Old towns & squares

Market Square in Niemodlin

The market square in Niemodlin does not look like a classic market place — it has the shape of an elongated spindle. It is a rare example in Poland of a so-called street-square, formed by widening a through road, and the main reason to visit this Upper Silesian town in the Opole voivodeship. The original urban outline impresses regardless of the season.

Why a spindle

A street-square is a form in which the market did not originate from laying out a square, but from widening a road running through a settlement. In Niemodlin the effect is legible: the square tapers towards its ends and widens in the middle, and the frontages stand closer together than in classic chessboard layouts. Walking along the square resembles passing through the town's corridor.

Town houses and walls

Historic town houses line the square, and right next to it rises the Gothic-Baroque church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Medieval walls also adjoin the centre, recalling the town's former defensive character. Niemodlin bore the German name Falkenberg O.S. and lies in historical Upper Silesia.

In practice

Visiting the square requires no tickets — the place is open all year round and at any time, and a circuit does not take much time. It is worth noting the calm of the area: Niemodlin lies in the Opole county, away from the main routes, so the town is usually visited by those who plan their journey deliberately.