Zamek Książ w Wałbrzychu

Zamek Książ w Wałbrzychu

Zamek Książ w Wałbrzychu
4
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Castles
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9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Ksiaz, a blend of many architectural styles, is the third-largest castle in Poland. In Europe, it is considered distinctive because its setting – proudly perched on a rock face, 395 metres above sea level – is as striking as its size. At first a defensive fortification, raised at the end of the thirteenth century by the Piast duke Bolka I (“the Strict”), it has changed hands many times. Only in 1590 was the castle given to the aristocratic Hochberg dynasty which, after receiving title to the castle in 1605, maintained the property as their residence for the following three centuries. During that time, they became one of the most influential and wealthiest Prussian dynasties; in the 19th century, the head of the family received the hereditary title of Prince. With the marriage of Hans Heinrich VI to Anna Anhalt-Pless, the dynasty came to own the estate of the Duchy of Pless, in Upper Silesia. From that time on, the owners of Ksiaz held the title Hochberg von Pless. Before World War II, Ksiaz underwent two significant reconstructions. The first, called the Baroque Reconstruction, took place at the beginning of the 18th century, when Konrad Ernest Maximilan ruled. This included the creation of the huge east face and the main entrance, the splendid Maximilian Hall and several Baroque rooms, and also the gate building, where the library could be found. The Second Castle reconstruction took place between 1909 and 1923. The intention of the owner at the time, Hans Heinrich XV, was to transform Ksiaz into a true baronial mansion. The castle was enlarged at the time by the north and west wings, to which two tours were built. Unfavourable political circumstances (the First World War and economic crisis), and the Hochbergs’ personal problems, prevented the reconstruction from being finished; difficulties in Germany led to financial collapse. During the Second World War, when the paramilitary Todt Organization turned the Castle into solidiers’ quarters, part of the former Hochberg residence was drastically destroyed, and its furnishings were removed. At two levels under the Castle (15 and 50 metres), prisoners from the Gross-Rosen Concentration Camp dug huge tunnels, part of the Riese (Giant) complex that was built in the Sowa Mountains. To this day, the purpose of the tunnels is shrouded in mystery. It has been assumed that a munitions factory or chemical laboratory was to be founded there, and that Ksiaz itself was to become one of the Fuhrer’s quarters. The underground works were partly hidden by Hitler’s soldiers in the war’s final months. On 8 May 1945, the Castle was taken over by the Red Army, which set about causing further destruction, including the removal of part of the library collection. In the years after the war, the Castle experienced still more devastation. Only in the 1950s did Ksiaz receive protection from the regional conservator of Historic Monuments, and during the 1970s the first renovation work began. Since 1991, the Castle has been managed, on behalf of Wałbrzych’s local government, by Ksiaz Castle in Wałbrzych Ltd. The duality of Ksiaz Castle: an essential tourist asset: Ksiaz Castle has often been identified with the Ksiaz Landscape Park, the forest expanse from which it appears, like a ship sailing on an endless green sea. To this day, the former residence of the Hochbergs bears the hallmarks of the times when aristocrats ruled: the castle gates are protected by royal lions, the wide Honorary Courtyard is surrounded by the figures of mythological gods, and the castle exterior suggests that an enchanted dwelling lies within. The Maximilian Hall, resplendent with gold, is used for official purposes: honorary galas, official openings, and prestigious award ceremonies. A short distance from the Castle, there is a further suggestion of the days of nobility at the Ksiaz Stud Farm, where the most illustrious specimens of horses (those bought by Arab sheiks), may be found. Ksiaz Castle, however, has yet another face – dark and impenetrable. It is viewed as one of Lower Silesia’s great mysteries. The ultimate purpose of the Nazi reconstruction work has never been identified, although it is known that Adolf Hitler himself wanted to turn it into his headquarters. The tunnel network, dug by prisoners, has been the subject of stories, legends and conspiracy theories – clouding the picture even further. Without a doubt, one of the firmest beliefs that have taken hold is that the stolen treasure of the region’s people is buried under the courtyard.
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  • Matthew
    69 contributions
    Beautiful and intriguing.
    A full day out. If travelling by public transport then take care to read the castle website which explains which train stop to get off at (Walbrzych Miasto) and then which bus (number 8). We managed it pretty easy but without planning in advance it wouldn't have been so easy. The interior to the castle is beautiful and there is an English speaking audio guide that explains things. There are numbers to follow so you know where to walk in the castle but these are not the audio guide numbers, which come later on. This isn't obvious at first. The underground is intriguing and it is good if you read on the castle's website the history first so that you understand the underground tour because it is only done in spoken Polish. Again there is an audio guide to cover the 4 videos they show but the timing of the audio doesn't match the video strangely. Then the guide did a lot of talking which we obviously didn't understand. Nevertheless it was good to see. The gardens aren't open in winter. Also entry to the Palm House is included too which was only a 25 min downhill walk.
    Visited January 2020
    Written January 26, 2020
  • Olga T
    Barcelona, Spain28 contributions
    Night Sightseeing organized Castle event
    I took my international friends and my family members to this early evening tour and it was spectacular. We had a great family time in the surroundings of a real castle, on the corridors we could see a well performed ghosts acting very well. From time to time one of the ghosts was jumping out in the most unexpected moment and people were a kind of scared but a kind of laughing ;). The only awkward moment was when one of the tourists looked back - at me and screamed. Immediately she apologized me, but I think I looked a bit wasted this night? You need to have a car to arrive there at night.
    Visited October 2019
    Written January 14, 2020
  • Stefanie H
    Lincoln, Nebraska1,591 contributions
    Nice visit
    Ksiaz is a beautiful castle with an interesting history and underground tunnel tour. It's a little over an hour by train from Wroclaw, and then you can take a bus or taxi from the train station. If you get out at the stop prior to Walbrych Miasto, you can walk for about an hour through the forest to the castle. If you take a taxi, be aware that the castle does not have a taxi stand, so you will need to call for one to come and get you when you are ready to leave. The audioguide tour of the castle itself is about 90 minutes, so it's a long one! We had an English audioguide that was included in admission. The underground tunnel tour was only about 35 minutes, and we had to listen to it in Polish, because the sign for other languages wasn't until you get into the tour area, and it directs you to go all the way back to the security area to get the English version. Not a great way to organize other languages for sure. We decided to go ahead with Polish since it was a short tour, and luckily, there were videos throughout which had animation and made the story really easy to figure out! There are several little cafes around the castle, as well as a hotel. Everything is in Polish, but this really isn't a problem, because you can point or use Google translate. There is a pay toilet by the castle gate, and there are several free bathrooms inside on the interior tour. There are so many areas to see, and this castle is very worth a visit.
    Visited June 2022
    Written July 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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Lucie L
2 contributions
Jun 2020 • Friends
The castle was truly beautiful and the hike leading there was also worth it.
Yet, we were very disappointed getting there finding out that the staff was rude, and none of them spoke English. Audioguide in English was also not available.
We booked our visit online, and since we got to the place a little later than the time slot we booked to visit the underground, we were told that we couldn't even exchange time slot and unfortunately then couldn't see it.
A good experience overall, just very unfortunate that the staff was so unfriendly because it partly spoiled our visit.
Written June 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicky P
London, UK34 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
We went to see the Festival of Lights and we were left in stitches. Be careful how you word it while advertising because that was worse than any Galeria is doing in their decorations. Hours spent on driving for the event and we left laughing and crying that we spent so much time to see this. Anyways, as we walked out we decided to warm at the restaurant right in front of the castle. The lady serving us was an amazing, positive, smily, comedian kind of person. I do hope she is one of the owners because with this kind of emotional intelligence she can not be doing just waiting. People like her can influence your business in very positive way. Secondly I do have to praise you on food and it’s presentation although the timing was a little bit of for me. The tartar with the smoky glass, the creme brûlée with rosemary, effing unforgettable 💕💞💖
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Johan290165
Antwerp, Belgium518 contributions
Jul 2020
The castle is beautiful and audio guide is possible in different languages.
I recommend to buy your tickets online but keep in mind that you get time slots that you have to respect. More information on the website of the castle.
You can get there with public transport (I came from Wroclaw).
If you want to walk a little, get of at the railway station Wałbrzych Szczawienko It is not a specially nice walk because you follow a rather busy road. You can also take bus number 8 from there.
If you want to take a taxi (or bus number 8) that is possible from Wałbrzych Miasto.
When there I do recommend the underground tunnels as well. They were part of project Riese.
Written July 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Petr Nešvara
3 contributions
Jul 2021
An armored train with Nazi looted gold is to be kept in the basement of Ksiaz Castle. We found out on the Internet that the chateau made part of the underground accessible. We arrived there in the afternoon - a beautiful castle outside in the middle of an amazing park. We wanted to buy tickets, but there was a problem. There was an inscription on the information screen (also in English) that tickets for the underground were sold out that day. The next day we had a program, so I wanted tickets for the day after tomorrow. And that was the problem. I speak perfect Czech, Slovak, English and Russian, but the lady at the counter spoke nothing but Polish. Plus, she was an obvious idiot. I also wrote her the date on a piece of paper and she repeated with a calf look "I don't understand". Behind us a huge line of people, in the end someone took pity on them and translated "day after tomorrow" into Polish.
Otherwise, everything else is beautiful, comparable to the castles of the Loire. Only if they had information there or the ticket seller could know at least a few words in a foreign language. Or at least he wasn't completely stupid.
Written September 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sam
20 contributions
Dec 2019
The castle is beautiful, stood on a hilltop in between the forest and small hills. The ambiance is very good. Car parking charges are slightly high. Walking and trekking around the castle into the forest tracks is an amazing experience
Written February 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ninochip80
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany43 contributions
Jan 2023 • Family
Nice place to be visited in the nearby. Underground visit was ok but not exceptional, a bit too short and not to many things to see. One star less for one-day tickets which not even includes the toilet (4 zl per person) and parking (30 zl)
Written January 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bill G
Woodvale, Australia3 contributions
Oct 2019
We arrived at lunch time and toured the castle with headphones commentary in English. Great location, stunning scenery, fabulous restorations. Then decided to do tunnel tour. It was not explained in any way that the tours only ran at certain times. We missed one tour and the next one was an hour later, around 4pm. The guards at the lower entrance did not speak English and I had to run up and down the many steps several times to buy tickets back up at the gate, then to find the tour was much later when I got back down to the gate. The ticket office also did not speak English, so had to get another attendant to translate. Eventually we got a refund and missed out on what we had really wanted to see. Disappointed that a castle where an English lady had lived And had so much history with does not have reliable information at the place where you purchase the tickets.
Written May 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Evelina M
Vilnius, Lithuania21 contributions
Aug 2021
Castle is worth visiting. While you are visiting this castle, you get audio guide, which tells you amazing and interesting history and stories about this castle and its corners. It is not another boring museum. The time flies in there. I guess it is worth visiting every time of the year, because the castle is surrounded by forest.
Written August 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jana C
Prague, Czech Republic4,663 contributions
Dec 2021
We only visited the outside as didn't have time to spent time going inside. This decision was the right one after reading the reviews about the non English audio or unwillingness to speak other language than Polish. That's quite ignorant considering it's a famous castle. The parking fee was also steep 20 zloty for one car, we had two. Apart from this the castle looks great, we walked further and saw a great spot to see and take photos.
Written January 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

M C
Chicago, IL37 contributions
Sep 2022
We were visiting castles in Lower Silesia with my husband and Książ was one of the castles we had a chance to see. I have to say that I am very happy that we saw it, not only from the outside, but also inside, as well as the tunnels under it. The history of this place with fascinating secrets from the World War II makes this place a must see for anyone who is interesting in history. Ksiaz has also beautiful surroundings and will take your breath away if you will take time to marvel its architecture and park. Highly recommend at least 2 to 3 hours visit.
Written October 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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