Castles

Topacz Castle

Three kilometres from the city limits of Wrocław, in Ślęza, hides a castle with eight centuries of history. At the beginning of the 14th century the Templars built a two-storey fortified residential tower on a rectangular plan, around which ran a flooded moat. In the early 16th century another storey with a viewing terrace was added, in 1618 a Renaissance wing appeared, and the next expansion came in the 19th century — then the tower reached its final height.

Sugar industrialists and the return to glory

In 1870 the estate was bought by the sugar company Rath, Schöller & Skene, which managed it until World War II — the castle survived the war in good condition. The post-war decades favoured agriculture over heritage: the site housed a youth facility and farming centres. A new chapter opened in 2002, when the Kurzewski family bought the property; the first hotel guests checked in in 2011.

The Car Museum and the Park of Illuminations

Today Topacz Castle is a hotel with a restaurant and SPA, but people also come for the attractions: the former carriage house holds a Car Museum with collector cars, in August a meeting of vintage cars takes place, and in winter the park around the pond turns into the Park of Illuminations with hundreds of thousands of lights. The extensive grounds have cycling paths, tennis courts and a floodlit golf shooting range.

In practice

Address: Główna 12, Ślęza. The hotel operates around the clock all year, parking is free; the castle lies on the southern edge of Wrocław, a dozen or so minutes away by car.