The Old Town Square was set up in the 13th century and surrounded by burgher houses. The Gothic town hall was built in 1327-1504. It houses the city's historical museum. The Wrocław University is the biggest baroque building in town. Its Aula Leopoldinum, the city's largest secular hall (late-17th c.) is open for visitors. The Ostrów Tumski Island is the oldest part of the city. It shelters a complex of sacral buildings with the Gothic Cathedral of St John the Baptist (13th/16th cc.). Splendid view from its tower top.
. The monumental painting of the Panorama Racławicka (120m x 15m) attracts thousands of tourists. St Giles' Church is the oldest surviving church in Wrocław. Its Romanesque one-pillar vaulting dates back to the early 12th century. The Centenary Hall from 1913 was the world's first modernist structure made of ferro-concrete. Attempts are made to get the Centenary Hall on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Wrocław's greatest cultural hit is its Wratislavia Cantans - International Oratorio Cantata Festival. >>>>
The highest part of the Sudeten Mountains, the Karkonosze Range constitutes the most precious part of them, which has been turned into the Karkonosze National Park. Together with the Czech part of the park, it has been registered on UNESCO's list of world Biosphere Reserves. In the upper parts of the range, we find fantastic rock formations, postglacial cirques, lakes, rare plant and animal species, and a wealth of tourist trails. The Karkonosze Range is very popular with high mountain climbers and skiers. Szklarska Poręba and Karpacz are the regions most visited tourist centers. >>>>
The Góry Stołowe, or the Table Mountains, are the only range in Poland which has plate-like geological structure. Very impressive is the labyrinth created by bizarre rock formations. Some clefts are 12 meter deep. Sandstone rocks has most curious shapes. The most interesting are the rock clusters known as Błędne Skały and Szczeliniec Wielki - the highest outcrop (919m) of the whole range. To get to the top of this peak, one has to ascend 665 stone steps. Tourist trail are wellmarked. >>>>
The longest in the Sudeten Mountains, the Bear's Cave has three levels and is 3,000 meters long. Bones of the cave bear and other ice age animals were found here. There are impressive dripstone formations, some of them are 45 meters high and 60 meters long. A nature reserve was created to protect the existing stalagmites and stalactites. Part of the upper level corridors can be visited with a guide. >>>>
The Barycz Rever swampy valley was chosen for the complex of fish ponds built in the 13th/14th centuries. Today the ponds serve as the habitat for many species of water and mud birds. Some of them, together with their environs, have been turned into an ornithological reserve and a landscape park known as the Barycz Valley. One of Europe's largest wildlife reserves, it offers to the bird-watchers a great number of watching points situated on dikes. >>>>
The third largest castle in Poland was erected in the 13th century to be later remodeled many times. The castle's showpiece is the baroque Maximilian Hall, built in the first half of the 18th century. Available for visitors, the castle has 12 terraced gardens on the surrounding slopes. The former castle stables are the seat of a stud farm and an equestrian centre. The annual auctions of Silesian-breed stallions are attended by experts and buyers from all over the world. The Lubiechów palm house also belongs to the castle complex.
The Protestant half-timber Churches of Peace in Świdnica and Jawor are considered to be unique worldwide. They were erected by the Silesian protestants in the mid-17th century. Both are present on UNESCO's World's Heritage list. The church in Świdnica can seat 7,500 faithful. It has rich baroque interior decorations with paintings from the 18th century. The church in Jawor can accommodate 6,000 people. The galleries are decorated with paintings representing 143 scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Wooden coffered ceiling. >>>> >>>>
KThe Cistercian abbey in Lubiąż (18th c.) is one of Europe's largest and most impressive monastic complexes. The showpiece is the huge Knights' Hall with its opulent baroque decoration. The 13th century abbey in Henryków has a number of precious art pieces in the church interiors. The abbey in Krzeszów possesses two 18th century churches: the Church of the Assumption known as the jewel of Silesian baroque and St Joseph's Church with its baroque frescoes. Trzebnica is noted for its former Cistercian abbey that houses St Hedwig's Mausoleum which attracts many pilgrims.
Their Marian sanctuaries attract thousands of pilgrims every year. The Wambierzyce basilica with its monumental staircase is kept in the Italian baroque style and has sumptuous artistic decorations (paintings and sculptures). The village and the surrounding hills are dotted with 130 Calvary chapels. The set of mechanised Nativity scenes with 800 figurines, in Polish szopka, is the shrine's great attraction. Bardo has a baroque church with a wooden figure of Our Lady with Child from the 12th/13th centuries. The monastery houses the Museum of Sacral Art. >>>>
The excavations of the underground galleries near Osówka and Głuszyca in the Sowie Mountains began in 1943, most probably in order to set up there a factory of Hitler's secret weapons. Approximately 1,700 meters of a subterranean trail consisting of passages and caverns can be visited. Another complex of underground galleries and shafts was built near Walim towards the end of WWII. The tourist trail (750m) can be visited with a guide. Undergrounds, an exhibition was arranged, related to Hitler's various headquarters and the Third Reich's subterranean factories of weaponry. >>>>
There are 12 spas in the Lower Silesian region. Their mineral water springs attracted bathers already in the 18th century. There were kings, princes, writers and artists among them. Today bathers and tourist also come to the spas seduced by their beneficent climate, scenic landscapes, national parks, numerous sanatoriums and holiday centers, and cultural events of all kinds. Oxalates are present in the majority of local medicinal waters. Kudowa Zdrój, Polanica Zdrój, Duszniki Zdrój, Cieplice Zdrój and Lądek Zdrój are the major spas of Lower Silesia.
The town's chief curiosity is one of Europe's unique timber paper mills (17th c.). The mill is still in operation and produces hand-made paper according to the old technology. Visitors can watch the process of production during special shows. The Museum of Paper Industry has a collection of old prints and watermarks on display. The Chopin Music Festival is held here every year in August. >>>>
The old gold mine houses the Underground Museum of Mining and Gold Metallurgy. Gold was mined here as early as the 13th century. Mining of the main deposits ceased in the 19th century, but the last 30kg of gold were excavated in 1962. Two of the old galleries are open to visitors. The "Czarna" gallery leads through the 16th century hand-excavated heading. The "Gertruda" gallery features an underground waterfall (8m high) and an exhibition of old mining tools. Competitions in gold-washing and minting of gold coins are organized. >>>>
The Lower Silesian castles were raised in medieval times, often on high and inaccessible rocks, to serve as princely seats, many time altered and reshaped in the subsequent centuries. Today some of them have become historical ruins, some are museum and others have been turned into accommodation facilities. The most interesting medieval castles are found at Książ, Bolków, Chojnik near Sobieszów, Czocha near Leśna, Grodziec, Legnica, Oleśnica and Ząbkowice Śląskie. The huge fortress at Kłodzko is a fine example of military architecture kept in baroque style. >>>>
