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Festival

The 4th Summer Mystery Festival 2024 at Książ Castle will take place on August 3-4, 2024.
 
Welcome adventurers and mystery seekers! This year, during the 4th Summer Mystery Festival, Książ will transform into a true "Castle of Art." What attractions do we have in store for you in the program? Get ready for unique encounters with living paintings, which will stroll around the festival grounds and gladly pose for photos. Inside the castle, you will find three exceptional exhibitions: fans of painting will be amazed by the display of frames from the movie "Chłopi" enriched by a showcase of folk dances, history enthusiasts will travel back to the 19th century with the exhibition "Lost Książ," and a presentation of "Unsuccessful Reconstructions" will ensure a good mood.
 
Artworks are especially intriguing when they are valuable, lost, or... cursed. We will tell you about this during lecture blocks and at the additional special exhibition "Grundmann's Secret Stashes" (guided tour). We have also planned plenty of activities for families with children - on August 3 and 4, we will have three spaces where we will creatively play with building blocks, create collages, and cubist works. This is where the monumental paintings of our little artists will come to life.
 
There will also be evening proposals - this year we have planned two editions of Książ by Night tour with ghost : "Night Guard" for families with children and "Scream" for adults.
 
This year's program of the 4th Summer Mystery Festival is truly bursting with events - check below!

Ticket
prices and opening hours

We would like to inform you that the area of the Summer Mystery Festival, taking place on the 3rd and 4th of August 2024 (Saturday-Sunday), includes Książ Castle, terraces, and the outer bailey with a courtyard. Therefore, on the mentioned days, admission to the outer bailey will require a ticket.

Opening hours on the following days 03-04.08.2024 r.
Opening hours of ticket offices.  09:00 - 18:00 
Festival visiting hours  09:00 - 19:00 
  Normal (zł) Reduced (zł) 2

Festival ticket 1
Entry from 9 AM to  7 PM

 65 55

Festival ticket after 4 PM1
Entry from 4 PM to  7 PM

 55 55
Additional Ticket  (festival ticket is required)
Underground Route 3 40 min
tour with a guide		 39 34
Grundmann Secrets  - hidden treasures4 ok. 20 min
tour with a polish speaking guide		 15 10
Separate tickets  (festival tickets is NOT required)

Książ by night with ghost for families" 5

tour with a polish speaking guide

 74 68

Książ by night with ghost for adults" 5

tour with a polish speaking guide

 77  

Purchases can be made through the online ticketing system located on the website: bilety.ksiaz.walbrzych.pl (event "Castle Tour on 3-4 August 2024 - Summer Festival of Mysteries") and at the castle ticket offices during their opening hours. A ticket purchased through the electronic system can be presented to the security in electronic or paper form.

1 This applies to a one-time entry, on either 3 August or 4 August 2024, for an individual tour of Książ Castle with an audioguide set (approximately 40 minutes), courtyard, and terraces. In addition, festival tickets entitle you to participate in all attractions, lectures, workshops, shows, and other exhibitions scheduled in the program on the selected day, excluding the Underground Tour - 45 minutes (guided tour only, at an additional cost), the Grundman's Cache Tour (guided tour only, at an additional cost), and the Night Tour (an evening attraction, a separate ticket is required, festival ticket is not necessary). Festival tickets do not include entry to the Wałbrzych Palm House.

2 Reduced tickets are available to children from 4 years old, students up to 19 years old, and students up to 24 years old; guardians of school groups, preschool groups, groups of children and teenagers (1 guardian of a 10-person group enters for free); severely disabled persons and guardians of severely disabled persons; retirees, pensioners, and people over 65 years old. Purchasing a reduced ticket is dependent on presenting a valid document entitling to a discount. Pilots or guides of an organized group and children under 4 years old have free entry (excluding organized groups composed of children and special services such as The Castle on the Other Side of the Mirror, Fairy-tale Książ, Night Tour).

3 The Underground Tour (approximately 40 minutes) is a half-kilometer route at a depth of 50 meters beneath the courtyard. During the tour, visitors will see a massive concrete hall, corridors carved in raw rock, and side chambers of the bunker. The tour lasts 40 minutes and takes place only with a guide at a specified time on the chosen day (indicated on the ticket). An additional ticket is required for the Underground Tour (the entrance to the Underground is located in the festival area, so a valid festival ticket for the same day is also required). More information about the underground can be found here, and important information regarding the underground tour here.

4 Grundman's Cache Tour (approximately 20 minutes) is an additional tour of an exhibition arranged in the medieval part of the castle. Who was Gunther Grundmann? What treasures and precious works of art were hidden in Lower Silesia during the II World War? What were the greatest treasures of the Third Reich? We invite you to an extraordinary tour where you will hear amazing stories. The tour lasts about 20 minutes and takes place only with a guide - groups will be formed on an ongoing basis near the Ballroom. An additional ticket is required for this tour (a valid festival ticket for the same day is also required). 

5 Night Tour - is an evening special event organized as part of the festival - we invite you to two special editions: "Night Watch" for families with children (entry until 8:30 p.m.) and "Scream" for adults (entry from 9:00 p.m.). A separate ticket is required for the Night Tour (festival ticket is not required), the tour will take place only on 3 August (Saturday), time: 90 minutes. Groups enter at specific times (every 15-30 minutes), your entry time is indicated on the ticket. 

 

Program

Visiting the castle with an audio guide during the festival.

Visiting the castle with an audioguide is available as part of festival tickets, audioguides can be picked up on the first floor of the castle (just follow the tour route).

Are you coming to the festival, but would like to learn about the history of the castle as well? With tourists in mind who wish to explore the history of Książ, we will launch a special audioguide tour where you will see the most beautiful baroque rooms, including the famous Maximilian Room, the best-preserved baroque representative room in Lower Silesia, and the exhibition "Książ from the Kitchen", showcasing the castle at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Duration of the tour: 30 minutes. We will start our adventure with this year's festival in this way. First, we will introduce you to the extraordinary world of the castle, and then we will immerse you in a passionate, artistic, and technological revolution event.

 

 

Ballroom - Książ Paintings in AI Technology

An attraction available with a festival ticket.
 
Thanks to cooperation with the National Museum in Wrocław, Książ Castle has been filled with extraordinary works of art that once belonged to the Hochberg family collection. In the Rooms of Metamorphosis, you will see remarkable scenes from the Prodigal Son, and in the Sala Konrada, the largest historical-themed easel painting in the country - Alaric in Rome. The scenery of this second work is amazing, it's a real battlefield. Especially for you, we will bring this scene to life using modern technologies. But that's not all! The show is expected to last about 5 minutes and we will enhance it with exciting elements.
 
Important information - Groups will be formed on the spot near the Ballroom.


 

 

 

 

Peasants - exhibition from the movie and dance shows

The exhibition is available as part of the festival ticket.

Have you had a chance to see the unique painting film "Chłopi" (dir. DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman) from 2023 inspired by the work of Władysław Reymont? During the IV Summer Festival of Mysteries, we will specially present for you 40 frames obtained in cooperation with Breakthru Films Studio. The images were created by 30 artists of various nationalities in a uniform style (for the needs of the film production). The landscapes inspired by the work of Julian Fałat and portraits of characters drawing from 18th-century Dutch painting are worth noting. And so that you can fully marvel at these extraordinary images referring to the countryside, folk dances, and local folklore, we will enrich them with performances by the Wałbrzych Song and Dance Ensemble. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity!

Show times: 10:30am, 12:00am, 2:00 pm , 5:00 pm.

 

 

Children's Zone: Creative workshops - collage, Picasso classes and Kids Tech activities.

Attractions included in festival tickets.
 
This year, we will create a particularly large attraction area for families with children - we know very well how much energy the youngest have and how rich their imagination is. On August 3-4, we will create a huge space for creative activities for them - all located in Jan Henryk's hall on the third floor:
 
  • Picasso Workshops: a blank sheet of paper, plenty of elements, and a dozen ideas is a proven recipe for creating your own work of art. We will show you how to put together an extraordinary picture from seemingly mismatched elements. We will experiment and come up with unique patterns, take you on an extraordinary journey of shapes and geometric figures, and our inspiration will be Picasso's works and the artistic movement called cubism.

  • Brick painting" workshops KIDS-TECH - In the next zone, extraordinary boards will be waiting for you, thanks to which the youngest ones will be able to create everything their imagination suggests. Assembling blocks will not only allow for developing creativity, but also for practicing dexterity, motor coordination, and logical thinking. You will definitely want to spend the whole day here!
     
  •  
  • Collage workshops with Jagoda Stączek - cut-outs, glue, and unlimited imagination, in this zone, nothing else is needed. Under the watchful eye of Jagoda Stączek, our little artists will be able to play with meanings, unusual combinations, newspaper clippings, and draw inspiration from their surroundings. We invite whole families - let yourselves be surprised by your own creative inventiveness. The resulting works will surely make you want to hang them at home
       

 

No matter what creative activities your children prefer - in our zone of attractions for the youngest, everyone will find something for themselves.

Exhibition - Valuable works from Książ Castle

The exhibition is available with festival tickets.
 
During the rule of the Hochbergs, Książ was a place filled to the brim with valuable exhibits. These art patrons were even called the Silesian Medicis - the Fireplace Room was adorned with priceless paintings, the Conrad Hall with enormous tapestries, the magnificent Max's Hall with the works of Scheffler himself, and richly decorated carpets adorned the prince's cabinet. Unfortunately, the war and post-war period caused the castle to be deserted, and the art that once decorated it is now scattered throughout the country.
 
At the exhibition consisting of historical photographs, we will present to you Książ from the early 19th century and its present-day version. It will certainly be an extraordinary adventure and a true compendium of knowledge about the castle.

Lecture Zone - On the trail of lost works of art

Attractions included in festival tickets.
Please be informed that the lectures are in Polish.

SATURDAY (3.08.2024)

10:00 - Arkadiusz Muła - Scheffler - the most famous painter from Książ Castle. Discover his genius.
11:00 - Piotr Pelc - On the trail of missing works of art.
12:00 - Artur Szałkowski - The most famous painting from Książ Castle.
13:00 - Mateusz Mykytyszyn - Princess Daisy - history, art and secrets.
16:30 - Beata Lejman - Lost Książ. Where are the works of art from the castle located?

 

SUNDAY (4.08.2024)

10:00 - Arkadiusz Muła – Scheffler - the most famous painter from Książ Castle. Discover his genius.

11:00 - Beata Lejman – Lost Książ. Where are the artistic treasures from the castle?

12:00 - Mateusz Mykytyszyn - Princess Daisy - history, art, and secrets.

13:00 - Artur Szałkowski – The most famous painting from Książ Castle.

 

 

 

Grundman's List - guided tour with a special route

Extra ticketed attraction, meeting point: in front of the Ballroom, groups will be formed on a ongoing basis. Festival ticket is also required.
 
Grundmann's hiding places - hidden treasures of the Third Reich. Who was Günther Grundmann? What valuable works of art, jewelry, and sculptures were hidden in the Lower Silesia region? We invite you on an extraordinary, treasure-filled journey through the medieval part of the castle, where as part of the IV Summer Festival of Mysteries, we will create an additional exhibition, and the castle guide will lead you through it.
 
Important information:
  • Approx. 20 minutes of tour time
  • The number of places in groups is limited!
  • The tour is possible with extra tickets (festival ticket is also required and must be valid on the same day).

Night tour with ghosts - family and adults edition.

The evening attraction on Saturday, August 3, 2024, requires a separate ticket (festival ticket is not required), meeting point: in front of the ticket offices.
➤ Date: May 3, 2024, Saturday
➤ Guided tours
➤ The tour lasts 90 minutes and includes places that are not accessible (such as the 4th and 5th floor of the castle).
 
After dark, we invite you to a full adventure in darkness. As soon as night falls, the castle will be taken over by ghosts, and this year apparitions inspired by dark paintings will appear. Join the brave guide as he leads you through the dark history of the castle and takes you to places you would be afraid to enter during the day. We invite you to two editions:
  • Night tour for families with children - "Night Watch" (entrance until 9:00 p.m.
  • Night tour for adults - "Scream" (entrance from 9:00 p.m.) 
PURCHASING TICKETS: Tickets can be purchased online through the system - www.bilety.ksiaz.walbrzych.pl, (Event: Castle tour - 03-04.08.2024 - Summer Festival of Mysteries / then: Festival - Night tour (separate ticket)) Note! Limited number of seats! Purchasing tickets is equivalent to accepting the tour regulations.
 
IMPORTANT INFORMATION!
  • Tickets are separate tickets (do not include admission to the festival grounds, the service takes place after its closure). Night tour is a special service, therefore reduced tickets do not apply.
  • On August 3, the hotel parking lot will be closed, we ask Night tour participants to park in the Main parking lot in the park (parking included in the ticket price) and to walk to the castle on the concrete road through the park (approx. 10 minutes). Meeting point: in front of the ticket building. Punctuality is required!
  • During the Night Tour, you may see parts of the castle that are not accessible during the day, however, this may involve architectural obstacles such as tunnels, narrow stairs, terraces. Therefore, please wear appropriate footwear for the service (please do not wear high heels) and warm outer clothing.
  • Night Tour is a special service for adults, during the tour things that are not suitable for those with weak nerves may occur. Minors can only participate in the event under the supervision of adults and at their own risk.
  • Książ Castle may refuse entry to the area managed by the company and staying on it to individuals: under the visible influence of alcohol, narcotics, psychotropic substances or other similar acting substances; behaving aggressively, provocatively or in any other way posing a threat to safety or order of the tour.
  • Do you have any questions? Write to us at nocne@ksiaz.walbrzych.pl (we respond very quickly!)

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Map
with Directions

  1. Information for visitors arriving by car
  
  1. Information for tourists arriving by public transit or on foot

The address of Książ Castle in Wałbrzych is ul. Piastów Śląskich 1,  and the Palm House is at ul. Wrocławskiej 158.

DIRECTIONS FOR DRIVING TO KSIĄŻ CASTLE:
Those arriving on route 35 from Wroclaw and Swidnica should look for parking on ul. Piastów Śląskich (see the map) by the Stallion Stud Farm or in the Central car park “in the park”. It is suggested that tourists arriving from the direction of Legnica, Jawor and Strzegom, travelling via Świebodzice, continue on route 5 after Strzegom toward Jelenia Góra, turning left at Dobromierz to route 34, which leads to Świebodzice. All drivers are recommended to leave their car in one of the the car parks, either on ul. Piastów Śląskich, the Stallion Farm, or in the central park (see map).

PARKING AT KSIĄŻ CASTLE (paid):
- Parking for hotel guests is available by the hotel buildings, directly beside Książ Castle at ul. Piastów Śląskich 1.
- Parking for handicapped visitors: in the parking area near the gate building, ul. Piastów Śląskich 1, several places are designated for handicapped visitors.
- Parking for other visitors: There is a Central car park in the castle park (see the map), about 500 metres from Książ Castle (the walk from the central parking area to the castle goes beside the lookout point). A further visitor car park is in the meadow area by the Stallion Stud Farm (about 300 metres from the castle), open during the high tourist season (June to September).

Parking rates:
Parking near "the Stallion Stud Farm":
Passenger cars: 10 zł/ 24 hours
Central car park "in the castle park":
Passenger cars: 10 zł/24 hours
Mini-buses (vehicles with more than 7 places): 15 zł/24 hours
Buses (with more than 20 places) and lorries: 35 zł/24 hours

  

The address of Książ Castle in Wałbrzych is ul. Piastów Śląskich 1, and the Wałbrzych Palm House is located at ul. Wrocławskiej 158.

KSIĄŻ CASTLE – getting there by public transit
Visitors not arriving by car are kindly informed that only Bus Number 8 travels near the castle. Before boarding Bus 8, be sure that its final destination (displayed on the front of the bus) is "Jeździecka - Zamek Książ". (If the Bus Number 8 that you see is marked “Lubiechów”, it does not go near the castle.)
Those arriving in Wałbrzych by train may get Bus 8 across from Wałbrzych Miasto
train station, at the “Armii Krajowej – Dworzec Miasto” stop.

It is also possible to take a more frequent bus, Number 12. Be sure that its final stop (displayed on the front of the bus) is at “Wrocławska – Szczawienko”. From this stop, it is a 15-20 minute walk to the castle. Those arriving in Wałbrzych by train may get Bus 12 at the stop across from the Wałbrzych Miasto train station (at the “Armii Krajowej – Dworzec Miasto” stop) as well as on ul. Wrocławska, the main road near the Wałbrzych Szczawienko train station, at the „Wrocławska – Stacyjna” stop.
You may find a complete schedule of Wałbrzych buses at this address:

http://rozklad.zdkium.walbrzych.pl/