Oleśnica Castle (Castle of the Dukes of Oleśnica)

Stone lions holding coats of arms sit on the balustrade of the castle tower in Oleśnica, and on the east wing a duel painted in sgraffito has been going on for more than four hundred years. The Castle of the Dukes of Oleśnica, only about 30 km from Wrocław, is one of the most interesting Renaissance residences in Silesia: a Gothic Piast core, Podiebrad arcades, Württemberg Baroque interiors and the summer home of the last German crown prince, all in one complex.

History: five dynasties within the same walls

The stronghold of Oleśnica first appears in the records in 1239, when Duke Henry II the Pious received envoys from the Cistercians of Henryków here. A stone castle is first mentioned in 1292. The Gothic castle was most likely built after 1323 on the initiative of Duke Konrad I of Oleśnica; its residential building measured 45 × 14 m, with walls about 2.5 m thick, making it one of the largest buildings in Silesia at the time. In 1432 the Hussites captured the town and the castle was damaged.

When the Oleśnica line of the Piasts died out, the duchy passed in 1495 to the Podiebrad family, who gave the castle its Renaissance splendour. In 1542 John of Podiebrad, backed by the dowry of his wife Krystyna Szydłowiecka, began a rebuilding that lasted twenty years, with the Italian builder Jakub Parr in charge. From 1559 the Widows' Palace was built, and the tower was raised with an octagonal top storey, a gallery and stone lions. Charles II of Podiebrad brought in Bernardo Niuron from Lugano: the east wing was added, along with two levels of Renaissance arcaded galleries (1585–1600), the forecourt gate of the Widows' Palace (1603) and the south wing (1606–1608).

From 1647 the castle belonged to the Württemberg dukes; in 1702–1704 Christian Ulrich gave the interiors Baroque decoration and brought in a library. After 1792 came the Guelphs of Brunswick, and from 1884 the castle was a crown fief of the Hohenzollerns. After the First World War Crown Princess Cecilie moved here with her children, joined in 1923 by Crown Prince Wilhelm on his return from internment in the Netherlands.

From war to visitors

In January 1945 the castle housed the headquarters of the German 269th Infantry Division, but the fighting caused little damage. Worse came later, with looting and arson after the Red Army left. The castle then housed a building and road engineering college, a branch of the Wrocław Archaeological Museum (1971–1993) and the central instructors' school of the Polish Scouting Association (1975–1992). Since 1993 it has belonged to the national headquarters of the Voluntary Labour Corps (OHP), and it is part of the European Route of Castles and Palaces.

What to look out for

• The lions on the tower balustrade – one carries an inscription about Duke John of Podiebrad, another the date the gallery was restored.
• The sgraffito on the east wing – a duel scene and the figure of a key-keeper from 1586.
• The arcaded galleries in the courtyard – two levels of arches and the most photogenic spot in the castle.
• Traces of Gothic windows and a shield-bearer figure with the arms of the duchies of Oleśnica and Wrocław.
• The covered passage linking the Widows' Palace with the castle church.

Tripto tip

You can visit on your own with an audio guide or with a guide. The route covers the courtyard, the tower with views over the town, Wilhelm's study, the knights' hall and the ducal chambers – including a bathroom hidden in a wardrobe. Groups must book in advance. Check current opening hours and prices directly with the castle before you go. Allow an hour and a half to two hours, then walk to the nearby market square and the Wrocław Gate, the only surviving gate of the old town walls.