Town Walls of Strzelce Opolskie

Medieval Strzelce Opolskie was surprisingly small: from the Opole Gate to the Kraków Gate was just 250 m, and the whole wall circuit was about 900 m long, enclosing under 6 hectares. To the south the town was protected by the castle and by marshy ground crossed by streams, to the north-east by a moat fed from a nearby brook. Four sections of wall survive, along with a Gothic tower next to St Lawrence's Church that was turned into a bell tower.

History: a town beside a castle

Strzelce was most likely granted town rights in 1290 by Duke Bolko I of Opole, and again under Magdeburg law in 1362. The walls are first recorded in 1327; on both sides they joined the ducal castle in the southern part of town. They were 0.9 to 1.3 m thick and over 6 m high, with a wall-walk for defenders along the top. A moat ran in front of the wall, and only two gates – the Opole Gate and the Kraków Gate, small square buildings – led into town. To the south, between the castle and the marshes, an earth rampart 7 m wide with two lines of ditches gave extra protection.

The 19th century broke the circuit. When the road from Opole to Bytom was built, the wall between the Opole Gate and the castle was cut through. In 1825–1826 the Protestant Church of Corpus Christi went up right next to the old defences, and around 1837 work began opposite it, beside the medieval walls, on a chapel and mausoleum for the Renard family, owners of the estate.

What to see

• The tower-turned-belfry by St Lawrence's Church – a 15th-century defensive tower converted into a bell tower around 1700. The lower part is rectangular and built of stone, the two upper storeys are octagonal with brick at the top, and it is crowned by a broken, eight-sided slate roof. It is the most distinctive relic of the old fortifications.
• Sections of wall on the eastern and western sides of the former circuit, including on ul. Opolska opposite the Church of Corpus Christi, towards the castle, and on ul. Kościuszki.
• The castle ruins from the 14th century – the former seat of the dukes of Strzelce, burned by Soviet troops in 1945.

Did you know?

The area around Strzelce is rich in limestone, so the walls and towers were built of local limestone, with brick used only for details and upper sections. The same local style – rough limestone with red brick trim – can be seen in many buildings across the region.

Tripto tip

The walls are viewed from outside, free of charge and at any time. Start at St Lawrence's Church with its belfry, walk along ul. Kościuszki and then ul. Opolska towards the Church of Corpus Christi and the castle ruins. A loop around the old circuit takes about an hour – the medieval town really was tiny.