About Poland Silesia Region

History of the Silesia Region

The present Silesia (ÅšlÄ…sk) is to a great extent the result of the turbulent and complicated history in which it has been entangled. Until the 10th century, it belonged to Bohemia, then Poles took it over, ruling it until the 14th century when Czechs took it back again. From 1526 it was quickly Germanized, as it belonged to the Habsburgs, who lost this region in the 18th century in favor of Prussia. It was returned to Poland in 1945. At that time, all German inhabitants were relocated and the territory was settled by the inhabitants of eastern Poland. This complicated development of Silesia resulted in a mixture of different cultures. It is reflected in numerous highly attractive and interesting monuments, especially the impressive number of castles and palaces.

 

Polish Palaces and Castles

The biggest of them is located in Książ, and together with its enviirons, part of which is a glamorous palm tree greenhouse in Lubiechów, they constitute the Ksiązanski Scenic Park. The superb castle Czocha, originating from the 14th century, has been rebuilt several times, thus bearing traces of different styles. This is also the case of other great buildings in the region, many of which have Piast origin. Here are the most famous: the sount's castle in Legnica, Grodno Castle in Zagórze Śląskie, Piast Castle in Bolków, and the castle of Olesnica counts in Oleśnica. The turn of the 17th century, being a period of religious upheavals connected with the dominant position of Catholics and the persecution of Protestants brought over, apart from others, glaring Baroque monasteries and sanctuaries created by Cistercians and Jesuits. One of the most precious among them is the pearl of the Silesian Baroque - the Cistercian abbey in Krzesz6w. Other Baroque monuments of similar importance include the Benedictine monastery in Legnickie Pole, especially charming due to the rainbow-coloured polychrome on the vault in its recently-restored interior, and the Cistereian abbey in the tiny town of Henryków.

 

Lower Silesia and Its Capital - Wroclaw City

Wroclaw, the capital of Lower Silesia, is situated on many islands bypassed by the Oder waters, and therefore, it is also called the town of one-hundred bridges, the oldest of which is the Sand Bridge (most Piaskowy) originating from 1845. The most renowned is the suspended Grunwaldzki Bridge. The town astonishes everyone by an incredible number of Gothic buildings, especially churches; the most significant being the cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Ostrów Tumski. Nevertheless, attention should also be paid to the monumental garrison church of St. Elisabeth to the severe block of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene and to the huge church of St. Dorothy. The most magnificent Gothic building is the Town Hall surrounded by renovated houses on the square, the lace details of which evoke a fairy tale castle.

The Baroque building of the Wroclaw University contains a real jewel - Aula Leopoldina, full of paintings, sculptures, stuccos, wood-carving decorations and guildding. Away from the town center, there is the vast Szczytnicki Park, dominated by the Folk Hall cupola, and nearby is one of the most interesting zoos in Poland.

 

Karkonosze Mountains

There are several worth visiting tourist bases at the foot of the Karkonosze Mountains, such as Jelenia Góra, which is not only an excellent starting point but also the site of the Regional Museum with a beautiful collection of glassware; in Karpacz one should visit the church, which was transported from the Norwegian town Vang in tile 19th century; and finally near Szklarska Poręba, there are two nice waterfalls, Szklarki and Kamienczyk.

The eastern part of the Sudetes region is repreesented by the Klodzko basin with the biggest number of Polish spas. The most famous ones are Kudowa Zdrój, Polanica Zdrój and Duszniki Zdrój, which are situated at the bottom of the Stolowe Mountains, where the maggnificent and bizarre rock shapes attract as many visitors as the more famous Karkonosze Mountains. One can esscape from such crowded regions to the far less visited

Sowie, Bystrzyckie and Orlickie Mountains, offering long walks along moderate and nearly deserted paths.

 

Upper Silesia Region

Upper Silesia is completely different. It is especially connected with industrial zones and characteristic pittheads of mines. Coal has been extracted here since the : th century, which also resulted in the creation of a buge urban conglomerate of 14 towns, a feature not captivating at first glimpse. However, more careful penetraa:ion into the atmosphere of the countryside allows one both to perceive a particular attraction derived from the history of its hardworking people, and also perceive nuumerous historical and interesting places, including the housing estates of Katowice from the inter-war period, the Cistercian abbey in Rudy Raciborskie; the Black Trout Gallery in Tarnowskie Gory; or the amusement park in Chorzow. Woods form the surroundings of the urban expanse, where one can relax in the heart of naature. Lake Plawniowickie near Gliwice is one of such places. In the south area of the woods in Pszczyna, a noble palace surrounded by a beautiful park can be addmired. The palace served as a hunting castle in the past. Today, an excellent museum is located there" In the nearby Pszczynskie Woods there is a refuge which breeds bisons.