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City in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland
Photo: Drozdp 20:17, 5 May 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Wałbrzych is the second-largest city of Dolnośląskie in Poland. Although founded by Slavic settlers in 12th century, for most of its history it belonged to German-speaking lands, and was known as Waldenburg (in German) or Valdenburk. It became a part of Poland after 1945. From 1975–1998 it was the capital of Wałbrzych Voivodeship.
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Zamek Książ
Largest castle in Silesia (third in Poland), built in 13th century and remodeled several times. Cultural and exhibition centre of the region.
Palmiarnia
Built in 1911-1914 by order of Jan Henryk XV Hochberg, in tribute to the beautiful wife of the duchess Maria Theresie von Pless called Daisy.
Stary Książ
Faux Gothic ruins built opposite (across a valley) Książ Castle at the end of 18th century.
A place where a weekly market took place in the past. From 1731 to 1853, its centre was occupied by the Baroque town hall. Today, the attraction of the Market Square are historic tenement houses and a fountain in which water compositions change every several minutes
A representative three-storey building maintained in the style of historical eclecticism, imitating Gothic. In the middle top of the front facade there is a clock, under it there are bas-reliefs depicting three shields with the arms of Wałbrzych in various historical periods. Since 1999, the bugle call of Wałbrzych has been heard every day.
Built in 1898 in the neo-Gothic style, in the place of the previous church. The church is hall, built on a Latin cross plan, it is 60 meters long, 30 meters wide, and 22 meters high.
Gothic church, rebuilt into a Baroque style.Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows placed in the centre of Wałbrzych and is the oldest building of the city, called by the inhabitants "the heart of the city". According to chronicles, already in 1191, there was a settlement of Wałbrzych founded on a hill in the midst of a deep forest, near a wooden church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. From the altar in this church came a spring, having the power to heal the sick. The legend says that a pious knight, in thanksgiving for saving him from certain death, set up among the forest on the hill, near the spring with miraculous water healing eye diseases, the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, and built a wooden church for her glory.
Designed in the years 1785-1788 by Carl Gotthard Langhans, the founder of the Berlin Brandenburg Gate
originally Kaufahus Schocken
One of the network of department stores owned by the Schocken family spanning the entire Germany was built in 1930 in the then Waldenburg as a striking modernist building. After the Second World War, it became one of Poland's Centrum department stores. The latter chain did not survive the economic changes in Poland and the building now houses various unrelated retail establishments.
Sąd Rejonowy
Poczta Główna
Prokuratura Okręgowa, built as a Reichsbank branch
District Museum
The palace used to be called the "Castle of Walbrzych". It was built in 1606 - 1628 by the family von Czettritz. It happened after the fire of the "Nowy Dwór" castle.
The ruins of the castle Nowy Dwór (Ogorzelec) are on the top of Castle Hill (618 m). Probably the castle was erected by the prince of Świdnica-Jawor Bolek II Mały in the mid-fourteenth century.
(Centrum Nauki i Sztuki Stara Kopalnia) is the biggest post-industrial tourist attraction in Poland, located in the former bituminous coal mine – Kopalnia Węgla Kamiennego “Julia” (“Thorez”). It covers the area of 4.5 hectares of historic post-industrial objects with authentic equipment, such as a machine park which has been secured and made accessible for visitors. With the help of guides working in Stara Kopalnia (former miners who worked in KWK “Julia” in the past), all visitors can not only see the enormous scale of mine infrastructure, but also learn about the character of the dangerous and demanding work of a miner.
Departments include ceramics, art, history and geology.
Gross-Rosen Concentration Camp
The archives are located in Wałbrzych. The concentration camp is in Rogoźnica, 25 km north.
Alleged location of hiding the legendary train with gold plundered by the Nazis during the Second World War
Hitler's monument of "pride, glory and strength" commemorated the victims of World War I, in fact it was a place of cultivation of Nazi ideas
Counting 1601 m is the longest railway tunnel in Poland.
The highest mountain in the Wałbrzyskie Mountains, in 2017 a public observation tower was built.
The second largest peak in the area. A monumental mountain in the shape of a dome that dominates the city. At the top there is an observation tower, 45 meter cross, and two radio-television masts.
Stado "Książ"
Horse riding.
A Holiday Inn Express built to the brand's newest standards in 2013, and then hastily rebranded to ibis Styles. Reasonable prices, breakfast and WiFi included. The hotel is within an out-of-town shopping complex and very convenient to reach by car, while pretty much impossible otherwise.
Hotel Zamkowy
Bed and breakfast with 8 rooms in a manor house of about 150 years. Breakfast 45 zł. Reception until 22:00; later arrivals check in at a self-service terminal. Pets by prior arrangement (50 zł per stay). Polish, German and English spoken.
A very modern out-of-town shopping centre with a range of stores representing many of the retail chains popular in Germany and Poland, covering footwear, apparel, beauty, electronics and more, even including a foreign currency exchange point. Due to the city's economic situation, the apparel/footwear selection is mostly low-end. Anchored by the Intermarche supermarket and featuring a cinema and a food court. Ample parking and a free bus to Plac Grunwaldzki in the centre of Wałbrzych every 25 minutes (every hour on Sundays). Great for convenience shopping. Absolutely not the place to go for local produce or those who don't enjoy formatted retail.
By rail
Wałbrzych is also a major railway junction, and is served mainly by Polregio and regional rail operator Koleje Dolnoslaskie. There are also a few long distance IC trains by PKP Intercity daily.
By car
The town can be reached by road within an hour's drive from Wrocław using the DK35 road.
Wałbrzych is an expansive city over many hills and has a well-developed street and road network.
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