The Rynek is the historic heart of the Bielsko side of the city, a small square shaped roughly like a triangle, surrounded by Renaissance and Baroque burgher houses painted in soft yellows, pinks and greens. Cars are banned, tables spill out from cafes around the edges, and a daily round of small concerts and market events makes it the most reliable place to find life in the old town.
Look for the inscriptions and dates on the buildings — many record the merchants and weavers who built them in the seventeenth century. The square slopes gently downhill towards the castle, which closes off its northern end and frames any photograph you take. In summer it stays lively until midnight; in winter it gets a Christmas market that is small but genuinely local.