Market Square in Racibórz

Racibórz Market Square (Racibórz: rah-CHEE-boorsh) is the heart of one of the oldest towns in Upper Silesia, the historic industrial and cultural region of southern Poland. It is the natural place to start if you are looking for things to do in Racibórz: a Baroque Marian column, a Gothic former Dominican church on the corner and the Piast castle a short walk away. The square also tells a striking story of wartime destruction and postwar rebuilding.

Where it is and why it matters

Racibórz lies in the far south of Silesian Voivodeship, about 80 km (50 miles) from Katowice and close to the Czech border; Katowice Airport is the nearest international gateway. For centuries the town was the seat of the Dukes of Racibórz. The chartered town was laid out before 1217 on the left bank of the Oder River, and the square was the center of its grid of streets from the start.

In the Middle Ages the middle of the square was built up, with cloth halls recorded in 1293 and a town hall in 1361. A great fire on October 8, 1488 destroyed the town hall and market stalls, and after another fire in 1722 the center was cleared. In 1846 Franz Liszt gave a piano concert in one of the houses here. In 1945, at the end of World War II, the square was badly damaged: the town hall burned and only one building, Rynek 3, survived. Bricks from the ruins were even shipped out by rail, partly to rebuild Warsaw. The frontages you see today are postwar reconstructions in a simplified Renaissance style.

The Marian Column

The highlight is the sandstone Column of Our Lady (1725–1727) by the Austrian sculptor Johann Melchior Österreich. It was funded at the wish of Maria Elisabeth von Gaschin as a thank-you for the town being spared from a plague in 1715. The Immaculate Virgin, crowned with twelve stars, stands on top. At the corners of the base are St. Florian (protector against fire), St. Sebastian (against plague) and St. Marcellus, a pope and the patron saint of Racibórz. The column was cleaned and regilded in 2021.

What else to see nearby

• St. James's Church on the northeast corner, the former Dominican church with 13th-century origins; a statue of St. John of Nepomuk from before 1720 stands by the entrance.
• Church of the Assumption, the Gothic parish church about 100 m away.
• Piast Castle, about 350 m away across the Oder, with the Gothic chapel of St. Thomas Becket.

Visiting tips

Allow 30–45 minutes for the square, the column and a look into St. James's; half a day if you add the castle and the parish church. The square is pedestrianized with cobblestone paving, benches and seasonal café gardens, so it works fine with kids and strollers. Audio tours of the Old Town are available, including a version for children. Expect most signs and staff to use Polish, so a translation app helps.

Practical information

The square is open 24/7 and free (as of October 2026). Prices in cafés are in Polish złoty (PLN). From Racibórz railway station you can walk to the center; drivers should use parking in the town center, as the square itself is car-free. A tourist information point operates in the castle at Zamkowa 2 — check its current hours before you go.

Is it worth visiting? If you are exploring Silesia or traveling between Katowice and the Czech Republic, yes: combine the square with the castle and the Eichendorff palace ruins in Łubowice, about 9 km north.