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| Wałbrzych | ||
| Voivodeship | Lower Silesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 116.069 (2015) | |
| height | 350 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Wałbrzych(German: Waldenburg) is a city in the polishLower Silesian Voivodeship in the Waldenburger Bergland. The place is on the Piast Castles Trail.
background
The first written mention of Waldenburg dates back to 1305. At that time, the Silesian Duke Bolko I. von Schweidnitz, to whose rule the area belonged, clear the old Silesian border forest. From 1368 Waldenburg belonged to the Kingdom of Bohemia. As early as the first half of the 16th century, there was evidence of mining here. In the Thirty Years War, Waldenburg was largely destroyed, but then rebuilt. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the weavers' guild and the linen trade played a major role in the city's economic life. After the First Silesian War in 1742, Waldenburg - like most of Silesia - became part of Prussia. The previously suppressed evangelical faith was then able to spread and became the majority religion.
During this time, coal mining also began. From 1793 Waldenburg was the seat of a mining authority and thus the center of the Lower Silesian coal mining area. In the following period, the city was clearly characterized by mining and, increasingly, industry. In addition, Waldenburg or the neighboring town of Altwasser (Stary Zdrój), which was incorporated in 1919, was an important location for porcelain production. The largest and best-known producers were Krister Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM) and Carl Tielsch. The city was connected to the railroad as early as 1853. From 1898 trams ran in Waldenburg. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the population rose rapidly: from around 12,000 inhabitants in 1880 it jumped to 44,000 in 1925 (which was also associated with the incorporation of surrounding villages and manor districts) and further to 64,000 in 1939. Consequently the historical core of the city is more tranquil, while the Neustadt, founded in 1902 (Nowe Miasto) and other parts of the city are shaped by the architecture of the early 20th century. Waldenburg became an independent urban district in 1924, and in 1934 the neighboring town of Dittersbach (today Dzietrzychów) was incorporated. According to a legend, towards the end of the Second World War, a special train with 300 tons of gold, jewelry and art treasures was driven into a tunnel near Waldenburg. However, this so-called “Wałbrzych Gold Train” has not yet been found.
After the end of the war, Waldenburg came under Polish administration and there was an almost complete population exchange: the German population fled or was expelled, and instead Poles settled, who in turn had often been expelled from Soviet-occupied eastern Poland. The city was given the Polish name Wałbrzych, which at first glance bears little resemblance to the German name, but can be explained by the fact that it is in the mountain Silesian dialect Hipsbrich was pronounced. The city retained its industrial importance in the People's Republic of Poland and the population continued to grow, also thanks to further incorporations (e.g. Biały Kamień / Weißstein): in the early 1950s the mark of 100,000 was exceeded, in the 1960s 125,000, 140,000 in the eighties. As is customary in the Eastern Bloc, prefabricated housing estates were built on the outskirts for the new residents. From 1975 to 1998 Wałbrzych was the administrative seat of its own voivodeship before it was merged with Jelenia Góra, Legnica and Wrocław to form the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
After the end of "real existing socialism", coal mining and industry fell into a crisis. Many residents lost their jobs and emigrated. The population fell from over 140,000 in the early 1990s to 115,000 in 2015. However, Wałbrzych is still the second largest city in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship after Wroclaw.
The city's most famous sons include the former Federal Environment Minister Klaus Töpfer, the actor and voice actor Christian Brückner, the football commentator Marcel Reif and the American football player Sebastian Janikowski.
getting there
By plane
The closest international Wroclaw Airport is at Wroclaw.
By train
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Of Gorlitz from you can reach Wałbrzych by changing to Jelenia Góra in 2½ to 3 hours. Coming from Dresden, you have to change trains twice (Görlitz and Jelenia Góra) and it takes around 4 hours. The fastest connection from Berlin takes 5½ hours and requires three changes (Cottbus, Görlitz, Jelenia Góra). The connection with IC-Bus via Wroclaw is only a little slower, but with fewer changes.
Wałbrzych has two important train stations where long-distance trains also stop: the rather remote Central Station 1 Wałbrzych Główny
and the train station, which is a little closer to the city center 2 Wałbrzych Miasto. Regional trains also stop at other stations, such as the train station 3 Wałbrzych Fabrycznywhich is closest to the old town (1.3 km from the market square).
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By bus
Long-distance buses and regional buses stop in the center.
In the street
From Berlin it is best to take the A13 / A15 motorway to the border crossing at Forst. From there it goes on via the Autobahn 4 to Legnica (Liegnitz), where you turn south towards Wałbrzych. From Austria you drive over Brno, Olomouc and Kłodzko (Glatz).
By boat
Since the city is located in the mountains, it cannot be reached by ship.
mobility
The old town can be explored on foot. More distant parts of the city can be reached by bus.
Tourist Attractions
Fürstenstein (Książ)
The main attraction of Wałbrzych is not in the city center, but 10 kilometers north of it (via DK 35 towards Wrocław). In fact, Fürstenstein Castle is much closer to the neighboring town of Świebodzice (4 km) than to the city center of Waldenburg.
- 1 Fürstenstein Castle (Zamek Książ) (10 km north of Wałbrzych city center (via DK 35 towards Wrocław); 4 km southwest of Świebodzice).
Third largest castle in Poland and the most important landmark in Wałbrzych.Open: April – October: Mon-Fri 9 am-5pm, Sat-Sun 9 am-6pm; November-March: Mon-Fri 10 am-3pm, Sat-Sun 10 am-4pm.Price: Entry to the castle, terraces and palm house 35 zł (reduced 25 zł), guided tours cost extra.
Surrounded by a picturesque mountain-and-valley landscape, it towers visible from afar on a rock spur above the Fürstensteiner Grund. The castle was built at the end of the 13th century for Duke Bolko I. von Schweidnitz. Over the centuries it was rebuilt again and again and gradually developed into a castle. As a result, the complex is not kept in a uniform style: parts are still medieval, others can be assigned to the Renaissance or Baroque.
From 1509 until the Second World War, the Fürstenstein was owned by the Silesian Counts of Hochberg. The wife of the last prince, who came from Great Britain Daisy from Pless (1873–1943), was considered one of the first high society ladies of the European aristocracy. The royal family was expropriated by the Nazis and from 1943 the castle was used by the SS. As part of the “Riese” project, forced laborers had to build extensive tunnel systems in the area. There is also a tunnel system under the Fürstenstein Castle with a total length of around 2 kilometers.
Today you can visit the lavishly restored, splendid palace halls in the Baroque and Rococo style with valuable wallpapers, chandeliers, historical furniture and paintings, and the underground passages from the Nazi era. There is a baroque garden in front of the castle and the complex is surrounded by an extensive landscape park. You stroll through this on the almost 1 km long path from the parking lot to the castle, past a viewpoint where you can take good photos of the castle.
- 2 Fürstenstein Stallion Stud (Stado Ogierów Książ), Jeździecka 3 (700 meters from the castle).
- 3 Alt-Fürstenstein Castle (Zamek Stary Książ).The castle ruin, 800 meters from the main castle, was deliberately laid out as a ruin in 1794–97 according to a fashion of the time, so it was never an intact castle.
- 4 Palm garden (Palmiarnia, at DK 35 towards Świebodzice / Wrocław; 8 km north of the city center, 2 km southeast of Fürstenstein Castle).Botanical garden with extensive greenhouses. 1911-14 designed for Princess Daisy von Pless, who came from Great Britain. Numerous tropical plant species from different continents. Inside the greenhouse there is a café where you can enjoy an ice cream sundae under palm trees all year round in tropical temperatures.Open: daily 8 am–4pm.
Churches
- 5 Church of the Redeemer (Kościół Zbawiciela).Evangelical Church, built from 1785 to 1788.
- 6 Guardian Angel Church (Kolegiata Najświętszej Maryi Panny Bolesnej i św. Aniołów Stróżów w Wałbrzychu).Catholic church, built 1898–1904 in neo-Gothic style.
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Castles, chateaux and palaces
- 7 Waldenburg Castle (Zamek Czettritzów w Wałbrzychu, Czettritz Palace)
- 8 Nowy Dwór Castle (Zamek Nowy Dwór, Neuhaus Castle), Dzietrzychów district.Ruins of a castle from the 13th century.
Buildings
- 9 town hall (Ratusz), plac Magistracki 1.A landmark of the city is the representative town hall, built in the neo-Gothic style in 1856–57. It is a bit reminiscent of a romantic ideal of a medieval castle. It is located on the well-kept town hall square (plac Magistracki).
- 10 District Court (Sąd rejonowy), ul. Słowackiego.Formerly the seat of a trading company, built in 1852, neo-Gothic.
Monuments
- 11 Silesian Memorial (Mauzoleum w Wałbrzychu, Castle of the Dead).Ruin of the 1936–38 (during the National Socialist period) erected memorial for the 170,000 Silesians who died in the First World War. In 1945, shortly before the Red Army marched in, it was blown up and has since been left to decay.
Museums
- 12 Stara Kopalnia (Centrum Nauki i Sztuki Stara Kopalnia, Old pit).
On the site of the disused "Julia" coal mine in the Biały Kamień district, a science and art center has been set up today, which is primarily dedicated to the history and tradition of mining and industry in Wałbrzych.
Streets and squares
- 13 ring (Rynek).Old market square and center of the old town. All around the square are worth seeing, restored historical buildings.
activities
- Górnik Wałbrzych.The Bergmanns-Sportverein has had its prime: In the 1980s it played in the first division, today it is only in third class. The home ground is the 1000-lecia stadium with 15,000 seats.
shop
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kitchen
The regional beer brands are Piast and Lwówek. For Polish cuisine, see the relevant section in the article Poland.
nightlife
The nightlife is concentrated in the old town.
accommodation
Cheap
Refuges
In the Waldenburger Bergland there are some shelters that are called Bauden here. As a rule, you can not only spend the night there cheaply, but also strengthen yourself with warm and cold snacks for the journey. In the municipality there is:
- the Andreasbaude
medium
In the middle price range there are simple hotels and pensions (between 10-30 € / person and night).
Upscale
The most expensive are holiday homes (300-500 € / week) and holiday apartments (200-300 € / week), which can only be rented on a weekly basis (usually Saturday to Saturday). In addition, corresponding hotels.
security
It's pretty safe.
health
The supply of doctors and pharmacies is quite good.
Practical advice
trips
- 14 Grodno Castle (Kynsburg), ruins of a summit castle from the 13th century (10 km east)
- Świebodzice (Freiburg in Silesia), historic city with remains of the medieval city fortifications, early classicist town hall, parish church of St. Nicholas, restored historic train station building (12 km north, 25 minutes by train)
- In the small town of Mokrzeszów (another 4 km east of Świebodzice) there is an impressive old hospital / sanatorium
- Tunnel systems of the "Giant" project - During the Second World War, the Nazis had widely ramified tunnel systems built in the Owl Mountains; Presumably these were supposed to serve as safe alternative locations for the Führer Headquarters, High Command of the Army and the Air Force, Reich Foreign Minister and Reichsführer SS. 20,000 prisoners from the Groß-Rosen concentration camp were used to build it, 5,000 died in the process. In particular, the tunnels on the 15 Wolfsberg (Włodarz; 18 km southeast of Wałbrzych) and the 16 Osówka underground city (Drunkard Heights; 24 km southeast)
- Świdnica (Schweidnitz; 23 km northwest), worth seeing old town, cathedral with very high tower; Baroque Protestant Church of Peace (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Groß-Rosen Concentration Camp Memorial, at Strzegom (35 km north)
- Jelenia Góra (Hirschberg; 55 km east, just under 1 hour by train)
- Legnica (Liegnitz; 65 km north)
- Wroclaw (80 km northeast, a good 1 hour by train)
- Głuszyca
literature
See article too Poland.
Web links
- http://www.um.walbrzych.pl/ - Official website of Wałbrzych
