Książ Castle

What makes it special

From the outside, Książ is a pink castle above formal gardens laid out in terraces down the slope. The castle ticket with the audio guide covers the terraces as well as the rooms.

Inside, the rooms belonged to the von Hochberg family, owners from 1509 to 1938, and the audio guide explains each one. On the route, touch the wall of joy and make a wish.

The tunnels were dug into the rock during the Second World War, using concentration camp prisoners as labour. The plans were destroyed, so their purpose is still unknown.

The guided route takes you into a huge concrete hall, through corridors cut into raw rock and past the side chambers of the bunker.

Visiting

Książ's tickets are sold online and at the visitor centre, and security at the gate accepts a printout or the ticket on your phone. The tunnel route takes only a limited number of groups each day.

Do the rooms first with the audio guide, about an hour and a half, then the garden terraces, timing both around your tunnel slot. The wider estate also holds the stables, a viewpoint over the castle and a family mausoleum.

Be at the tunnel entrance, the meeting point, 15 minutes before your slot. The Palm House is a separate trip, so go there once you have finished at the castle.

Guided or on your own

You do not need a guide upstairs: the audio guide covers the rooms in English. The tunnels are guided only, on a 40-minute route that starts at the tunnel entrance.

Most guided tours run in Polish. English tours run a couple of times a day and sell out in peak season, so book the English slot with your ticket.

Tips

Bring a warm layer for the tunnels, even in summer, because they stay cold all year. The site asks you not to wear stilettos or shoes that limit your movement underground.

From June to August, weekends are the busiest days at the castle, so come midweek if you can. Look up the return bus time when you arrive, because a missed bus can mean an hour at the stop.