Discover Frankenstein: History and Routes

Discover Frankenstein through its distinctive places and varied routes. The Leaning Tower and a Renaissance building represent the town’s history; the Ziemia Ząbkowicka also offers signposted cycle routes, hiking connections and historic sites. When planning your visit, you can decide whether you are more interested in architecture and religious history or in routes and landscapes.

The Tower and Renaissance Building in Ząbkowice Śląskie

Timing is part of a visit to the Leaning Tower: guided entry is offered every 30 minutes, with the first admission at 9:30. Another tour, “In Frankenstein’s Footsteps,” also takes place every 30 minutes; its first admission is at 9:45. The start times are close together, but not identical. If you would like to plan for both, you can take this difference into account when organizing your day.

The castle in Ząbkowice Śląskie tells the story of a different era: this Renaissance building was constructed between 1522 and 1532. The tower and castle offer two different perspectives on the town’s history, and the two attractions do not tell the same story. If you would like to focus more on cultural history, you can then explore other religious and architectural sites in the Ziemia Ząbkowicka.

Cycle and Hiking Routes in the Ziemia Ząbkowicka

The Ziemia Ząbkowicka has around 450 kilometres of signposted cycle routes. It also includes a section of EuroVelo 9, also known as the Amber Road: around 40 kilometres of this route run through the region. If you are looking for a named route rather than a regional network, the “Between Gold and Silver” cycle route is around 45 kilometres long. The European Cistercian Route ER 8 is 45 kilometres long and starts in Henryków.

For hiking, a signposted yellow route connects Bardo, Ząbkowice Śląskie, Stolec and Kamieniec Ząbkowicki railway station. A map lets you trace this specific connection between several places. The landscape of Powiat ząbkowicki offers another point of reference: it lies between the Góry Złote, the Góry Bardzkie, the Góry Sowie and the Wzgórza Niemczańsko-Strzelińskie. The Nysa Kłodzka also flows through the powiat.

Monasteries, Basilica and Fortress

The present-day basilica in Bardo was built between 1686 and 1704. It houses the Madonna of Bardo, described as Poland’s oldest wooden religious sculpture. The sanctuary’s miraculous figure stands on the main altar above the tabernacle. Here, the building’s history and the Madonna’s significance come together with a closer look at her precise position within the church.

Another chapter in religious history takes you to Henryków: the Cistercian monastery complex was founded in 1222 as a daughter house of Lubiąż Abbey. In Kamieniec Ząbkowicki stands the Neo-Gothic palace of the Princes of Hohenzollern. Srebrna Góra Fortress, meanwhile, is one of Europe’s largest mountain fortresses. In the wider travel destination of Lower Silesia, Srebrna Góra Fortress, near Srebrna Góra, was built between 1765 and 1777. The fortress and the monastery complex offer different historical perspectives, providing specific points of interest for a trip focused on architecture and history.

Rafting and kayaking trips are also organized on the Nysa Kłodzka in the Góry Bardzkie. Together with the cycling and hiking options, this shows the range of activities available in the region; the different destinations and routes remain clearly distinct.

Discover More Places

Other places in this destination include Złoty Stok, Srebrna Góra, Frankenstein, Kamieniec Ząbkowicki, Bardo and Budzów.

Other destinations within the same wider region: Reichenbach, Świdnicki.

View the wider travel guide: Lower Silesia.