Brzeg - PKS - Buses and Buses - Transportation - Attractions.

Brzeg is a city in the Opole province, located on the Oder River halfway between Opole and Wroclaw. It is inhabited by 35,000 people. Its name comes from the riverbank. The first mention of the market and fishing settlement "Wisokibrzeg" appears in 1235. In 1248 the city was granted a location privilege. From 1311 it became the capital of the Brzeg duchy, separated from the Duchy of Legnica, ruled by the longest line of the Piast dynasty, which expired in 1675. In the 18th century Brzeg passed into the hands of the Kingdom of Prussia. During World War II, much of the old town and valuable monuments were destroyed. After the war, Brzeg became part of the Polish borders, and many displaced persons from the Eastern Borderlands were settled in and around the city.

Brzeg - attractions of the city of Piast

.

What to see in the city of Silesian Piasts? Below are some hints.

.

Silesian Piast Castle in Brzeg

.

This castle is known as the Silesian Wawel, due to its beautiful Renaissance arcaded courtyard. It was built in the 13th century on the site of a previous Gothic fortified castle, of which the Lvov Tower remains. Today, this most important residence of the Silesian Piasts houses the museum, which is a branch of Wrocław's National Museum. In the basement of the castle's St. Hedwig's Chapel are the tombs and epitaphs of the Legnicko-Brzeski princes of the Piast dynasty. On the upper floors you can see exhibitions of old clothes, weapons, numismatic items, works of art, as well as furniture and many other furnishings. Also worth noting is the richly decorated facade of the gate building.

Brzeg town square and town hall

.

Brzeg's market square was delineated in the mid-13th century, during the city's incorporation. In its eastern frontage, fragments of 14th-century townhouses have been preserved. The first seat of government in Brzeg was erected in 1300. After the 16th century city fire, it was rebuilt in Renaissance style. The Brzeg City Hall is often considered the prettiest Renaissance town hall in Poland. As one of the few monuments of the city, it did not suffer significantly during World War II. Noteworthy inside are: The Ceiling Hall and the Hall of Councillors.

.

St. Nicholas Church in Brzeg

.

The Gothic church of St. Nicholas is one of the largest of its kind in Silesia. It dates back to the 14th century. It was built on the site of an older brick temple mentioned in sources in 1279. From the first half of the 16th century until 1945 it was a Protestant church. It burned to the ground during the last world war and only a few elements of its former decoration and furnishings have survived to our days, most of which are in museums in Brzeg, Wroclaw and Poznan.

The Oder Gate in Brzeg

.

This gate was once part of the city's fortification system and is now the only surviving element left of the former Brest fortress. It was built in 1595 from sandstone in the late Renaissance style. The Oder Gate led to a wooden drawbridge over the Oder River used until the mid-19th century. It is decorated with coat-of-arms cartouches with the coats of arms of: the city and Prince Joachim Frederick and his wife Anna Maria von Anhalt. Above them is a Latin inscription, which is the motto of the Princes of Brest, "The word of the Lord endures forever."

Parks in Brzeg

.

Brzeg is a very green city with as much as 90 hectares of parks and green spaces within its borders. The city has the Nadodrzanski Park, where one can admire the surroundings from a vantage point, the Central Park with two fountains or the Park on the Moat with the von Löbbecke palace, amphitheater and lake. The largest in the city is the Julius Peppel Freedom Park. It bears the name of the former mayor of Brzeg, who at the turn of the 20th century carried out many investments to improve the comfort of life in the city, such as bringing running water, building a sewage system and establishing this very park. It is, in fact, a sizable suburban forest and the main recreational and leisure place in Brzeg.