Brzeg Castle Brzeg Castle is located in Brzeg , Opole Voivodeship , within the Silesia region of Poland . Now a museum , the structures includes the Piast dynasty mausoleum . Geography . Brzeg Castle is located on a cliff to the west of the Oder River , in the city of Brzeg on the border of Lower Silesian Voivodeship and the Opole Voivodeship provinces in southwestern Poland . It is situated near the national road 39 between Namyslow and Strzelin . History . Earliest reports of the castle ' s existence describe a small fortress with a moat and fortified walls , built in 1235 during the reign of Henry I the Bearded . A square tower known as " The Tower of Lions " was built adjoining the castle . The Piast family branch , which ruled over Duchy of Brzeg , lived in the castle between 1311 until 1675 . In 1342 , the castle was made the capital seat of the duchy after which it was refurbished many times . In 1370 , Prince Ludwik I extended the castle and constructed its chapel which includes the Piast dynasty mausoleum . During Frederick II of Legnica ' s reign in 1544 , more buildings were added to the castle , with the construction completed in 1560 . The additions were in the form of two new buildings , a large courtyard enclosing the buildings and an ambulatory . Additional structures built during this period included a tower gate which was the entrance to the structure . Busts of the Piast princes were part of the gate ' s decor . Modifications in design were from the Gothic style fort to the Renaissance type of architecture in Silesia . In 1741 , the castle was destroyed by the Prussian forces in the First Silesian War , during which the ruins were used as a warehouse for the Prussian Army . After the war , the town — called Brieg in German — with most of Silesia was annexed from Austria to Prussia . Brieg remained in Prusso - German possession until most of Silesia was transferred to Poland in 1945 . During a fire in 1801 , there was further damage to the castle . In 1920 , reconstruction of the abandoned castle began , but during WWII , damage to the castle was quite extensive . The castle was rebuilt in Renaissance style during 1966 – 78 and again from 1980 – 94 . It currently serves as the Museum of the Silesian Piasts ( " Muzeum Piastów Śląskich " ) . Features . The rebuilt castle is also called " The Silesian Wawel " . It was rebuilt by Jakub Parr , Franciscus Pahr , and Bernard Niuron from Italy . Its present facade is known as " one of the most magnificent historical monument of the Renaissance period in Central Europe " . The courtyard has been restored with triple story galleries . The interior of some rooms in the eastern wing , which are in the Renaissance style on the ground floor , are well preserved . The museum , which is part of the castle , has exhibits which trace the history of the Silesian Piasts . Some of the notable paintings exhibited are from a collection of the National Museum of Wroclaw and paintings of Michael Leopold Wilmann , a well known Silesian Baroque painter . The museum also has well preserved sarcophaguses of the dukes of Legnica and Brzeg . Dating to the 14th century , Poland ' s only " perfectly preserved medieval hunting bow " is an archeological find from excavations at Brzeg ' s Mleczna Street .