Tower of Lions

Around 1300, a freestanding tower was built beside the Gothic castle in Brzeg. It served as a last defensive stronghold, where the garrison could continue to resist after the other defences had been breached. The tower was built on a quadrilateral plan, unlike the circular towers found in many medieval fortresses.

During the Renaissance expansion, the new wing facing the former Wrocław Gate incorporated the Tower of Lions and the nave of the adjoining church. The tower survived the Prussian bombardment of 1741, which destroyed the residence's roofs; the upper storeys were subsequently dismantled. It remains a surviving part of the Gothic castle within the later Renaissance building. Its surroundings therefore reflect two different roles of the castle: defending a medieval fortress and representing a ducal court.