CASTLE COURTYARD 

Let's save Silesian history - The Silesian nation, its history and traditions are disappearing in Central Europe. In order for Silesia not to disappear in Central Europe, it needs to be protected as a European cultural heritage. This tourist route is just one of the possible steps to save Silesia. By visiting the Silesian castle residence Fryštát, the seat of the Silesian rulers, YOU can also contribute to saving Silesia! Thank you!

start - UNDER THE CASTLE

Silesian Duchess Anna of Piast founded a quarter under the castle for poor people around 1470 and took care of them

We start our trip across the historic Fryštát at the parking lot under its castle. Here we are in the Lower Suburb, which was founded around 1470 by the Silesian Duchess Anna of Piast, mother of the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. The Suburb was also called Bělidlo, as it is still called today, because clothes were bleached and washed here, mainly for the Fryštát ducal court. Duchess Anna, born Bielská, was of highly noble origin and was a member of the royal, Jagiellonian-Holshian ruling dynasty. In 1448, she married the Silesian Duke Bolesław II. and together in Fryštát, where they resided, they founded the Fryštát lineage of the Silesian Piasts. Four years later, she was widowed and maintained a very ostentatious lifestyle at Fryštát Castle until her death in 1490. However, she also thought of its poor inhabitants. She founded this suburb for them and financed the operation of the local church of St. Bartholomew and the almshouse of St. Andrew from her own resources, which she also built (they were demolished in 1683). Duchess Anna employed the poor inhabitants of the area below the castle with work for the ducal court and fed the poorest with leftovers from the ducal table. With these noble deeds, she became the patroness of historical Fryštát. Duchess Anna of Piast was also in the position of the First Lady of Silesia and also ruled as a duchess-mother. Her son, Duke Casimir II. was the Silesian viceroy - the supreme ruler in Silesia and because he was often on the move, he entrusted the government in the ducal residence of Fryštát to his beloved mother, who was the most important woman in his life. In 1490, he buried her in the Castle Crypt under the South Chapel, which is visible from below the castle.

Let's now walk through the ducal Fryštát in the footsteps of the Silesian rulers from the ducal Piast dynasty, who resided here from 1282 to 1571. During their 300-year stay in Fryštát, they built several monuments that are still preserved today, and behind each of them are beautiful stories from behind the scenes of the ducal court, which were kept secret for many centuries. I, the castle court preceptor and former marshal of the Silesian Duchy, but today I am just a retired Fryštát knight Wenceslas, will accompany you on the way. At each stop, I have an interesting story prepared for you. 

Now, according to the map, we will go past the castle church, across the edge of the park along the walls to the castle, to point no. 1. "WALLS" and stop in front of the Castle Gate at the corner of the castle. 

1 - WALLS

Silesian dukes from the Piast family established a large Fryštát Castle Army in the 14th century

If you stand in front of the Castle Gate at the corner of the castle, in the place as depicted in the opening photo of this stop (and then also at every other stop), then you are standing at the most visible monument of the medieval Fryštát defense system. The monumental wall under the church was built only in the second half of the 18th century due to the receding slope, but this new wall fully replaced the original walls that were there before that. The first Fryštát walls surrounded only the castle built around 1282. The Silesian Duke Mečislav III. Piast had a moat built around the castle, complete with a rampart and a fortress wall, traces of which can still be seen around the rectory. The moats were fed by the Dubina stream, which flowed around the castle until 1511 - 1514, after which it was replaced on the south side by the artificial Mill Drive, which still exists today. In the first half of the 14th century, the Silesian Duke Casimir I. had a fortress wall built around the entire residential castle town of Fryštát. Their last visible section can be seen under Zámecká and Pivovarská streets and also near Svatováclavská street. The Fryštát castle guard constantly patrolled these walls. They had their posts and armories at both southern corners of the castle. In the second half of the 14th century, the Czech King Charles IV of Luxembourg supported the establishment of armories and himself supported the purchase of armor for these armories with a generous subsidy from the royal treasury. The king's representative was the Silesian Duke Přemysl I. Piast, who at the same time carried out a Gothic reconstruction of the Fryštát castle into his second residential residence. He gave the castle more defensive elements in the form of a tower with an embrasure and a defensive terrace, repaired its walls and strengthened the castle military detachment to defend Fryštát and guard its streets. The Fryštát castle armory housed both princely and guild weapons, i.e. private ones. These were primarily cold weapons: swords, fangs, spears, sabers and axes. Personal armor, which was also kept here, consisted of helmets, armor protecting the chest, chainmail shirts, quilts and plate armor and parts protecting the hands and feet. Shields were also an important protective element for an infantry soldier. Flails, maces, maces and hammers were certainly among the striking weapons.

Above the Fryštát Castle Armory was a defensive tower with loopholes, and below the armory were preserved prison cells. If you look at the southwest corner of the castle, notice the small window above the ground just before the Castle Gate. The window belongs to this prison cell. We do not know how many people were imprisoned here, but the most famous prisoner was certainly Baron Kaspar Wilczek, the great-grandfather of the current Duke of Liechtenstein, who was imprisoned here 200 years later by the Silesian Duke Frederick Casimir Piast for unauthorized possession of the mile rights of the Silesian city of Bílsk (today Bielsko-Biala in Polish Silesia). Baron Wilczek was imprisoned here in March 1565 and stayed here for 4 to 22 months. The room behind the window above the prison was the already mentioned castle armory. Its princely armor was looted during the Thirty Years' War and today it houses the Castle Gallery. The walls around the Fryštát castle town were rebuilt in 1525 during the reign of the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. Piast and again in 1683 and 1805, each time Europe was threatened by the invasions of the Ottoman Empire. They were only dismantled at the end of the 19th century.

The armorers in the service of the Silesian Duke kept the castle armor ready so that it would be immediately at hand in the event of a sudden attack. They were professionals who were paid for their work. However, the Silesian Duke also hired mercenaries for wars and for the defense of Fryštát Castle, who were mostly people from the poorer classes, but who also received a share of the spoils. The mercenaries were paid from a tax paid by the wealthier classes, who thus bought themselves out of participating in the wars. Sometimes the Fryštát craftsmen also sent their journeymen and apprentices to wars instead of them. The best-paid soldiers were horsemen, the least-paid were foot soldiers. However, they all received weapons that were stored in the armories in times of peace. In June 1427, during the reign of His Grace, the Silesian Duke Bolesław I Piast, the Hussites came to Fryštát. They tried to climb up the slope to the church, but had to deal with obstacles in the form of a moat, on the right bank of which there was a high rampart supplemented by a wall. When they overcame this obstacle, another defensive wall with loopholes awaited them on the slope, this time a wall with loopholes, which the Hussites had to conquer and climb over. It is still visible today where this wall stood. And behind this wall, Fryštát soldiers and mercenaries were already waiting for them. They overturned the Hussites' ladders, poured hot water and hot oil on them and shot arrows at them. When the worst came to the worst, underground passages with escape routes were also in reserve. One of them has been preserved on the slope at the foot of the parish house. When the Hussites managed to penetrate to the courtyard, a fight for their lives took place there. In the end, however, there were neither losers nor winners. A political reconciliation was reached with the Silesian dukes and the Hussites withdrew. The mercenaries returned to their work after the battle, while the professional soldiers remained in the service of the Silesian prince and guarded the Fryštát walls and patrolled the city streets, maintaining peace and order, especially during markets and festivals.

If you walk along the southern side of the castle, believe me, it was never such a beautiful place in our time. There was no slope here, instead there was a deep ditch with a stream flowing through it. On this side of the castle there were also Prevéty, i.e. toilets from which sewage fell directly into the stream. Today there are benches here and roses grow here, but we avoided this place because it smelled terrible. 

According to the map, you can reach stop number 2 "KITCHEN" by passing through the Castle Gate and stopping at the statue of St. Patrick. 

2 - KITCHEN

Silesian Duchess Euphemia II. of Piast built a new castle kitchen in 1420 and introduced royal conditions in Fryštát 

If you stand by the statue of St. Patrick facing the Castle Gate, there is an inconspicuous castle wing on your left. The chimney will tell you that this is the castle kitchen. It was built in 1420 by Duchess Euphemia II of Piast of the Mazovian dynasty. In 1412, she married the Silesian Duke Bolesław I Piastov and received Fryštát Castle from him as a wedding gift. She immediately fell in love with the castle and when she was widowed in 1431, she moved the Silesian princely court here. And because she had a kind nature, people liked her very much and began to call her "Her Grace, our Duchess Ofka". Before 1420, the Duchess embarked on a major reconstruction of Fryštát Castle and built this kitchen wing, which became the basis of royal court etiquette. And because Duchess Euphemia II. She liked to cook, she often went to the kitchen wing and cooked something herself. However, the master of the kitchen was the court chef and his assistants. He supervised the storage, preparation and portioning of meals, while the final preparation, serving and delivery of food from the kitchen to the banquet hall were in charge of the butlers, waiters and slicers. Everything the princely family wanted was cooked here, only the pastries were bought in the bakeries of Fryštát, because their production was quite time-consuming. The original black kitchen was built when the castle was founded around 1282 by the Silesian duke Mečislav III. Piast and still stands in the south-eastern part of the castle. However, the new Fryštát castle kitchen wing has fully replaced it. It was very modern for that time and only the richest people could afford its construction and operation. It was built in the immediate vicinity of the banquet hall, so that the delivery of food from the kitchen to the ducal table was very convenient and fast. The served food did not cool down before it was brought to the table of the estate. Food, wine and beer were stored in the cellars of the kitchen. There is a well that has survived to this day. It supplied water not only to the kitchen, but also to everyone in the castle. Its location here was very convenient. The fact that it was located in the cellar of the Kitchen Wing made it easier for the cooks to deliver water to the kitchen. The single-room kitchen itself (today the Castle Gallery), located on the ground floor, also had a cutting room and a preparation room, and the cooks were just bustling here. The first floor of the kitchen belonged to the castle staff, who prepared the food here in the final stages and only when the food was ceremonially served did the pages take it from there to the banquet hall.

The ducal table in Fryštát was mainly served with meat. The daily consumption of meat here was half a kilogram per person, mainly beef and pork, less often mutton. However, poultry was served much more often, especially hens, roosters and capons, chickens, ducks and geese. Game was also prepared for ceremonial events, from the mid-16th century from the Duke's own breeding in the Duke's hunting ground in the Loucký Forest in Karviná. The meat was eaten with white or dark bread and washed down with wine or beer from the Fryštát brewery. We used spoons and a skewering knife for cutlery, but we ate more with our hands. Various soups and sauces were also served in bowls. Exotic fruits such as oranges, figs, pomegranates and citrus fruits also made their way to the ducal table. And on the days of fasting, which there were about 192 in the year, fish or legumes prevailed. If the feast was large and festive, the service staff was supplemented by pages who helped with the delivery and serving of food. It was not permissible for the Silesian monarchs to wait for their food and drink. The wishes of all the feasters had to be fulfilled immediately, perhaps even before they were expressed, so the local staff was constantly on the alert. The food served was always more than enough, because if any of the dishes ran out, it was a great disgrace for the Silesian ducal court in Fryštát and the conditions built by the duchess could suffer immensely. Her Grace the Silesian Duchess Euphemia II. also introduced a rule here that the excess food that was not eaten was distributed as alms to the poor from Under of the Castle. During the festive feast, music always played here and jugglers performed with her. You can dance a Gothic dance from the 15th century by clicking on the YouTube link. 

According to the map, you can reach stop number 3 "WHITE TOWER" by walking past the Castle Chapel and stopping under the White Tower. 

3 - WHITE TOWER

Silesian Duke Frederick Casimir Piast imprisoned Duchess Catherine in the White Tower of the castle in 1567 

Now stand under the White Tower. The Castle Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was built by the Silesian Duke Miecislav III Piast around 1282, initially as a simple chapel of the Virgin Mary, which was part of the Fryštát Castle. And since it was customary for the Piasts to also serve the townspeople, shortly after its construction it had to be equipped with a wooden floor inside to accommodate more people. It was not until around 1370 that the Fryštát Castle Chapel was finally expanded by the Silesian Duke Přemysl I Piast. The Duke built the present-day South Chapel here, under which he also built an underground crypt for the burial of dukes and clergy. In 1420, Duchess Euphemia II Piast expanded the original Castle Chapel again and built the present-day North Chapel next to it. The Castle Church thus acquired the Latin cross plan. The present-day appearance of the castle church, however, is the work of the Silesian viceroy Casimir II. Piastov. He carried out a major Renaissance reconstruction of the castle here in the years 1511 - 1514 and in 1515 began the construction of the White Tower, which replaced the previous wooden Gothic bell tower. Be sure to visit the castle church and the tower now, during your tour of Fryštát. Especially its North Chapel, where in its Gothic part from 1420 you can also visit the Fryštát knight Wenceslas, who will accompany you through Fryštát. The Gothic chapel has been decorated by Knight Wenceslas since 1577. Although the Gothic interiors of the Castle Church were replaced by Baroque architecture in the 19th century, some of its original Gothic elements can still be seen in the North Chapel, and there are also Gothic frescoes dating from the reign of the Silesian Duchess Anna Piast, mother of the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. The Pastoforium, which you can see by the main altar, has been preserved from the time of Casimir's Renaissance reconstruction carried out in 1511 - 1514. The rectory building in front of the church stands on the original Gothic-Renaissance foundations also from the time of the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. and the adjacent Renaissance courtyard with originally parish residential buildings also dates from the same period. The tower of the castle bell tower, called the White Tower, became the main dominant of the castle after this reconstruction. Ask at the castle cashier if the tower is open for tours. The white tower of Fryštát Castle also represents the local White Lady of Fryštát.

Her Grace, Duchess of Silesia, Catherine Piast of the Legnica dynasty, was affected by the White Plague and I had to quarantine her in the ground-floor chambers of the White Tower on the orders of His Grace, Duke of Silesia, Frederick Casimir Piast. Despite all the care of the healers, she died here in 1569 and His Grace Duke Frederick Casimir buried her in the castle crypt under the South Chapel. During her entire stay in the White Tower, the bells in the tower were not allowed to ring and the prince visited her in the tower chambers every day with the little princess Catherine. Since Her Grace Duchess Catherine died here, we have begun to consider the tower as the White Lady of the Fryštát Castle, because the tower reminded us of the figure of a terminally ill duchess dressed in a white dress with buttons, with a high hat on her head and with her beautiful big eyes, lovingly embracing her daughter, Princess Catherine. Look at the tower from below and admit for yourself that with a little imagination, the White Tower with the lower turret can really look like this... At my command and with the consent of His Grace Duke Frederick Casimir, the bells rang for the first time after several months of silence on the day Her Grace Duchess Catherine died here. It was September 3, 1569. Not only Silesia, but the entire Czech Kingdom fell into mourning, because Her Grace the Silesian monarch and the highest-ranking Czech aristocrat had passed away.

According to the map, you can reach stop number 4 "PIVOVAR" by walking down Pivovarská street and stopping at the Pivovar courtyard. 

4 - BREWERY

The Silesian Duke Boleslav II Piast founded a princely brewery in Fryštát in 1447 

You are in the neo-Gothic courtyard of the Fryštát Castle Brewery. It was founded in 1447 by the Silesian Duke Boleslav II. Piast. In the same year, he also elevated his residence Fryštát above other Silesian towns and continued the close family ties of his mother, Duchess Euphemia II. with the royal Jagiellonian dynasty. The Castle Brewery was actually a cooperative brewery, in which a large Fryštát aristocracy had a stake. Duke Boleslav II. placed the brewery's headquarters in the building of today's extended part of the Town Hall, which we will visit later, and it was moved to this location in Pivovarská street at the beginning of the 16th century by Boleslav's son, the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. The oldest surviving building of the Duke's Brewery here in Pivovarská street is its Renaissance malt house from the early 16th century, where today there is a legendary, medieval tavern called "Na Bečkách", where you are invited to refresh yourself with delicious Fryštát beer.

I really liked the local castle beer and it was also drunk in large quantities by the townspeople of Fryštát, but it was also supplied to the ducal table and enjoyed by the famous royal processions that spent the night in Fryštát on the way between Vienna, Prague, Krakow and today's Berlin. The brewery was one of the main sources of income for the ducal treasury, among other things, because His Grace, Duke of Silesia Frederick Casimir Piast, issued a law in the 1560s prohibiting the purchase of beer from any brewery other than the ducal one. And this was done under penalty of imprisonment. Opposite the brewery, there still stands the brewery stable, which was used by the Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg in the second half of the 16th century during her stays in her private palace in Fryštát. In addition to the Renaissance premises of the tavern, the brewery also has a medieval underground. Beneath Fryštát there is a network of unexplored underground passages, often more likely a connection of cellars of burgher houses, through which the material for beer production flowed. There was a well under the Town Hall, here in Pivovarská Street there was a malthouse, but the actual brewing of beer took place in the cellars of the licensed breweries, of which there were 80 in Fryštát in the 15th century and 90 in the 16th century. This production cycle was interrupted only by the 30 Years' War after 1642. Most of the licensed breweries were destroyed during this war, so only 4 have survived to this day, two houses with taverns are in the Castle Courtyard by the fountain, one is opposite the entrance to the Town Hall and one is in the Front of The Castle, where a knight's tavern has been operating since 1564. The brewery house was still preserved today as a rectory, the already mentioned palace of the Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg and the northern part of the Lottyhaus, which until 1823 was two separate burgher houses, connected to the Lottyhaus only in that year. The other burgher houses today stand on the medieval foundations of the brewery houses and also have preserved cellars, which formed the brewery corridors. I am glad that the production of Fryštát beer in the Castle Brewery has been going on again for a few years.

According to the map, you can reach stop number 5 "NÁDVOŘÍ" by walking to the end of Pivovarská street, turning right and stopping at the corner house with the sign KNIHOVNA. 

5 - COURTYARD

Fryštát Castle Courtyard welcomes royal processions at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries 

Stop at the corner house with the inscription KNIHOVNA. Until 1511, the Fryštát square was separated from the castle courtyard. The Dubina stream flowed through the middle of the square, where it fed the fountain and then headed to the castle, where it also fed the moats surrounding the castle fortifications. A number of burgher houses still stood between the square and the castle, similar to what we can still see in the Silesian town of Hlučín. In 1471, the famous royal procession of the Bohemian king Vladislav Jagiellon arrived at this Gothic courtyard in Fryštát from Krakow, led by the Silesian viceroy Casimir II. Piastov. The royal procession stayed here and Casimir II. hosted Vladislav there the whole time, entertaining him with various festivities and knightly tournaments. Then the whole procession set off for Prague, where Vladislav was crowned King of Bohemia. Between 1511 and 1514, the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. carried out a Renaissance reconstruction of the Gothic castle. He demolished its northern fortifications with moats and bought the houses that stood between the castle and the square from the townspeople, which opened the castle to the square and created the large Castle Courtyard, as you can still see it after 500 years. The new courtyard immediately became the center of events. Festivals, markets, knightly tournaments were held here and other royal processions stopped here.

In the spring of 1564, surrounded by nobles, courtiers, clergy and city councilors, the Duke of Upper Silesia, Frederick Casimir Piast, welcomed his new wife, Princess Catherine of Lower Silesia, to the Castle Courtyard. In honor of Catherine's installation in her new ducal residence, he organized a large knightly tournament here. Its main landmark was the newly built Piast Tower, which is today known more as the Town Hall Tower and can be seen on the eastern front of the courtyard. In 1567, a 300-member procession of the Saxon Duchess Sidonia of Saxe-Lauenburg, who became the second wife of Frederick's father, Wenceslas III. Adam, also headed to Fryštát. Duke Frederick Casimir welcomed her in front of the castle on a blue-clad horse with a yellow crest, which are the national colors of Upper Silesia, and presented her with a large gold chain. Duchess Sidonia also received a house in the Fryštát Castle Courtyard as a wedding gift, probably the house with the inscription LIBRARY (KNIHOVNA) on its facade. This house is still a beautiful example of a Gothic-Renaissance palace with an adjacent stable building, which currently houses the Museum's exhibition hall. Duchess Sidonia enjoyed staying in the palace, especially after her widowhood in 1579. Until her death in 1594, she walked around Fryštát wearing only black clothes, which earned her the nickname the Black Duchess. You can visit Duchess Sidonia's palace as a library and see its Gothic-Renaissance Mázhaus.

Fryštát has always been and still is a crossroads of the main European trade and royal routes, and its one-day ride from Krakow made it the last and therefore most important stop of royal processions heading to this royal city. For example, in 1518, the royal procession of the Polish queen Bona Sforza, an Italian aristocrat from Milan, who went to Krakow to marry the Jagiellonian king Sigismund I, stayed here. Their son, Sigismund II. also brought his new wife Elizabeth of Habsburg to Fryštát in 1543, who rode from Vienna to Krakow in a gilded carriage, accompanied by a 1,500-strong horse cavalry. When this procession arrived in Fryštát, everything was ready for the accommodation of the queen and her entourage. We turned all the upper rooms of the castle into dining rooms and those who could not fit in here occupied the surrounding burgher houses. Just imagine the great hustle and bustle in the castle corridors, where the retinue of pages carried mountains of food and drink to all the chambers, and what a huge job the cooks and the castle Hofmeister did, who organized everything. Throughout the feast at Fryštát Castle, musicians played for us and jugglers entertained us. We stabled the most precious horses of the royal procession in the ducal stables in Lottyhaus, which you can see on the southeast front of the courtyard right opposite the castle, the other horses had to remain standing in the meadow below the castle. The ducal stables of Lottyhaus now house an exhibition of the National Gallery Prague, and you definitely shouldn't miss a visit.

The oldest regular event in the Castle Courtyard, which is still held today, is the Easter Market, founded by His Grace the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II in 1473. Near the fountain there were meat bridges, the remains of which are preserved under the paving stones. During the markets, it was very busy. Sellers shouted loudly at each other with their wares, poultry and small livestock ran around, and jugglers and musicians provided cultural entertainment. There was no shortage of paws either, so at my command the castle guard, who also served as the medieval city police in Fryštát, patrolled the courtyard. In the courtyard, don't forget to take a picture with the beautiful Vienna Fountain from 1900, which stands in place of the original medieval one, and also visit the City Gallery located in one of the burgher houses on the northern front of the courtyard. 

According to the map, you can get to stop number 6 "RADNICE" by walking to the other side of the courtyard and stopping at the corner of the Town Hall by the tower 

6 - TOWN HALL

Silesian Viceroy Casimir II Piast in 1504 changes the Fryštát tavern into the Town Hall 

Stand on the corner of the Town Hall by the tower. The place with the oldest settlement of the Fryštát ducal residence is the local Golden Alley, with the postal name Fryštátská, but for many centuries correctly called Radniční. The dominant feature of the Golden Alley is the Town Hall, which was founded in 1504/1505 by the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. Piastov. Originally, the Town Hall was a tavern from the 14th - 15th centuries. In 1504, Viceroy Casimir II. bought the tavern from the innkeeper Jožek Šlosar and sold it to the city aldermen for half the price to establish the town hall. This noble act of Casimir is recorded in the purchase deed, which is still preserved in the Museum of the Silesian Provincial Archives in Karviná. After the reconstruction was completed in 1505, the building was ceremonially opened and serves as the Town Hall - the seat of the Karviná mayor to this day. Originally, the Town Hall had its own tower, which seemed to peek out from the courtyard. In 1563/64, the Silesian Duke Frederick Casimir Piastov lowered it to its current state in order to make the neighboring, newly built Piast Tower stand out more. This new tower is still decorated with the coat of arms of the Silesian ducal family of the Piasts, which was the highest Czech aristocracy and the only Czech ruling dynasty. On the Piast Tower there is also the rest of the medieval pillory chain, to which sinners were tied for public shame. Thieves or unfaithful women were tied here for "lynching", and passers-by spat on them and threw vegetables and eggs at them. The Town Hall with the tower is only occasionally open to tourists. The windows below the ground to the left of the entrance are the windows of the original Šlosar tavern from the 14th/15th century. After the establishment of the town hall, it was a torture chamber and today the mayor of Karviná meets here with the city council. In 1605, on the centennial anniversary of the opening of the town hall, a crowned relief of the founder of the town hall, Silesian viceroy Casimir II. with the Fryštát coat of arms was unveiled above the entrance. After inspecting the coat of arms and the tower, walk back along the Golden Lane to the corner of the extended part of the town hall and then to the left to the courtyard of its inn.

In 1574, the French King Henry III stayed at the Fryštát Town Hall Inn 

The courtyard is part of the extended part of the Town Hall, which was the seat of the princely Castle Brewery founded by the Silesian Duke Boleslav II. Piast from 1447. From the courtyard, you can see how the original Town Hall tower, which was adjacent to the rear wing of the Town Hall from 1505 to 1564, has been lowered. In the basement of the extended part of the Town Hall there is a well from which water was pumped for brewing beer and distributed through underground corridors to the 80 to 90 licensed breweries. After 1504, the seat of the Duke's brewery was moved to Brewery street and an inn, or medieval hotel, was built in the building of the extended part of the Town Hall, where knights, merchants and other visitors to Fryštát were accommodated. There is still a restaurant on the ground floor, which continues the tradition of this inn, and the offices of the Town Hall are located on the floor where the hotel rooms were. Visit this medieval inn for lunch and while you feast, learn the story of the French king who also dined and stayed here.

The Town Hall Inn is associated with the infamous act of the French King Henry III of Valois. In June 1574, he and his entourage stayed at the Town Hall Inn while fleeing from Krakow to Paris. In 1573, Henry III was elected King of Poland, but he was not popular in Poland. Therefore, when his brother, King Charles X, died in France in 1574, Henry became the successor king of France. In Krakow, he took advantage of the inattention of the courtiers and guards and escaped from the royal castle with his entourage during a large feast that was taking place. However, he did not forget to take the Polish royal treasury with him. This was soon discovered and Polish soldiers began to pursue the king. However, King Henry had planned his escape thoroughly in advance, including the fact that when he reached Fryštát, where he was already safe from Polish soldiers, he would stay at Johann Facias's Town Hall Inn. I could not detain him here either for political reasons. And so it happened. At the Town Hall Inn, King Henry drank Fryštát beer and had fun with his party until morning. He ordered snails for dinner from the innkeeper Facias, but the innkeeper did not know how to prepare them, because no one had eaten them here before, so when he caught a few in the yard, he steamed them together with diced pork. He then served them to the king and his party in Silesian style: with bread, onions and horseradish. He was quite embarrassed by this, but the king burst into laughter, and then they just ate, drank and had fun until morning. In the morning, numerous carriages were already waiting for him, prepared for the king by Pompone de Belliévre, a member of the king's entourage. To get out of disgrace, the innkeeper Facias began to sell these pork snails as a royal delicacy to go with beer, and he was really successful. I tasted them here myself and I must say that they were excellent with the Fryštát beer.

King Henry III's stay here would certainly have been forgotten if it had not been for a French merchant who was passing through Fryštát in 1597 and noticed a sign that stood there. He noted it in his diary, which is still carefully preserved in France today. The sign read: "Henry, by the grace of God King of France and Poland, Duke of Prussia, Russia, Masovia and Samogitia, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Duke of Anjou, in the year of our Lord 1574, on June 19 at 5 p.m. was in Fryštát with Johann Facia." The merchant also noted that he had never seen such a beautifully maintained and clean, indeed very clean, city, and here he describes our organized system of fire protection, which was introduced in 1514 by His Grace, the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. Every house, without exception, had a large container filled to the brim with water, with a bucket hanging next to it. Since the merchant noticed and wrote it down, it is clear that this was not at all common in the 16th century. And I was very proud of it. 

According to the map, you can get to stop number 7 "CHURCH" by walking through the shopping center passage, past the City Hall to the church of St. Mark, where you can sit on a bench under its tower

7 - CHURCH

The small Fryštát church becomes a great symbol of Silesia at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries

Sit on a bench in the park by the church. This inconspicuous plague church is not only the dominant feature of the square on which it is located, but is also a great Silesian symbol of the religious reformation, of which Fryštát was the main Silesian center. The religious reformation began to develop here during the reign of the Silesian viceroy Casimir II. Piast, as a reaction to the preaching of the German Bible scholar Martin Luther, and was also supported by the king's descendants. In the second half of the 16th century, there was no longer a Catholic church in Fryštát, all the shrines - the Castle Church, the Church of St. Mark and the churches of St. Andrew and St. Nicholas (the latter two no longer exist) - were declared Lutheran. According to historian Bayer, in the 16th and 17th centuries there was a saying that every Silesian Lutheran must visit Fryštát, the Silesian Mecca of Protestantism, at least once in his life. After 1637, a religious Counter-Reformation broke out, led by the Catholic League, which culminated in the 30 Years' War. The fight for religious tolerance in Fryštát was very strong and long. The fighting was mainly around the church of St. Mark. It is said that 2,000 soldiers fell here, who, according to historian Bayer, are buried in the University Park opposite. In the end, Fryštát was almost completely razed to the ground and its wealthy inhabitants were expelled, including the family of the knight Wenceslas, who accompanies you through Fryštát. The glory of the Silesian residential town of Fryštát was over. Anyone who remained here had to be Catholic only. No one else was even allowed to hold a public office. Gradually, the churches of Fryštát were declared Catholic, and the last of them to resist the Counter-Reformation the longest was this inconspicuous church of St. Mark.

The Church of St. Mark was built by His Grace the Silesian Duke Frederick Casimir Piast sometime after 1560, during the beginning of the plague epidemic. Several thousand citizens died here from the White Plague and were buried there. The princely family also succumbed to this plague epidemic between 1569 and 1571. Initially, the church was outside the walls of Fryštát, but in the 17th century, the Church of St. Mark was surrounded by walls. This was in 1683 due to the threat of an attack by the Ottoman Empire. However, at the end of the 19th century, the Fryštát walls were demolished, so only the rampart remains, visible from the northern and western sides of the church. The church was originally wooden, but because it had fallen into disrepair, it was demolished at the end of the 18th century and the church in its present form was built on its foundations.

According to the map, you can get to stop number 8 "IN THE PRE-CHATEAU" if you go back past the shopping center and then turn left along Hrnčířská street until you reach the fountain, where you stop

8 - IN THE PRE-CHATEAU

Fryštát became a popular place for the knights of the Silesian dukes in the 15th and 16th centuries 

Stand by the fountain or sit by it. The Pre-Chateau, or Upper square, known in the 19th century as the Upper Square, was the most important gate to the Silesian castle town of Fryštát. It was dominated by a tall medieval tower called the Upper, or also Cieszyn Gate. The Pre-Chateau, like the Upper Tower, was founded in the first half of the 14th century by the Silesian Duke Casimir I Piast. The Pre-Chateau developed very quickly. Wealthy townspeople lived here as the medieval middle class. They produced and sold canvas here. The amount of canvas was enormous, so there were also large warehouses in this suburb, from which merchants distributed canvas throughout Europe. In the Precinct area, there is still an inn building with a dance hall dating from the mid-19th century, but with a history dating back to the early 14th century. At that time, merchants passing through Fryštát stayed here and parked their carriages and stabled their horses in the inn's yard. It was very busy here in the Middle Ages. The castle grounds were a crossroads of the Copper, Salt and Amber Trails, and the royal route connecting the Central European royal cities also ran through here. It is no wonder that the Fryštát nobles forced the Silesian Duke Přemysl I Piast to ban horse-drawn carriages from passing through the square. Therefore, around 1360, the Silesian Duke had a road bypass built around Fryštát (today's Karola Sliwky Street). Soon, houses with blacksmiths began to be built along this new bypass, which then provided their services to passing merchants. The poor of Fryštát also stopped here to beg the merchants for alms. The dominant feature of the Pre-Chateau was the now-defunct magnificent Chapel of St. Nicholas and the now-defunct Miserov Chateau of the von Pelko knightly family.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, in the Castle District, you would meet not only the castle squires guarding the entrance to the city, but also the most famous knights. At that time, Fryštát was our favorite center. We knights received our knightly education in Fryštát, which, in addition to riding a horse and handling weapons, also included the art of mastering good manners, foreign languages, and of course, teaching music, singing, dancing, and social conversation. The knight's position was not only as a warrior, but also as a cultivated cavalier. And that's what we really were. The education of us knights took place in the castle Lottyhaus, where the ducal stables have been preserved, and in the riding arena that was in front of it. We started our education when we were 7 years old. The education was led by a preceptor, who was usually an older, retired knight in the service of the Silesian dukes. Like me today. As young boys, we first learned to wield swords and practiced with wooden substitutes. Around the age of 15, we became squires, and by then we could already ride a horse well while holding and controlling a weapon in one hand, for example, we would shoot a rag doll with a crossbow while riding. When we, as young men studying, reached our 21st year, we were ready for knighthood. This was the culmination of several years of study, which we eagerly looked forward to and can be compared to today's final student graduation and the presentation of diplomas. Knighthood was a very solemn ceremony for us. It began with a ceremonial bath in the morning and after it, when the squires dressed us in ceremonial clothes, a mass was held on the occasion in the Fryštát castle church, which we attended. We went to church every day, but this time it was something different. It was very exciting and impressive. A mass held just for us... Then the passing took place. It could take place individually, but it was usually a joint event before the start of the knightly tournament, which we, as newly passed knights, could also participate in for the first time. The knightly tournament was always opened by His Grace the Duke of Silesia and each individual knightly contest began with the blowing of trumpets. The winner of each knightly contest received the equipment of the person he defeated. Often also his horse and the defeated one himself, whom he then released for a ransom. The more highly-nobled the defeated knight was, the higher the ransom the winner demanded. As young knights, however, we also competed for the favor of the ladies present, but that was a thorn in the side of the Fryštát clergy, who saw in such tournaments only opportunities for us young men to sin with young girls. Above all, it was about entertainment, which even the reigning dukes gladly participated in, and the audience had just as much fun and excitement as the audience at today's music festivals. Poor knights and knights of non-noble origin were allowed to move among us in aristocratic circles and also in the company of the Silesian Duke. The fundamental rule of equality applied among us knights. And some of them were able to improve themselves thanks to this. For example, the knight Jiří Rocnar from Rocnov could afford to buy a house in Fryštát in 1564, and His Grace the Silesian Duke Frederick Casimir Piast allowed him to run a tavern there in return for his loyal services. It is the house U Andílků on the corner of Zámecká Street in this Pre-Chateau. I also went there, but as the Silesian Marshal I had very little time and very many obligations. There is still a tavern in this house today, and in the Middle Ages, knights from all over Silesia gathered here every year to celebrate the anniversary of their knighthood. You can also stop by this tavern for a beer to refresh yourself before the final two stops on your tour of the Silesian castle town of Fryštát. Don't forget to say hello to the innkeeper for me, and don't forget to visit the Silesian Provincial Archives Museum, which is located right behind the inn. It contains many preserved documents and seals of the Silesian dukes.

According to the map, you can reach stop number 9 "LOTTYHAUS" when you enter Zámecká street from here In Front of the Castle, it is the first one on the left near the market square, and walk along it to its end, where you stop in front of the castle

9 - LOTTYHAUS

Silesian Duke Miecislav III Piast founded Fryštát Castle in 1282 

Stop in the small courtyard in front of the back wing of the castle before passing into the Castle Courtyard. On your right is the Burgrave's Palace of Fryštát Castle, called Lottyhaus from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. It is a castle building with the Burgrave's seat and the apartments of the courtiers and officials on its upper floor, and with the stables and the apartment of the stable master on the ground floor. In some form, it was built as a wooden structure around the time the castle was founded around 1282 by the Silesian Duke Miecislav III Piast. According to the book "Variety" by Professor Peterka, the Duke, out of jealousy, waged war in Staré Fryštát (today's village of Staré Město) and after conquering it, burned the city and here, at this place where you are standing, he founded a new Fryštát (today's Karviná), described in 1305 as Fryštát v Ráji, and built a castle there. The Duke entrusted the supervision of the construction of the castle to his Burgrave, who was the highest official in each castle, who represented the Duke during his absence. The construction of the Fryštát Castle lasted about 6 years (1282-1288), which is a very short time, because it was a small castle with no significant defensive features. However, the Burgrave had to take care of the construction workers and supervise the work of master stonemasons, master carpenters, master bricklayers, etc. The work of the workers on the princely buildings was hard, the masters of their craft had to do quality work in a short time, but the duke, through the Burgrave, provided them with accommodation, food, a decent wage and also enough time off for rest. The workers on the ducal buildings had a certain freedom of movement around the construction site and if they were injured or even died here, the duke had established a financial fund from which the expenses for treatment were covered, or widows were provided with financial compensation. The workers were thus motivated to do quality work and stayed on the princely buildings until the end. Duke Mečislav III. stayed here at the castle only temporarily and his stays were short, so to ensure his comfort, only the most necessary staff in the kitchen and the castle guard under the command of the Burgrave lived and worked in the castle. The burgraveship acquired a stone form probably during the first reconstruction of the Fryštát Castle into the residential residence of the Silesian Duke Přemysl I around 1370. The castle also received more defensive elements, dominated by a tower with an embrasure. The burgrave had to ensure constant maintenance of the residential castle and also supervised the operation of the Castle Chapel. However, keeping a medieval castle clean was not easy. Fryštát Castle in the 14th century was dark, cold and smelly, because the daily hygiene of the servants, but also of the estate, was not yet a matter of course at that time. The windows and doors were not very airtight and smoke poured from the torches and heating baskets in the rooms. Pages stood in front of the chambers and squires patrolled the castle corridors and the walls. There was straw everywhere on the floors with insects and rodents, and a herd of horses and cattle grazed in the yard. The burgrave was always on the alert and was ready to intervene wherever it was needed. Especially when the duke was staying at the castle. At the time when Duke Přemysl I was staying here, he was already a widower, but he had two sons and two daughters who were raised by guardians. The burgrave also supervised the upbringing and education of young princes and princesses. 

In the 16th century, there was also a personnel change at the castle, and the work of the Burgrave was taken over by the Silesian Marshal as the highest representative of the duke, who was commanded by the duke, but all the staff ensuring the comfortable life of the Silesian monarchs in the castle was newly provided by the castle's Hofmistr, whose responsibilities were subject to the decisions of the duchess. The old Fryštát Burgraveship thus became the seat of the new Fryštát Hofmistr. His apartment on the upper floor is connected to the castle by a covered wooden corridor, while below the apartment, on the ground floor of the Burgraveship, the duke had his rare riding and carriage horses, hunting dogs and also had his favorite birds of prey stabled here. That is why the apartment of the castle's stablemaster and hunter, which has survived to this day, was also available on the ground floor of the Burgraveship. The smell from the stables... well, let's say it didn't bother me, to put it politely, in the Middle Ages no one smelled here, so the animal smell had somehow disappeared.

In the years 1460 - 1528, the royal court of His Grace the Prince of Fryštát, the Duke of Upper Silesia and the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. Piast was located here. During this time, the castle hosted royal visits several times, some of which were very boisterous. The Polish King Sigismund I. Jagiellonian often came here for informal visits, and His Grace the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. hosted banquets for him here, which often got out of control, which added wrinkles to the Burgrave's forehead. And there was a reason. In April 1511, both monarchs were so rampant here that a fire broke out here due to carelessness, which quickly spread until all the Gothic wooden parts of the castle burned down and the fire also spread to the surrounding burgher houses. A royal scandal was averted by the Burgrave's official statement that the fire had been caused by an accidental spark from the castle's kitchen chimney. However, he did not mention the monarchs' feast at all. His Grace, the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. did not hesitate for a moment. He immediately commissioned the Burgrave to call in builders who rebuilt the Fryštát Castle, which had been damaged by fire between 1511 and 1514, into a representative Renaissance residence, completely free of wooden elements. In 1525, the new Hofmeister also supervised the restoration of the walls and also prepared a special celebration for His Grace, the aging Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. at the castle. His Grace, the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. had his only living heir, the grandson of Prince Wenceslas III. Adam, betrothed here to Maria of Pernštejn, the daughter of the wealthy Moravian governor Jan IV. Pernštejn, even though they were only one-year-old babies. His Grace Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. wanted to ensure the continuation of the Piast dynasty after his impending death. Since 1552, the already adult Duke, His Grace Wenceslas III. Adam and Her Grace Duchess Mary lived here as husband and wife with their son, Prince Frederick Casimir, and at that time I served as the Silesian Marshal at their court in Fryštát. His Grace Duke Wenceslas III. Adam, however, abused his wife, Her Grace Duchess Mary, out of hatred for her Pernštejn family, as a result of which Her Grace Duchess Mary was constantly ill until she finally died in 1567. I felt sorry for her, but I could do nothing about it. His Grace Silesian Duke Frederick Casimir, however, was the exact opposite of his ducal parents. He had a great zest for life, he enjoyed the position of Silesian ruler and representative of Emperor Maximilian II. Habsburg. He loved exuberant mirth, knightly tournaments and balls at the castle, so the Fryštát Court Master had to be constantly on the alert again. I must say that during their 300-year activity, the Fryštát Burgraves and later Court Masters did a huge amount of heroic work, and thanks to them, the Fryštát Castle was still a lively and popular home of the highest Czech aristocracy, the Silesian rulers from the royal Piast dynasty.

In the place where you are standing, there was an impressive Gothic gate with a tower and loopholes, connected by wooden galleries to the castle and the Burgrave's Palace. The gate was constantly guarded by a large company of castle squires and in front of it was a moat, which could only be crossed by a drawbridge. As soon as His Grace the Duke of Silesia arrived along today's Castle Street to the Fryštát Castle, the trumpeters blew fanfares, the squires lowered the bridge and His Grace the Duke of Silesia, accompanied by a large cavalry of his nobles and a company of squires, could drive into the castle courtyard, where he was already welcomed by the Burgrave and courtiers with officials. Behind them, the bridge was raised again. This Gothic gate was only abolished by His Grace the Silesian Viceroy Casimir II. Piast, when he carried out a major Renaissance reconstruction here in the years 1511 - 1514. All that remains of this castle gate is the tower, although it has been reduced to its present form, and the clearing between the Burgrave's House and the neighboring burgher's house, where there was a moat. However, the passage between the Burgrave's House (Lottyhaus) and the castle still remains the main access route to the new Castle Courtyard, and you can also move through it according to the map to stop 10 "CASTLE" and stop right in front of the castle. I cordially invite you!

10 -  CASTLE

Day of the Silesian Dukes from the Piast House at the royal court of Fryštát Castle in the 15th and 16th centuries 

Sit on a bench in front of the castle. Although the Fryštát Castle was characterized by lavish court etiquette, introduced here in the mid-15th century according to the model of the Jagiellonian royal court etiquette, this does not mean that the life of the Silesian rulers in Fryštát was not dull. The Silesian Duke, as the ruler and representative of the Bohemian kings, and his wife, the Silesian Duchess, the sovereign and the highest-ranking Czech aristocrat, were limited by the rules of court etiquette. It ordered them what they could or had to do and also forbade what they would like to do. The Silesian Duke enjoyed a little more freedom. He often left Fryštát to hunt or on business trips, while the Silesian Duchess's life was limited only to movement within the premises of the Fryštát Castle, at most a walk in the Castle Courtyard or in the Castle Garden. But she was never alone. She was always accompanied by court ladies and a large castle guard was also nearby. When the duchess wanted to leave Fryštát, she had to ask her husband, as the Silesian Duke, for permission to leave and had to justify her departure, for example, by a legitimate visit to her parents at their residence and how long she would be away. According to court etiquette, the ducal couple could only enjoy privacy after evenings spent with their family. However, in Fryštát, they experienced a life of luxury.

As I experienced and saw here myself, every day of Their Graces of the Silesian Dukes took place almost stereotypically at Fryštát Castle. They would get up at dawn and, after at least some hygiene, would go to the castle church for morning mass, accompanied by courtiers and officials. After that, the ducal family gathered in the banquet hall, where His Grace the Duke sat at the table with princes, nobles and highest officials, including me. Separated from the Duke at the other table, Her Grace the Duchess sat with princesses and ladies-in-waiting. After a joint prayer, and when His Grace the Duke gave the order, the pages began to bring food to the table. Eating food in one's own chamber was forbidden here and was considered a gross insult to the Fryštát ducal court. After this breakfast, which was always around 9-10. hours, His Grace the Duke would go hunting with the nobles in the surrounding forests, or with his entourage on a short or multi-day official tour of the duchy, and of course he would also devote himself to governing there. Despite all the duties I had as the Silesian Marshal, I would occasionally go out with His Grace the Duke. At Fryštát Castle, His Grace the Duke would meet with the Silesian aristocracy, city councilors and also with the clergy. Occasionally he would organize knightly tournaments and perform the knighting of new knights. His Grace the Duke would also occasionally please his most loyal nobles, courtiers and officials with gifts in the form of houses, land or promotions to a higher status. And so that His Grace the Duke would always be popular and respected by his courtiers, he would often organize balls and other celebrations at the castle. All of this represented the Silesian Duke well in his Fryštát residence. In the second half of the 16th century, His Grace the Duke enriched the Fryštát Castle with valuable art collections and also had cages with exotic parrots brought into the castle chambers. He maintained truly lavish conditions at the castle and the icing on the cake was a dwarf, whom His Grace the Duke had brought to Fryštát from Italy. The dwarf was the only one at the ducal court who could behave insolently and even impolitely, could touch the ducal couple and could also say things out loud that all the courtiers knew about, but no one would dare to say out loud. The Fryštát Castle Dwarf was also a spy and informant. We were worried about him because he could move freely around the castle, observe the behavior of the courtiers, their intrigues, plots and listen to their conversations, which he would report to Their Graces the Duke and Duchess while they were still warm. But he also had the role of a cheerleader, so he entertained the entire Fryštát ducal court with his comical antics.

During the day, while His Grace the Duke of Silesia was engaged in the duties of the regent, or hunting game in the surrounding ducal forests with his nobles, Her Grace the Duchess of Silesia was kept company by the ladies of the court. Without them, Her Grace the Duchess would not have taken a single step, because she represented herself so well in their company. The ladies of the court spent all their time with Her Grace the Duchess and together they also engaged in some kind of handicraft, for example, embroidering blankets, decorating objects, or playing musical instruments, singing and dancing. Sometimes I also kept them company. They were mostly ladies from Silesian aristocratic families, but girls from the ranks of the lower classes could also be educated in this way. Young girls received an appropriate education at Fryštát Castle. They were educated in the history of the Piast family, learned foreign languages, good manners and court etiquette. When they grew up, on the recommendation of Her Grace, the Silesian duchesses could also marry into aristocratic circles, because girls and women who served at the Fryštát ducal court as ladies-in-waiting were considered comparable in status to women of noble origin. However, the primary and fundamental rule of chastity applied to all court ladies. As soon as it was heard that one of the Fryštát court ladies had committed an immoral act, her fate was sealed. She was mercilessly exiled from the castle and, moreover, had a very unpleasant reputation as a prostitute. The descendants of the Silesian ducal couple were cared for by tutors at the castle. In the case of princesses, these could also be ladies-in-waiting, in the case of princes, this was a Preceptor, who was usually a retired elderly knight who had previously served the Silesian duke. The Preceptor was in charge not only of the princes' upbringing, but also of their education. The education of the princesses was taken care of by hired teachers. However, it often happened that young princes and princesses were raised in other Silesian castles or directly at the imperial court in Vienna. Just like Her Grace the Duchess of Silesia, His Grace the Duke of Silesia was constantly surrounded by a lot of nobles and officials at Fryštát Castle, who also needed to eat, drink and have their magnificent clothes washed. This required more and more servants at the castle. In addition to this, there was the castle fraucimor led by the hofmeister, who was supervised by Her Grace the Duchess of Silesia. Her Grace the Duchess paid special attention to the kitchen, because it was the kitchen that was the basis of the highly maintained etiquette of the Fryštát ducal court.

At the end of each day, around 6 p.m., the ducal family and the court gathered in the banquet hall for an evening feast. At Fryštát Castle, meals were served only twice a day, but they always consisted of several courses and were magnificently served. The nature of the food served differed depending on whether it was morning or evening and whether it was everyday, festive or Lenten. During the feast, we had a social conversation, while the serving staff was busy delivering more and more food and drinks. Musicians also provided a pleasant atmosphere during the feast, and if they were present, jugglers performed to entertain us diners during the feast. What we did not eat was given away as alms to the poor from the Fryštát's Under The Castle. After dinner, the ducal family spent their time together and in private. They always looked forward to this time, which they had reserved just for themselves. They played board or ball games, sang and danced together, or just talked about what everyone had done during the day. Late at night, the ducal family went to sleep in their chambers. His Grace the Duke and Her Grace the Duchess lived separately. His Grace the Duke had his chambers in the eastern wing of the castle, Her Grace the Duchess and her descendants had their chambers in the adjacent central part of the castle, where there was also a small room for the governess. The courtiers, the steward and I lived in apartments located on the first floor of the Lottyhaus, while the servants slept in the ground floor chambers of the castle. They went to bed last and got up first. 

The Silesian Piasts remained at their small but popular Fryštát Castle until their extinction in 1571. Throughout their existence, they were the rulers of Silesia, the highest-ranking aristocracy in the Kingdom of Bohemia, its only ruling dynasty, and represented the emperor and king of the Kingdom of Bohemia in their absence. Before Knight Wenceslas bids you farewell, you can finally dance a Renaissance dance in front of the castle, popular in the 16th century at the local castle court.

"This is where the tour of the history of the Silesian castle town of Fryštát (does not) end. I showed you the architectural monuments that remember the Silesian dukes, I introduced you to historical law and I taught you music, singing and dancing. And perhaps I managed to take you back in time to the Silesian Middle Ages from the 13th to the 16th centuries, at least in this way. See the chambers of Fryštát Castle, its free Castle Gallery, the Lottyhaus Castle House and the National Gallery in the former castle stables. Also visit our beautiful Castle Park with a spa and its surrounding landscape, which were the court hunting grounds of the Silesian aristocracy. 

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"Your court preceptor, knight of the Fryštát's Wenceslas."