Old towns & squares

Market Square in Świdnica

The market square of Świdnica is the heart of an urban ensemble that specialists rank as the most valuable in all of Lower Silesia, comparing the old town with Kraków and Toruń. The war spared the town, so townhouses with relics of Gothic walls survived in good condition and, after renovation, show a rich palette of colours.

The town hall and the viewing tower

In the middle of the square stands the town hall, whose history reaches back to the 13th century and the times of the Duchy of Świdnica-Jawór. Inside, the Gothic Council Chamber survives with a cross-ribbed vault and traces of medieval paintings; from 1663 it served as a chapel. At Rynek 37 operates the Museum of Old Commerce (founded 1967) with old cash registers, scales and reconstructions of historic shop interiors. The town hall tower — after collapsing in 1967 — was rebuilt in 2012; the upper terrace sits at almost 40 metres, and in good weather you can see Ślęża and Śnieżka from it.

A column and Neptune

On the square stand the Baroque Holy Trinity column of 1693 in red sandstone, funded by the starosta of Świdnica-Jawór, Joachim von Sinzendorf, and the Neptune well of 1732.

In practice

Cafés and restaurants operate around the square, and a visit pairs excellently with the Church of Peace (0.5 km), a UNESCO World Heritage site. The tower is entered from Wewnętrzna Street — the lower terrace has a lift, and two flights of stairs lead to the upper one.