Chałupki Castle

Chałupki Castle once guarded a ford on the Oder, and after the Silesian Wars of 1742 a new border separated it from the town it took its name from: the palace stayed in Prussia, while Bohumín remained with the Habsburgs. It still stands just 300 m from the border bridge over the Oder. This former castle, rebuilt as a Baroque palace, belonged to the Rothschild family for almost a century and now houses a hotel and restaurant.

History: from stronghold to Rothschild palace

Its origins go back to the 13th century, when a wooden stronghold watched over the river crossing. The first written record of the castle dates from 1373, when Duke John granted the castle and the town of Bohumín to the knight Pasko as a fief. It was a typical defensive castle surrounded by a moat. In 1523 it was bought by Margrave George of Hohenzollern, who strengthened it against the Ottoman threat, probably with bastion fortifications. From 1623 it belonged to the Henckel von Donnersmarck family, who turned the fortress into a Baroque palace; sources date this rebuilding variously, from the late 17th century to around 1800. From 1803 it was owned by the Lichnowsky family, and in 1846 it was bought by Salomon Rothschild of the Viennese banking dynasty.

The Rothschilds kept the palace until the 1930s, when the Nazi authorities handed it to the widow of a German general. After 1945 it passed to the Polish state and stood empty for years. Renovation began in the late 1970s, and in 1983 a hotel opened inside, which still operates today.

What to see

• The palace building, rectangular in plan, with a mansard roof and a domed tower on the north-west side.
• The Rothschild coat of arms above the entrance.
• The outline of the moat, clearest on the north and west sides.
• Traces of bastion fortifications on the south-west side.
• The park laid out by the Donnersmarcks, with 26 species of trees and shrubs.

Tripto tip

The castle is at ul. Bogumińska 30 and operates as a hotel, restaurant and wedding venue, so there are no regular tours of the interiors. The easiest way in is to stop for lunch or coffee; restaurant hours are published on the venue's website and change on days with weddings and private events. A walk around the palace and park takes 20–30 minutes. You can easily combine it with a stroll to the bridge over the Oder and into Bohumín in the Czech Republic; please respect the private character of parts of the grounds.