Castle in Ruda Śląska

Ruda Castle (Zamek Rudzki) is today a ruin: a few stone fragments of walls in the Ruda district of Ruda Śląska, left from a stronghold of the late Middle Ages that was later converted into a small palace.

From stronghold to palace

The castle was probably built at the end of the 14th century by the Rudzki family. It was mentioned as their property in 1401, and the next mention comes from 1497. In the first half of the 17th century, during the Thirty Years' War, the building was destroyed, and a document from 1665 describes it as dilapidated. In the following years it began to be rebuilt and turned into a small palace; in 1754 a chapel was in use in it.

In the 19th century the palace was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style and in that form survived until the Second World War. It belonged, among others, to the Ballestrems. In 1945 it was burned down, abandoned and never rebuilt, so it gradually fell into ruin.

What remains

Only stone fragments of walls up to three metres thick have survived, which reveal the medieval origin of the building. No archaeological research has so far been carried out here, as far as is known, so the layout of the former castle is not known. For many years the site was overgrown with shrubs and trees. A local legend says the castle belonged to the Templars, but the sources give no evidence for it.

In December 2009 the city handed the castle and the nearby house of Karol Godula to a foundation, which planned to renovate the complex and open it to visitors. The current state of the work needs to be checked with the city office.

Practical information

• Location: Ruda Śląska, Ruda district.
• The site is a ruin. Visiting rules and hours are not known, so it is worth asking at the city office before a visit.
• Nearest, about 700 m away, is the Maksymilian Chrobok Municipal Museum, and a little further the Guido Mine.