Things to see and do Opole

Located north of the Rynek, it has been modified over the ages, losing its Gothic style to become a graceful blend of period styles that is well displayed since its recent renovation with two twin bell towers that tower over the city. It is a monument very dear to the people of the city, who associate it closely with their history, and a place of faith and discreet pilgrimage for its Virgin. It is the burial place of the last of the Piast of Opole, John II the Good.

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).

Located south of the Rynek, this church dates from the first half of the 14th century, but has been modified several times and was even an evangelical temple. The beautiful Gothic St. Anne's Chapel houses the mausoleum of the Opols, whose family tree is painted on the wall, who ruled the ducal capital and its principality from the 12th to the mid-16th century. Fourteen princes and duchesses of this ruling family found eternal rest here.

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.