Oleśnica is a historic city, which, despite the fierce fighting in its vicinity, was not destroyed at the end of World War II. Thanks to this, you can still admire the old town preserved within the city walls with numerous monuments from the period from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.
The city was founded on the site of an earlier settlement in the 13th century, and at the beginning of the 14th century it became the capital of a small principality of Oleśnica ruled by one of the Piast lines. In the 15th century, after its expiry, Oleśnica came under Czech rule and until the end of World War II it remained outside Poland.
The center of Oleśnica is surrounded by medieval walls. Out of the four entrance gates to the city at that time, one has survived, the Wrocław Gate. The remaining ones were demolished at the end of the 19th century during the town's expansion. The main monument is the Ducal Castle, open to the public, where the Piasts resided, and then the dukes from successive Czech and German aristocratic families who owned Oleśnica. The castle, originally gothic, was rebuilt in the 16th century in the Renaissance style.
The town center is the market square with the town hall, which dates back to the 15th century. Currently, it represents the classicist style, in which it was rebuilt in the 19th century. There are also tenement houses with facades from the 19th century around the square. renaissance Basilica of St. John the Apostle, which in the past served as the castle chapel.
