Castles in Lower Silesia are one of the main landmarks of the Lower Silesian Voivodship. There is nothing surprising about this, as there are many beautiful and unique fortresses and palaces here. Some of them are ruins, while others have come under the wings of the right people or institutions who have been able to preserve their splendour. In this post, we will show you 5 castles in Lower Silesia which, in our opinion, should be visited when planning a tour of this voivodeship.
We want to show not only these popular castles, but also those less known which, we think, should get a bit more attention. We hope you will enjoy this list.
Grodziec Castle - a knightly fortress on top of an extinct volcano
The first castle we would like to recommend to you to visit in Lower Silesia is Grodziec Castle located in the Kaczawskie Mountains near the town of Legnica. For us, it is a fortress that is the quintessence of a real, knightly castle. The high ramparts and observation tower allow you to see a beautiful panorama of the surrounding area.
In addition, the interior of the castle itself is maintained in an ancient style. You will find there, among other things, a knights’ hall, torture chamber, chapel, royal rooms and much more.
A very important part of the castle are the numerous events that are organised by the owner of the object. We often see information about a new event at the castle. These range from knightly tournaments to a witch’s rally. We, for example, had the opportunity to participate in the Opening of the Tourist Season in Lower Silesia in 2023. So there is quite a lot going on here and we recommend watching the profile of Grodziec Castle to keep up to date with them.
If you are curious to know a little more about the history of this castle and what it is like to visit it, we invite you to read a dedicated entry about the site: Grodziec Castle – a knightly fortress on top of an extinct volcano.
Książ Castle in Wałbrzych - the most popular castle in Lower Silesia
This castle cannot be missing from any list about castles in Lower Silesia. The Książ castle is one of the most famous buildings of its kind in Poland and proudly wears the crown of the most popular castle in Lower Silesia – and nobody can take this title away from it.
For us, Książ Castle also has a sentimental value. It was here that we had our high school graduation party when we were in high school. A celebration in such an august place is something really special.
The Książ Castle is not only a unique fortress, but also a very rich treasury of historical knowledge about the area and the perturbations it has undergone. It is not without reason that Książ Castle is called the „Key to Silesia”. It has been a strategic point for a very long time.
If you would like to find out more about this remarkable castle, please read our entry: Książ Castle – the most famous castle in Lower Silesia.
Bolków Castle - a place worth seeing while driving along the S3 road
Bolków Castle is one of the castles that we pass very often on our way to the mountains. Bolków is located by the S3 expressway, which is to improve the connection with Czech Republic.
Bolków Castle is one of the oldest and most interesting preserved monuments of medieval defensive architecture in Poland. The building was erected on Castle Hill (German: Burgberg, 396 m above sea level), the slope of which breaks away from the Nysa Madona River with a sharp cliff (height difference: 90 m), and the gentle eastern slope is occupied by the town. It was particularly this view of Bolkow’s red roofs that appealed to us most.
We can definitely say that Bolków Castle is one of the most beautifully situated castles in Lower Silesia and it is definitely worth planning to visit it while being the Lower Silesian region.
What is more, the castle is a place of many cultural events and it is definitely worth watching the official profiles of Bolkow Castle to keep up with them.
Grodno Castle - a castle perfect for autumn and a tour of the Riese / Giant project
In our opinion, it is worth visiting the most in autumn, when leaves on the trees take on different colours, which looks great from the observation tower. In addition, due to the fact that the castle was built in the 14th century, it is a huge treasury of knowledge about the region, which is worth getting to know.
A visit to Grodno Castle should be combined with a visit to nearby Walim and the „Rzeczka” complex, which is part of the mysterious Riese / Giant project, which was carried out by the Third Reich in the Owl Mountains.
Wleń Castle / Lenno - the oldest masonry castle in Lower Silesia
Wleń Castle or Lenno Castle is the oldest masonry fortress in Lower Silesia and has been towering over the town of Wleń for over 850 years.
The main attraction of the Lenno Castle is the hexagonal defence tower. The 100 or so stairs running in a spiral upwards make it possible to get quite breathless. However, the view from the tower is really worth going so high. The snow-covered Karkonosze Mountains and the towering Śnieżka Mountain were clearly visible. An ideal spot for all viewing tower maniacs and those in search of beautiful landscape shots. The village of Wleń, with the river Bóbr flowing, was also very well presented.
Interestingly, the Lenno Castle was one of the few fortresses to survive almost undamaged during the Hussite wars. Travelling around Lower Silesian castles, one can often come across information that a fortress finished its years of splendour during the Thirty Years’ War and the Hussite Wars. Lenno Castle, however, came out of them unscathed and was not conquered.
Summary and interactive map
Here are 5 castles in Lower Silesia that we wanted to present in this article. Lower Silesia is full of castles and we will certainly create another small summary in the future, in which we will present other fortresses worth visiting.
We are curious what other castles you think deserve better recognition? If you have any in mind, please let us know in the comments!
Below you will find an interactive map with the locations of the castles we present, to help you plan your trip to them. See you on the trail!
