Monuments to visit Silesia

Originally built in the ^13th century, this superb castle has been extended several times, and is now the largest in Silesia, with 415 rooms, and the third largest in Poland. It was inhabited by Hitler during the Second World War, who stripped it of its treasures. Later, the Soviets turned it into barracks, before it was finally renovated and transformed into a museum and opened to visitors today.

This building, built between the ^13th and ^16th centuries in Gothic style, shines in the middle of Wrocław's central square. The seat of the German bourgeoisie for centuries, it has been miraculously spared destruction. Small sculptures depicting the daily life of Breslau's bourgeoisie can be seen on its southern facade. Inside, you'll find the Museum of Bourgeois Art, whose rooms and artifacts have been wonderfully preserved; the highlight of the show is the sumptuous Knights' Hall. Access is from the west.

Located to the north of the Rynek, this superb ^18th-century Baroque university is well worth a visit, with its fantastic exterior and wooden and wrought-iron gates. It was founded in 1702 by the Austrian Emperor Leopold II. German until 1945, it trained a number of Nobel Prize winners, including the famous physician Alois Alzheimer, who discovered the disease to which he gave his name. After the Second World War, the entire University of Lwów was relocated to replace the academics in Breslau.

An emblem of the city, this bridge spans the Młynówka Canal and connects the Old Town with Sable Island. It dates back to the end of the 14th century and has six groups of statues on its parapets erected in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is a magnificent example of a medieval bridge as few remain in the region. Just stand in the middle of it, look at the water under the parapet for a moment and close your eyes to be transported to a distant past.

In an old traditional Sudeten cottage painted green, one can admire an amazing crib, made by Franciszek Stepan over a period of twenty years and electrified in 1927. In 1930-1938, he added a wooden organ to his work, capable of producing 270 different sounds in 10 registers. The crib is a remarkable work with 250 hand-carved figures. This little jewel of craftsmanship is a must-see in the city.

This 16th century building dominates the Rynek from its belfry, from which you can admire the oval of the fortifications (open from 10 am to 5 pm, 6 zl). The houses all around the square have undergone transformations, but offer a superb architectural variety. The oldest ones date from the 16th century. It is one of the best preserved Renaissance towers in Silesia and an excellent viewpoint for the entire city. Inside is an antique clock mechanism made in 1858 by Carl Weiss, a famous craftsman of the time.

This is Paczków's main attraction. Built in the ^14th century, the ramparts have never been destroyed and still completely surround the old town. A park surrounds these fortifications - where the moat was once dug. Of the twenty-four small towers that once lined the walls, nineteen remain today. Finally, there are three large towers: Ziębice, Wrocław and Kłodzko. You can climb to the top of the Wrocław tower for a lovely overview of the city (daily 10am-5pm, 6 zł).

The Piast Castle is originally a 13th century Gothic construction that was later remodeled in Renaissance style in the 16th century, and then transformed into Neoclassical style in the 19th century. These styles are mixed, cohabiting as well as possible. In the inner courtyard, you can visit the remains of the 13th century Romanesque chapel (for visits, contact the Copper Museum). The two towers of the castle have recently been restored and are open to the public.

Located in the center of the Rynek, this building built in the 1860s is a surprisingly central European replica of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The whole thing is quite successful, even if it lacks some of the graceful form of its inspiration. It is certainly worth a look, as it has been spared by the years and by the Second World War. The disaster of July 15, 1934, when the tower of the city hall collapsed, has since been repaired after intensive work (it turned out that the foundations were affected).

Built in the ^17th century, it was rebuilt several times, following the town fires of the ^16th and ^17th centuries, signs of a tumultuous era: it burned in 1582, 1627 and 1651, and after an umpteenth reconstruction in 1590, it took the form of a two-storey brick building. In the first half of the ^17th century, it was used as a winery, and from 1741, for seven years, as an evangelical temple. Traditionally, it was painted green, a color it has retained for 180 years. Its 54 m tower overlooks the Rynek.

Built in the 16th century, in Renaissance style, it looks quite lonely in the middle of the Rynek, as the place was severely damaged during World War II, and Stalinist-style concrete buildings have been part of the scenery, since the 1950s. The original building was burned in the great fire of the city in the early 16th century. The present one was erected in the years 1569-1577 according to the design of the Italian architect Bernard Niuron and the construction of the building was led by the Italian builder Jakub Parr.