Ducal Stables in Pszczyna

The ducal horses of Pszczyna lived in a Gothic Revival hall with rib vaults resting on cast-iron columns, each in one of 36 stalls – the interior looks more like a church than a stable block. The Ducal Stables on ul. Basztowa, a few steps from the castle on the park side, are now a branch of the Castle Museum, with a hunting exhibition, historic carriages and a space for temporary shows.

History: the service wing of the Hochberg residence

Pszczyna Castle and its surroundings changed many times over the centuries; the present layout of the complex took shape in the 1860s and 1870s. That is when the residence's service buildings went up: first the carriage house in 1864, then, a year later, the Romanesque Revival stables, built in 1865–1866 to a design by Olivier Pavelt. The two buildings form a stylistic whole. The complex also includes a riding hall.

On the central axis of the stable façade is a projecting bay with a Romanesque Revival portal, and in the triangular pediment a roundel with a horse's head. Inside is a three-aisled hall with the stalls in two rows; the same layout was repeated on the residential upper floor.

What to see

• The stable hall, with cast-iron columns, rib vaults and wooden stalls.
• The exhibition "Na łów, na łów, towarzyszu mój" ("To the hunt, my companion") about the Pszczyna forests, their game, hunting and the hunting staff, with sporting guns, trophies and archive photographs.
• Historic horse-drawn carriages: a Clarence coach from the early 20th century made by Jos. Neuss of Berlin, and a "Mylord" carriage of the same period made in Bohemia. Both are on loan from the Łańcut Castle Museum.
• Temporary exhibitions, such as "Sztuka młodych" (young artists).

Interesting facts

Hunting was Pszczyna's calling card, which is why the hunting exhibition is housed right here in the stables, next to where the ducal carriages once set off. The horse's head in the pediment is the quickest way to tell the stables from the neighbouring carriage house. The Castle Museum they belong to celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2026: the castle opened to the public on 9 May 1946.

Tripto tip

According to the museum's website, from September to November 2026 the Ducal Stables are open Tuesday to Friday (Tuesday 10:00–15:00, Wednesday–Friday 9:00–16:00) and 10:00–17:00 at weekends; they are closed on Mondays. Tuesday is a free-admission day for individual visitors without a guide, but the number of daily tickets is limited. Allow 45–60 minutes for the stables.

Address: ul. Basztowa 6–8, Pszczyna. It is easiest to combine the visit with the castle and a walk in the castle park – the stables stand by a pond on the park side of the complex, a short walk from the castle and the market square.