Legnica since the beginning of its existence, was one of the most important centers of settlement of Silesia. You probably already in the eighth century was a settlement here, the importance of which grew over the centuries. In the early thirteenth century, Henry the Bearded erected on the site of the castle stone castle, which is considered one of the first castles in the Polish lands. It is also likely that Henry's father initiated the construction of Boleslaw the Tall.

At the time of Boleslaw the Tall could arise palatial building in the southern part of the earlier castle, within embankments. It was a magnificent building measuring about 16x61 meters and three floors. The other elements of the castle should already attributed to Henry. It replaced the ramparts of the castle walls, within which was the palace of Boleslaw the Tall. Built on a vast slight hill castle consisted of two members that survived the earlier system of the castle and borough, the whole was defended by three towers. Around the extension of the axis of the palace on both sides at the corners of the peripheral wall were two round towers, the third square, was located in the northern section of the walls. The south-western tower, called the tower of St. Hedwig, defended originally located at the entrance gate. She was 13 feet high, the lower part was in the dungeon prison, and the party was probably the upper floor, as is equipped with a fireplace, seating and decorative painting. Increased south-eastern tower, called the tower of St. Peter, also in the underground floor can serve as a prison. She had a diameter of 10 meters. In the courtyard stood the Chapel of St.. Benedict, which was built between 1220 and 1230 year. The upper part of the chapel was connected to the palace of the prince's porch.

In 1241, the castle resisted the Tartar invasion. They defeated the Polish troops, which came at the start in the field, but the siege after a few days departed.

The castle soon became the main seat of the dukes of Legnica-Brest Litovsk. At the beginning of the fifteenth century, Ludwig II rebuilt the fortress, and the work of hired podparyskiego stonemason. From the period of this reconstruction comes decor painting in the tower of St. Hedwig - Renaissance wall paintings depict the Garden of Eden and the great men of antiquity - Alexander the Great, King David and Goliath. Another reconstruction took place in the fifteenth century, however, not known for their range. In the first half of the sixteenth century Brest Duke Frederick II again led the construction work. He surrounded the castle fortifications additional ring of bastions and a moat. In the final stage of the expansion in 1532, a new representative castle gate.

In the seventeenth century, George Rudolf rebuilt the eastern and southern wing and erected in 1621 at the junction of two members of the castle clock tower. 1660 on the site of the thirteenth-century tower, called Lubińska, a new gate, which took the name of the tower. This gate also was defended bastion.

After the death of the last Piast duke George William in 1675 the duchy was given to the possession of the Habsburgs.

In 1711 the castle burned down, another fire took place in 1835. After that, the castle was rebuilt, and the work was carried out under the direction of architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Also, during the Second World War the castle could not resist the damage and burned 1,945 years. After the restoration is intended for educational and government offices.