Polish Castle in Netflix Hit ‘1670’ Gets Second Life

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The news in Polish

1. Roztoka  (f.)
   Miejscowość lub obszar geograficzny, często związany z rozlewiskiem rzeki lub podmokłym terenem. ↩︎
2. pochodzić
   Mieć swój początek lub źródło w jakimś czasie lub miejscu. ↩︎
3. serial  (m.)
   Wieloodcinkowy film lub program telewizyjny emitowany w kolejnych częściach. ↩︎
4. właściciel  (m.)
   Osoba, która jest posiadaczem czegoś, np. nieruchomości lub przedmiotu. ↩︎
5. remontować
   Przeprowadzać prace naprawcze i modernizacyjne w budynku lub pomieszczeniu. ↩︎
6. otoczony
   Mający coś dookoła siebie, ze wszystkich stron otoczony czymś. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: In which century does the castle’s history begin?

Question 2: When did the current owners buy the castle?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
Roztoka  (f.)	Roztoka (place name)
pochodzić	to originate
serial  (m.)	series
właściciel  (m.)	owner
remontować	to renovate
otoczony	surrounded

Read the full story

A castle in Roztoka, Lower Silesia, long overlooked in favour of more famous landmarks in the region, is now attracting widespread attention after featuring in the third series of the popular Netflix comedy 1670. The castle’s historic interiors were used to recreate royal and episcopal chambers for the production.

The castle, located in the Dobromierz commune, is surrounded by a moat and a 12-hectare park containing trees up to 300 years old. Its history stretches back to the 14th century, and for nearly 450 years it was home to the Hochberg family — the same aristocratic dynasty associated with the famous Książ Castle. A major baroque renovation was completed in 1725, and much of that structure, including a two-storey ballroom, survives to this day.

Among the castle’s historical highlights, Frederick the Great set up his quarters there after the Battle of Dobromierz on 4 June 1745. According to accounts, the Prussian king was so enchanted by the garden that he slept in a tent outside rather than in one of the rooms. On 17 September 1890, the castle hosted two monarchs simultaneously: Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.

During the Second World War, parts of the castle were used by the Wehrmacht, while valuable collections — including books from the Prussian State Library and paintings from the Silesian Museum of Fine Arts in Wrocław — were stored there for safekeeping. The Hochbergs’ presence ended in February 1945, and the castle suffered damage and looting.

After the war, the building served as a holiday camp for workers’ children and later as a workers’ hotel. It passed into private hands in 1992 but then fell into neglect. The turning point came in 2017, when Małgorzata and Maciej Śnieżek purchased the property by chance while travelling through Lower Silesia. They began a gradual restoration with the help of specialists, preserving original features such as fireplaces of blue marble, white alabaster, and red sandstone, as well as original doors, windows, and staircase vaulting.

The castle had already appeared on screen before 1670, featuring in the film Chopin, Chopin! and a Netflix adaptation of Lalka. The owners say further film productions are planned at the site this year.