Brzeg Dolny: Parkland, castle history and Oder routes

Park and castle history

After an extensive renovation by Carl Gotthard Langhans, the castle in Brzeg Dolny took on its present-day Neoclassical appearance. The historic park complex included leisure facilities designed by Langhans: a bathing pavilion, a tea house, a wine tavern, a wine house, a mill and a forester’s house. These names tell of the complex’s former variety; they should not be taken to mean that the same leisure facilities are available today.

The Hedwig sites also lend the visit a distinctive cultural character. The Jadwiga Garden, a courtyard with a sculpture of Saint Hedwig, is located within the Borromean Sisters’ monastery complex. St. Hedwig’s Chapel is considered one of the city’s most important monuments. A legend is associated with it, telling of a stone said to bear the footprint of Saint Hedwig. The former parish church of St. Hedwig was built in 1665 and now serves as a cemetery chapel.

If you are interested in architectural history, the castle’s Neoclassical appearance is the main focus; the monastery courtyard, chapel and local tradition offer specific points of interest at the Hedwig sites. The park and these cultural attractions give you different reasons to choose Brzeg Dolny as a destination. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first consider which of these interests you want to shape your stay most.

Active experiences and routes along the Oder

The high ropes course opened in 2010 as a place for active leisure and has five courses with different heights, numbers of stations and target groups. “Inicjacja” reaches a height of up to 1 m and has 3 stations for all participants. “Rokitek” runs at a height of 2–3 m, with 9 stations, and is intended for children up to the fourth grade of primary school. “Boruta” has 10 stations at a height of 3–4 m, “Czort” has 9 stations at 4–5 m, and “Rokiś” has 6 stations at 6–9 m; these three courses are intended for teenagers and adults. For families, the stated target groups and heights are useful points of reference.

Brzeg Dolny lies on the Oder Cycle Route. You can reach routes on both banks of the river via the road bridge over the Oder. A cycle route connected to the Oder Cycle Route crosses the bridge towards Miękinia; in the other direction, it runs via Radecz and Godzięcin towards Żmigród. These directions give cyclists a clear point of reference when deciding which route to include in their trip.

The “Kolej na Kajaki” and “Kolej na Rowery” services combine public transport with kayaking or cycling tours on the Oder Cycle Route. A Quest takes you on foot between the Oder bank and the railway station; a kayak trip can begin or end there. Kayak trips on the Oder have also been organised on the routes from Wrocław to Brzeg Dolny and from Brzeg Dolny to Malczyce. Brzeg Dolny is also a junction on the Oder Trail in the Kraina Łęgów Odrzańskich network, where various hiking trails and transport routes meet.

You can also discover Wińsko, Wołów, Węgrzce, Ścinawa and Siodłkowice as other destinations.

For the broader travel overview: Wohlau.