- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 13th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland
- Style
- Rococo
- Coordinates
- 50.8422°, 16.2917°
History
The first stronghold here was built in the late 13th century by Bolko I the Strict, Duke of Świdnica and Jawor. From the 16th century the castle belonged to the Hochberg family, who reworked it in Baroque style and in the early 20th century added massive neo-Renaissance wings. Its best-known chatelaine was the English-born Princess Daisy von Pless, whose diaries chronicled aristocratic life before the First World War. In 1941 the Nazis seized the castle and began tunnelling beneath it as part of Project Riese, and in 1945 Soviet troops looted it. Restored after decades of neglect, it is now owned by the city of Wałbrzych and used as a museum and cultural venue.
What to see
The showpiece interior is the Baroque Maximilian Hall with its painted ceiling, while terraced gardens with fountains step down towards the gorge. A section of the wartime tunnels under the courtyard can be explored on a guided route. Nearby, the palm house in Lubiechów and the historic stud farm make good additions to a visit.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q738109
Popularity: articles about this site in 34 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).