Gardens

Henryk Wieniawski Spa Park in Szczawno-Zdrój

The Spa Park in Szczawno-Zdrój, bearing the name of violinist Henryk Wieniawski, was laid out in the English style on the slopes of Gedymin Hill, right by the town's main promenade. The layout was begun in 1812 at the behest of Dr August Zemplin, and expansion started in the 1830s. In 1844 the park covered 3 hectares; in the second half of the century, after annexing Gedymin Hill, it grew to as much as 130 hectares.

Today the park is the showpiece of a resort once known as Bad Salzbrunn, situated at about 410 m above sea level at the foot of Chełmiec (850 m). The park contains the early 20th-century Spa House built on the initiative of Prince John Henry XV, the wooden Promenade Hall and a mineral water pump room, and on the slope — the neo-Gothic Anne Tower of 1817, commemorating Princess Anna von Hochberg.

What to see

The plantings impress: the park holds 38 varieties and species of conifers and 89 of deciduous trees, brought from North America, Asia and southern Europe — cypresses, tulip trees, planes and magnolias. In summer the park fills with music: the Wieniawski festival is held here, with water cascades and a concert shell before the composer's monument. A curious monument is that of the dog of Prince George II of Brzeg.

Practical information

The park is open around the clock and free of charge; entrances are on Kosciuszki and Zacisze streets. The Anne Tower serves as a viewpoint. Szczawno-Zdrój lies in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, a few kilometres from Wałbrzych, and a park walk combines easily with climbing the surrounding hills.