Zamek na Skale (Castle on the Rock), Trzebieszowice

In August 1813 King Frederick William III of Prussia came to this palace on the Biała Lądecka river to celebrate his birthday – and Tsar Alexander I was among the guests. Today the residence in Trzebieszowice goes by the name Zamek na Skale ("Castle on the Rock") and operates as a hotel, but its interiors can be seen on a guided tour. Medieval cellars, Renaissance coats of arms, Baroque and Art Nouveau all meet under one roof.

From stronghold to Renaissance manor

The palace stands on a rocky bend of the Biała Lądecka, in the valley between Kłodzko and the spa town of Lądek-Zdrój. In the 15th century a fortified knight's seat of stone and timber stood here – sections of its stone walls survive in the cellars. In the 16th century a Renaissance manor with an inner courtyard began to rise on the ruins; it was built in stages between 1550 and 1625, and the main building was finished in 1613. The owners were the Kłodzko line of the von Reichenbach family: on the river front you can spot coats of arms dated 1583, marking the marriage of Sigismund von Reichenbach and Margarethe von Ratschin, and above the doorway of the east wing the family crest with the date 1613.

The Wallis family and a royal birthday

At the end of the 17th century the estate was bought by the imperial general Georg Olivier von Wallis, from a family of Irish origin. The Wallises gave the manor a Baroque makeover and added a new riverside wing with stables, a two-storey orangery and a tower; Trzebieszowice became their main seat in the Kłodzko region. According to the castle's own history, when Frederick the Great came to Lądek for a cure in 1765, the spa borrowed furniture and curtains from here to receive the king in style. In 1783 the estate was sold to Count von Schlabrendorf, and on 3 August 1813 Frederick William III's birthday was celebrated here in the presence of the Tsar.

An Art Nouveau finale

The last major rebuilding, in 1903–1905, was commissioned by the Harbuval-Chamaré family. The courtyard was covered with a glass roof, salons in Art Nouveau and Neo-Renaissance style were created, and a richly carved wooden staircase recalling Viennese Baroque was installed. The most famous detail is an inlaid door with a relief of a woman's head – said to be the young lady of the house, Wanda – designed by Alphonse Mucha. After 1945 the building housed a psychiatric hospital, a state farm and a holiday centre, among other things; in 2004 a private investor bought it and, after restoration, opened a hotel.

What the tour covers

The guided tour lasts about an hour and includes the defensive tower, the Baroque Hall, the Art Nouveau Salon, the Mirror Salon, the Neo-Rococo room, the staircase and the courtyard. Guides also point out what they describe as the oldest electric lamp in Lower Silesia and a courtyard roof built by one of the firms that worked on the Eiffel Tower. On your own you can explore the historic park, laid out before 1720, and a cave hidden in the rock beneath the castle.

Tripto tip

The tour costs PLN 30 (seniors, children up to 12 and groups of 6+ PLN 25, hotel guests PLN 25); there is also a night tour for PLN 40 and an option with a treasure-hunt game for an extra PLN 5 (prices from the castle website, October 2026). Tour times are set by reception: tel. +48 74 865 20 00. With advance booking, tours can be held in English or German. Address: Trzebieszowice 151, Lądek-Zdrój municipality. For photos, the best view is from the river side, where the building seems to grow straight out of the rock.