The best museums Silesia

This is one of the largest panoramic canvases in Europe. Gigantic at 15 m high and 114 m long, it is installed in a building dedicated to it. The highly symbolic canvas depicts the Battle of Racławice on April 4, 1794, the last Polish victory over the Russians before their final annexation. The painting was completed a century later in Lwów, but it wasn't until 1980 that Soviet reluctance was overcome and it was once again exhibited. Online booking is recommended.

Originally a place of worship for the Knights of Malta, whose sign can be seen on the walls, built in the 14th century in the center of a pretty square not far from the Rynek, this Gothic church has retained its original exterior appearance, but the interior decorations have been redone in the most flamboyant Baroque style. They are among the most beautiful in Poland, with an unprecedented abundance (in marble, gold ...) testifying to 250 years of Baroque. You can attend organ concerts.

Although the museum's exterior has recently been renovated, its display and museography have certainly not changed since the communist era (apart from the purges of socialist propaganda) and it is delightfully quaint. In addition to objects related to the history of the city, including glass work, there is a magnificent collection of old clocks that are the attraction of the visit. Worth a visit if you have an hour to kill on your way.

The museum occupies large, transparent glass buildings as well as historic ^{eighteenth-century} edifices and is developed in the underground chambers of the former mine. The Polish art gallery features a collection of paintings by Polish and Silesian masters including Olga Boznańska and Józef Mehoffer. Portraits, landscapes and depictions of everyday life give way to impressionist and surrealist paintings in the post-1945 section.)

This very interesting museum is located in an old paper mill, built in 1605. It was powered by a paddle wheel driven by the river's current. The building, with wooden scrolls, is beautiful. The factory has recently been restored and has resumed its activity. It produces paper following artisanal techniques presented in the museum. Paper production activities are organized for visitors.

The fortress is the symbol of the city. Dating from the 16th century, built by the Austrians and remodeled by the Prussians, it is an austere military construction of impressive dimensions. Its visit is fascinating. It contains a whole set of underground rooms used for exhibitions, notably dedicated to the memory of the prisoners locked up here by the Nazis. Beautiful view of the old town. In summer, there is a café-restaurant inside, on the terrace.

Situated to the east of the Rynek, this imposing ^15th-century Gothic stone church, whose interior was later decorated in Baroque style, is certainly the most beautiful monument in the whole city. Sometimes referred to as "the pearl of Silesia", its tower rises to a height of 103 m. The cathedral miraculously survived the war. Next to the church is a new monument (2014) dedicated to Pope John Paul II, who visited the region during his pontificate.

Located in a former ^16th-century monastery, it houses permanent and temporary exhibitions on architecture. Visitors can discover the emblematic projects and artistic trends that have shaped Wroclaw's urban landscape over the centuries, via models and photographs. Several themes are traced, such as "Wrocław yesterday, today and tomorrow" or "the remains of medieval architecture". A large part of the collection is devoted to modern art and stained glass.

Located in the eastern part of the city center, this vast Flemish neo-Renaissance building boasts a good collection of medieval art, which is admittedly a little dated in its presentation, as well as a good collection of ^{twentieth-century} Polish art. The second floor features a magnificent medieval collection of typical polychrome wooden sculptures, a Stations of the Cross with eleven almost life-size figures and a number of paintings. The museum also offers a wide range of temporary exhibitions.

Located in the village of Kletno, 35 km south of Kłodzko, it's one of the most beautiful caves in Poland and the longest in the Sudetenland (approx. 3 km). Prehistoric bear bones have been found here, including a skeleton from the Ice Age. The cave is classified as a nature reserve. In the cave, the temperature doesn't exceed 6°C and it's very damp, making for a slippery walk. Children are not recommended.

Housed in a former gasworks that has been closed since 1977, this museum with its modern museography tells the story of gas production in Paczków in a very captivating way. Gas production in the town began in 1903, and by the 1930s was supplying gas to around 700 households: almost 85% of all inhabitants. The small plant, spared by the war, did not survive the consolidations of the socialist regime, which was fond of large-scale industrial projects.

In the cellars of the houses surrounding the Rynek, 600 m of galleries have been dug, which were used as warehouses in the Middle Ages. This means that you can walk through the town completely underground. The quality of the site is comparable to that of Sandomierz in Lesser Poland, and just as impressive. During the crossing, one can see instruments of torture. The site was discovered in the 1970s, following a series of collapses. The exit is at the foot of the fortress.

The Museum of the History of the Polish Post is housed in the premises of the present Central Post Office, an imposing building constructed between 1926 and 1929, whose expressionist architectural forms are attributable to Neumann. The museum is dedicated to the history of the Polish postal system and telecommunications from the 16th century to the present day. Paintings, graphic art, stamps, mailboxes, uniforms and many other wonders for enthusiasts in this specialized museum.

It contains the collection of Henryk Tomaszewski, a famous Polish artist, creator of the pantomime theater in Wrocław. He died in 2001 and had been living in Karpacz since 1968. This collection is the result of many years of research and passion of the artist. On display, of course, are many toys, some from the artist's private collection whose pieces date back more than two hundred years. A nice visit especially in the company of children.

The building itself is a magnificent example of Renaissance architecture, so its museum is a good excuse to visit the place. The beautiful façade is decorated with busts of members of the Piast family who lived there until the end of the dynasty in 1675. The exhibition presents the history of the region and of the Silesian Piast dynasties, as well as a beautiful display of Silesian sculptures and paintings, dating from the 15th to the 18th century.

The museum was founded in 1922 on the initiative of the Society for the Preservation of the Regional Tradition of the City of Zielona Góra. Since then, its aim has been to present the past and the specificity of the city. Today, north of the city center, this museum has a collection of contemporary works, and presents especially the wine history of the region. Finally, it houses the most important exhibition of works by the famous contemporary artist Marian Kruczek (1927-1983).

Opposite the Copper Museum, this baroque church replaced a gothic building. The interior, quite well decorated, is worth a visit. In 1677-1678, the remaining presbytery of the Gothic church was rebuilt to become the mausoleum of the Silesian Piast, which can still be visited. The interior of the mausoleum has the shape of a rotunda, the dome is decorated with a painting of Polish rulers: one of the most valuable Baroque monuments in Lower Silesia.

The museum is housed in a former Gothic church (with stained glass windows from Krakow, characteristic). There is a model of the famous battle, as well as various objects associated with it, with a very pleasant modern museography that recreates the issues and the disaster experienced by the Poles. The church was built on the exact spot where the body of Duke Henry the Pious, commander of the Silesian troops, crushed by the Tatars, lay.

This 43 m high tower is the only survivor of the Piast castle. In the 20th century, the authorities of the Opole district considered the castle to be of little use and expensive to maintain and decided to demolish it. Thanks to the strong opposition of the Polish bourgeoisie in Opole and the activists of the Union of Poles in Germany, only the castle tower could be saved. Today it is surrounded by any kind of buildings, but from its top it offers a view over the city.

Located 8 km south of Zielona Góra, on an area of 13 ha, this skansen presents several traditional houses from Wielkopolska and Lower Silesia. It has the particularity of being associated with a national museum and a university research branch. Today, almost eighty historical buildings and more than ten thousand artifacts are available for visitors to see in permanent exhibitions and in the company's premises. During the year, folklore events are regularly held here.