Pszczyna attractions worth seeing in Pszczyna

Pszczyna is an extremely charming and green city in the Silesian Voivodeship. With many attractions, it is beautifully located among the forests of the former Silesian Forest, on the Pszczynka River. Not far from here you will find Goczałkowice Zdrój and the famous Goczałkowice Lake. Pszczyna boasts magnificent architecture, and its most valuable treasure is the castle, which is one of the most magnificent aristocratic residences in Poland.

Pearl of Upper Silesia

No wonder that Pszczyna was hailed as the Pearl of Upper Silesia.Tourists are also attracted by the wonderful nature and unusual atmosphere. This place is not without its roots considered to be the green lungs of Silesia. Thanks to these unusual values, Pszczyna and its surroundings are a dream tourist and recreational region, with an extremely picturesque landscape. Every year, it attracts not only local residents, but also visitors from distant regions of Poland and abroad.

Experiences in Pszczyna

Pszczyna is very popular with tourists and is eagerly visited. It is a beautiful and attractive city, offering many interesting facilities and corners, also secluded. We also really like this city and have been there many times, so we have created a reliable guide to Pszczyna for you, which will make it easier for you to plan and visit this charming city. 

Discover the best attractions of Pszczyna and its surroundings! If you're interested in a more detailed description of a specific experience, click the blue, linked experience name.

Castle

The city gained the greatest fame thanks to the magnificent palace, which was a former ducal castle. The building is surrounded by a huge and very picturesque historic park, and the whole complex is one of the most magnificent aristocratic residences in Poland. An additional advantage is the almost complete decor from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, which is very rare in Poland, and especially in Silesia. 

You will see an amazing decoration that makes a colossal impression when you visit the Castle Museum, which has been located in the center of the building for years. It is difficult to get out of the delight while walking around the castle halls. The already ornate and large staircase makes you feel like a duchess or count climbing these magnificent stairs, but the Mirror Hall has a truly striking effect (you must be aware that children in the Museum will be under the watchful eye of museum staff). In the basement of the castle, the Armoury is also available behind a separate ticket. The Pszczyna castle was included in the list of Monuments of History. 

History of the castle

And when was it built? Already in the fifteenth century, a brick, defensive castle stood here, although its true splendor shone in the nineteenth century, in the times of the Hochberg family, those from Książ in Lower Silesia. The first owner of the Pszczyna castle from this family was Prince John Henry X, who in 1850 received the title of Prince von Pless (Prince of Pszczyna). For the Pszczyna castle, however, the most important turned out to be John Henry XI - the second prince von Pless, thanks to whom it gained its present shape. 

At that time, a huge park was created, reaching as far as the Promnice hunting lodge near Tychy. Royal guests from all over Europe came here, eager to hunt. Another owner of the castle in Pszczyna was his son - Prince John Henry XV, although more famous is his wife Daisy - known for her incredible beauty Englishwoman Maria Teresa Oliwia Cornwallis-West. A few words about her a little lower in our guide. Contact to the castle in Pszczyna: https://zamek-pszczyna.pl
 

Historic Park

The Historic Park is a huge, yes, really huge park stretching behind a magnificent castle, and today more like a palace. In fact, it combines 3 parks - the most historically valuable Castle Park, as well as the Railway Station Park and the Wild Promenade, i.e. Zwierzyniec Park. I highly recommend a walk in this charming park, with nice and lush vegetation, a pond, waterfowl and numerous bridges. It is a very romantic place to relax, among alleys or in more wild corners. In the heart of the Park, there is a Tea Room, attractive during the day and after dark. 

Within the Park, you will meet many interesting attractions, including the Demonstration Bison Farm, the Open-Air Museum, old-timbered monuments and small architecture. The magnificent Ducal Stables also delight here. While the central part of the Park behind the castle is sometimes populated on warm weekends, the surroundings of the Open-air Museum, i.e. the Station Park and the Wild Promenade, remain quiet. Take this into account when planning a trip to Pszczyna, if you do not like crowds. 

Tea shop on the island

Daisy's teahouse is special! She hid in the heart of the Castle Park, on a small islet on a pond. Walk the bridges and be sure to visit this Tea House, which is a small but charming pavilion from the 19th century. On warm weekends, you sometimes have to wait for a table, but it is worth it, especially since it is very pleasant in these circumstances of nature. 

The tea room offers outdoor tables with a wonderful view of the pond and the castle. It is a perfect place to relax with a lovely teapot full of tea or a cup of coffee and a cookie. We cost, it's delicious, and the surroundings - a fairy tale 🙂 After dark, the illuminated lamps still add charm to this place!
 

Princely Stables in the Park

Behind the castle, in the Castle Park, you will find the magnificent Princely Stables, with very interesting architecture. Many would like to have a palace like the Hochberg stables in Pszczyna. They also look great inside! They can be visited as part of a special ticket to the Castle Museum. Here you will find out how important horses were at that time, especially for people in love with hunting. 

Farm of the Pszczyna Village

The open-air museum called the Pszczyna Village Farmhouse is located in the Railway Station Park, which is part of the Historic Park. You will delve here into the already dying world of wooden buildings, which I personally like and appreciate very much. The whole is embedded in almost forest vegetation, which adds authenticity to this place. You will see the most valuable monuments of wooden architecture and folk culture of the Pszczyna region - the oldest manor granary from the end of the 18th century, an interesting octagonal barn and a cottage from Grzawa, remembering the first decades of the 19th century. 

How different this decor and tools from those used today. A visit to the Open Air Museum is always an informative and at the same time sentimental journey. The farm of the Pszczyna Village presents a great historical and cultural value, the objects are made of original materials, and in their interiors you will see authentic equipment, the spirit and tradition of the former inhabitants of these lands, so the open-air museum has become an element of the cultural Wooden Architecture Route. Free parking is available on site, and the facility is available for wheelchairs. 

Żubrów Farmhouse

Who has not heard of Pszczyna bison? Pszczyna has been associated with the king of the forest for years, and rightly so, because these animals have been reigning in the Pszczyna Forest for over 150 years. It all began when the aforementioned prince John Henry XI brought them from the Białowieża Forest. In exchange for 4 bison (a bull and three cows), he gave 20 deer from Pszczyna to Tsar Alexander II of Russia. He prepared a huge game for them. 

It was not about rescuing them (there was no such need at that time), on the contrary, the Hochbergs loved to hunt, and bison became a great attraction, thanks to which they shone in European salons. Fortunately, however, it happened, perhaps thanks to the jurisdiction of bison, or perhaps great breeding skills or not very bloody hunting, that the majestic Pszczyna bison successfully conquered the local forest kingdom and to this day more than 40 individuals live in the surrounding forests. They even saved the Białowieża bison when they were wiped out after World War I. 

In the area of the Historic Park in Pszczyna, near the palace, you can visit the Demonstration Bison Farm, where you will see a bison family consisting of several individuals close up, during everyday activities. In addition, there are deer, fallow deer, roe deer, a charming donkey, peacocks and waterfowl waiting here. The children will certainly be delighted, as our daughters were. In summer, you can hide from the heat and in winter you can warm up in an educational building, where you will meet all the most interesting animals of the Polish forests at exhibitions and see a 3D film about the history of local bison. The entire facility, as well as access from the free car park, are accessible to wheelchairs. 

Żubrowisko in Jankowice

And if you froze bison in more wild circumstances, I recommend Żubrowisko in nearby Jankowice. We were told that the bison here like to graze on the grass in the front in the morning, and then head for the forest. In fact, when we were first there at 2 p.m., there were no bison, and the next morning they were grazing in front of our eyes and we could admire them at will. 

We were even lucky to see them in the forest, in their natural environment. This is possible thanks to a specially prepared path with footbridges, which is surrounded by a smaller bison. A much larger fenced area continues, where a larger number of European bison live even more wildly. I recommend you take a walk along this path, it takes about 30 minutes to walk through this loop and return to the free parking lot by the pasture. The path is accessible for wheelchairs, although in bad weather it may be muddy. 

Wild Promenade

Although Pszczyna is often visited by tourists, there are also less popular and thus more secluded places. They certainly include the Wild Promenade - a forest path leading over Pszczyna, near the Bison Farm, among the ponds, the largest of which is called Cyranka. 

It is a good alternative to the sometimes crowded Castle Park in Pszczyna. The Wild Promenade is always quiet and atmospheric. Ponds full of birds spill here. For lovers of the forest and nature, it is a real rarity! If you are hiking with a small child, a stretcher will be useful on the Wild Promenade, because it is difficult to move around in a stroller, and it is worth taking a look here for a long time. There is a red trail that leads all the way to the Meadow Reservoir. 

Cyranek Pond at the Wild Promenade

Picturesque ponds with waterfowl spill along the Wild Promenade. The largest one is called Cyranka. It can be bypassed by forest paths. It is a very charming and secluded place, where you will meet anglers, swans and ducks. There is no concrete, there is forest, nature and blissful silence. 

Pszczyna Market Square

The medieval urban layout of the city has been preserved to this day, with the centrally located Market Square with decorated tenement houses, the Town Hall and the magnificent Evangelical church, as well as the characteristic layout of streets deviating from the Market Square. The streets are charming, and the main promenade of Pszczyna is Piastowska Street. 

The Market itself is quite large and very nicely maintained. Surrounding the square grow extremely charming plane trees curiously trimmed, which creates an unusual and even captivating view. There are pigeons and pubs all around. I recommend the Maszkety u Jaśka café, about which a few words below. In winter, an ice rink and the Christmas Market are available on the Pszczyna Market Square. 

Daisy bench on the market

In the Market Square, almost in front of the castle where she lived, Princess Daisy sits proudly on her bench today. The statue of Maria Theresa Oliwia Hochberg von Pless was unveiled in May 2009. This is the work of local sculptor Joachim Krakowczyk, which was created as part of the Pszczyna Artistic Open-Air. Princess Daisy fell in love with the castle... but not the one in Pszczyna, but the one in Książ. 

Not surprisingly, the one in Pszczyna was her father-in-law's residence, and she liked to go against the tide. Apparently, one day she arrived at a family party in a dress made of sacks of oats. For years, the duchess wrote diaries in which she complained about the lack of great love in her life, because although her husband was good, he did not show her tenderness. 

And she had a very good heart, repeatedly organized charity parties for the poor in Pszczyna and willingly shared her husband's huge fortune with those in need. It is significant that during World War I she took care of the wounded, and during World War II she handed food parcels to the prisoners of the Groß-Rosen camp. She is remembered in Pszczyna to this day, and the bench is an expression of this. 

Evangelical Church

The Evangelical church in Pszczyna is extremely impressive, so it is worth writing a few words about it. The first evangelical church stood here in 1743-46 from the foundation of Erdmann Promnitz. Unfortunately, it burned down in 1905 and 2 years later its reconstruction was taken care of by the master builder Ludwig Scheinert (who later took care of the reconstruction of Książ Castle). This is how a beautiful neo-Baroque temple was created, constituting the largest hall in the city. 

The facade from the Market Square is decorated with a magnificent portal with two Ionic columns, large windows of the first floor and completely tiny ones on the ground floor. The church is covered with a mansard roof, carrying a tower with a magnificent copper helmet. Inside, you will see wooden empires circling the temple - a characteristic evangelical element of churches. 

The altar with the image of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus also attracts attention, and the coat of arms of the Hochberg princely family appears on the prince's box opposite the pulpit. At the back there is a small musical choir with organs. The Evangelical church is the largest decoration of the main square of Pszczyna, standing next to the Gate of the Chosen Ones leading to the castle. 

Museum of Silesian Press in Pszczyna

The Silesian Press Museum is a unique object - the only museum of its kind in Poland! It is located about 200 meters from the Market Square, at the end of the main pedestrian street of the city. The museum presents the history of printing and the press in Silesia, so it is worth looking inside, because it is an interesting topic and how differently achieved today. 

An additional advantage is the fact that the museum is located in a historic tenement house from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. It is a small and very charming cottage. The entire facility is located on the Route of Technical Monuments. Visiting the Silesian Press Museum in Pszczyna takes about 1 hour and is relatively cheap (normal ticket PLN 10, reduced ticket PLN 5). The museum is open every day except Mondays, and in the off-season also outside Sundays. 

Meadow Tank

There is a water reservoir in the city, in which a city beach with a swimming pool has been separated. In addition, you can practice water sports here. The swimming pool is open in summer, in winter you can walk through the dam, which is accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. This artificial reservoir was created in 1987, after the construction of a dam on the Pszczynka River, about 3 km west of Pszczyna. The dam is over 1100 meters long and 6 meters high. The maximum depth of the Meadow Reservoir is 3.5 meters.

The largest beach is located in the bathing area in Łąka, there is a yacht marina with water equipment rental (boats, kayaks, pedal boats and even windsurfing boats). There are football and beach volleyball courts, a campground, and a barbecue area. In summer, the municipal swimming pool is open every day. On the other side of the reservoir in Poręba there is a smaller marina and a smaller beach with water equipment and a campsite. It's harder to get here. 

Golf course in Pszczyna

The golf course is located near the Demonstration Bison Farm. Here, everyone can enjoy this elite activity, on a luxurious 9-hole field. If you are not sure where to start and you are attracted to this adventure, qualified staff will help. 

Goczałkowice Lake

Lake Goczałkowice is no longer located in Pszczyna, but it is such a beautiful place that it is necessary to see it while in this area. It is the largest water reservoir in the entire Silesian Voivodeship, called the Silesian Sea. And from this sea, mountains emerge, like from a sheet of water, creating one of the most picturesque views I can imagine. The Goczałkowice Reservoir is a lagoon or an artificial lake created by human hands. 

It doesn't bother her at all when she creates such a beautiful scenery. Usually, tourists gather around the dam, where there is free parking, a convenient walking area and a wonderful sunset at the right time, but I really encourage you to look at the Silesian Sea from several other viewpoints, much more charming, where instead of concrete you will see nature, wild islands and hear screaming birds. The views are breathtaking, especially at sunrise, which literally magnetizes.

Kapias Gardens in Goczałkowice

It is similar with Kapias, it is also not Pszczyna, but close and the place is loved by the inhabitants of Silesia! You can move here to the farthest corners of Europe and even the world, without a plane, without a ticket, straight to paradise! It is a place born of passion for nature, but one that is subjugated, because the owners from bare land several years ago conjured up wonderful show gardens here, available free of charge to everyone. It's just a fairy tale. 

You will find here a Mediterranean, Japanese, Scandinavian, English garden, but also a garden of silence, setting sun or romantic. Decorations and creativity delight and seem to have no limits here! We love this place, it's beautiful at any time of the year! It is crowded here in the summer, so I recommend autumn or even winter, because the gardens are year-round, and you can warm up in a cafe or restaurant. 

You do not have to look for inspiration for your own garden, just let yourself be invited for a fantastic walk, even for a few hours. Time passes unnoticed among tall grasses rustling in the wind, in a mysterious hobbit house, on an Italian patio, in a country backyard or in a birch gaik. 

Pheasantry Palace in Pszczyna

In the Pszczyna - Poręba district, there is a charming, classicist palace called the Pheasantry. It is about 3 kilometers west of the Pszczyna Castle, on the Żorska and Wodzisławska roads. The palace was built at the end of the 18th century. As the name suggests, pheasants were bred here, but the palace also served as a playground for the Hochbergs. Currently, there is a restaurant here, sometimes concerts take place.

Wooden Architecture Trail in Pszczyna

The Wooden Architecture Trail of the Silesian Voivodeship brings together the most valuable wooden buildings of the region. These are interesting monuments that are worth visiting during your hikes. In Pszczyna, on the Wooden Architecture Trail, there is an open-air museum in Pszczyna, and under the town on the Trail, you can also visit the church of St. Martin in Ćwiklice.

Silesian Tastes Trail

The Silesian Tastes Culinary Trail is a nod to tradition and good cuisine, which have become an important sphere for Poles. "Śląskie Smaki" consists of restaurants serving traditional regional dishes, prepared according to old recipes. Travelling along the "Śląskie Smaki" Trail, you can taste not only typical Silesian cuisine, but also Jurassic, Zagłębie or Beskid cuisine and see how diverse they are. From typical Silesian cuisine, you have to taste rolls with dumplings and blue cabbage. The Frykówka Restaurant at Rynek 3 invites you to Pszczyna from the Trail, while the Silesian Tastes Trail includes the Rural Inn in Jankowice. Delicious!

Wooden church in Ćwiklice

The wooden church of St. Martin in Ćwiklice near Pszczyna dates from the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is a church of log construction, covered with a shingle. The front tower is adjacent to the temple from the west. The interior of the church in Ćwiklice is Baroque, mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries. In addition, a triptych from the 15th century is very valuable here.

Museum of Military History of Silesia

The stronghold of the Pszczyna Knights

The Pszczyna Knights Stronghold is a very interesting restaurant where you will get to know the old flavors of these lands. It is located by the route leading from Silesia, outside the city center.

Where to eat in Pszczyna

The city offers some interesting places where you can eat well. However, we were most impressed by the Rural Inn in Jankowice (ul. Żubrów 112 B)- a delicious restaurant near the bison, located on the Silesian Tastes Culinary Trail.We really like all cultural trails, and this one is extremely pleasant. Of course, the Tavern serves delicious Silesian cuisine, and the local dishes are poetry. Travelling with a large family has the great advantage that you can try different dishes. In addition to the set recommended by Śląskie Smaki, i.e. mushroom soup, beef cheeks in their own sauce and the original Jankowice kick with whipped cream, we also tasted goose meat for St. Martin's Day and a typical Silesian dish - rolls with dumplings and blue cabbage. 

It was a real feast! In the Tavern, you will get to know the Silesian word - bajtel, or child, because you can order special Bajtel Box dishes for your baby, to which you will get free gadgets. Thanks to them, children do not get bored during meals and you can enjoy the taste.

If you fancy coffee and sweets, I highly recommend, in addition to the Tea House in the Park, also the Maszkety Café at Jasiek's Market Square in Pszczyna. This is a delicious place, the cake is delicious, and these chocolates - delicious, very inventive, both in terms of fancy shapes and crazy flavors. Wonderful!

There is also the Pszczyna Knights' Stronghold (50 Bielska Street), outside the center of Pszczyna, on the main route to Bielsko. The stronghold is a restaurant with tasty cuisine, apparently a similar castle used to stand right here in Pszczyna.

Pszczyna accommodation

In the city itself, you can choose from several interesting overnight stays, such as the Piano Nobile Apartments on the market square or the interesting Daisy's Secret Apartment at Wojciech Korfanty Street. Convenient accommodation will be provided by Hotel Imperium on road No. 1, near the railway station or the luxurious Pheasantry Palace on Barbórki Street. We just slept on the outlet, in AHotel Czechowice Dziedzice, which is a great and quiet base for exploring the surrounding attractions. At the hotel, there is also a restaurant with barbecue facilities.

Here you will find a wide selection of accommodations. By booking your stay on Booking.com through our link, you support the development of our blog — and we thank you in advance! It helps us reach many interesting places that we later love to show you and share our experiences and information with you.

Map of the attraction. Access and parking in the city

The easiest and most convenient way to get to Pszczyna is by car, so that you can easily move between individual attractions in and around Pszczyna. There are paid parking lotsin the city center, but it is also possible to park for free on weekends, e.g. behind the All Saints Church near the Market Square, we often park here, it is on Piwowarska Street. You can park for free on Dworcowa Street near the Open-Air Museum or at Żorska Street, near the Bison Farm (reportedly paid from 2023).

You can also easily get to Pszczyna by train, e.g. Katowice-Żywiec, the railway station is located on Plac Dworcowy, from where you can easily and quickly reach the Historic Park or the city pedestrian street - Piastowska Street. The city is not big, and the Historic Park really combines all the most important attractions, so you can reach them by walking in nice nature circumstances. This makes exploring Pszczyna easy and enjoyable.

History of Pszczyna

The history of the city is long. The settlement with the castle certainly existed here already in the 12th century, but the town rights of Pszczyna were granted in the second half of the 13th century, although a long time ago. The medieval settlement was established on a merchant route leading from Ukraine through Krakow, Silesia and further through Cieszyn to southern Europe. Certainly already then, around the 13th century, there was a castle surrounded by fortifications and a moat, and a town with a marketplace was adjacent to it. 

The area was wet, and Pszczynka, heading towards the Vistula River, created numerous backwaters. In those old days, the land of Pszczyna belonged to Małopolska until 1178, when it became part of Silesia and came into the possession of the Piast prince of Opole and Racibórz. Pszczyna was known as "CIVITAS" - a city founded next to a pre-existing castle.

Composer Telemann

In 1548, the Hungarian magnate Jan Turzo sold the Duchy of Pszczyna to the Bishop of Wrocław - Balthasar Promnitz of Żary, and for two centuries one of the most illustrious Silesian families ruled over these lands. At that time, and also a little later, during the reign of the Dukes of Anhalt-Koethen, Pszczyna maintained close contacts with the Wawel Royal Castle. 

Culture flourished, and then, in the years 1704-08, the outstanding German Baroque composer - Georg Filip Telemann was the court bandmaster at the castle in Pszczyna. It is in his memory that the Museum in Pszczyna has been organizing baroque music concerts under the name "Evenings at Telemann" since 1979, and in 2000 the Museum received the G. Telemann Award of the Magdeburg city authorities for "outstanding merits in the interpretation, cultivation and research activities related to the life and work of the composer".

The Hochbergs

In 1846, the Pszczyna estates passed into the hands of the counts of Hochberg, whose ancestral seat was Książ Castle. It was then that the best times for the castle in Pszczyna began. It was one of the richest magnate families in Europe at that time. In 1848, after receiving the ducal title, the Hochbergs took the surname von Pless, i.e. the dukes of Pszczyna. The Hochbergs expanded their summer hunting lodge throughout the 19th century. 

Here they came to hunt bison and crowned deer heads from all over Europe. In Pszczyna, cloth, tanning and metal factories began to operate, and weapons were additionally produced in brickworks, oil mills and tile factories. In the first half of the 19th century, two printing houses were established. This one by Kristian Schemmel published, among others, "Tygodnik Polski Poświętowany Włościanom" - the first newspaper in Upper Silesia printed in Polish.

Silesian Uprisings and the war

The inhabitants of Pszczyna fought in three Silesian uprisings and the final results of the plebiscite in 1921, when 74 percent of the county's population voted for Poland, made the Pszczyna land return to the Motherland. In September 1939, insurgents and scouts heroically defended the city. There were also heavy battles between the units of the Kraków Army. 

At the turn of 1944 and 1945, Pszczyna was a tragic witness to the "death march" of the prisoners of Oświęcim. The city was liberated in February 1945. Fortunately, there was no major war damage and thus valuable monuments that we can admire here today survived.

See the list of the most beautiful cities of the Silesian Voivodeship

A video about Pszczyna

Finally, we invite you to watch a film about this beautiful city - TOP 5 with our eyes:

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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.

• Gródek Park in Jaworzno, distance: 38.4  km
• Black Trout Adit in Tarnowskie Góry, distance: 50.9  km
• Pławniowice Palace, distance: 56  km
• Błędowska Desert, distance: 58  km
• Krakowskie valleys, distance: 61  km
• Ojców National Park, distance: 67.9  km
• Eagle's Nest Trail, distance: 68.4  km
• Kazimierz in Kraków, distance: 72.3  km
• Wieliczka Salt Mine, distance: 79.7  km
• Moszna Castle, distance: 98.1  km