Pszczyna (Poland)

Along with Szczecin and Szczebrzeszyn (though not quite on the same level as the latter), the very name of Pszczyna itself often stands out to foreign visitors as one of the most difficult Polish place names to pronounce. However, Pszczyna (Pless in English) is a lovely little town with an interesting heritage to offer. Located away from the sprawling mining city of Katowice, it is without doubt the nicest place to visit in Poland's Upper Silesia region.

There are two places that are particularly worth seeing in Pszczyna, the names of both of which end in the letters 'ek'. The first of these is the town's rynek, or market square, which with the town hall and all the colourful houses around it, most of which date from the 18th century, is typical for the region. The second place to see is the town's zamek, which is the castle of the Princes of Pless. Medieval in origin, it was converted and transformed into a genuine palace at the beginning of the 20th century. With its beautiful classical styling and its landscaped gardens, I found it to be a very tastefully achieved architectural ensemble. 

Another place to visit here is the Skansen, an open-air folk museum where you can see reconstructions of the region's traditional rural houses.