The wars and cataclysms of the 20th century fortunately bypassed the Kłodzko Land. So whichever way you go, you will find amazing towns with old buildings and architectural layouts virtually unchanged for centuries. They mixed Czech, Austrian and German influences, and to a small extent Polish. Successive generations of new-old residents of the Kłodzko Land are discovering their uniqueness.
Here are a few places that are especially worth paying attention to when planning an outing to this area!
Kłodzko
The region’s capital is located on the Nysa Klodzka River, in the middle of a vast basin surrounded on all sides by mountains. It takes about an hour and a half to come here from Wrocław.
It is a very old city – one of the branches of the amber route led here, coins from Roman times have been found, and the first historical references to Kłodzko date back to the 10th century.
The city crouches at the foot of a massive 17th-century fortress, about which you can read here and which is a Central European tourist attraction in its own right. The streets here are steep and full of surprises, and their layout has not changed since medieval times.
The symbol of old Kłodzko is a gothic bridge from the 13th century, linking the banks of the Nysa River. Decorated with baroque figures, it resembles a smaller copy of the famous Charles Bridge in Prague. It is also worth walking up Wit Stwosz Street to the Market Square to see the neo-renaissance town hall, the old pillory and the beautiful late baroque votive column, erected – as in many towns in the region and neighboring Czech Republic – in gratitude for saving the town from the plague.
Bystrzyca Kłodzka
In the southern part of the region, on a high hill descending steeply down a bend of the Nysa Kłodzka River, the charming town of Bystrzyca Kłodzka is located. It is distinguished by an interesting style of terraces, especially visible from the other side of the river, and well-preserved medieval fortified walls.
The Old City is not large. It takes literally just a moment to stroll quietly through it. The main square is trapezoidal in shape, and is surrounded by renaissance and baroque townhouses. Its focal point is a magnificent baroque column, erected by the Catholic Habsburgs just before the irrevocable loss of the Kłodzko Land to Prussia.
The soaring church of St. Michael the Archangel is also worth seeing. The route takes you to the church and around fragments of medieval fortifications with the Lower Gate topped with a distinctive truss. Walking through the bottom, you can feel that it is about to fall on your head!
A visit to this quiet, sleepy town will perfectly diversify your vacation spent in the mountains. You can also pay a visit here when exploring the bicycle routes around the region.
Międzygórze
Finally, the icing on the cake – a recreational village, or rather, a village at the foot of Mount Śnieżnik saturated with beautiful old villas from the turn of the 20th century.
The history of Międzygórze begins in the 16th century, when woodcutters and coal miners established a settlement here. The second life of this mining settlement began with Marianne of Orange – an extraordinary businesswoman, benefactor of the region and creator of the great Palace in Kamieniec Ząbkowicki. At that time Miedzygórze developed into an atmospheric village lined with Swiss-Tyrolean-style houses.
Here you will find true architectural gems with beautiful carvings, cloisters, balconies and balustrades. These include the wooden and brick holiday house “Gigant” from the end of the 19th century, and the wooden Church of St. Joseph the Bridegroom, built slightly earlier.
It is also worth taking a walk of several minutes to Wilczki Waterfall – the second highest water cascade in the Sudetes, falling down a 22-meter stream into a deep-water cauldron. Another notable site is the Fairy Tale Garden, an unusual open-air museum established in the early 20th century by a forester fascinated by the world’s fairy tales. You can find wooden figurines of Pinocchio, Puss in Boots, Gargamel and Azrael or the Snufkin.
