Wender·Vista
Książ Castle and park complex
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tilePoland
in Lower Silesia, above the Pełcznica gorge

Książ Castle and park complex

— — the castle the cliff carries.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The third-largest castle in Poland, on a sandstone cliff above the Pełcznica River in Lower Silesia. The site has been built and rebuilt since the thirteenth century, with a baroque east wing the Hochberg family added in the eighteenth. During the war the Nazis cut tunnels into the rock beneath the castle. The terraces above the gorge still hold the original yew.

from the studio
Książ Castle and park complex
— bring it home

Książ Castle and park complex, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Książ Castle and park complex

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Książ Castle stands on a sandstone outcrop above the Pełcznica River in Wałbrzych, Lower Silesia, southwestern Poland. The castle complex covers around five hectares and is the third-largest in the country after the Malbork and Wawel ensembles. Construction began in the late thirteenth century under Duke Bolko I of Świdnica. The Hochberg family of Pless owned the castle from 1509 until 1941, building most of the present east wing in the baroque style. The surrounding park, set across the gorge and terraces, holds gardens laid out across the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

— the stone

The castle takes its weight from the sandstone cliff it sits on, about 395 metres above sea level, with the Pełcznica gorge dropping seventy metres on the north side. Below the castle, the Nazi regime cut a network of tunnels into the rock between 1943 and 1945 as part of the Riese project, never finished. Some of those tunnels are now open to visitors as part of the castle route. The original thirteenth-century walls survive beneath later baroque additions, and the inner courtyard still uses the medieval foundation lines.

— the visit

Książ sits on the northern edge of Wałbrzych, about seventy kilometres southwest of Wrocław. The castle is reached by car or by bus from Wałbrzych Główny station. Several routes are sold separately: the state apartments, the Maximilian Hall, the Riese tunnels, the Palm House, and the surrounding park. The castle stud, founded in 1947 and still active, sits below the castle in the gorge. Spring and early summer are the best time for the gardens; autumn carries the strongest colour through the beech and oak on the cliff terraces.

— where
Poland · Wałbrzych, Lower Silesia
— elevation
395 m · 1,296 ft
— position
50.8413° N · 16.2933° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
5 km S
Wałbrzych
regional city
70 km NE
Wrocław
Silesian capital
35 km SW
Stołowe Mountains
table mountain range
N
Książ Castle and park complex
Wałbrzych
Wrocław
Stołowe Mountains
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Książ Castle and park complex — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Construction began in the late thirteenth century under Duke Bolko I of Świdnica. The castle was rebuilt and expanded across the centuries, with the present baroque east wing finished by the Hochberg family in the eighteenth.

The Hochberg family of Pless held the castle from 1509 until 1941. After the Second World War the property passed to the Polish state, and it is administered today by the city of Wałbrzych.

A network of tunnels cut into the sandstone by the Nazi regime between 1943 and 1945, part of the Riese project. The tunnels were never finished. Some sections are now open to visitors.

The castle complex covers about five hectares, with around four hundred rooms across its wings. It is the third-largest castle in Poland by floor area, after the Teutonic stronghold at Malbork and the royal Wawel in Kraków.

Late spring and early summer for the gardens, when the terraces and Palm House are at their height. Autumn carries the strongest colour through the beech and oak on the cliff above the gorge.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. Książ is one of the most recognised places in the region. For families from Wałbrzych or wider Lower Silesia, a Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note carries the recognition.

The piece sits well with traditional European interiors, Old-World maximalist rooms with dark wood and brass, and warm minimalist spaces that need a single moody focal point.

A single Large anchors most sofas. A 4-tile Mural reads at console scale above a sideboard, and a 9-tile Mural carries the proportion of a long wall in a foyer or formal living room.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and made for damp rooms. The Glossy finish belongs on a dry wall where its sheen reads as framed art.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water is enough. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface, so it will not fade with cleaning. Skip abrasive pads and harsh solvents.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.