The Kłodzko Underground Tourist Route

The Kłodzko Underground Tourist Route (say "KWOTS-ko") is a roughly 600 m (2,000 ft) walk through medieval cellars and tunnels beneath the old town of Kłodzko in southwestern Poland, about 90 km (55 miles) south of Wrocław. Townspeople dug and enlarged these cellars from the 13th century to store goods and the town's renowned beer, and to shelter during sieges. Today it is a self-guided walk past re-created workshops, a tavern and an executioner's chamber, and a great rainy-day option.

History

Under the old town lies a maze of multi-level cellars, often cut into solid rock, which kept a low, steady temperature all year. Merchants stored goods here and brewers matured barley and wheat beer; in the Middle Ages around 200 houses held brewing rights. During wars the cellars served as shelters and arms stores.

After World War II the neglected cellars began to collapse, and in the 1950s and 1960s some 200 buildings above them were damaged. Between 1962 and 1976 miners from Wałbrzych, advised by scientists from Kraków's AGH University, stabilized the tunnels. Part of the network opened to visitors on December 4, 1976, and it is now a listed monument.

What you will see

The passages run beneath Plac Kościelny and several old-town streets. Along the way:

• a bakery oven, a tavern and a merchant's counting house, staged with costumed mannequins,
• a laundry and old apothecary vessels,
• a section on executioners and punishments, with torture instruments; the last public execution in Kłodzko took place in 1850,
• sound effects (market bustle, music, battle noise) and projections, including animated rats that react to visitors.

Visiting tips

The route is one-way: you enter on Czeska Street at the foot of the fortress and exit on Zawiszy Czarnego Street beside the former Jesuit church (Church of the Assumption). Visits are self-guided and the multimedia commentary is in Polish only, so pick up a printed overview or a translation app if you want the details. Allow about 45 minutes. Expect stairs and narrow passages: the rules list claustrophobia, uncontrolled epilepsy and limited mobility as reasons not to enter. No pets; photography is allowed. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Hours and tickets

As of October 2026, per the official website:

• April 1 – October 31: daily 9 am–6 pm, last entry 5:30 pm.
• November 1 – March 31: daily 9 am–5 pm, last entry 4:30 pm.
• Short break 1:00–1:15 pm.
• Tickets: adult 21 PLN, reduced 17 PLN (under-16s, seniors on pensions, visitors with disabilities), family 49 PLN (2 adults + 2 children or 1 + 3), under-4s free; groups of 20+ 19 PLN per person.
• Contact: +48 519 409 181, trasa@podziemia.klodzko.pl; groups should book ahead.

Getting there and nearby

Kłodzko is on national road 8 from Wrocław toward the Czech border, with trains to Kłodzko Miasto station near the old town. The exit brings you out next to the Church of the Assumption, a few steps from the market square and town hall. Kłodzko Fortress rises above the entrance, and the Gothic bridge and Franciscan church are a short walk downhill.