Polanica-Zdrój

City of Parks – Polanica-Zdrój

One of the most famous Polish health resorts is Lower Silesian Polanica-Zdrój. This town, located in the Bystrzyca Dusznicka valley and at the foot of Hell Mountain, dates back to the 14th century. The first mentions from this period concern a record of a debt secured by the lands of Polanica. This is a very distant history and has little in common with the modern gem of Kłodzko County. The city in its current architectural form began to take shape in the 15th century, and we can still admire this historical urban layout while strolling its streets. Polanica is perfect for walks. Few health resorts can boast of having as many as five parks, which create the Spa Park listed in the register of monuments.

The most representative and oldest part of the Spa Park is the Central Park. Its main axis is the promenade stretching from the spring house towards the pavilion with the healing water source. It is crossed by a second alley, where we will see a lit fountain. It is along this alley that we will reach the Chess Park. This recently modernized part of the park features a huge chessboard with large pieces, numerous fountains, and natural monuments. Here too, at the playground, the youngest visitors will feel right at home. In contrast, the least modified and most "wooded" part of the complex is the Azalea Park, which, on an area of 0.4 hectares, focuses on these beautiful plants. We can reach it by walking along the alley from the main pavilion of the Central Park.

A health resort cannot exist without its patients, and the most can be found in Joseph's Park. Besides those strolling along the paths and relaxing on benches, there are many "regular" visitors here. Life-sized figures depict patients in period costumes as well as famous personalities associated with Polanica. The furthest part of the Spa Park is the Forest Park. Located behind Chrobrego Street, it is a bear's habitat – there we can see a sculpture of a polar bear. The monument dates back to 1910 and commemorates the hypothetical boundary of the ice sheet during the ice age.

If walk through this interesting place becomes tiring, you can relax near the Spa Theatre or at the Polanica Art Gallery and feel like Alice in Wonderland, among large chess pieces.

With its rich accommodation offer, Polanica-Zdrój is a good base for exploring the area. For day trips, it is worth visiting tourist attractions such as: the wooden church in Kamieńczyk, the ruins of Szczerba Castle, the Weaver's House in Międzylesie, or the local castle-palace complex. So it is worth not hesitating and setting off for the City of Five Parks.

Photo and text author: Bogusława Bandyk