Racibórz: Nature, Architectural History and Exhibitions

Racibórz lies in the Upper Oder Valley. Nature, historic architecture and exhibitions offer different focal points for a stay. When planning a hotel stay, you can first decide whether you are most interested in the landscape, biodiversity, or architectural and collection history.

Forest, Water and Wildlife

The Bramy Morawskiej Arboretum covers 150 hectares of hilly terrain dominated by mixed forest. Thanks to the nearby Moravian Gate, it is rich in notable plants, animals and fungi. Many living things migrated through the Moravian Gate in the past and continue to do so today. The arboretum has two signposted, well-marked educational trails: a dendrological trail and an ecological trail. The dendrological trail focuses on trees and shrubs, while the ecological trail explores the relationships within the habitat. The Mini-ZOO is home to around 100 animals and birds, but is currently closed for renovation. The European bison enclosure in Racibórz-Brzezie covers more than 10 hectares and was created specifically for European bison.

The Łężczok forest and pond reserve was established in 1957 to protect a species-rich riverside forest and former Cistercian fishponds. Its fauna includes, among other things, 249 bird species, several hundred invertebrate species and 46 wild mammal species. The two offer contrasting natural environments: the arboretum features hilly mixed woodland and educational trails, while Łężczok is known for its riverside forest and former fishponds.

Parks and Protected Sites

Roth Park, formerly known as Gondola Park, covers 5.46 hectares. One hectare of this area is occupied by a pond with an island and fountain. There is a viewing terrace right beside the pond on Bema Street. Zamkowy Park covers 13.87 hectares, is legally protected and has been listed in the register of immovable monuments of the Silesian Voivodeship since 17 December 1997, under number A/1672/66/97. The comparison of their sizes helps put the sites in context: Roth is smaller and distinguished by its pond and viewing terrace, while Zamkowy is noted for its protected status and heritage listing.

Exhibitions and Architectural History

The Muzeum in Racibórz presents permanent and temporary exhibitions in the former Dominican church at ul. Gimnazjalna 1. The permanent exhibition “W Domu Ozyrysa” features the mummy of the Egyptian woman Dżed-Amonet-Ius-Anch, a fragment of cartonnage and two anthropoid sarcophagi. If you are particularly interested in seeing this collection, check the current exhibition information before your visit.

The chapel at the ducal castle in Racibórz-Ostróg was probably built in the 1280s. The bishop endowed a collegiate church of Saint Thomas Becket at the castle chapel. To this day, the chapel is considered an outstanding work and the “pearl of Upper Silesian Gothic.” The ducal castle’s malt house houses the interactive multimedia exhibition “Historia Górnego Śląska czasów Piastów i Przemyślidów,” regarded as one of the most modern of its kind in Poland.

The mural “Panorama Raciborza” depicts a panorama of Racibórz created by Friedrich Bernhard Werner; it was painted in Nuremberg in the mid-18th century. Another way to explore the city is through the quests in Racibórz: these outdoor games combine riddles with tasks to be completed in the real world.

Discover more destinations: Ratibor, Kuźnia Raciborska, Rzuchów, Rudy, Pogrzebień, Szonowice, Kobyla, Chorzów.

View the broader travel overview: Silesia.