Castles and Palaces of Lower Silesia – Part 2 (Kamieniec Ząbkowicki – Brzeg – Kopice – Oleśnica)

Rich and diverse Silesia has for centuries been at the center of events shaping Central Europe. Because it lies at the junction of Polish, Czech, Austrian and Prussian influences, you can find traces of development, beauty and wealth, as well as wars and devastation — recorded in dozens of castles, residential towers and hundreds of palaces and manor houses.

We will visit the most beautiful strongholds belonging to the Piast dynasty, learn the history of remarkable Silesian noble families and the life story of a woman who was ahead of her time. The natural beauty of the Barycz Valley and the natural wonders of the palace parks and gardens will enrich our experience during the trip. Staying overnight in Wrocław — the historical capital of Silesia — we will also have the opportunity for an evening guided tour of the city.

PROGRAM:

• 1st DAY, 22 MAY 2026 (SATURDAY):
  • Meeting on 22.05 (Friday) 5:30 at PKiN on the parking lot opposite Kinoteka. Departure towards Wrocław.
  • Marianna Orański’s Palace in Kamieniec Ząbkowicki — a tour of the monumental residence initiated by Marianna Orański. We will learn the story of the Dutch princess, her social activities, moral scandals and the determination that accompanied the construction of the neo-Gothic colossus for more than three decades. We will walk through the corridors of the building and hear anecdotes about the palace’s vastness and the surprising fate of the marbles that after the war ended up in the Warsaw Congress Hall.
  • Ząbkowice Śląskie — a confrontation with Poland’s “leaning tower” (tilt from the vertical exceeding two meters), visiting the former cloth halls, the oldest pharmacy in the town and the ruins of a 14th-century castle; stories about robber knights, executioners, a gravedigger and plagues that inspired local tales.
  • Arboretum in Wojsławice — the largest collection in Poland of rhododendrons of the historic Lusatian variety and an extensive orchard of old cherry cultivars.
  • Transfer to the hotel, check-in, free time for dinner on your own. Our guides and tour leader will point out places where you can eat well.
• 2nd DAY, 23 MAY 2026 (SATURDAY):
  • Breakfast, transfer to Brzeg.
  • Brzeg — city tour: the Gothic St. Nicholas church, the late Baroque former Jesuit church and the Piast Dukes’ Castle known as the “Silesian Wawel”. A Renaissance residence with a unique entrance gate façade decorated with carved portraits of rulers from the Piast dynasty; a walk through the arcaded courtyard and stories about its significance in the region.
  • Schaffgotsch Palace in Kopice — the story of Joanna Gryczik (“the Silesian Cinderella”), who after inheriting a fortune co-created the neo-Gothic residence here; although the palace suffered a tragic fire in 1956 and remains in ruins, its form and details still inspire admiration.
  • Castle of the Dukes of Niemodlin — one of the most powerful ducal residences in Silesia: a 700-year history combining Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque; a Renaissance courtyard with arcades, dungeons with a torture chamber, an armory and the “Stone of Power”; a filming location for Jan Jakub Kolski’s film “Jasminum”.
  • Transfer to the hotel. For those interested, an evening guided tour of Wrocław: Przedmieście Świdnickie, the Royal Palace, Schaffgotsch Palace, the Old Town, Zaułek and Solny Square, the market square with the town hall.
• 3rd DAY, 24 MAY 2026 (SUNDAY):
  • Breakfast, hotel check-out.
  • Hatzfeldt Palace in Żmigród — a walk by the Baroque “intentional ruin” partly designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans; a Renaissance residential tower from 1560 and coat-of-arms plates of the von Kurzbach and von Maltzahn families. To conclude, a walk through the picturesque Barycz Valley.
  • Castle of the Dukes of Oleśnica — an impressive residence rebuilt from Gothic through Renaissance to Mannerist elements; two-story cloisters, sgraffito decorations, the Widows’ Palace with a Mannerist forecourt and a powerful castle tower. The complex connected with the Basilica of St. John survived almost intact after World War II.
  • A walk around Oleśnica and free time for a meal on your own.
  • Departure for the return trip at 17:00. Return to Warsaw around 22:00.

Price: 980 zł/person + entrance tickets to visited sites.

REGISTRATION: https://poludnik21.pl/

You are warmly invited!