Hunting palace of the Habsburgs in Cieszyn, Habsburg hunting palace in Cieszyn, Poland

The Habsburg Hunting Palace in Cieszyn is a brick classicist residence built 1838–1840 to Joseph Kornhäusel's design on the site of the lower castle, on the eastern slope of the Castle Hill. Its plan is an inverted T: a three-storey central section with a Palladian serliana, a balcony with cast-iron balustrade and a triangular pediment, flanked by two-storey wings that incorporate the remains of two defensive towers. The north bastion wall is 2.1 m thick.

Archduke Charles Louis brought Joseph Kornhäusel to Cieszyn in 1838 to rebuild the ruined castles. The remains of the lower castle were used to build the Hunting Palace between 1838 and 1840. It served as the seat of the Teschen Chamber administration, and Franz Joseph I stayed there in 1880, 1890 and 1906.

The name refers to the Habsburgs' use of the site as a hunting lodge, though they rarely stayed and the Teschen Chamber administration worked here daily. The adjoining orangery hosted Ferenc Liszt's concert in June 1846 and Wagner performances staged by Archduke Eugen in the late 1880s. Since 2005 the Zamek Cieszyn design centre occupies the building and its rebuilt orangery.

The palace houses the Ignacy Paderewski State Music School, while the remainder and the rebuilt orangery, since 2005, hold Zamek Cieszyn, a design centre. The building stands on the eastern slope of the Castle Hill, facing the town, with a symmetrical two-arm driveway in front. Visitors should check which parts are open, as the palace is mainly used for teaching and cultural events.

From 1914 to 1917 the palace housed the Austro-Hungarian Armeeoberkommando under Archduke Frederick. Guests included Kaiser Wilhelm II, Bulgarian Tsar Ferdinand, Karl I and Field Marshal Hindenburg. The last major meeting of the Central Powers' monarchs took place here in December 1916; Archduke Ferdinand's final visit was on 3 December 1916.