Ciechocinek Graduation Towers

The graduation towers of Ciechocinek (say "che-ho-CHEE-nek") are three giant 19th-century timber structures in central Poland, together the largest of their kind in Europe. Brine trickles down walls of packed blackthorn twigs, evaporates in the wind and leaves a salty, iodine-rich mist in the air — which is why Poles have come here to "breathe the sea" far from the coast for nearly two centuries. The towers are also working industrial heritage: they still concentrate brine for a saltworks that boils table salt by hand.

What a graduation tower is — and why this one matters

A graduation tower (Polish tężnia, German Gradierwerk) is a pre-industrial way of making salt. Weak brine is pumped to the top and allowed to drip over brushwood; part of the water evaporates, so the brine becomes stronger with each pass. Many European spas once had such towers, but few survive at this scale.

In Ciechocinek, towers I and II were built in 1824–1828 and tower III in 1859, closing the gap between the first two to form a horseshoe. They were designed by engineer Jakub Graff, a professor at the Mining Academy in Kielce. A spa grew up around the saltworks from 1836, and the railway arrived in 1867.

The towers, the saltworks and the Tężniowy and Zdrojowy parks together form a Monument of History (since 2017) — the highest national heritage designation in Poland, granted by presidential decree. A major EU-funded renovation took place in 2020–2021.

By the numbers

• 3 towers, about 1,742 m (1.1 miles) long in total and nearly 16 m (52 ft) high
• Tower II is the longest at 719 m; tower I measures 648 m, tower III 333 m
• The structures stand on roughly 7,000 oak piles
• The brine comes from Spring No. 11 — the same source that feeds the town's "Grzybek" (Mushroom) fountain — from a depth of about 415 m, at roughly 5.8% salinity; by the end of the circuit it can reach about 30%

Things to do at the graduation towers

• Walk the tower area. Paths run along the towers; stay on the downwind side, where the mist is strongest. Allow 1–1.5 hours for a full loop. The area is for pedestrians only (no bikes or scooters), dogs must be leashed, and the flat paths work with strollers.
• Climb to a viewing terrace on top of a tower to see the wooden troughs that carry the brine and look out over the spa town. Up to 30 people are allowed at once; the operator advises against it if you have a fear of heights or heart problems.
• Try the tower inhalatorium inside tower II (ul. Sportowa 4): sessions of up to 45 minutes for a maximum of 15 people. The operator lists contraindications such as an overactive thyroid, cancer and iodine allergy.
• Visit the Saltworks Museum (Muzeum Warzelni Soli, ul. Solna 6), which shows historic salt-making equipment and early 20th-century therapeutic exercise machines.

Opening hours and ticket prices

As of October 2026, according to the operator, Uzdrowisko Ciechocinek S.A. (prices in Polish złoty, PLN):

• Tower area: open year-round. From April 1 to October 31, entry costs 13 PLN (reduced 10 PLN, family 30 PLN) on Fridays, weekends and public holidays, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; other days are free. From November 1 to March 31 entry is free.
• Viewing terraces: April–October, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (last entry 5:30 p.m.), 16 PLN (reduced 12 PLN). In October 2026 the terraces on towers 2 and 3 are open; they close in bad weather and from November to March.
• Inhalatorium: April–October, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., 20 PLN (reduced 15 PLN).
• Saltworks Museum: year-round, Tuesday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., 16 PLN (reduced 10 PLN).

Tickets are sold only at on-site booths. Information on the official site is in Polish.

Visiting in winter: is it worth it?

The towers are switched on only when weather conditions allow, so on frosty days you may find them dry and the mist weak. On the plus side, the tower area is free from November to March and much quieter, and the Saltworks Museum stays open. Daylight is short, so aim for early afternoon and check the daily notice on the operator's website before you set out.

How to get to Ciechocinek

Ciechocinek lies on the Vistula River in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region, close to the UNESCO-listed old town of Toruń, which makes it an easy add-on to a Toruń trip. The nearest airport is in Bydgoszcz; from Warsaw, take the train or drive north-west. The town has a railway station. The tower area is entered from ul. Tężniowa.

Nearby

• "Grzybek" fountain — the historic brine spring that supplies the towers.
• Park Zdrojowy — the spa park with its wooden Summer Theatre.
• Toruń — the Gothic old town and birthplace of Copernicus.