Places with character
a square with a town hall of 1823 and Neoclassical townhouses from the 19th century
Places with character
square in the heart of Rybnik with fountains, a former marketplace and an award-winning design
Places with character
the square in front of the basilica with a four-metre bronze monument to the pope and a fountain
Atmospheric places in Rybnik: the market square with its 1823 town hall, Freedom Square and John Paul II Square, three spaces in the heart of the city.
All three lie in the centre, so they link easily into a single walk. Each square has its own character: an old market, a former trading ground and a renovated square in front of the basilica.
Best at the market square, laid out when the town was chartered on the site of a former pond. Today it is lined with compact Classicist buildings with Neo-Renaissance and modernist touches, and the Classicist town hall of 1823 stands on its western side.
East of the market lies Freedom Square, a former trading ground that was called Neuer Ring until 1922. It was rebuilt in 2006-2007 with fountains and greenery.
John Paul II Square lies right in front of the Basilica of St Anthony of Padua, where Powstańców Śląskich and Mikołowska streets meet. It holds a four-metre bronze monument to the pope and was renovated in 2012.
The design came from the toprojekt studio, and the Society of Polish Town Planners gave it first prize in the category of urban public space.
The Rybnik Museum stands close to John Paul II Square. The city also has churches and monasteries and parks and nature. For a wider picture: Rybnik.
