The castle, market square and park reveal different sides of the historic town of Rydzyna. The castle’s architectural history spans from a Gothic castle dating to the early years of the 15th century to the construction of the palace in the late 17th century. The market square brings together the form inherited from the town’s founding and its role in the 18th-century town layout. The castle park adds old trees, avenues and a strictly protected ivy population to these historical themes. You can focus on architectural history, the town layout or the landscape.

The Castle and Its Architectural History

Rydzyna and the city’s entire residential and urban complex have been included on the list of Polish historical monuments. The complex comprises a castle, an extensive park, monumental outbuildings, farm buildings and a garden area with a shooting-range building. The castle itself was added to the list of historical monuments by the President of the Republic of Poland in March 2017. In the late 17th century, it was built on the walls of a Gothic castle dating to the early years of the 15th century. The castle and palace thus represent different construction phases: the earlier dates refer to the castle, and the later one to the palace. If you are interested in historic architecture, this layering in time offers a concrete point of reference.

The Market Square and Town Layout

The market square retains the form it acquired when the town was founded at the beginning of the 15th century. At the same time, it forms the centre of the 18th-century town layout. These time periods point to different aspects: the inherited shape of the square reflects the town’s early founding, while its central role relates to the later town layout. The market square is defined by a picturesque ensemble of townhouses, most of which date from the 18th century. The square’s form, its urban role and the ensemble of houses can therefore be considered distinct features of the historic townscape.

The Protestant Church

The Protestant church in Rydzyna provides another precise date. It was built between 1779 and 1783 to a design by I. Graff. Its construction came after the castle from the early years of the 15th century and the palace built in the late 17th century. This adds a distinct, later phase of architectural history to the early history of the town and the development of the palace.

Parkland and Protected Ivy

The castle park covers approximately 12 hectares. This figure gives an approximate sense of its size; its specific features include old trees, linden avenues and a chestnut avenue. The park is also home to one of the largest populations of flowering ivy in Greater Poland. This ivy is strictly protected. Both the park’s trees and avenues and its protected ivy population are relevant to understanding its natural features. If you explore the park with this in mind, please respect the explicitly stated protection of the ivy.

The Castle Trail and Forest Cycling Trail

There are different points of reference for planning routes. The Castle Trail starts in front of Rydzyna Castle, passes through the castle park and continues via Moraczewo, Kaczkowo and Tarnowa Łąka to Czernina Castle. The sequence of places names the starting point, intermediate stops and destination. Check the current route before setting out, as route conditions may change. The Forest Cycling Trail reaches Rydzyna via paved forest paths. While the description of the Castle Trail highlights the sequence of the castle and the towns, the description of the Forest Cycling Trail specifies the paved forest paths to Rydzyna. You can distinguish the two routes by the features specified for each.

Discover more destinations: Lipno, Charbielin, Osieczna, Trzebania, Kąkolewo, Lubonia, Wijewo, Leszno

For the wider travel overview: Lissa.