pleasantly surprised
walking around the old ramparts and admiring the view. There was no fee on the
day I visited.
GPS: 50.921549, 16.097808
Zamek Chojnik
If
you want a difficult, 30-minute climb that leaves you scrambling over giant
boulders and exposed tree routes, hike up the black route to see Zamek Chojnik! When I stopped at the
park’s information office, I inquired about how to see the castle, and the
guide told me that the black route was “more interesting.” Now, I love hiking,
but apparently part of the trail had been washed out recently, making my solo
climb quite tough! On the way down, I took the mostly paved red route.
Once
you reach the top, you’ll find Zamek Chojnik perched on the hilltop (627m or
2,057ft) within the Karkonosze National Park, overlooking the Jelenia
Góra valley. What started as a wooden hunting lodge in 1292 turned into a huge
stone fortress. In 1392, a knight related to the noble Schaffgotsch family,
took over the castle and it remained in this family until 1945. In 1675, the
castle was struck by lightning and was never rebuilt to its former glory.
Zamek Czocha
Another
unique castle to include on your Lower Silesia road trip is the one that’s
connected to the Harry Potter series in a way. Zamek Czocha, appearing dark and gloomy from the outside, is being used
as the setting of the College of
Wizardry, a live action role-playing game (LARP) that takes place
in the Harry Potter universe. You can read more about this 18th
century castle in this blog post.
Located
at the top of an extinct volcano, Zamek Grodziec
overlooks the picturesque scenery of Lower Silesia. The castle’s history
dates back to 1155, but its present-day Gothic-Renaissance structure is from
the late 15th century when the Prince of Legnica brought in master
bricklayers from Wrocław to expand it.
In
the 19th century, the von Hochberg family from Książ took over the castle and
ordered more preservation and reconstruction work. Later after several owner
changes, German Emperor Wilhelm II was a guest during the re-opening
after the completion of renovations in 1908. The castle was later transferred
to Silesian Society of History and Antiquarianism Lovers for use as a museum,
restaurant and a hotel.
If
you’re lucky, you can stay the night at Zamek Grodziec, wander around the rooftop
ramparts like I did and watch a medieval tournament.
Which castle in Lower Silesia would be
your favorite?