Castle of the Bishops of Wrocław in Ujazd

Above the Zamkowy square in Ujazd, in the heart of the Strzelce land, rise the raw walls of the former residence of the bishops of Wrocław — one of the oldest secular strongholds of the Opole region. The castle was built in the mid-13th century and went through metamorphoses over the centuries: from a Gothic fortress, through a Renaissance residence, to a baroque palace.

From a bishops' stronghold to a palace

The castle served the bishops until 1428; in the 14th century, after the bishop lost a war with the Opole duke Bolesław III, it had to lose its fortifications — the moat, towers and defensive walls. Later it often changed private owners, and from 1843 it remained in the hands of the princely House of Hohenlohe — their family coat of arms can still be seen above the entrance gate.

The fire of 1945 and the return of the ruins

In January 1945, during the capture of the town, the castle burned down and fell into ruin for decades. The turnaround came with the revitalisation launched in 2016: the ruins were permanently secured, the cellars cleared of rubble, and a viewing platform with a walkway and information boards was attached to the walls. The once walled-up gate is passable again.

In practice

The ruins are open around the clock, all year round and free of charge, and a free parking lot waits by the site on the Zamkowy square. Combine your visit with nearby sights: Pławniowice Palace and Lake (about 9 km), the Olszowa Miniature Park and St. Anne's Hill (about 15 km). The site was entered in the monument register in 1964.