This fascinating full-day excursion south-west of Wroclaw reveals the many faces of Silesia, a region rich in history, culture and powerful personal stories. Learn about the development of Silesian towns, the religious conflicts of the Thirty Years' War and the dramatic events of the Second World War. Discover the lives of both the aristocracy and working communities, as well as Silesia's mining and spa traditions. The route also provides insight into contemporary Polish-German relations and the social challenges of economic transformation.
Świdnica, around 50 kilometres south-west of Wroclaw, is one of Lower Silesia's most important historic towns. It survived the Second World War largely intact and retains a charming Market Square with a Baroque town hall and numerous listed townhouses. The Gothic Cathedral of St Stanislaus and St Wenceslaus has a 103-metre tower, one of the highest in Poland, and a magnificent high altar associated with the artistic tradition of Veit Stoss. Świdnica's greatest treasure is the UNESCO-listed Church of Peace, one of Europe's most remarkable timber-framed religious buildings.
Nearby Krzyżowa is known for the former estate of the von Moltke family. In 1942 and 1943, at the initiative of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke, members of the anti-Nazi resistance group later called the Kreisau Circle met here in secret. Representatives of different political traditions developed plans for a democratic Germany and a new European order after the war. Several members were connected with the failed assassination attempt of 20 July 1944 and were subsequently arrested and executed. In 1989 Krzyżowa became a symbol of reconciliation when German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Poland's first democratically elected prime minister, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, attended a reconciliation Mass here.
The restored estate complex now houses the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe. The former meeting house, known as the Berghof, contains a memorial to the resistance, while the Moltke Palace presents an exhibition about civic opposition to twentieth-century totalitarianism.
Near the estate stands the von Moltke family burial chapel, associated with Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke, the noted strategist of the battles of Königgrätz and Sedan. His grave was plundered after the war, and only the chapel survives.
Książ, the largest castle in Silesia and the third largest in Poland, rises dramatically above the valley of the Pełcznica River. Originally built as a defensive stronghold by Duke Bolko I in the late thirteenth century, it changed hands several times before becoming the property of the Hochberg family in 1505. Over the centuries they transformed it into a magnificent residence that remained in the family until the Second World War.
The castle became especially famous around the turn of the twentieth century through Maria Theresa Olivia Cornwallis-West, known as Daisy von Pless, wife of Prince Hans Heinrich von Pless. Under her influence Książ became a meeting place for European aristocracy and high society. During the war, Organisation Todt took over the castle and began converting it for use as one of Hitler's headquarters.
The castle suffered extensive damage through wartime alterations, post-war occupation and looting. Restoration has preserved important rooms, including the splendid Maximilian Hall in the Viennese Baroque style. Together with its landscaped park, Książ is one of Silesia's major tourist attractions.
Wałbrzych presents another side of Silesia. Once a thriving mining and industrial centre, it experienced economic and social difficulties after the closure of its coal mines. The city nevertheless preserves an attractive restored Market Square with colourful eighteenth-century houses. A principal attraction is the former Thorez coal mine, now the Old Mine Science and Art Centre, where historic shafts, industrial buildings, underground workings and mining machinery recall the city's industrial heritage.
Szczawno-Zdrój was one of the best-known spa resorts in the Sudetes. The town is reviving its historic spa traditions and has reconstructed its 77-metre pump room after a destructive fire in 1992. Several pre-war guesthouses survive, including the former Hotel Zur Krone, now Hotel Korona Piastowska, where Nobel Prize-winning writer Gerhart Hauptmann, author of "The Weavers", was born on 15 November 1862.
