Stara Kamienica: Castle, Church and Trails
Accommodation in Stara Kamienica
In the centre of Stara Kamienica stand the ruins of a castle, first mentioned in 1242. They are joined by the Baroque Hercules Gate and the parish church of the Beheading of John the Baptist. The town thus offers several historical themes that are easy to distinguish: the remains of a castle complex, a gate with a mythological image, and a church whose history can be traced through various dates. For your travel planning, these range from architectural forms and family history to a specific item inside the church.
File:Stara Kamienica church of Saint John the Baptist 2015 P02.JPG
Photo: Pnapora via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Castle remains from different periods
The castle has been associated with the Schaffgotsch family since its construction. The surviving remains include barrel-vaulted cellars, short sections of the perimeter wall, a moat and a bridge. The tower survives up to the third storey; traces of sgraffito decoration can also be seen on it. These features differ in form and state of preservation: the tower contrasts with the short sections of wall, while the cellars, moat and bridge form other elements of the complex. The castle is thus an ensemble of various architectural remains, rather than a single, fully preserved building. The barrel vaults, tower and sgraffito decoration offer different starting points for exploring architecture and design. For travellers interested in architectural history, this variety is a subject of particular interest.
A Baroque gate with a mythological motif
The Hercules Gate dates from 1705 and depicts Hercules fighting a lion. The focus here is on a single gate with a clearly identifiable image. This distinguishes it from the castle, whose history can be pieced together from various surviving structural features. At the same time, the gate adds a dated example of Baroque design to the historical picture of Stara Kamienica. Those interested in cultural history will find, alongside the castle’s architectural remains, a striking motif that can be named directly: Hercules fighting the lion.
The parish church’s architectural history and furnishings
The parish church of the Beheading of John the Baptist was first mentioned in 1370 and dates from the first half of the 16th century. It acquired its present appearance through numerous alterations, mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries. The church also contains a sandstone baptismal font dating from 1562. These dates relate to different aspects: the early mention, the dating of the church, the later alterations, and the font as an item of furnishing. The building’s history and its furnishings thus offer different ways to explore the church. The font adds a specific, dated detail to the building’s architectural development.
Comparing two routes
The route descriptions also offer a practical comparison for planning. The 48-kilometre blue route connects Mirsk and ĹšwieradĂłw-ZdrĂłj and passes through Stara Kamienica. The yellow route is 18.8 kilometres long and runs from Stara Kamienica to RozdroĹĽe Izerskie; its starting point in the town is listed as kilometre 0.0. The routes differ both in length and in whether Stara Kamienica is a place along the way or the named starting point. The colours and distance details help distinguish the two routes. If you include one of these routes in your plans, check the current route conditions in advance.
Discover more travel destinations: Mysłakowice, Borowice, Szklarska Poręba, Kopaniec, Piechowice, Karpniki, Dziwiszów, Sosnówka K Jeleniej Góry.
For the main travel overview: JeleniogĂłrski.
