Brzeźce: Pszczynka and memorial sites

• The Pszczynka flows through Brzeźce and attracts anglers with its abundance of fish.
• About twenty Auschwitz prisoners shot by SS men on 19 January 1945 are buried in the parish cemetery near the local church.
• Brzeźce is home to the war graves of Euzebiusz Cichy and Czech pilot Michał Minek, associated with the dates 1 September 1939 and 20 April 1945.
• The Zacisze restaurant is a member of the Śląskie Smaki Culinary Trail.
• A parking lot has been built in front of the church. If you plan to use it, check the current situation beforehand.

The information about the parish cemetery and the two war graves records different historical connections. About twenty Auschwitz prisoners were buried in the cemetery; their execution by SS men is dated 19 January 1945. The grave of rifleman Euzebiusz Cichy bears the date 1 September 1939. The war grave of Czech pilot Michał Minek is dated 20 April 1945. The three dates therefore serve different purposes: the cemetery entry names the day of the execution, while the other two dates are associated with the respective war graves.

The Pszczynka flows through the village and attracts anglers with its abundance of fish. This makes the river a point of interest alongside the memorial sites, but does not imply any particular access to the riverbank or a specific fishing opportunity. For those interested in food, the Zacisze restaurant is a separate point of interest: it is a member of the Śląskie Smaki Culinary Trail. Since membership can change, check its current status before visiting if it is important to your plans.

Pszczyna’s Historic Park covers 156 hectares. It includes the Castle Park, Dworcowy Park and Dziką Promenada. Dziką Promenada is home to a well-maintained golf course and the Pokazowa Zagroda Żubrów, a bison viewing enclosure. It has enclosures and paths across ten hectares. Fallow deer, red deer, roe deer and pheasants can also be spotted from the paths. The same park area thus brings together landscapes, wildlife watching and golf.

The townscape and museums offer different points of interest, too. Pszczyna’s Old Town preserves a medieval street layout, and Piastowska Street is its main pedestrian thoroughfare. The Castle Museum represents the residences once occupied by European nobility. Around 80 percent of its original furnishings from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries have been preserved. The exhibition at the Silesian Press Museum covers the history of the Silesian press from its beginnings through 1939; the museum also collects historical printing presses and equipment. Izba Telemanna displays historical musical instruments, including an 18th-century positive organ.

Other cultural highlights in Pszczyna range from wooden architecture to music. The Zagroda Wsi Pszczyńskiej open-air museum is part of the Silesian Wooden Architecture Trail and its Pszczyna loop. The Castle Museum took over the complex of the Prince’s Stables in June 2013; exhibitions on various themes are regularly held there. Since 1979, Baroque concerts called “Wieczory u Telemanna” have been held in the Castle Museum’s Mirror Room.

Before choosing a destination, consider which of these themes are most important to your trip. This keeps your accommodation search aligned with your actual travel plans, without conflating the features of the two places.

Discover more destinations: Piasek, Wisła Mała, Suszec, Bad Gottschalkowitz, Studzienice, Pszczyna, Pielgrzymowice and Kobior.

What memorial sites are there in Brzeźce?

About twenty Auschwitz prisoners are buried in the parish cemetery. Brzeźce is also home to the war graves of Euzebiusz Cichy and Michał Minek.

What is known about the Pszczynka?

The river flows through Brzeźce and attracts anglers with its abundance of fish.

What is Brzeźce’s culinary connection?

The Zacisze restaurant is a member of the Śląskie Smaki Culinary Trail. Check its current membership status if it matters for your visit.

Go to the main travel overview: Pszczyna.