Toszek Castle

Above the entrance to Toszek Castle you can still read the Latin inscription CASPAR COMES COLONNA 1666, the last project of a count who died that same year. The castle on a limestone hill above the town has been a wooden stronghold, a seat of Piast dukes, a Baroque residence, a ruin and a partial reconstruction. Today it houses the town's cultural centre, and for visitors the highlights are the portal, the towers and the view over the surrounding countryside.

History: from stronghold to magnate's residence

A fortified settlement probably stood here as early as the 10th–11th century and served as the seat of a castellany; a castellan is recorded in 1222. In the early 15th century a stone castle replaced the timber defences, only to be destroyed by the Hussites in 1429. Duke Przemysław of Toszek, of the Oświęcim branch of the Piast dynasty that ruled medieval Poland and Silesia, rebuilt it and made it his permanent seat until his death in 1484. The castle then passed to the dukes of Opole and, from 1532, as a fief of the Bohemian crown, to the Habsburgs. The von Redern family bought it in 1592 and, after a fire in 1570, rebuilt it in Renaissance style.

Colonna and his Italian architect

The biggest changes came under Count Caspar Colonna, owner from 1638. In 1650–1666, under the Milanese master Giovanni Seregni, towers were added to flank the gatehouse, along with a new rectangular palace with two corner towers and arcaded loggias and galleries facing the courtyard. A stable block was built too, converted into an orangery in 1760. This made Toszek one of the first magnate residences in Upper Silesia.

Fire, ruin and reconstruction

In the 18th century the castle changed hands several times; from 1791 to 1797 it belonged to Adolf von Eichendorff, father of the Romantic poet Joseph von Eichendorff. In 1811 the residence burned down and was never rebuilt. Abraham Guradze bought the ruins in 1840, and his family owned them until 1945. Part of the castle was reconstructed in 1957–1963, and today it serves culture, hosting exhibitions, concerts and weddings.

What to look for

• the stone portal with the Colonna coat of arms (a column topped with a crown), the date 1666 and the foundation inscription; unlike the rest of the walls, it is carved from sandstone,
• the four-storey tower, square at the base and octagonal above, which stands on its original site and hides deep dungeons,
• walls of rubble limestone, granite boulders and brick, with clear traces of Gothic pointed arches,
• two small octagonal towers flanking the main building by the entrance.

Tripto tip

You can walk up to the castle from Toszek's market square; allow 30–45 minutes for the courtyard, walls and portal, plus extra time for the view if the tower is open. Look at the portal from outside first, then compare it with the pointed-arch portal on the courtyard side, which survived the fire only as a ruin. As the castle is a working cultural centre, parts may be closed during events and weddings, so check opening times in advance. Toszek lies about 23 km from Gliwice, right by the A4 motorway, which makes it an easy stop on a journey.