2. Pszczyna is a town in
southern Poland,
population 25,823
(2019), and is the seat of
a local gmina and
district.
Pszczyna is situated
in Silesia Province and
was previously part
of Katowice Province
from 1975 until 1998
administrative reforms.
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3. Interesting facts about
Pszczyna!
• Pszczyna is located on the Pszczynka River, which
is a left tributary to the Vistula River.
• Some call Pszczyna the Pearl of Upper Silesia.
• Pszczyna in other linguistic forms was already
mentioned in the chronicles of Jan Długosz
(1470-1480).
• From 1765 to 1847 it was the capital of the
Duchy of Pszczyna, one of the former
principalities of Silesia.
• On September 1-2, 1939, the Pszczyna Battle
took place, lost by the Polish army.
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5. Pszczyna Castle
Pszczyna Castle, originally a Gothic fortress
dating back to the 15th century, underwent
multiple transformations over the years.
Rebuilt in the 16th century in Renaissance
style, then in the 18th century in Baroque
style, and later in the 19th century in the
French Baroque style of Louis XIII's era.
Throughout its history, it belonged to various
nobility, including the Dukes of Opole,
Racibórz, Opava, and Cieszyn. From 1548-
1765, it was owned by the Silesian Promnitz
family, followed by the Dukes of Anhalt-
Köthen-Pless until 1847, when it came under
the ownership of the Dukes Hochberg von
Pless of Książ. Between 1870 and 1876, the
castle was reconstructed, resulting in its
current Neo-Baroque architectural form.
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6. The Tea Pavilion
One of the historic
architectural structures
located at the Pszczyna
Palace is the Tea Pavilion. It
used to be used to receive
guests in good weather.
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7. Decorative gates
The entrance to Pszczyna
Park is provided by two
ornate gates. They are
large and richly decorated
and have elements of
Chinese ornaments.
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8. Ancestral
cemetery
At the end of the
main avenue running
from the Pszczyna
Palace is the ancestral
cemetery, where the
owners of the city of
Pszczyna were buried.
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9. Open-air
ethnographic
museum
One of the major
attractions of the
Pszczyna land is the
open-air museum
Zagroda Wsi
Pszczyńskiej. It houses a
variety of wooden
architecture from the
surrounding villages. The
open-air museum was
established in 1975.
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10. Tavern
Tourists craving relaxation
can check out the historic
Old Mill Inn. In this historic
interior, stylishly decorated,
you can taste local
specialties.
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11. The bison show
enclosure
One of the most interesting
places in the Pszczyna Park is
the Show Bison Enclosure.
Within the enclosure, you
can take a close look at these
unusual animals, see them at
feeding time and learn about
their habits. In addition to
bison, you can also see
Indian peacocks, mouflons,
deer, roe deer and swan
geese.
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13. Museum and
educational
building
The museum-educational
building is located on the
grounds of the Bison
Homestead. It features
objects depicting the fauna
and flora of Polish forests
and mountains. In the
museum you can also watch
a film about the bringing of
bison to the Pszczyna land.
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14. The Wild
Promenade
Wild Promenade is located
on the western side of
Pszczyna Castle. It is
otherwise known as
Zwierzyniec. It's a place
where you can take a stroll
and relax in nature.
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15. Granary of
Debina
The Granary of Debina was
built in the 18th century, and
as you can guess from the
name, they kept grain
supplies and more. It is
currently open to the public.
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16. Shed
To enter the Pszczyna
Village Homestead, pass
through a historic shed
dating back to the 19th
century.
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20. Princess Maria Theresa
Olivia Hochberg von Pless
The mistress of the castle here was Princess
Daisy or Maria Theresa Olive Cornwallis-
West. The English aristocrat married Hans
Hainrich, Duke of Pszczyna XV, when she was
18 years old. She did not love her husband, but
he instructed her that love would come in
time. Unfortunately, it didn't come. The
marriage ended in divorce.
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22. Location
The city lies in the Oświęcim Basin.
As of January 1, 2011, the city's
area was 22.49 square kilometers.
Most of the city lies in the southern
part of the Pszczyna Plain, on the
Pszczynka River (a left tributary of
the Vistula). The southern part of
Pszczyna already lies in the Upper
Vistula Valley.
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24. Questions
1. Where Pszczyna is
located?
2. Where is the first time
she is mentioned?
3. When Pszczyna Battle
took place?
4. In what architectural
style was the castle
built?
5. What architectural style
now?
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