Gleiwitz can be explored through several specific themes: urban history, industrial heritage and botanical diversity. When planning your stay, you can first decide which perspective matters most to you: historic sites, exhibitions, or plants and outdoor activities. The examples below differ both in their history and in what they showcase.
Urban History and Industrial Heritage
The Rynek in Gliwice was laid out in the second half of the 13th century. Since its establishment, it has been the city’s most important centre of political, economic and social life. This square brings together a long history and a range of urban functions.
The Cmentarz Hutniczy offers a different perspective on industrial development. Those buried there include John Baildon, the mechanical engineer August Holtzhausen and the sculptor Theodor Kalide. All three made significant contributions to the industrial development of Gliwice. The cemetery connects individual biographies with this chapter of the city’s history.
The Radiostacja Gliwice is another important part of the city’s technical heritage. In 2017, it was added to Poland’s list of Pomniki Historii. It is also located on the Szlak Zabytków Techniki Województwa Śląskiego, which is part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. The heritage list and the routes place the Radiostacja within industrial heritage in different ways.
Architecture and Collections
Willa Caro is a well-preserved 19th-century residence in the Renaissance villa style. It houses a permanent exhibition on the living quarters of Upper Silesian industrialists in the 19th century. The architecture and the exhibition focus on the same period but emphasise different aspects: the building as a residence and the presentation of the living quarters of the time.
Zamek Piastowski offers an older architectural point of reference. The Gothic building dates back to the 14th century and is linked to the construction of the city walls of Gliwice. Exhibits include guild memorabilia from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as mementos of the Silesian Uprisings, the plebiscite and the activities of the Union of Poles in Germany. The collection also features photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries showing Gliwice and industrial sites in Upper Silesia. It therefore brings together city views, industrial locations and historic events.
The permanent exhibition “Żydzi na Górnym Śląsku” at the Dom Pamięci Żydów Górnośląskich offers a different historical perspective. It explores the history, significance and contribution of the Jewish community to the development of Upper Silesia from the Middle Ages to the present day. Its focus thus extends beyond a single place or period to encompass the community and its history in the region.
The exhibition “Słusznie słyną dziś Gliwice” features four cubes shaped like blast furnaces. Visitors can explore multimedia presentations and exhibits on a range of topics inside them. Here, the distinctive form of the exhibition spaces and their varied content are both central.
Plant Life and Outdoor Activities
The Palmiarnia Miejska was established in the 19th century and today contains more than 6,000 specimens of flora and fauna. Visitors can see citrus plants, spice plants such as pepper, cinnamon and cardamom, as well as exotic palms and cacti from Australia, Africa and both the Americas. These spice plants are presented alongside palms and cacti from different parts of the world; the total number includes both flora and fauna.
Park Chrobrego has a playground with spring riders, various swings, carousels and a large climbing net. A pétanque court and nine disc golf baskets are located near the park. The facilities are therefore easy to distinguish: playground equipment in the park and opportunities for pétanque and disc golf in its surroundings.
Discover more destinations: Poniszowice, Sośnicowice, Przyszowice, Knurów, Niewiesze, Pyskowice, Paniówki, Paczynka.
For the overview of the wider area: Gliwice.
