Opole: Historical Capital of Upper Silesia
Opole is a city located in the southwest region of Poland. It is considered as the historical capital of the Upper Silesia region since it is one of the country’s oldest cities. It had a complicated history of being under the Piast dynasty, becoming part of the German Empire, and then eventually being placed under Poland’s territory after the war.
Best Time to Visit
The National Festival of Polish Song and the Sopot Festival held every June draw in a lot of crowds to the city and fill up the Opole hotels. These festivals feature various competitions and public performances of different genres of music from classical to hip-hop.
What to Do & Area Attractions
One of the most stunning icons in this town is the Piast Tower, a 14th-century medieval castle which was used as a defensive tower and a residential home of the town’s dukes. It is still standing proudly amidst the modernist buildings surrounding it. The Opole Town Hall is a historic building that was originally intentioned to resemble Venice’s Palazzo Vecchio. It remains functional even today despite the war that it has witnessed. Those who could not attend the festival can have a taste of it by dropping a visit to the Opole Polish Song Museum. It offers recordings of various Polish music that visitors can listen to. For accommodation needs, visitors can have convenient access to the city’s Old Town and central railway station by staying at Mercure Opole. Another conveniently located lodging it the 4-star Hotel DeSilva Premium Opole, which offers live music performances every Monday to Thursday.