Churches and monasteries
neo-Gothic parish church in Poręba, built in just a few months in 1901
Historic sites
a Neoclassical lodge of the princes of Pszczyna from 1800, surrounded by a forest park
Historic sites
a stone tower from 1798 used to transport blast-furnace charge
What to see in Poręba? The Princely Pheasantry from the late 18th century, a limestone winding tower from 1798 and a neo-Gothic church from 1901.
There are at least two places called Poręba in the Silesian Voivodeship. The Pheasantry lies in Poręba, a part of Pszczyna, while the church is described as standing in Poręba near Zawiercie, so check the address before you set off.
The Princely Pheasantry in Poręba at Barbórki 47 is a late classicist hunting lodge built in 1792-1800 for Frederick Erdmann, Prince of Pszczyna. Today it houses a hotel with a restaurant, and the historic layout of the interiors is still readable. The idea of breeding pheasants here dates back to 1770.
The Winding Tower in Poręba on Fabryczna Street, finished in 1798, carried the blast-furnace charge at a former ironworks. It has three storeys and is built of dressed limestone.
The Church of St Joseph the Betrothed of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a neo-Gothic parish church built surprisingly fast: the first Mass was held less than seven months after work began in 1901.
The building is now a hotel with a restaurant, so you see the interiors as a guest.
It carried the blast-furnace charge, the materials needed to smelt ore, and it is one of the monuments of the former ironworking industry.
