Castles

Piast Castle (Legnica)

Built at the end of the 12th century by Boleslaw I the Tall, this castle was — together with the stronghold in Wlen — the first brick-and-stone castle on Polish soil. The former principal residence of the Silesian dukes survived the Mongol invasion, a fire in 1945 and its post-war reconstruction; its heart is the Romanesque St Peter's tower.

From stronghold to ducal residence

A fortified settlement stood on the hill above the Kaczawa long before — dendrochronological research dates Mieszko I's new stronghold to around 985. At the end of the 12th century Boleslaw I the Tall raised a stone castle, which burned down in 1172 during the rebellion of his son Jaroslaw. In 1241 it withstood the Mongols. It was the main residence of Boleslaw I and Henry the Bearded, and after the Legnica Piasts died out in 1675 it housed Habsburg governors.

Frederick II's Renaissance makeover

In 1530-1533 Duke Frederick II modernised the castle: the gate took its present form (built by Georg of Amberg), and ramparts, moats and four corner bastions gave the stronghold the Renaissance character still visible today.

St Peter's tower

The oldest element of the castle is the Romanesque bergfried from the late 12th century. The lower part of the tower is round, the upper octagonal; the inner diameter measures about 6 metres and the walls are up to 4.5 metres thick. Originally 25 metres tall, it was raised in the 15th century.

Fire and reconstruction

In February 1945 Red Army soldiers set the castle on fire and it lost all its roofs. After archaeological excavations in 1958-1964 it was rebuilt the following decade and handed over to schools. Revitalisation has been under way since 2009: the St Peter and St Hedwig towers were renovated and are to be opened to visitors. Admire the castle primarily from the outside and the courtyard — some interiors are used by educational institutions. Right next door, the Copper Museum recalls Legnica's historic role in the copper trade.