Old towns & squares

Market Square in Racibórz

The market square has been Racibórz’s central place since the Middle Ages, though its present look tells a more complicated story than most Silesian old towns. Wartime destruction consumed almost all of the original buildings, and today’s frontages are a coherent later reconstruction in a Renaissance-inspired form.

A column that remembers the 18th century

The most treasured monument on the square is the Baroque Marian Column, 14 metres tall, created in 1725–1727 by the sculptor Jan Melchior Oesterreich. The townspeople funded it as a votive offering of thanks for the withdrawal of cholera epidemics that struck the town in 1708 and 1715. At its base stand figures of St. Sebastian, St. Florian and St. Marcellus — the patron of Racibórz. A statue of St. John of Nepomuk also survives nearby.

Between two churches

From the square you can see the Gothic church of St. James, once Dominican, and the Church of the Assumption — the oldest temple in Racibórz. The eastern frontage is lined with Renaissance-style townhouses, and from the square runs Długa Street, the town’s pedestrian promenade. In the warm months the square fills with café gardens, and a stroll pairs well with a visit to the museum and the Piast castle.

In practice

The square is accessible on foot at any time of day and year; arriving by car means using the car parks around the old town. Come in the morning, when the light falls directly on the column, and afterwards sit down in one of the cafés in the eastern frontage.