The Piast Castle in Racibórz is evidence of the importance of this stronghold in the Middle Ages, when successive dukes of Upper Silesia resided here, and the town itself was the de facto capital of Upper Silesia.
Today, it is the city's most valuable historic landmark. The first reference to the Racibórz stronghold dates back to 1108. In the second half of the 12th century it became the seat of the court of Mieszko I Laskonogi, the master of Racibórz and monarch of Poland. Around 1290 Prince Przemysł I commissioned the construction of the Gothic Chapel that received the invocation of St. Thomas Becket of Canterbury, an English martyr. Experts have no doubts that the chapel, which is a pearl of Upper Silesian Gothic, is today the most precious building of this type in Poland. Recently thoroughly renovated, it is also called the Silesian Sainte-Chapelle due to its resemblance to the famous Parisian chapel.
Nowadays, the Racibórz Piast Castle is teeming with life. It is of course open to the public, the castle chambers host occasional exhibitions, and the courtyard is the scene of a variety of remarkable events. The Tourist Information Office is also located here.
