KUDOWA ZDROJ (Poland)
What to see in this picturesque Polish spa town not far from the Czech borders? Take a look at tips for trips and accommodation
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Kudowa - Zdrój
Kudowa-Zdrój is a Polish spa town not far from the famous Polish Table Mountain National Park. It is located in Klodsko (southwestern Poland) near the Czech border. The nearest Czech city is Nachod. Less than 10,000 people live in the town.
Kudowa Zdroj is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe, spas have existed here since the 15th century. The oldest part of the city is Velká Čermná, where near the church of St. Bartholomew you can visit the ossuary.
In the spa, diseases of the heart, circulatory system, digestive disorders, thyroid gland activity and others are treated. Today, 5 springs of alkaline-earth and arsenic-iron acid are used. The springs rise in a park, the end of which is dominated by the Polonia sanatorium from 1905. Below it is a pavilion where one of the springs is, I was a little surprised that the spring is paid for. Although it was a symbolic amount, PLN 3, the springs are mostly freely accessible in our country. In addition to the spring, the pavilion also has a stylish cafe and the option of therapeutic baths.
Among the well-known guests of these spas were, for example, the German poet Goethe, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Czech personalities writers Alois Jirásek, J.V. Brewer or F. X. Šalda.
Where to stay
From personal experience, I recommend Lawenda Apartments, which are located in a quiet residential area. The apartments are newly renovated, yet the spirit of the historic house is preserved. They are spacious, one and two bedroom and really very nice. The house also has its own garden with conifers and its own fenced parking lot. It is about a 5-minute walk to the main street and the spa promenade. There are many restaurants and shops around the main street. It is an excellent starting point both for exploring the town of Kudowa Zdroj and for taking trips to the surrounding area.
What to see
Table mountains
Be sure to visit the Table Mountains National Park (Góry Stołowe), it's beautiful. There are several routes that have a total of over 100 km. Attention - the tourist facilities of the Table Mountains National Park are only open from May to the end of October. Some trails are closed when there is ice, a hike here would be dangerous.
The Table Mountains are the most beautiful of the Sudeten Mountains. They are located on the Czech-Polish border near the town of Hronov, in Poland between the towns of Radków, Kudowa-Zdrój and Polanica-Zdrój. The highest peak is Velká Hejšovina with 919 m above sea level. These are the highest sandstone peaks in Poland. Table Mountains are the only table mountains in Poland. The mountains, mostly forested, have been a National Park since 1993.
Entrance fees are paid to Bludné skaly and Hejšovina, parking lots are also charged, I recommend having PLN. Somewhere it was also possible to pay by card.
We drove to the town of Karlow, where we left the car, there are many food stalls and restaurants near the parking lot, and you go up the Franciszka Pablo hiking route through the rock town of Hejšovina (Szczeliniec Wielki). There is another restaurant at the top, and the route is only paid after the restaurant, where you enter the rock formations. Some places are very narrow and once we had to climb on all fours, over a low gap, so I recommend suitable hiking clothes and shoes. If you have a problem with movement, I would not recommend a visit.
In the Table Mountain National Park you can visit:
rock town on Velká Hejšovina (919 m above sea level)
rock labyrinths of Bludne skaly in the Skalniak massif (915 m above sea level)
Rock mushrooms and Radkovska rocks
Puchacz rocks
a landscape resembling a savanna in its character - Ležycké skaly
Ossuary - Velká Čermná
Address: Stanisława Moniuszki 8a, Kudowa-Zdrój, Poland
Opening hours - closed on Mondays
May - June: 9.00 - 17.30
July - September: 9.30 - 17.00
October: 10.00 - 17.00
November - April: 10.00 - 16.00
Entrance fee: PLN 12, seniors from 65 PLN 10, children 6-18 PLN 7, children under 6 free
There is a paid parking lot in front of the church on the square. Appropriate clothing is recommended and photography and filming are prohibited here.
Chapel of Skulls (Kaplica Czaszek) or ossuary. It is located in the town of Kudowa Zdroj in the Velká Čermná (Czermna) district, just a few tens of meters from the border with the Czech Republic, near the church of St. Bartholomew. It is the only monument of this kind in Poland, you can find the other, perhaps better-known, ossuary in Kutná Hora, CZ. Ossuary in Čermná was built in the 18th century by local priest by collecting bones from the mass graves of the victims of the Thirty Years' War, the Silesian Wars and the cholera epidemic. The walls of the chapel are covered with three thousand human skulls, on the altar are the skulls of the founders, other human bones are found in the foundations.
Open-air museum Strouzna
Address: Skansen Pstrazna, Pstrążna 14, 57-350 Kudowa-Zdrój, Poland
Winter Opening Hours: Closed Mondays, Tue - Sun 9.30am - 3pm, Summer Opening Hours will vary
Attention, you cannot pay by card, but in addition to PLN, they also accept Czech crowns. There is a toilet on the premises, but there are no refreshments. You can also bring your dog here.
Museum of Folk Culture of the Sudeten Hills (Muzeum Kultury Ludowej Pogórza Sudeckiego). Strouzna is a village on the Polish side of the Czech-Polish border. Today it is part of the spa town of Kudowa Zdroj. It is located in a hill about 6 km from the center. Children will be delighted by the live pets, adults can reminisce about their childhood or holidays with their grandparents in the village. The open-air museum is best visited in good weather and the tour can take about 2 hours. You will find about 20 objects here (folk buildings, inn, barn, forge, chapel, belfry, windmill, beehives and others). Folk festivals are also held in the open-air museum for various occasions, and it is certainly advisable to visit the open-air museum at the time of these events, the visit will be all the more interesting.
Toy Museum
Address: Muzeum Zabawek, Zdrojowa 46B, Kudowa-Zdrój, Poland
Opening hours: May - August 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., September 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., October to April 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., closed on Mondays in March and November
Admission: tickets can also be bought online, adult PLN 25, children from 4 years, students, pensioners PLN 20, children under 4 free
The largest toy museum in Poland. Here you will find over 5,000 exhibits of old toys. The exhibition includes toys from 5 different continents from ancient times to the 20th century. You will also find mobile interactive installations, model railways, fun sightseeing tours and much more.
Aquapark Kudowa Zdroj
Address: Basen Wodny Swiat, Stanisława Moniuszki 2A, Kudowa-Zdrój, Poland
Opening hours: MON - FRI 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., weekends 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Entrance fee: adult PLN 23 / h., discounted PLN 18 / h., all-day PLN 59
In the water park you can enjoy slides, water massages, an artificial river, saunas, whirlpools, rehabilitation, massages and a children's paddling pool. The pools here are not chlorinated, they have salt water.
Climbing Center
Address: Park Linowy Kudowa, Góra Parkowa, Kudowa-Zdrój, Poland
The entrance fee is according to the chosen route according to the difficulty: green PLN 40, yellow PLN 45, blue PLN 50, the slide, karts and trampoline are paid separately.
Japanese garden
Address: Japanese Garden, Jarków 11, Poland (about 6 km from Kudowa Zdroj)
Opening hours: May - September every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Entrance fee: cash only, PLN 15
Here you will find a beautiful Japanese garden with typical plants, ponds and waterfalls.
In addition to the above-mentioned places to visit from Kudowa Zdroj, there are also many cycle paths and hiking trails. So everyone will probably find some fun in this nice place, right?
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