Przemyśl Market Square

Przemyśl Market Square (Rynek, say "RIH-nek"; the town is "PSHEH-mishl") is the heart of the old town of Przemyśl in southeastern Poland and one of the most unusual town squares in the country. Instead of a flat plaza, it slopes noticeably down a hillside, lined with colorful 16th- and 17th-century townhouses. Within a few hundred yards you will find the town's cathedrals, churches, the Clock Tower and the castle, so this is the natural starting point for anyone looking for things to do in Przemyśl – plus a café terrace and a bronze statue of the Good Soldier Švejk.

One of Poland's oldest towns

Przemyśl is one of the oldest towns in Poland: it first appears in the Rus' chronicle of Nestor under the year 981. It received town rights under Magdeburg law before 1320, confirmed by King Władysław Jagiełło in 1389. Four streets led into the square, dividing the town into quarters.

A town hall stood in the middle of the square from at least the early 1400s, rebuilt in Renaissance style in 1563. Around it were butchers' stalls, the town scales, a pillory and a well. The Austrians, who ruled this part of Poland from 1772, demolished the town hall around 1812; we know what it looked like thanks to a 1618 engraving by Hogenberg and an 18th-century fresco in the nearby Franciscan church.

The townhouses

Houses survive on three sides of the square; the fourth (western) side was lost partly to demolition around 1800 and partly to fighting in June 1941. The buildings date back to the 16th–17th centuries and many keep their arcades. After a fire in 1638, second floors were added, and most facades were remodeled in the 19th century. Look out for:

• No. 9, the Brzykowski House, with 16th-century cellars, now the Museum of the History of Przemyśl (burghers' interiors, an old photo studio, a historic classroom).
• No. 17, with a Renaissance stone doorway from about 1560 and a Latin inscription, the only one of its kind left in town.
• No. 1, the town hall offices today.
• No. 5, with sculptures on its facade.

The Good Soldier Švejk

Czech writer Jaroslav Hašek set part of The Good Soldier Švejk in Przemyśl, which was then a key Austro-Hungarian fortress; in the novel Švejk turns up here in July 1915. Since 2008 a bronze Švejk has sat on an ammunition crate by the square, holding a beer mug and a pipe – a favorite photo stop. Every March 19, people named Józef or Józefa gather by the statue to celebrate their name day. The whole old town has been a national Monument of History since 2018.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

The square is public space: free and open 24/7. Half an hour is enough for the square itself, but allow half a day if you add the museums and churches nearby. The cobbles are steep, so strollers and wheelchairs can struggle, and they get slippery in winter.

The Museum of the History of Przemyśl at No. 9 is open Tuesday–Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–3 p.m., closed Mondays; a regular ticket costs 22 PLN, and entry is free on Wednesdays.

How to get to Przemyśl

Przemyśl is about 155 miles (250 km) east of Kraków via the A4 motorway (around three hours by car) and has direct trains from Kraków and Rzeszów; the nearest airport is Rzeszów-Jasionka (RZE). The square is a 15-minute walk from the main station. Streets around it are narrow and steep with little parking, so it is easier to leave the car a little farther out and walk.

Nearby

• Bell and Pipe Museum in the Clock Tower, with a viewing gallery.
• National Museum of the Przemyśl Land, a few minutes away.
• Przemyśl Castle on the hill above the old town.
• Tatar Mound – the best panorama of the town.
• The Franciscan church just above the square and the Roman Catholic cathedral.