Three Brothers Well in Cieszyn

The Three Brothers Well is a cast-iron gazebo over a well on Trzech Braci Street in Cieszyn, linked with the legend of the town's founding. It is in the heritage register and is among the most recognisable places in the old town.

The legend of the three brothers

An inscription by the well tells of three princely brothers, Bolko, Leszko and Cieszko, sons of Leszek III, who met at a spring around the year 810 and founded a town here. The name of Cieszyn was said to come from the joy that overcame them then (from the word “cieszyć”, to delight). It is a legend, not a documented fact, but it is what gives the well its meaning.

What it looks like

The gazebo is about 3 metres high and hexagonal in plan. Openwork, partly open walls are supported by cast-iron columns, and the whole is covered by a pyramidal sheet-metal roof. It is all in the Neo-Gothic style. The structure was cast in 1868 at the ironworks in Třinec.

From the history of the well

The well served as the town's water source, and its present setting from the mid-19th century is linked with an initiative of Paweł Stalmach. The inscriptions were originally in three languages: Polish, Latin and German. After the Second World War the German text was replaced with a bas-relief by Jan Raszka, and after the renovation in 2023 all three inscriptions were restored.

Nearby

The well is less than 200 metres from the Printing Museum and less than 100 metres from the Church of St Mary Magdalene. The Rotunda of St Nicholas is also not far away.

Practical information

• Address: Trzech Braci Street, Cieszyn.
• Viewing the well does not require a ticket; it stands in public space.
• Check wheelchair accessibility on site.