Castle Chapel of St Thomas Becket in Racibórz

The Castle Chapel of St. Thomas Becket in Racibórz (rah-CHEE-boosh) is the Gothic jewel of the town's Piast Castle, often called the "pearl of Silesian Gothic" and the "Silesian Sainte-Chapelle." Built in the late 13th century and dedicated, unusually for Central Europe, to the martyred Archbishop of Canterbury, it was beautifully restored by 2016. Best of all, the interior is free to visit — an easy and rewarding stop in southern Poland near the Czech border.

Where it is

Racibórz sits on the Oder River in Upper Silesia, about 60 km west of Katowice, roughly 30 km from Ostrava in the Czech Republic, and about 125 km west of Kraków as the crow flies. The castle stands at 2 Zamkowa Street in the Ostróg district, across the river from the old town. Parking is available on Zamkowa Street and at 246 Karola Street; entry to the courtyard by car needs permission.

A chapel born of a peace deal

According to the castle museum, the chapel was built around 1290 as a monument to the reconciliation between Duke Henry IV Probus and Thomas II, Bishop of Wrocław, regarded as its founder. Why Becket? The English saint, murdered in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170, was a symbol of the Church standing up to secular rulers — a fitting patron after a bitter dispute between duke and bishop. Until 1416 the chapel served as a collegiate church, kept relics of the True Cross and drew pilgrims for centuries. The "Sainte-Chapelle" nickname, comparing it to Louis IX's royal chapel in Paris, was coined by art historian Gwido Chmarzyński in the 1950s.

What to see

• tall Gothic windows with tracery and a rib vault with fragments of painted decoration;
• the canons' sedilia and carved stone corbels;
• a medieval passage inside the east wall, exposed during restoration;
• 19th-century furnishings, including oak pews, a large altarpiece by Jan Bochenek and two statues of saints;
• a Gothic Revival gallery with a tracery balustrade.

Restoration

Between 2011 and 2016 the county authority spent over PLN 2.8 million restoring the roof, turret, vault, portals and stained glass. In 2017 the project received a national "Well-Kept Monument" award from Poland's General Conservator. Concerts, poetry evenings and occasional services are held here.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026, per the castle's website:

• Chapel: free entry, no ticket needed; the chapel page lists 10 am–6 pm.
• Castle: Tuesday–Thursday 8 am–6 pm, Friday 8 am–10 pm, Saturday–Sunday 8 am–8 pm; no Monday hours are listed. Closed on January 1, November 1 and over Christmas.
• Castle exhibitions: ducal house plus malt house PLN 40 (reduced PLN 20), family ticket PLN 70. Audio guides are offered, and the website has an English version.

Contact: +48 32 700 60 52, pit@zamekpiastowski.pl.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes. The chapel alone takes 20–30 minutes; allow 2–3 hours with the castle's exhibitions, including a multimedia show on medieval Upper Silesia, and finish at the castle brewery. English visitors will enjoy finding Canterbury's saint honored so far from Kent.