Moszna Castle

Moszna Castle (pronounced roughly "MOSH-nah") is a fairy-tale palace in southern Poland's Opole region and one of the most photographed residences in the country. Built up over two centuries by the wealthy Tiele-Winckler family, it bristles with towers and turrets that mix Baroque, Gothic Revival and Renaissance Revival styles. Around it spreads a landscape park of more than 100 hectares with canals, old oaks and spring azaleas. You can tour the state rooms, climb the towers, stay overnight in the castle hotel or, in winter, walk through a light festival.

Where it is and how to get there

The castle stands in the village of Moszna in Upper Silesia, about 35 km (22 miles) south of Opole, between the towns of Krapkowice and Prudnik. By car it is roughly 120 km from Wrocław and 110 km from Katowice; both cities have international airports. The quickest route is the A4 motorway, leaving it near Krapkowice. Public transport to the village is limited, so a car or an organized tour is the practical choice.

Until 1945 this region belonged to Germany, and the village is officially bilingual today – its German name, Moschen, appears on signs alongside the Polish one.

A short history

In the early 17th century the estate belonged to the Counts of Proskau and later to the Seherr-Thoss family. In 1866 it was bought by the Silesian industrialist Hubert von Tiele-Winckler, whose family made Moszna its main seat. After a fire badly damaged the Baroque palace in 1896, his son Franz Hubert rebuilt and greatly enlarged it: a Gothic Revival east wing with an orangery went up around 1900, and a Renaissance Revival west wing was added just before World War I. Kaiser Wilhelm II came here for hunting parties.

The castle survived World War II intact, but in 1945 Soviet troops looted or destroyed most of its furnishings. Nationalized after the war, it later served as a sanatorium and, from 1996 to 2013, as a psychotherapy clinic. Since 2013 it has been run by a company owned by the Opole regional government, which operates the hotel, restaurant and visitor routes.

You will often read that Moszna has 99 towers and 365 rooms. These figures are part of the castle's legend – counts depend on what you call a tower – but the building is undeniably huge, with about 8,000 m² of floor space.

What to see

• State rooms – including the former chapel, now used for concerts. Visit with a guide or on your own with the free SmartGuide audio app.
• Towers – a separate route with views over the park; stairs only.
• The park – a Baroque main axis, an Italian-style garden with a fountain, 19th-century canals and bridges, centuries-old oaks and linden avenues. Azaleas and rhododendrons bloom in May and June, when the castle hosts its annual azalea music festival.
• Orangery and family cemetery – the Tiele-Winckler graves lie at the end of the linden avenue beyond the fountain.

Tickets and opening hours (as of October 2026)

April–October season (adult / reduced):

• Park: PLN 24 / 14; Monday–Thursday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Friday–Sunday 8:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
• Towers + park: PLN 44 / 28; daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Guided state rooms + park: PLN 57 / 37.
• Self-guided state rooms + park: PLN 52 / 32.
• Towers + rooms + park: PLN 72 / 46.

Winter 2026/27: from November 7, 2026 to February 14, 2027 the park opens daily 4–9 p.m. for the "Gardens of Light" illuminations (PLN 45 / 39, tickets on sale from 2 p.m., including a guided tour of the rooms 2–4:15 p.m.). Daytime guided tours of the rooms run 9 a.m.–1:15 p.m. (last entry) for PLN 33 / 23. Children under 3 go free. The castle reserves the right to change hours, so check bilety.mosznazamek.pl before you go. A Christmas market is scheduled for December 11–13, 2026.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially if you are already in Silesia: few places in Central Europe look this theatrical. Allow 2–3 hours for the park and rooms, half a day if you add the towers. Come in May for the azaleas, at sunset for reflections in the canal, or on a winter evening for the light show. The tower route is not suitable for visitors with limited mobility. On-site options include a restaurant serving Silesian dishes, a café terrace and a small hotel. Contact: ul. Zamkowa 1, Moszna, phone +48 77 552 07 77. The official website is mosznazamek.pl (note: no hyphen).

Nearby

A state horse stud founded in 1948 operates on part of the former estate. St. Anne's Mountain, Upper Silesia's major pilgrimage site, is about 40 km away, and the castle town of Głogówek is close by.

Tickets, opening hours and getting there 2026

• Parking: the castle provides no parking for individual visitors or tour groups; spaces on the grounds are reserved for overnight hotel guests (as of October 2026).
• Gardens of Light: arrive early and allow time to find a parking space and walk to the meeting point.
• Drones: flights over the park only with prior permission, after showing the documents at the castle reception.