7 Sights to See in Jelenia Gora, Poland

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Given how unknown Poland is to many people, it’s probably no surprise that there are corners of the country that you simply haven’t heard of. Although people might be familiar with the charming city of Wroclaw nowadays, the entire region around it is rife with destinations to visit. Lower Silesia is definitely one of the more deeply interesting parts of Poland I’ve visited. One such places is the small, but nonetheless pretty city of Jelenia Gora.

Lying by the Czech border and the Karkonosze mountain range, Jelenia Gora not only has some great landscapes nearby but a scenic city centre. Thanks to its location, it makes a great stopping point if you’re passing through the shared borders of Germany, Poland and Czech Republic. But it’s not just a random somewhere to stop; there are sights to see and things to do in Jelenia Gora for sure.

It seems there’s plenty to do in the mountains outside the city from hiking and skiing to visiting waterfalls, but for now let’s keep our focus on the city itself. With that in mind, here are seven sights to see in Jelenia Gora.

1. Old Town

When visiting Jelenia Gora, the only real place to start is with the city’s historic centre. The Old Town encompasses many of the sights to see in Jelenia Gora thanks to its historic buildings and architecture, not to mention its general liveliness. Built in the 10th century, it was not long before Jelenia Gora was an important city on important trade routes through the region. Passed around between warring nations over the centuries, the city is one of the odd places that survived mostly unscathed out of WWII.

As you wander the city, a few things will become clear to you. Firstly, you’ll see figures and images of stags all over the place. That’s simply because the stag is the city’s symbol and is on its coat of arms. Given that Jelenia Gora translates to “deer mountain” it kind of makes sense. The other point I’ll make is that Jelenia Gora Old Town is quite a colourful and artistic place, with pastel coloured houses and plenty of curious statues all over the place, that occasionally will have you scratching your head.

2. Wojanowska Tower and Gate

To know that you’re really reaching the centre of Jelenia Gora and the heart of its Old Town, look for the Wojanowska Tower and Gate. Once the eastern side of Jelenia Gora’s town walls, this photogenic stone tower dates from the 14th century.

Together with the adjoined gate, you can still see how this would have once been an entryway to the city, except with a drawbridge instead. Sort of merged with the tower and gate is St Anne’s Chapel, which together creates quite a confusing sight. It’d be understandable for you to mistake the tower as a church’s bell-tower

3. Market Square

At the very heart of Jelenia Gora lies the city’s Market Square. This is where you’ll find Jelenia Gora’s signature colourful merchant houses and the city centre at its most liveliest. With restaurants and cafes along the square’s sides and within the covered arcades, it tends to get busier as the day goes on.

With the square you’ll also find plenty of small features that will have you slowly doing a lap to find them all. From the old tram that has become a communal message-board, to the city’s 18th century Neptune’s Fountain and all sorts of statues and figures, there’s heaps to be uncovered here in the Jelenia Gora Market Square.

4. Jelenia Gora Town Hall

Right in the middle of the Market Square, you’ll find the elegant Jelenia Gora Town Hall. Unusually, it seems to actually be two joined buildings that share this title. An 18th century addition to the city’s Old Town, the Town Hall has a series of cellars that you can visit and see remnants from the Middle Ages.

Be sure to head under the covered walkway that joins the building’s two halves. On one of its inner corners here you’ll find quite a strange but effective statue, showing the limbs and head of a man emerging out of the wall. I didn’t know what to make of it really, but it sure left an impression.

5. Baszta Zamkowa

As seen by Wojanowska Tower, Jelenia Gora was once a walled town with few parts of the town walls still standing. On the east side of the Old Town you’ll find only two towers that remain of the original 36 towers, Baszta Zamkowa and Baszta Grodzka.

Both are big stone towers that have sort of merged into the neighbouring houses, but at least with Baszta Zamkowa you have the opportunity to go inside. Work your way up the tower and you’ll find a little balcony up top that gives you a decent view out over the city and its lush green surrounds.

6. Chojnik Castle

For those looking to get out of Jelenia Gora for a bit and see some of the surrounds, then Chojnik Castle is the obvious choice. Lying on the edge of the Karkonosze mountains, the castle ruins sit atop a hill covered in beautiful forest. To reach this castle, you must first get to the village of Sobieszow and then pay 6zl to enter Karkonosze National Park. Then it’s a moderately gentle hike up through the forest to castle, whose entry also costs 6zl.

Built in the late 13th century, Chojnik Castle must have been quite something. With its location and design, it’s little wonder the castle was never taken. In fact, it was only destroyed in the 17th century because it was struck by lightning. Never rebuilt, the castle has remained in ruins for centuries and it shows. While its outer walls make quite the first impression, inside you realise that there isn’t a whole lot left of the castle.

The one section that has managed to survive quite well is the stairs and ramparts that take you up its central tower. Making your way to the top, you’re rewarded with a full 360 degrees panorama of the castle’s surrounds. That means views not only of the mountainous Karkonosze National Park but also the many lakes that sit between there and Jelenia Gora.

7. The Neighbourhood of Cieplice Śląskie-Zdrój

Roughly halfway between the Old Town of Jelenia Gora and Chojnik Castle lies the neighbourhood of Cieplice. With the way Cieplice is separated from the city centre, it almost felt like a separate town, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Another spa retreat, like the towns I visited in Klodzko County, Cieplice is quite different to the rest of Jelenia Gora.

Rather than a medieval old town, Cieplice features a lot of Baroque architecture and comes across as quite a grand destination. Through the centre of the neighbourhood runs Ulica Plac Piastowski with plenty of nice buildings, but Cieplice’s main attraction is certainly Palais Schaffgotsch and the vast palace park. You can’t actually wander inside the palace itself, but walking around the park and centre of Cieplice is sure to be charming enough.

Visiting Jelenia Gora

Since Jelenia Gora is off-the-beaten track, even for Poland, you’re probably going to want some tips on visiting there. Firstly, to get around the city and go visit Cieplice and Chojnik Castle, I’d recommend using the city’s bus network. With ticket machines onboard, a trip only costs 3zl and the system wasn’t too hard to understand.

As far as where to stay in Jelenia Gora, if you’re looking for an affordable hotel than I’d say Hotel Europa isn’t a bad idea. It’s central and quiet, but rather basic and dated. Of course there also quite a few other places to stay in Jelenia Gora that be more your speed.

I had quite an interesting mix of food experiences in Jelenia Gora. For those craving pierogi, a good lunch spot is Pierogarnia z Gitarą i Piórem on the main pedestrian street. Certainly one of the best places to eat in town is Cytrynowy Pieprz, a modern and stylish Mediterranean restaurant. For coffee, Palarnia kawy Aroma Cafe is as good a place as any I found in the city.

Have you ever heard of Jelenia Gora in Poland before? Would you recommend other things to do in Jelenia Gora or know of other sights to see outside the city? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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