Pszczyna is a historic city that for centuries was located on the border of Silesia and Lesser Poland and changed its nationality several times. Its most important monument is the Hochberg Castle, one of the most magnificent aristocratic residences in the region.
The city was founded in the 13th century and was an important point on the trade route between Małopolska and Silesia. A remnant of the old urban layout is the square-shaped market in Pszczyna, with streets that protrude from it in a checkered pattern. Initially, the city belonged to the Opole and Racibórz Piasts, with time it passed into the hands of the Przemyślids, and then it was owned by many different German magnate families.
The castle was the seat of the Piasts, and then of subsequent owners of Pszczyna. Initially, it was a small Gothic stronghold, which was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence in the 16th century. The following centuries brought changes and adaptation to the current trends in architecture and art. The present appearance of the castle in Pszczyna is the result of the reconstruction carried out by the Hochbergs in the 19th century in a style reminiscent of French residences from the times of Louis XIII. The castle houses a museum and an armory.
Around the castle, which is the biggest attraction of Pszczyna, there is Pszczyna Park. It is a 19th-century landscape park with elements of small garden architecture. Nearby, there is Zagroda Żubrów and the open-air museum Zagroda Wsi Pszczyńskiej. In the city, you can also visit the Silesian Press Museum and the baroque Church of St. All Saints and the Evangelical-Augsburg Church.
