Cieszyn

State of preservation:		The tower of Piast and the chapel
Admission:		To the park where the remnants of the castle are you may enter for free at hours 7.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m. As far as the tower is concerned in May of 2003 was no available. However, out of information received from visitors of this site follows that its sightseeing is possible.
Parking:		The parking lots near the castle are paid
Searching difficulty:		The castle tower is visible from a distance but only after entering the town center
Access difficulty:		From the official parking lots you must walk down a pavement but uphill
Subjective rating:		The building of an average appearance

Driving directions:

After reaching the town you need to make for the old border crossing-point (not far from the new one) and before that you have to turn right and drive up the hill


Historical outline:

A former name: Teschen (German), Tešin (Czech)

On the Castle Hill there are the remainders of early-medieval borough and a brick castle. Provided that the remainders of the borough were accurately researched and described, the outcomes of archeological works on the castle did not see publication yet. The borough arose the most probably in the second half of the Xth cent., whereas in the XIth cent. the St. Mikołaj borough chapel was built within its compass. It is the oldest Christian shrine in Cieszyn. Date of origin of the brick castle is unknown. An initiative of construction is ascribed to the first duke of Cieszyn – Mieszko – at the turn of the XIIIth and the XIVth cent. The stronghold was then enlarged by Mieszko’s son and grandson. In spite of numerous fires in the XVth and the XVIth cent. the castle survived in a good condition until the Thirty Years’ War. In 1647 it was destroyed by gunfire and has never been rebuilt again. In the XIXth cent. its remnants were blown up.




Pictures:




Nearest castles:

Grodziec (Silesian Province)