UNESCO sites, Art Nouveau spa towns and charming market squares across the region.
Good for: everyone, an essential stop on the list
The largest wooden church in Europe, built in the 17th century without a single nail and inscribed on the UNESCO list. Modest from the outside, richly decorated inside with sculptures and paintings — hundreds of ornaments, cherubs and galleries. Worth taking the audio guide.
Hours / prices: Open daily 10:00–17:00 (shorter in winter), Sunday mass at 10:00.
📍 Świdnica
Good for: lovers of architecture and views from the tower
A monumental church with the tallest tower in Lower Silesia (about 100 m). The interior dazzles with stained glass and a Baroque altar, and the tower offers a panorama of the city.
Hours / prices: Open daily 9:00–18:00, tower access at weekends 10:00–16:00.
📍 Świdnica
Good for: lovers of sacred art and architecture
A Baroque monastery complex known as "the European pearl of Baroque" — the basilica dazzles with ornamentation, frescoes and sculpture, with paintings by Michael Willmann inside. Part of the complex houses the Mausoleum of the Piasts of Świdnica, with marble sarcophagi.
Hours / prices: Open daily 9:00–17:00, mass at 12:00, tickets at the box office by the monastery.
📍 Krzeszów
Good for: lovers of art and quiet, fans of Olga Tokarczuk
A former spa town nicknamed "the Silesian Davos", today drawing artists and people seeking peace. The historic Sanatorium Grunwald (featured in a work by Olga Tokarczuk), a small cinema, the Palmiarnia Café, and a viewpoint on the ruins of Zamek Radosno.
Hours / prices: Most events (a film festival, exhibitions) take place in July and August. Palmiarnia Café usually open 10:00–18:00.
📍 Sokołowsko
Good for: a walk through historic interiors
An impressive Art Nouveau building from 1911, a relic of the former grandeur of Szczawno-Zdrój — it once hosted Kaiser Wilhelm II and a young Winston Churchill, among others. Today it houses an NFZ sanatorium, but you're welcome to step into the lobby or restaurant.
Hours / prices: Open daily 9:00–21:00, restaurant open until 22:00.
Good for: an afternoon walk, coffee, an antiques market
Restored townhouses, atmospheric cafés and a few interesting murals. You can feel the history of a mining town reinventing itself. On Saturdays, an antiques market by Stara Kopalnia.
Hours / prices: Antiques market on Saturdays 7:00–13:00 by Stara Kopalnia and in the car park on ul. Wysockiego.
📍 Wałbrzych
Good for: unwinding after visiting the churches, an evening stroll
Colourful townhouses, café gardens and a relaxed atmosphere. Frequent concerts and open-air events in summer — a good place to watch the sunset.
Hours / prices: Shops and restaurants usually open 10:00–22:00.
📍 Świdnica
Good for: a half-day outing, a quiet spa town
A peaceful spa town with a promenade, a park and a toboggan run. There's also a pump room and a mini brewery at Pałac Jedlinka. Concerts and picnics in summer.
Hours / prices: Pump room open daily 9:00–18:00, concerts usually on Saturdays.
📍 Jedlina-Zdrój
Good for: a weekend outing, festival fans
A small town with a hilltop castle and a well-preserved market square. Every July it hosts the Castle Party festival.
Hours / prices: Castle and market square open daily 9:00–17:00.
📍 Bolków
Good for: families, workshops for kids
An education centre devoted to the traditional crafts of Lower Silesia — you can try your hand at pottery or basket weaving.
Hours / prices: Open Wed–Sun 10:00–17:00, workshop sessions by prior booking.
📍 Dobków