Attractions in the Sowie Mountains
The Sowie Mountains is a mountain range located in the central part of Sudety, in south-west Poland. The Sowie Mountains occupy the surface of approximately 200 square kilometers and extends at length of 26 kilometers.
The Sowie Mountains are incredibly diverse in terms of height, the highest peak is Wielka Sowa, with the height of 1015 meters above the sea level. The Sowie Mountains are a very popular tourist destination. This article will give you information about some of the most interesting attractions in this area.
The „Osowka” Underground Town
The underground tourist route in the „Osowka” complex is a system of concrete corridors and strengthenings, which were constructed on a large scale in 1943. This system is part of the „RIESE” complex, which was the largest headquarters of Hitler not only in the Lower Silesia, but also in the entire Third Reich. The overground part of the complex consists of several objects, which are part of the outside infrastructure of the underground rooms. Since 1996, the object is available for sightseeing.
The Grodno castle
The Grodno castle is located at the top of Mount Choina, in the valley of the Bystrzyca river, which is the natural border between th Sowie Mountains and the Walbrzyskie Mountains
The castle was most likely constructed by prince Bolko I of Swidnica and Jawor. After the death of princess Agnieszka Habsburska, the wife of Bolko II in 1392, the castle went into the ownership of the Czech Crown. Later, the castle was owned by Maciej von Logau, who renovated the castle between 1545 and 1587. In the second half of the 18th century, the castle was besieged during the peasant riots.
The Jedlinka Palace
The Jedlinka Palace is located at the foothills of the Sowie Mountains, in the village of
Jedlina-Zdroj. In the 13th century, the lands of Jedlina-Zdroj and its surroundings were owned by prince Bolko I Surowy of Jawor and Swidnica. During that period, prince Bolko ordered the construction of a network of castles in Sudety, which were supposed to protect the borders of his duchy. The first private owner of the stronghold was Heinrich von Kuhl. The palace in Jedlinka was constructed in this area in the 17th centuiry as a baroque-styled mansion designed by Carla Gotthard Langhas.
The Srebrna Gora Fortress
The Srebran Gora Fortress was constructed in the 18th century based on the project by a Prussian engineer named Ludwik Wilhelm Regler, which was modified by king Fryderyk the Great himself.
The fortress was supposed to protect the region of Silesia, which was conquered by Prussia in 1740.
The glory years of the fortress lasted until the death of Fryderyk Wilhelm II in 1800.
The first and so far the only test of the fortification was the siege of Napoleon’s army during the war between Prussia and France.
The Klodzko Fortress
The Klodzko Fortress is a large fortress, which used to be part of the defensive system from the 17th and 18th centuries.
The first mention of the existence of a defensive castle in Klodzko originated from the report of a Czech chronicler named Kosmas from 981 A.D.
In the late 13th and early 14th centuries the castle was reconstructed, most likely by prince
Henryk IV Probus for a stronghold. In the times of Jerzy from the Podiebrad dynasty, the castle became a comfortable residence and an impressive headquarters of the ruler of the Klodzko duchy.