Opole. Attractions worth visiting
Opole is a surprisingly beautiful and attractive capital of the Opole Voivodeship, one of the oldest cities in Poland, dating back 800 years. Opole with a beautiful, historical Old Town was founded in the Middle Ages, the location at the beginning of the 13th century was made by Prince Casimir I of Opole from the Piast line, called the Father of the City of Opole. The city is picturesquely located on the Oder River and Młynówka - its old river, by the route No. 94 leading to Wrocław. You can also easily get here on the A4 motorway. Today, most Poles associate Opole with the annual Polish Song Festival, although the popular Piast Tower and the amphitheater are definitely not the only attractions worth seeing in the city.
Experiences in Opole
That is why it is worth coming to Opole to find out about it and get to know interesting monuments and attractions of the city that await you at every step. Objects that remember the Middle Ages, and today beautifully revitalized, multimedia museums, green parks and squares, wooden architecture and family attractions are just some of the curiosities in this city. We have already spent many a charming weekend in Opole, so check out our guide and get to know the best attractions of Opole! First, we present you with a list of these places, and below I describe them in more detail. And if you want to find an even more detailed description, click on the linked (blue) name of the experience, which takes you to the detailed description. Below is a map with the exact locationof each experience.
1. Opole Zoo and Bolko Island
The Bolko Island in Opole is an oasis of greenery and peace (except for Sunday), where, in addition to paths, you can visit the truly beautiful Zoo, which, although small, is very attractive, and after the great flood in 1997, practically re-founded. In 2021, lions and tigers appeared in the Opole Zoo, which have wonderful, modern enclosures, and also the opportunity to watch large, muscular gorillas, wolf, cheetahs, lemurs, pandas or the giraffe family.
The stars are California sea lions, giving a great show while feeding. They can also be seen underwater in a special tunnel. The entire Opole zoo is very nicely arranged, not only the catwalks, but also the paths. There are well-groomed vegetation and picnic sheds with thatched roofs, several playgrounds, zoolandia and a rope park for children, and several gastronomic points and toilets for everyone. The Zoo in Opole can be reached on foot from the city center, Sendlerowa Bridge or by car to a large, free parking lot, where a playground has also been built
Zoological Garden, ul. Spacerowa 10, Opole
2. Apiary Island with the Piast Tower in Opole
Certainly one of the most interesting places in Opole is the Apiary Island with a rich past. Today, it attracts tourists like a magnet, because it is nicely revitalized. The famous Piast Tower stands here - an undisputed symbol of Opole, but the amphitheater and the Castle Pond with a large multimedia fountain also encourage you to visit this place. Let's go back to the Piast Tower, you have certainly seen it on television once during the broadcast of the Polish Song Festival or other concerts or cabaret performances. The tower is 42 meters high, was built in the Middle Ages and was the central point of the Gothic Piast castle. If we went back 100 years, we would still see it, because it stood in quite good condition at the tower, but the Germans in 1928, when Opole was still a German city, decided to demolish it as an outdated building and in its place they built a modern building that is now the seat of the Voivodeship Office.
Fortunately, the residents joined the protests and at least the castle tower was preserved. It turned out that she suffered anyway, because after the demolition of the castle and the violation of the foundations, the tower leaned dangerously. To support it, bricks from the dismantled castle were used. The tower formerly served as the final point of defense, but also as a prison. If you wanted to get out of it, there had to be someone who paid for you with salt. The sack of salt was supposed to weigh as much as a prisoner. Today it is a crooked tower, but beautifully revitalized and open to tourists. To get to the top of it, you have to climb more than 160 stairs, and on the way you will see the old weapon, "talking" Prince Bolek, and hear his story about the attack on the tower. This is not the end of the attraction, from the terrace on the top you can admire the beautiful panorama of Opole
Pasieka Island, ul. Piastowska, Zamkowa and others, Opole
3. Museum of Polish Song in Opole
Under the auditorium of the Opole Amphitheatre, on the Pasieka Island, the Museum of Polish Song was established in 2009. It is a unique place, like music, an iconic festival, and here you enter and there is grave silence. How is this possible? Everyone receives headphones and an audio guide and plays the selected music at the screens on their own. In the general silence, everyone can intimately enjoy beautiful sounds, and at the same time learn about the history and development of Polish song.
You will also see interviews with the creators and music videos on the screens. A unique place where you can spend many hours and experience a sentimental journey. In my case, it was so, because as much as I love Polish attractions and traveling around our country, I also like Polish music very much
Museum of Polish Song, Piastowska Street, Opole
4. Venice of Opole
You definitely need to walk in Opole to Młynówka at Piastowska Street. These are the old rivers of the Oder, forming the famous Venice of Opole. The row of colorful tenement houses reflects their faces effectively in the surface of water. Such a sight always fascinates and magnetizes, especially in the light of the setting sun
Venice of Opole, ul. Piastowska, Opole
See also the original, that is, the Italian Venice and its attractions by the water
5. Market in Opole
The Opole market is nicely revitalized and hides unusual curiosities. In the heart of the square, the attention is drawn to the powerful Town Hall - a neo-Renaissance building with arcades, painted in one color. A true 19th-century colossus. In front of the town hall, you will see the Avenue of Stars with the famous names of the Polish music scene under your feet. There are charming tenement houses around, maintained in pastel colors. Some are very ornate and beautiful. One of them houses a time machine that brings to the apartment from the times of our grandmothers
Rynek, Opole
6. Upper Castle in Opole
The Upper Castle is one of the two castles in Opole, although in fact it is the only castle in medieval Opole, because the second - the headquarters of the Piasts with the Piast Tower, stood outside the walls, on the Island of Pasieka, then called Ostrówek. The Upper Castle is also the seat of the Opole Piasts, built in the fourteenth century, or more precisely in the years 1382-87, under Prince Władysław II of Opole. It is the same one who founded the Pauline monastery on Jasna Góra in Częstochowa and offered him the image of the Virgin Mary with the Child - the famous Miraculous Image of M.B. Częstochowa, surrounded by worship to this day.
The Upper Castle is a very mysterious building, about which we do not know much today. It is certain that it stood in the eastern part of the city, within the defensive walls. Władysław Opolczyk lived there until his death, and later his wife Ofka. After them, the castle was taken over by the prince's nephew - Bishop Jan Kropidło, and later it fell into the hands of the Habsburgs. The stronghold was demolished in the 17th century, and today its only remnant is the castle tower and the curtain of the walls. The facility has been revitalized and made available to tourists since 2018
Upper Castle, ul. Księcia Władysława II Opolczyka, Opole
7. University Hill in Opole
The University Hill is called the Opole Acropolis. It rises above the market square, on the one hand it is led by the Church on the Hill, on the other by the Upper Castle. In recent years, an Artists' Square with benches and sculptures of famous Poles has been created here, as well as an interesting sculpture of the Four Seasons. It is a very friendly place for walks, rest and meetings, with beautiful vegetation
University Hill, Copernicus Square, Opole
8. Parrot house in Opole
If you like birds, especially colorful and flashy parrots, you should definitely visit this place, transporting you to the exotic world of colorful parrots. The attraction is located near the Opole Zoo, although the location itself may not be very happy, the interior of the Parrot House will make it up to us. Dozens of parrots flying freely around the interior make a big impression. Parrots are of different species, so different sizes and different colors. They live in harmony, they are tamed, they willingly sit on their hand or shoulder, without even asking for permission 🙂
Some will even make a bed out of you, because parrots fall into short naps of a few minutes during the day. On the spot, you will get a cup of food that lures parrots. We were in the afternoon and still the parrots were interested in food and our people, our daughters were delighted. You will also experience unforgettable birthdays here
Parrot factory, ul. Wapienna 10, Opole
9. Museum of the Opole Countryside
The open-air museum in Opole is located a few kilometers west of the city center, on Route 94. It is an interesting open-air museum, where you will find almost 50 monuments of wooden rural construction from all over the Opole region, and these magnificent, climatic huts covered with thatched roofs, hide original equipment, tools and furniture in their interiors. However, you will only see the inside of the cottages during the tourist season, because outside it, only walks around the open-air museum are possible, without interiors. However, I recommend a visit in the high season to enjoy the unusual decor. Particularly noteworthy is the oldest monument in the open-air museum - a church with the characteristic smell of old wood.
The interior features an intricately carved altar and unique wooden epitaphs dedicated to prematurely deceased children. I've never seen one like this before. It was an evangelical church, which is why it once had empors, but today they have not been reconstructed, because it is not known what they looked like, but the old entrance to them has been preserved. The open-air museum in Opole will take you to the old world, with a blacksmith doing his job in front of you, an old school, an inn or a shop with the so-called soap and jam, where you could find everything you needed. And there are also animals waiting here - goats and rams, and behind the fence of the open-air museum - horses.
Museum of the Opole Countryside, Wrocławska 174, Opole
10. Church on the Hill
Above the University Hill, there is the Church on Górka, i.e. the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Adalbert. It is a very ancient temple, the first church stood here already around 1000 years, in the place where, according to tradition, St. Adalbert preached the word of God, converting the population to the Christian faith. Around 1400, a Gothic church was built, the fragments of which have survived to this day. The church on Górka boasts a beautiful Baroque decor.
Kościół Na Górce, pl. Kopernika 12, Opole
11. Museum of Opole Silesia
The Museum of Opole Silesia is located in a beautiful Baroque building, which is considered the oldest bourgeois house in Opole. It stands at the church Na Górce, on the Small Market Square, to which St. Wojciecha Street leads from the Main Market Square. It is a charming corner of the city at the foot of the University Hill, but it is also worth going inside the museum, where exhibitions are waiting, among others, about the prehistories of Opole. There is an archaeological excavation room here, but multimedia is also available. The place, although it may not be so associated, is attractive to children who, in addition to solving multimedia puzzles, can dress up in knightly armor or regional costumes
Museum of Opole Silesia, Small Market Square, ul. Św. Wojciecha 13, Opole
12. Opole Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a majestic temple of Opole, its towers rising to over 70 meters, are visible from afar, including from the nearby Market Square, from where Koraszewskiego Street leads to it. It is an old and valuable building, the first temple existed here already in 1002 and it was a wooden church erected by Bolesław the Brave. The brick Romanesque building was built here in the thirteenth century, and over time it was increasingly expanded to its current shape. There are also reconstructed city walls in front of the cathedral, where you can walk
Cathedral, ul. Katedralna 2, Opole
13. Franciscan Church and Musioła Monument
When visiting Opole, you cannot miss the gothic monastery church of the Holy Trinity. It stands on the route between the market square and the Apiary Island. The church is 600 years old, although the current tower was added only in 1899. The temple is famous mainly for the chapel of St. Anna, which houses the sarcophagi of the Opole-Craciborskie dukes and the coffins of the Opole Piasts. Next to the church, by the Castle Bridge, it is worth paying attention to the monument of Karol Musioł. It was erected in 2008 and made of bronze. It depicts the natural size of Karol Musioł, called Our Papa by Opole. He is the chairman of the Municipal National Council in Opole, the founder of the Society of Friends of Opole, the builder of the Opole amphitheatre and the initiator of the National Festival of Polish Song, which was first held in 1963
Church of the Holy Trinity, Freedom Square 2, Opole
14. Opole Philharmonic
The Philharmonic is a unique place, it is worth dressing elegantly sometimes and going to a unique place, on a level. We did not have time for this in Opole, but we found a moment (it turned out to be a longer moment) to sit at the multimediafountain under the Philharmonic, which wins various fragments of well-known classical music, and in their time water from many holes, additionally illuminated with different colors. We were bricked up for a dozen or so minutes and sat captivated, including Amelka, who was less than 3 years old. And the Opole Philharmonic is also focused on children, there are special concerts for children, classes and a special rehearsal, during which you will see how the conductor works with the orchestra and soloists. Children will also learn how to behave during concerts.
Philharmonic, Krakowska 24, Opole
15. Baba na bulku or Monument to the Fighters for the Polishness of Opole Silesia
The monument to the Fighters for the Polishness of Opole Silesia stands on the Opole promenade, i.e. on Krakowska Street, next to the philharmonic. And why Baba on a bull? Because this is what the inhabitants of Opole call this monument, because it resembles a woman sitting on a bull. In fact, to Nike - a woman signifying victory, and the animal is a bison - a symbol of struggle and Polishness. The monument is huge, weighs 4 tons - more than a large car, is made of concrete and steel, and was built in just a month
Monument, Krakowska Street, Opole
Map with highlighted attractions
We have prepared a map of Opole, on which we have marked the attractions that are above. It will definitely come in handy 😉
Where to sleep and eat in Opole
While in Opole, we slept at the Hotel DeSilva Premium Opole, beautifully located by the Młynówka river. From the room we could admire a nice, green picture with a ribbon of Młynówka. It is a hotel for the demanding, at a very good level, 4-star, with tasty and interesting cuisine. Close to Opole Venice and the Market Square. It is a few minutes walk. Also, the Zoo is not far away, you can walk along the Mill and then over 2 bridges. That's about 1 km. And where to eat in Opole? I admit that we did not eat in the city, because we tasted the specialties of the DeSilva hotel restaurant, which belongs to the Opole Bifyj Culinary Trail, but on the Market Square and the pedestrian street you will find several interesting restaurants and a pancake shop at the Philharmonic, as well as gastronomy and ice cream waiting in the Zoo, and at the Open-air Museum we were tempted by the beautiful vegetation and barbecue at the 174 Food and Wine Restaurant. It is a former inn of Karol Malajka.
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What's worth seeing in the area?
If you have already visited this attraction, it is also worth visiting several other interesting ones places nearby. Within a radius of 100 kilometers you will find many interesting places places that can diversify your stay in this part of Poland.
- Moszna Castle, distance: 27.6 km
- Palace in Kopice, distance: 33.7 km
- Pławniowice Palace, distance: 50.4 km
- Black Trout Adit in Tarnowskie Góry, distance: 68 km
- Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry, distance: 70.9 km
- Fun Museum in Gliwice, distance: 71.7 km
- Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław, distance: 78.9 km
- Jasna Góra, distance: 84.3 km
- Bear Cave in Kletno, distance: 90.4 km
- Olsztyn Castle, distance: 95.6 km
