ARTICLE • October 7, 2026
Towns with walls — Niedzica, Łańcut and Paczków
Three places, three ideas of defence: a castle above a river, a palace that wanted to be a fortress, and a small town still almost entirely ringed by its wall. All three fit into one long weekend.
Poland has more castles than people think, but these three are exceptional for different reasons: one stands above a river gorge, one is a residential palace, and one kept a circuit of walls that many larger towns would envy.
Niedzica — a castle above the Dunajec
Dunajec Castle in Niedzica stands on a rock above the river, facing Czorsztyn, and looks exactly as a defensive castle should: high, narrow, with a view over the gorge.
It is a museum today, but its most interesting part is history — the castle belonged to Hungarian and Polish families, and different cultures lived within its walls for centuries. Nearby are the dam and the lake, so you can combine sightseeing with a day by the water.
More: Niedzica.
Łańcut — a palace built to be comfortable
Łańcut is the opposite of Niedzica: representation instead of defence. The Lubomirski and Potocki palace is one of the best-preserved residential complexes in Poland, with interiors that genuinely show how the aristocracy lived.
Add a park, an orangery and a carriage house. Here sightseeing is not about imagining ruins but about seeing complete interiors.
More: Łańcut.
Paczków — the Polish Carcassonne
Paczków is called “the Polish Carcassonne” and this time the comparison holds: the town kept an almost complete circuit of medieval walls with towers. You enter through gates, not via a bypass, and that makes a huge difference.
It is also a town on a hill — with views of the Sudetes and the Nysa Kłodzka. A good stop between Wrocław and Kłodzko.
More: Paczków.
How to combine it
Niedzica and Łańcut lie in the south (Lesser Poland and Subcarpathia), Paczków in Lower Silesia. One trip is hard, but two are easy: “southern” (Niedzica + Łańcut) and “Sudeten” (Paczków + Kłodzko).
Practical
Trains reach Łańcut, and Niedzica too (via Nowy Targ); Paczków has a station on the Wrocław–Kłodzko line. All three work without a car, though a bus helps at the castles.
When to go
May–September is best. Interiors at Łańcut are visited with a guide, so check times — off-season groups are less frequent.