Cieszyn, Poland
We visit Cieszyn - the town located just on the Czech-Polish border. In fact, it is also located on the Czech side and its name is Český Těšín. We will however focus on exploring the Polish part of this interesting town.
Parking in Cieszyn
There are small parking lots in the town, but the problem lies in the fact that it is sometimes difficult to find a free place in such parkings. We were able to park the car on the Józef Londzin square (1; GPS: 49.750001, 18.635325), next to the church and the monastery of Brothers Hospitallers. You can also try to park at St. Mary Magdalene church (2; GPS: 49.748047, 18.632262), on the Old Market (3; GPS: 49.749605, 18.631486), and also next to the Adam Mickiewicz theater (4; GPS: 49.749906, 18.629834) (Note: zoom the map in to see all the blue markers of the parking lots).
The Main Market square and the old town
There is a nice Main Market square in the town's center. Here you can find a well with a statue of St. Florian from the eighteenth century (A; GPS: 49.748780, 18.633377). This is a trace of the old water pipeline. Around the market square they are located buildings with interesting facades. Among them you can see the Town Hall, the National House, an impressive Hotel Under the Brown Deer, which has hosted many great personalities, and nice houses with arcades. From the market square you can walk the streets of old town. We recommend to visit the Old Market (B; GPS: 49.749526, 18.631359), the church of St. Mary Magdalene (C; GPS: 49.748218, 18.632301), and the Adam Mickiewicz theatre (D; GPS: 49.750031, 18.630269).
The Castle Hill
After visiting the old town we go the Głęboka street to the Castle Hill. We pass the Hunting Palace of the Habsburgs (E; GPS: 49.750572, 18.627516) from the first half of the nineteenth century. After that we are practically on Castle Hill. It is a place of a settlement with the ramparts from the eighth century. Later, in the eleventh century, there was built a Romanesque rotunda of St. Nicholas (F; GPS: 49.751188, 18.625650). This is one of the oldest points of Christian worship in Poland. Later, the defensive towers were built here - one of them survived and is now called the Piast Tower (G; GPS: 49.751462, 18.626088). Here is also located another tower from the thirteenth century, called the Ultimate Defense Tower (H; GPS: 49.751625, 18.624938) - 4-meters thick walls still allowed for some time to defend even after the intrusion of the enemy.
Three Brothers Well
After visiting the Castle Hill it is worth to return back the historical street Przykopa leading along the brook, and to visit a curiosity: the Well of Three Brothers (I; GPS: 49.748388, 18.630910). It was built to a commemoration of the legend about the founding of Cieszyn by three brothers: Leszko, Cieszko and Bolko. The brothers met after many years and while enjoying this event they founded the town of Cieszyn.
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