Old towns & squares

Market Square in Nysa

The market square in Nysa is a medieval marketplace measuring about 200 by 100 metres, shaped like a rectangle rounded at the south-western corner. The heart of the city still sets the direction of first strolls: historic, beautifully restored town houses stand here, and the inner part of the square is mostly built up.

Traces of former splendour

The oldest town houses date from the 15th century, although they were rebuilt many times. The Municipal Weighing House from the early 17th century deserves attention, erected in the style of northern Renaissance. After war damage it underwent a thorough renovation and today presents itself as a late-Renaissance and Mannerist, two-storey gabled building with arcaded ground floors.

A rebuilt city

The war left a deep mark: post-war blocks dominate the buildings surrounding the square, and modern structures were modelled on the old architecture — among them stands the rebuilt town hall with its viewing tower. The northern, short side of the square is closed by the church of St James with a free-standing belfry, and the inner part is complemented by the Triton Fountain.

In practice

The square is open at any time, without tickets. A stroll links the square with the adjacent streets, which also hold monuments — a circuit of the most important points takes about an hour. Nysa rewards those who leave themselves time: it is a city in which the layers of reconstruction and history can be read directly on the town houses.