Prudnik is a town in Opole Voivodeship, in south west Poland.
Prudnik is in the historic Silesia (Upper Silesia) region at the confluence of the Prudnik river and its Złoty Potok tributary. The city is on the border of Opawskie Mountains and the Głubczyce Plateau (a part of the Silesian Lowlands). Prudnik and Vrbno pod Pradědem are headquarters of the Euroregion Pradziad.
The town possesses numerous architectural monuments and historic buildings such as the Main Town Hall and "Wok's Tower" (Wieża Woka) from the 14th century.
Understand
The town was founded in 1279, making it one of the oldest in the Poland, and was historically part of the Duchy of Opole and the Habsburg Empire. Over the centuries, Prudnik was in Prussia, Germany, and eventually Poland. It was once an important industrial hub known for its shoe-making traditions and more recently towel-making by the ZPB "Frotex" Company, one of the largest towel manufacturers in Europe.
Get in
By plane
The nearest international airports are in the nearby cities of Katowice and Wrocław.
By train
You can get to Prudnik by the 137 Katowice-Legnica railway line. Trains from Kędzierzyn-Koźle cover the distance to Prudnik in 1 hour. Tickets cost approximately 15 zł.
The 306 Gogolin-Prudnik railway line through Prudnik no longer operates.
By car
You can easily get there by car from Opole, Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Głuchołazy and Nysa.
See
- 1 Wok's Tower (Wieża Woka). Castle tower. A stone castle tower on the circle plan with walls several metres thick, called Wok Tower is the oldest monument in Prudnik. Rise of the tower dates back to the end of the 1350s. The monument is a remnant of the medieval castle built in Prudnik land by the Czech knight Wok of Rosenberg. At the foot of the castle hill the town of Prudnik was founded.
- 2 Fränkel's villa (Willa Rodziny Fränkel, Dom Włókniarza). One of the most precious villas in Poland builded by a Jewish industrialist Hermann Fränkel.
- 3 Museum of Prudnik Region (Muzeum Ziemi Prudnickiej). A museum of the history of Prudnik.
- 4 Town Hall (in the centre of the Market Square). Historical town hall built in the Classical architectural style, completed in 1782.
- 5 Saint Joseph sanctuary. A sanctuary built in 1866 and a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes in the forest. Archbishop Stefan Wyszyński was prisoned here from 1954 to 1955 by the communists.
- 6 Saint Michael Archangel church. A Baroque church built in 1612.
- 7 John of God Monastery. A monastery next to Wok's Tower with a small church built in 1787.
- 8 Town Park. A historic town park founded in 1880. You can find a decorated arbour from 1887 and a replica of the Diana of Versailles statue there.
- 9 Observation tower at Klasztorne Wzgórze. An obervasion tower at Klasztorne Wzgórze (also called Kozia Góra) next to the Saint Joseph sanctuary.
- 10 Lower Gate. Tower built in 1481 in the Gothic style.
- 11 Stanisław Szozda's memorial. A memorial of Stanisław Szozda, Polish elite cyclist who used to live in Prudnik.
Do
- 1 "Diana" cinema (Kino Diana). A cinema next to the Town Park.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Hotel Oaza, ul. Zwycięstwa 2, ☏ +48 77 406 84 80, rezerwacja@hotelprudnik.pl. Rates starting at 100 zł.
- 2 Hotel Olimp, ul. Łucznicza 1, ☏ +48 77 436 28 39, rezerwacje@hotel-olimp.pl. Rates starting at 120 zł.
Connect
Go next
- Moszna Castle, built using different architectural styles which lends to it an eclectic taste. It is now a hospice house, hotel, and restaurant. Tourists can walk its grounds free of charge.
- Opole, the capital city of Opole Voivodeship known for the one of the most popular song festivals in Poland, which takes place each year in June.
- Wrocław, a large city rich in history and heritage.