Promnitza Observation Tower in Żary

On Gołębie Wzgórze, in the middle of the Zielony Las forest in Żary, stands the 19th-century Promnitza tower of stone and brick, also called the red, brick or hunting tower. Its name commemorates the Promnitz family, former lords of Żary, to whom the town owes the creation of these park grounds. The structure, built on a square plan with sides of nearly 5 metres, is 15 metres tall.

A terrace above the beech woods

Marked footpaths lead to the top, where a viewing terrace awaits. It offers a green panorama of the southern part of the Żary Uplands and the Lower Silesian Wilderness, and in good weather the view reaches the Karkonosze and the Jizera Mountains. The forest surrounding the tower means the walk leads through the shade of tall beeches regardless of the season.

A forest with three towers

Zielony Las is a favourite recreation area for the residents of Żary and visitors. Besides the Promnitza tower there is also a stone Bismarck tower and a steel fire lookout tower, and beyond the towers a swimming pool and an outdoor gym. This makes it easy to combine the walk to the tower with a longer stay outdoors.

Żary, the largest town of Polish Lusatia

Żary (German: Sorau) lies on the southern edge of the Trzebnickie Hills in the Lubusz Voivodeship and is the seat of Żary county. With around 36,000 residents it is the largest town of the Polish part of Lusatia. It is situated between the Bóbr and the Lusatian Neisse, and the south-eastern part of the town already reaches into the Lower Silesian Wilderness.