Wroclaw: Lower Silesia, Ksiaz Castle & Church of Peace Tour
Książ is the third largest castle in Poland, located on a majestic rock cliff by the side of the Pelcznica River. Beautifully surrounded by the forest at the height of 395 meters above sea level, the castle is often called ‘the Pearl of Lower Silesia’. Such a location corresponding to the size of the building is rare in Europe. In 1943, Hitler’s paramilitary organization had stormed into the castle and began to construct one of the most important quarters for Adolf Hitler. The Church of Peace in Świdnica is the largest timber-framed religious buildings in Europe, built in the former Silesia in the mid-17th Century amid the religious strife that followed the Peace of Westphalia. Constrained by the physical and political conditions, the Churches of Peace bear testimony to the quest for religious freedom and are a rare expression of Lutheran ideology in an idiom generally associated with the Catholic Church. Built outside the city walls, made of wood or clay and built in less than a year, now placed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Świdnica's Market Square - very charming place that is a must-visit. Renovated, colorful townhouses with Gothic relics, beautiful fountains, including a well with Neptune from 1732, and impressive lighting awarded in competitions make quite an impression. The Wałbrzych Palm House arose from the initiative of the last representative of the Hochberg dynasty in Książ Castle, Hans Heinrich XV. The Prince had it built for his spouse, Mary Theresa Cornwallis-West. It is the only such facility in Poland that has been preserved in its original construction.