Chudów Castle

Chudów Castle is a partly rebuilt Renaissance ruin in the Jasienica valley, with a tower that houses a museum. According to the website of the foundation that looks after it, it is one of the few early Renaissance private residences in this part of Upper Silesia.

Who built the castle

The castle was built in the first half of the 16th century, in the 1530s, on the site of earlier fortifications and a wooden seat of the Chudowski family. The foundation's website gives as its founder Jan Saszowski of Gierałtowice, also known as Gierałtowski. The heritage register dates the site to the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, because it covers later rebuilding.

The castle stood in the Jasienica valley and was surrounded by a moat. Over time it belonged to several families, including the Skalls until 1671, the Welczeks, the Foglers and the Schaffgotsches.

What the castle looked like

The structure originally stood on a rectangular plan with a courtyard, around which ran cloisters, and in the middle there was a well. It consisted of two three-storey residential buildings and a square, five-storey tower. In the 19th century Alexander von Bally added a sixth storey to the tower. The castle was built of stone and brick.

Fire, ruin and rebuilding

The castle burned down in the 19th century, and sources give two dates: 1860 and 1874. After the fire it was not rebuilt, and in 1945-1995 no work was carried out on it. In 1995 the Chudów Castle Foundation was established, which in 1999 took over the site and began archaeological research and partial reconstruction. By 2004 the castle tower had been rebuilt. Since 2020 the foundation has been the first Polish member of the International National Trust Organisation.

Museum and fair

In the tower there is a castle museum with finds recovered during archaeological research. Since 1996 cultural events have been organised here, including the August Medieval Fair. The perimeter wall, the tower and the gate have been reconstructed.

Nearby

The castle lies in Gierałtowice municipality, not far from Gliwice. In the area there is the Palace in Przyszowice.

Practical information

• Address: Podzamcze 6, Chudów.
• Museum and entry: the museum's opening hours are given on the website zamekchudow.pl in a separate tab, so check them before your visit.
• The office of the Chudów Castle Foundation is at Bujoczka 28 in Ruda Śląska.