Legnica

Introducing Legnica

Some 79km west of Wrocław, the origins of Legnica (leg-nee-tsa) go back to the 10th century, but it wasn’t until the 13th century that real development began, when it became the joint capital of the Duchy of Legnica-Brzeg. In the 16th century the town saw golden days under Bohemian rule as an active centre of culture; the first university in Silesia was established here at that time. After the last Piast duke died in 1675, the town fell to the Habsburgs. In 1742 the Prussians took control.

Badly damaged during WWII, Legnica (Liegnitz in German) has revived as an industrial centre following the discovery of copper and nickel deposits in the region. Much of the city is drab and feels only partly constructed, but the few surviving historic buildings in the centre make for an interesting diversion.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009