Spa Park in Szczawno-Zdrój

Every day at noon and at 20:00, Henryk Wieniawski's "Polish Song" rings out from the Anna Tower above the Spa Park in Szczawno-Zdrój – the violinist is the patron of the park and of a festival named after him. Founded in 1812, it is the town's largest park and the showpiece of a spa known before the war as Bad Salzbrunn, at the foot of Mount Chełmiec right next to Wałbrzych.

History: from 3 to 130 hectares

The park was created on the orders of the physician August Zemplin, the man behind the spa's development. Enlargement began in the 1830s; in 1844 the park covered just 3 hectares around the treatment buildings. In the second half of the century it was redesigned – the promenade was divided by an avenue and a concert shell built – and after the annexation of Gediminas Hill, among other areas, it grew to 130 hectares. In 1908–1911 Prince Hans Heinrich XV von Hochberg built a luxurious Grand Hotel nearby, today the Spa House. Its interiors were arranged by his wife, the famous Princess Daisy, and the building was one of the inspirations for the architects of the Grand Hotel in Sopot.

What to see

• The Anna Tower, built in 1818 to a design by Joseph Raabe and named after Anna Emilie von Anhalt-Köthen-Pless, wife of Hans Heinrich VI von Hochberg. It is about 15 m tall with a viewing terrace, and its clock has been running since 1835.
• The Promenade Hall – the first was built in 1830, and the present classicist hall in 1896 after a fire destroyed its predecessor. On the wall of the adjoining White Hall is a sgraffito of Asclepius and Hygieia handing over a cup of mineral water.
• The water cascade, the concert shell and the monument to Henryk Wieniawski.
• A copy of the Renaissance dog sculpture of Duke George II of Brzeg – the original is in Brzeg Castle.

Trees from three continents

The park has 38 species and varieties of conifers and 89 broadleaved trees and shrubs. Rarities include swamp cypress, ginkgo, Amur cork tree, Caucasian wingnut, Carolina silverbell and tulip tree. In spring, flowering rhododendrons brighten the paths.

Tripto tip

Admission is free. Time your walk so you are at the Anna Tower at 12:00 or 20:00 to hear Wieniawski's melody. For a longer loop, climb Gediminas Hill (532 m): a 30-metre steel observation tower stands on top, reached by a gentle 300-metre spiral ramp that is also suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. In good weather you can see the Karkonosze (Giant Mountains), Mount Ślęża and even the Sky Tower in Wrocław. One hour is enough for the park; allow two to three with the tower.