Bedzin Castle
Castillo de Bedzin
Bedzin Castle (ul. Świerczewskiego 15 Bedzin) — located in the town of the same name, this castle goes back to the 14th century. A previous wooden fortification existed here, but was burned down by the Mongols in 1241. In 1358, Casimir the Great (1333-1370) replaced that structure with the current (still-standing) stone-based one. At the time, this castle existed to protect the Polish border from invasions by the Germanic Silesians. The castle was again attacked at a later time, by Swedish forces in 1655 — partially destroying it in the process (with restorations made sometime after).
The castle is now the site of Zaglebie Museum (complete with a section covering its history, as well as housing displays of armaments from the Middle Ages to World War II, and an exhibit detailing the area’s military history). Admission: 10 ZŁ (regular)(palace or castle), 6 ZŁ (reduced)(palace or castle); 18 zł (palace & castle)(regular), 10 zł (palace & castle)(reduced); (Note: admission to the palace refers to “Palace Mieroszewskich”). Hours: 9 am – 4 pm (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday), 8 am – 4 pm (Wednesday), 9 am – 5 pm (Saturday).