Discover Lower Silesia: Churches, Castles and Mountain Trails

Lower Silesia offers a range of reasons to travel: the Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica, Książ Castle and Srebrna Góra Fortress sit alongside natural areas with hiking and cycling trails. For your planning, it is worth first choosing the experiences that interest you most. The places and landscapes mentioned here offer concrete points of reference—from architecture and history to outdoor activities in the mountains.

Churches, a Castle and Historic Buildings

The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica are the largest half-timbered Baroque churches in Europe. They were built in the mid-17th century under the terms of the Peace of Westphalia and were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. Their construction, the period in which they were built and their UNESCO designation combine to form a clearly defined cultural focus. If you are interested in religious architecture and history, you can include both churches as destinations in their own right when planning your trip.

Another attraction is Książ: the castle is the largest in Lower Silesia and the third-largest in Poland. It can be visited by individuals as well as organized groups. This means you can plan your visit as an individual activity or as part of a group stay. The Gold Mine Museum is also located in Złoty Stok, another destination for travelers who want to discover Lower Silesia through its distinctive places.

Srebrna Góra Fortress also tells the story of the region. It was built near Srebrna Góra between 1765 and 1777. Together with the Churches of Peace and Książ, it offers a selection of different buildings and historical themes. When choosing a focus for your trip, you can decide whether you would like to center it on church architecture, a castle or a fortress.

Hiking Trails, Cycling Routes and Landscapes

Karkonosze National Park is located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It covers the main ridge of the Giant Mountains, from the western slope of Mumławski Wierch in the west to Przełęcz Okraj in the east. This geographical extent describes a specific section of the mountains and helps define the park as a distinct landscape destination.

For hiking, Stołowe Mountains National Park offers a dense network of trails totaling 100 kilometers. Part of the Mieczysław Orłowicz Main Sudetes Trail runs through the park. There are also designated cycling routes in the park and its immediate surroundings, allowing visitors to reach the most interesting areas of the Table Mountains. If you enjoy spending your days on foot or by bike, you will find a range of ways to get active here; the total of 100 kilometers refers to the hiking trail network.

Another natural area is the Stawy Milickie ornithological reserve in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It covers 5,298.15 hectares. Its designated purpose and size make it a destination in its own right for travelers who want to consider natural areas as well as historic buildings.

Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests

The options range from UNESCO World Heritage sites and historic buildings to mountain landscapes, hiking trails, cycling routes and an ornithological reserve. So first consider which of these themes matters most for your trip. When looking for a hotel, holiday apartment or holiday home, you can then check which location best suits the destinations you plan to visit. The sights mentioned are in different places, so plan for them as separate destinations rather than as a single excursion area.

Other Subregions

For further orientation, here are the subregions of Lower Silesia: Głogowski, Kłodzki, Wałbrzyski, Wroclaw, Złotoryjski, Zgorzelecki, Legnicki, Bolesławiecki, Trzebnicki, Oleśnicki, Jeleniogórski, Świdnicki, Lubański, Reichenbach, Jauer, Kamiennogórski, Löwenberg In Schlesien, Milicz, Ohlau, Polkwitz, Neumarkt In Schlesien, Strehlen, Wohlau, Ząbkowice Śląskie (Frankenstein), Goldberg In Schlesien, Górowski and Powiat Lubiński.