Zamek Kliczkow

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Zamek Kliczkow is an awesome place. So awesome in fact that I'm honestly not sure where I should start when reviewing it. Should I mention the fantastic architecture, beautifully restored from near-ruin status to one of the most impressive castles I've seen in Poland? Should I talk about the huge range of traditional food on offer, or the great facilities?

There is so much here it's hard to know. So I'll simply play it straight and say what I did when visiting this hidden regional treasure.

I arrived at Zamek Kliczkow along with a tour group travelling from nearby Wroclaw organised by DOT (the Dolnoslask Tourism Organisation). From the moment we arrived we were plunged into the thick of things. On our first evening there we took part in a Knight's Competition, a gruelling two hours of swinging axes, shooting bows and generally acting like an ass with Medieval weaponry. This was very cool and although I didn't win anything, we all had a great time. After this we were given a tour of the castle grounds by the very friendly Adam Kulaga, the self-confessed spirit of the castle who knew a freakish amount of information about it.

The next day we took a trip to see some of the nearby sights, starting with Boleslawiec, a nearby city where they make the distinctive blue and white pattered ceramics famous throughout Poland. A short bike ride from here took us to an "Agro Tourism" place where we were shown how to make our own bread and butter using traditional methods. After this we there was horse riding, swimming, kayaking… somehow we also found time to sleep between all the action!

Overall, our trip was a complete blast from beginning to end. In fact, I was surprised at just how much we were able to fit into just a weekend. Time seems to move more slowly in this part of the world. So much more slowly, in fact, that I was sure that by the end of it I'd been there for a week rather than just three days. This castle is a little bit off the beaten track but for those who want an action-packed getaway far from the usual tourist hotspots, I can't think of many places in Dolnoslask better than this one. For those who want to relax, there are great opportunities to do so and for those who want to be more adventurous, this is easily possible as well. Highly recommended!

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