Rzeszów Castle

Rzeszów Castle, also known as the Lubomirski Castle, is one of the city's most important landmarks. Today it houses the regional court, but its story goes back to the seventeenth century, and its walls hold several different eras: a magnate's residence, a fortress, a prison and an administrative building.

How did Rzeszów Castle come to be?

The origins of the stronghold are tied to Mikołaj Spytek Ligęza, then owner of the town, who around the turn of the seventeenth century built a defensive residence surrounded by bastion fortifications that were modern for their day. The estate later passed to the Lubomirski family, who expanded and strengthened the complex. Their fortified palace was for a time an important magnate centre in the south-eastern lands of the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

After the partitions the site came under Austrian administration and gradually lost its former splendour. The old palace was demolished, and between 1902 and 1906 a new four-wing building was raised in its place, within the surviving bastions. It was designed as a courthouse with a prison, and its architecture echoes historical forms.

What is there to see?

The most recognisable feature is the tall tower crowned with a striking helmet roof. Fragments of the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century bastions also survive around the building and show clearly how the old defensive system worked. The whole complex lies right next to the old town layout of Rzeszów, on its southern side, between the avenues Pod Kasztanami and Lubomirskich, so it is easy to combine with a walk through the centre.

Tree-lined avenues and traces of the former moats surround the castle, which makes the area pleasant for a quiet stroll. Photographers will enjoy the silhouette of the tower against the greenery.

A difficult chapter of the twentieth century

The castle is also a place of remembrance. During the German occupation thousands of people were held in its cellars, and many of them were shot or sent to camps. After the war, thousands more arrested by the communist security apparatus were held here, and some lost their lives. A prison operated in the building until 1981. The name "castle" only became established in the 1950s; before that, locals simply knew the building as the court.

Can you visit Rzeszów Castle?

Because a court still operates in the building, the interiors are not open like those of a typical museum. Visits take place on selected days, with a guide, as organised group entries. Check the current schedule before you go and plan for about an hour and a half. The exterior, the tower and the bastions, however, can be admired at any time during a walk.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rzeszów Castle a museum? No, it is the working seat of the regional court. Interiors can be seen only during guided events.

Who built the first stronghold? It was founded by Mikołaj Spytek Ligęza and later expanded by the Lubomirski family.

When was the current building constructed? Between 1902 and 1906, on the site of the demolished palace, within the old bastions.

Where is the castle? On the southern edge of Rzeszów's old town, near the avenues Pod Kasztanami and Lubomirskich.

Is it worth coming without going inside? Yes, the tower, the bastions and the surrounding avenues make a good stop on a tour of Rzeszów.