Będzin

Będzin received town rights in the 14th century. The town walls were built in the 1360s and joined the curtain walls of the royal castle, which had been built earlier. The enclosed area covered about 7 ha, and the fortification line was about 1,000 m long. Cultural highlights include the castle, two sites of Muzeum Zagłębia, religious buildings and Jewish heritage.

Będzin Castle was rebuilt in 1952, after remaining in ruins until the end of the Second World War. Its history can be viewed in the context of the town’s fortifications: the walls built in the 1360s were joined to the curtain walls of the royal castle, which had already been built. The dimensions of the fortifications give an impression of their extent at the time: the area enclosed around the town was about 7 ha, while the fortification line measured about 1,000 m.

The Pałac Mieroszewskich takes visitors back to another era. It was built between 1702 and 1714 in the Baroque-Classicist style. Those interested in architecture and historic urban development can view these buildings as different stages in Będzin’s history, without treating them as a single architectural complex.

Muzeum Zagłębia has been housed inside the castle since 1956 and features an extensive collection of historic weapons. The Pałac Mieroszewskich has also been a site of Muzeum Zagłębia since 1982. The two buildings therefore represent different museum locations in Będzin; the weapons collection is specifically associated with the interior of the castle.

The city’s Jewish heritage is another area of interest. The Dom Modlitwy Mizrachi preserves wall paintings with Jewish iconography, considered the richest in the Silesian Voivodeship. The Jewish cemetery on Podzamcze, which still exists today, was established after the cholera epidemic broke out in 1831. Będzin’s cemetery is wooded and lies on a slope.

A church in Będzin houses Poland’s first Sanctuary of Golgotha of the East. It includes an Izba Pamięci (Memorial Chamber) with materials commemorating deportees. Since 2000, the sanctuary’s upper church has hosted the gala concert of the International Festival of Christmas and Shepherds’ Songs of Ks. Kazimierz Szwarlik. These places and the concert offer an insight into religious history and remembrance.

The Szlak Świerklaniecki runs through Będzin along a 3.3 km route. The green-marked Szlak 25-lecia PTTK also passes through the town; no route length is specified here. The Szlak Husarii Polskiej starts near Będzin Miasto railway station.

The view from the castle tower opens up a panorama of the Zagłębie region. On Góra św. Doroty, the Church of św. Doroty stands at an elevation of 382 m; it was built in 1635. The elevation is a feature of the location, but says nothing about the route length or access. In the park west of the Pałac Mieroszewskich are two stone sculptures of Bacchus and a Bacchante, probably created by Jerzy Leonard Weber in 1718.

Teatr Dzieci Zagłębia is a children’s theatre with an official program. For families who would also like to include theatre in their travel plans, it is a distinct cultural attraction. Podziemia Będzińskie, meanwhile, is an unfinished air-raid shelter intended for the German military and administrative units stationed in Będzin and later also for the German civilian population. Thus, alongside architecture and museum collections, Będzin offers sites of remembrance and the history of the Second World War as subjects to explore.

If you are comparing several destinations, include Psary Psary, Siewierz Siewierz, Grodków Grodków, Sławków Sławków, Mierzęcice Mierzęcice, Czeladź Czeladź and Wojkowice Wojkowice in your selection, along with Będzin Będzin.

How long is the Szlak Świerklaniecki in Będzin?

The section running through Będzin is 3.3 km long.

What is inside the castle?

Since 1956, it has housed Muzeum Zagłębia, with an extensive collection of historic weapons.

Which theatre is there for children?

Teatr Dzieci Zagłębia is a children’s theatre with an official program.

For the broader travel overview: Silesia.