Lubliniec Castle

In 1655 Lubliniec Castle sheltered Poland's most precious painting. Fearing the Swedes would seize it, the Pauline monks moved the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa here from Jasna Góra, and for a short time it was hidden by the castle's owner, Andrzej Cellary. Today the rebuilt castle at ul. Grunwaldzka 40 is a hotel, and its story takes in the dukes of Opole, the Bar Confederates and a psychiatric hospital.

History: from the dukes of Opole to the Cellarys

Tradition links the founding of the town and castle to Duke Władysław of Opole in the 1270s, but the first written mention of the castle dates from 1397, when it belonged to Duke Władysław Opolczyk. After the death of Duke Jan the Good in 1532, Lubliniec passed to the Habsburgs and was leased out. In 1587 the castle was bought by Jan Kochcicki, who had leased it since 1576, and rebuilt as a family seat. In 1638 King Władysław IV Vasa stayed briefly in Lubliniec, most likely at the castle.

In 1645 the Habsburgs confiscated the Kochcicki estates for supporting Protestantism, and they were acquired by Andrzej Cellary; his family held the castle until 1722. The great fire of 1650 destroyed almost the entire town (reportedly only three houses survived) and damaged the castle, which was rebuilt as a Baroque residence. In the 18th century it was given its present Neoclassical façade.

Confederates, a court and a hospital

During the Bar Confederation (1768–1772), a noble uprising against Russian influence, many of its members took refuge in Lubliniec, among them Franciszka Krasińska and Bishop Adam Krasiński. In 1770–1771 Kazimierz Pułaski – later a hero of the American War of Independence – came here several times. In the 19th century the castle housed the district court (1848–1892) and the district administration (1854–1874). In 1893 it became part of a hospital for the mentally ill and was partly rebuilt; the psychiatric hospital used it until 1979, when its poor condition forced it out of use.

Restoration and the castle today

In 1999 the Lubliniec Castle Foundation was set up, and in 2002 the town took over the property. When restoration began in 2005, nothing remained inside except the walls, the ground-floor vaults and a dozen or so steps of the old staircase. After five years of work, Hotel Zamek Lubliniec opened in 2010, and in 2012 a spa was created in the old cellars. The hotel belongs to Historic Hotels of Europe and has 50 rooms. The castle has been a listed monument since 1960.

Tripto tip

This is a hotel, not a museum, so there are no ticketed tours. The building is best seen from the park around it, which takes 15–20 minutes. To see the interiors, eat at the restaurant or stay overnight. Combine the visit with the wooden Church of St Anne from 1653, funded by the same Andrzej Cellary.