Castle in Głogówek. Beautiful Oppersdorff residence, currently under renovation

The castle in Głogówek in the Opole region is the most outstanding monument of the city. Although the stately building is a decoy and an ornament, it remains in a severely damaged state. At present, it is the property of the city, once it housed a museum, now it is moved to the nearby Prison Tower on Słowackiego Street. The castle itself is being revitalized and thus inaccessible to tourists. 

Guided tour of the castle

The castle is taken care of by the Regional Museum in Głogówek, but as I wrote above, it is not available to the wider public. However, we managed to look into the spacious interiors and walk among the castle walls with a guide. Kinga told us in a very interesting way about the history of this place, the time of which has not been spared in recent decades. The image of destruction sometimes overwhelms, but also delights with the immensity of the object and what is still left. 

Three castle chapels

And did you know that the castle covered as many as 3 chapels? These are:

• Baroque chapel of John the Baptist - still looks impressive, decorated with the polychrome of Francis Sebastini. The same artist who in the 18th century decorated the collegiate church in Głogówek with paintings
• Silver Chapel - supposedly even more sumptuous, with ebony ornaments. Unfortunately, nothing has been left of its decor to this day. It has an oval shape
• The chapel of John the Evangelist - also decorated in the 18th century with paintings by Francis Sebastini. The ceiling is still covered with paintings

The castle library was also very interesting. The books have not survived, but we can still admire the very ingenious paintings on the ceiling, which defined the subject of the collections under them. The paintings contained quotations from the Bible, from the Old and New Testaments. 

We went up the winding, magnificent stairs to the observation deck, and then down to the dark cellars. It is a pity that everyone cannot admire these curiosities. The city makes efforts to renovate the castle and open it to the public.

King Casimir at the castle

Due to the wealth of the Opersdorff family, the castle in Głogówek was a significant centre. Important figures such as King John Casimir during the Swedish Deluge were hosted here. Then the king, along with his wife and the entire court of 1,800 people in Głogówek, took shelter from warfare. For a moment, Głogówek became a kind of capital of Poland. It is significant that Głogówek itself had fewer inhabitants than the number of people who came with the king.

Ludwig van Beethoven as a guest at the castle

Ludwig van Beethoven, the famous German composer, was also an outstanding guest of the Oppersdorffs. He stayed at the castle in 1806 and it was here that he composed the famous Symphony No. 5, as well as Symphony No. 4, which he dedicated to the owner of the castle. Franz Joachim Wenzel von Oppersdorff was a great lover of music, also in love with Beethoven's compositions. It is interesting that his ministry consisted of people who could play instruments. Thus, he collected his own amateur orchestra.

History of the castle in Głogówek

The first medieval stronghold of the Piast dynasty as a Gothic castle was probably built here in the 13th century, when the duchy of Opole was ruled by Bolko I. When the Piast dynasty line expired in the 16th century, the castle was taken over by the Oppersdorff dynasty. They built a magnificent Renaissance residence here. Changed over time into the current, mannerist object with elements of the Baroque. 

The upper and lower castles were built in the years 1561-71, during the time of Jan Oppersdorff. The extension took place in the 17th century, when the wing of the lower castle was created, which combined both castles into one building. The family ruled the castle until 1945, i.e. until the end of World War II. The last order of the castle from the family was Wilhelm Karol Jan, who escaped from the Red Army to western Germany. After the war, the castle was destroyed because it was not taken care of.

It is currently owned by the city. The castle is still divided into a lower and an upper castle, and the building is decorated with corner towers, stone portals and sculptural decorations. Efforts are underway for the city to co-finance the renovation, although a lot of work has already been done, such as the renovated external facade.

Attractions near the castle

The castle is surrounded by a historic park, connected with the stronghold by history, and today it is the Municipal Park. I definitely recommend visiting the Franciscan monastery near the castle. Today it is a Sanctuary, but it also hides a great curiosity inside, namely the Loreto cottage. This is a copy of the house of Mary of Loretto, built by the Oppersdorffs. Initially, the object stood outside the temple, but as a result of the expansion of the Franciscan church, it was within its walls.

Literally a bit further there is a market with a nice town hall and in the corner with a wonderful collegiate church. Głogówek is a small town that is close to all attractions. Onthe other side of the castle, you can admire the castle gate and the aforementioned Prison Tower. A few kilometers from Głogów, it is worth visiting the Rozkochów Palace, also currently under renovation, but available to tourists.

Our video about Głogówek

We encourage you to see our film about Głogówek. Of course, the castle is also there.

Practical information

The castle is currently not accessible to tourists, but you can visit the nearby Regional Museum in the prison tower or take a walk around the city with a guide from the Museum, just make an appointment at the phone number: 77/ 437-35-00

Zamkowa Castle,
Głogówek
https://www.facebook.com/MuzeumGlogowek

What's worth seeing in the area?

If you are looking for more ideas for interesting places to visit, we have it for you some options in the area. There are several attractions within a radius of 100 kilometers, that are worth adding to your travel plan.

• Moszna Castle, distance: 11.5  km
• Biskupia Kopa in the Opava Mountains, distance: 32.6  km
• Palace in Kopice, distance: 43.6  km
• Pławniowice Palace, distance: 43.8  km
• The castle in Tworków, distance: 46.7  km
• Fun Museum in Gliwice, distance: 61.5  km
• Black Trout Adit in Tarnowskie Góry, distance: 67.5  km
• Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry, distance: 70.5  km
• Kłodzko Fortress, distance: 86.1  km
• Fortress Silver Mountain, distance: 89.6  km