Zebrzydowice Palace

The Zebrzydowice Palace stands in Cieszyn County, by the Pietrówka river, on the site of a former Gothic castle. Today it houses the Municipal Cultural Centre and a tourist information point.

From castle to palace

The first castle was built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, as shown by the uncovered fragments of walls of Gothic origin. A pond surrounded it on the east and north, and a boggy meadow on the west. The oldest mention of the "stronghold of Zebrzydowice" dates from the time of Hynek Liszka, who inherited the estate in 1575. In the following centuries the owners changed often, and the estate was divided into several parts.

In 1747 the castle was bought by Franciszek Ludwik Mattencloit, and in 1764 Baron Jan Ryszard von Mattencloit rebuilt it as a Baroque residence surrounded by a park. The de Mattencloit family held Zebrzydowice for 140 years, and the palace was then its main seat. In 1888 the village was bought by Count Henryk Larisch von Mönnich, and at the end of the 19th century the new owners added wings to the two-storey building.

What the building looks like

The palace was built on a rectangular plan in the German Baroque style, using old walls. The ground floor has battered walls, recalling its defensive beginnings, and the upper floor is separated by a cornice. The corners are rounded, and the façades are decorated with pilaster strips with an entablature. The façade is distinguished by a projecting bay with a wide gateway on the ground floor, topped with a triangular pediment with a stone heraldic cartouche. The whole is covered by a mansard roof with two dormers.

After the war and today

During the Second World War the palace burned down. It was rebuilt in 1958-1963, and after an extension in 1970 it was assigned to cultural purposes; a performance hall was added to the eastern wall. Next to it there are an amphitheatre, a viewing pier and the "Młyńszczok" Water Sports Centre, and the palace also has a restaurant.

Trails nearby

Beside the palace run marked cycle routes, among them the red no. 24, the Cycle Loop of the Cieszyn Silesia Euroregion, and the green no. 13 from Rybnik through Jastrzębie-Zdrój to Ustroń. Through Zebrzydowice also runs the Castles Trail on the Piotrówka, which links, among others, the castle in Kończyce Małe.

Practical information

• Address: ul. ks. Antoniego Janusza 21, Zebrzydowice.
• In the building: the Municipal Cultural Centre and a tourist information point; check the hours and accessibility of the interiors before a visit.
• The area around the palace with the amphitheatre and pier is a recreation area by the Pietrówka.