- Type
- Ruin
- Location
- Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland
- Style
- Gothic art
- Coordinates
- 50.9216°, 16.0978°
History
The castle on the hill above the Nysa Szalona river is first recorded in 1277, under Duke Bolesław II the Bald of Legnica. His son Bolko I the Strict enlarged it as part of a chain of Sudeten strongholds guarding the Duchy of Świdnica-Jawor, and under Bolko II the Small it was a leading ducal seat and probably the treasury. After the death of Bolko II's widow in 1392 it passed to the kings of Bohemia. In 1539–1540 the Bishop of Wrocław had it remodelled to plans by Jacopo Parr, adding courtyards with artillery towers. The Swedes took it in 1646, and in 1703 it was bought by the Cistercians of Krzeszów. After secularisation in 1810 it passed to the Prussian state and fell into decay.
What to see
The ruins crown a rocky hill above the town that drops in a sheer cliff to the Nysa Szalona valley. The highlight is the stone tower with its sharp wedge facing the most exposed side – visitors can climb to the top for a view over the Kaczawa Foothills. A partly rebuilt residential building, the Ladies' House, holds an exhibition, and every summer the courtyards host the Castle Party gothic music festival.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q891409
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