Nestled
in a beautiful valley is one of the prettiest Polish cities I had never heard
of until we had lived in Poland for
a while.
When
I planned my solo road trip last year, I made sure to include Jelenia Góra
(yeh-len-yah goo-rah) as my evening resting spot after visiting neighboring
Polish castles throughout the day. I’m glad I did because this small city has a
relaxed feeling and features one of the loveliest (and photogenic) town squares
I’ve seen in Poland.
The
local story goes that Jelenia Góra was founded in 1108 by King Bolesław
Krzywousty after he had been following a wounded deer and was astounded by the
beauty of the place that he named it ‘Deer Mountain,’ the English translation
of Jelenia Góra. The border stronghold later came under the rule of the powerful
Duchy of Świdnica-Jawor and under the Habsburg Monarchy in the 1500s (and then
called Hirschberg), Prussia and later Germany before reverting back to Polish
land. Luckily, the city wasn’t damaged that badly during WWII since it was a
German stronghold.
In
this new post, I’m hoping that my photos will entice you to make your own road
trip or at least discover why the city is also called the Pearl of the
Karkonosze Mountains.
Town Square
Typical
of most Polish towns, all roads in the Old Town lead to the Town Hall
Square (Plac Ratuszowy), which is
surrounded by pastel-colored burgher houses with arcades. The arcaded, baroque
and rococo buildings were built in the 17th and
18th centuries and are the only remaining structures of their kind in the region. Each front used to have its own name related to the main
trade or services such as furrier, weavers, rope maker, etc.
These
cotton candy-hued houses made me fall in love with the center of Jelenia Góra!
After a long day of driving and sightseeing, I was content to just sit in the
square at one of the local pubs and have a glass of French wine with my hearty
dinner.
 |
| Plenty of outdoor seating at the local pubs and restaurants in the Town Hall Square. |
Oh, I
should note it will help if you can speak a bit of Polish or German.
Interestingly, most menus I saw were only printed in these two languages, but
luckily I could get by with my basic Polish. As long as you can order food and
drink, you’ll be just fine.
From
this ornate square, it’s only a short walk to the remnants of city walls,
Gothic and baroque churches and interesting architecture with many buildings dating
from the 18th to 20th centuries.
 |
| I can't resist taking photos of old doors! |
Historic Churches
Following
Ulica 1 Maja (May 1 Street), you’ll
find several historic churches that are worth photographing. Unfortunately,
since I arrived at the end of the day, the churches were shuttered for the day.
Surrounded
in a gated park by nearly 300-year-old Baroque tombstones and mausoleums, don’t
miss the Church of the Holy Cross (Kościół Św Krzyża). This massive church
originally was built in 1718 for a Lutheran congregation (remember the German
connection), but has served a Catholic one since 1947. The 3-storey church can
accommodate 4,000 people. Inside the ceiling is supposed to be covered with Baroque
paintings of scenes from the Old and New Testaments, but I enjoyed just
wandering around outside. The tombstones and mausoleums have been restored in
recent years thanks to EU funding.
A
yellow façade adorns the Church of St.
Peter and Paul (Kościół Św Piotra i
Pawła), built in 1737, but the first Catholic Church was built here in
1453. The Orthodox community took over the church in 1950. Its walls are
decorated with Byzantine-style frescoes.
A
white-rounded building is home to St.
Anne Chapel (Kaplica św. Anny) and was part of the medieval defense
complex, dating back to the early 1500s. However, the chapel was burnt down in
1634 during the Thirty Years’ War, and finally rebuilt in 1715.
 |
Left: St. Anne Chapel
Right: Church of the Holy Cross |
Medieval Fortifications
As
you walk around Jelenia Góra, you’ll come across many crumbling reminders of
the city’s medieval past. The best preserved example is the Grodzka Tower (Baszta Grodzka), ul. Grodzka 14,
located on the western side of the Old Town. Built in the 15th century,
this tower is one of the only surviving 36 bastle houses used at the end of the
Middle Ages to reinforce the city's walls. After serving its military purpose,
the building was used as a residence and currently is a café and cultural
center.
Two
other examples are the Castle Tower (Baszta
Zamkowa), located around the corner from Grodzka Tower and the remains of Wojanowska
Gate, which is next to St. Anne Chapel. You’ll also find some other remaining
defense walls as you wander around the city.
Local Markets
I have no idea what day the local markets take place, but on Tuesday morning I discovered a market set up near my hotel. If only I could have bought a basket of these fresh strawberries, which cost only 4zl!!
Hot Springs in Cieplice
Before
I checked into my hotel, I took a dip in the well-known thermal pools
in Cieplice – a district of Jelenia Gora that has provided hot
springs treatments for centuries. I bought a 2-hour pass for 30zl (about $10USD
at the time) to use the pools and spa area at the Cieplice Baths. The complex houses several pools for swimming or
relaxation. I relaxed in a heated, bubbling pool for a while before enjoying
the hot tub. I even could have cooled down with some freshly-made ice chips if
I had wanted.
The area
of Cieplice is quite pretty to wander around as well since it’s filled with
beautiful buildings built by the Schaffgotsch family in the 1700s, one of the
oldest noble families in the Silesian region. In the mid-1800s, the family also
reconstructed Park Zdrojowy into an
English garden and opened much of it to the public.
Hopefully
my photos have enticed you to visit this pretty Polish city. I spent 4 days in
this region and absolutely loved it!
What do you think of Jelenia Góra? Would
you like to visit?
Information:
It’s
not easy to find a lot of information in English about these places, but the
local tourist office is usually a good place to start or you can try the Jelenia Góra website.
Where to stay: I stayed one
night at Hotel Baron, a comfortable
place located within the Old Town. I paid 150zl (about $50USD) for one night,
including a typical Polish breakfast of cured meats, cheese, breads, pastries
and fruit. The staff were quite friendly and spoke a bit of English, but they
did appreciate my attempts at Polish too.
Like
most castles, Zamek Grodno has a lengthy and complicated history. According to
local legend, an English knight founded a watchtower here around the year 800,
but the first real evidence of a castle dates to 1290.
