In this episode of Explore Poland, Travel Influencer Eva zu Beck guides us through Lower Silesia, uncovering spa towns, castle hotels, gingerbread traditions, and breathtaking mountains in this magical Polish region.
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00:00A little known land of legends, fairy tales, mountains, and castles.
00:05And if you visit, you might just be the only foreign tourist around.
00:09I'm Eva Zubek, and Lower Silesia is my home.
00:12Today I want to show you around this magical corner of southern Poland.
00:16We'll visit picturesque little towns, eat to our heart's content, and learn what it
00:20means to own a castle.
00:23But first, a quick morning hike on a beautiful autumn day in the Sudety Mountains.
00:29This was quite the hike, but honestly, the views really make up for it.
00:37Right now, we're standing on top of Śnieżnik, which is the tallest mountain in this central
00:42corner of Poland.
00:44Śnieżnik is also home to this watchtower, first built over a century ago.
00:48If you climb to the top on a clear day, you can see as far as the Alps.
00:54But we have a whole bunch of places to visit much closer here in the Polish Sudety Mountains.
00:58Okay, I'm pretty sure that is where we're going next.
01:03To kick off our road trip, I want to point you to a couple of charming towns.
01:07One look at the architecture, and it's so easy to see that Lower Silesia is a true melting
01:11pot of cultures and histories.
01:14Our first stop is Lądek Zdrój, which I personally think is one of the prettiest towns in the
01:19region.
01:20Lądek Zdrój isn't just pretty.
01:22It actually happens to be the oldest spa town in all of Poland.
01:26And the mineral waters around here are believed to have healing properties, which is why spa
01:31goers have been coming here for about 700 years.
01:35But water can be healing as well as destructive.
01:39Lądek Zdrój was actually severely affected by the recent Central European floods, but
01:44the locals have been rebuilding fast, and they're ready to bring tourists back into
01:49town.
01:50The floods caused a huge amount of damage, but Lądek Zdrój is a resilient town, and
01:55it's still definitely worth a visit.
01:57If I were you, I would come here for the thermal spa and the local mountain trails.
02:02There's another spot around here that I'd love to take you to.
02:05It's a very special cafe in a tiny little town called Bardo.
02:10Bardo is a tiny town, but it has two major claims to fame.
02:14It's 300-year-old basilica, and it's equally historic liaison with gingerbread.
02:20After all, the pilgrims that flocked here needed to eat something, and gingerbread happened
02:24to be the cheapest, most filling option that the local bakers could offer.
02:28There's one last shop in town that nurtures this tradition, and it happens to look like
02:32it sprung out of a fairy tale.
02:34This is Magdalena Topolanyk, and we are in her famous gingerbread cafe.
03:04It is nothing like the gingerbread I've ever had in my life before.
03:27It's so moist and so rich, and so full of spice and flavor.
03:32It honestly tastes like Christmas.
03:36Some of the best travel experiences are bound to be shared with inspiring people.
03:40So next stop, I headed out into the so-called Golden Mountains to meet up with Meg Szumska,
03:46a friend who runs a very special guest house.
03:48Cześć!
03:49Cześć!
03:50Chodźcie, zapraszam do środka.
03:51Welcome!
03:52Oh my gosh, it's gorgeous!
03:53Jesteśmy w Złotym Jarze, to jest villa, która w przyszłym roku będzie obchodziła
03:54w 2021 roku.
03:55Znajdujemy się w Górach Złotych nad Złotym Potokiem, w Złotym Jarze, i od geograficznego
04:08Złotego Jaru jest też nazwa naszego budynku, w Złotym Stoku na ulicy Złotych.
04:12No dobrze, ale dlaczego wszystko jest tutaj takie złote?
04:15Złoty Stok ma tysiącletnią górniczą tradycję.
04:17Już tysiąc lat temu wydobywano tutaj złoto, i dookoła nas w tych wszystkich górach
04:21jest ponad 300 kilometrów wydrążonych chodników.
04:23Wow!
04:24Czy dzisiaj można sobie pochodzić i poszukać złota?
04:27Można zwiedzić 3,5 kilometra z przewodnikiem, ale tak naprawdę ponad 300 kilometrów jest
04:32ciągle wielką tajemnicą i staramy się odnajdować nowe miejsca, szukamy tam skarbów, szukamy
04:37no przeróżnych rzeczy, które tam ukryte są pod ziemią.
04:41You know, being here you almost want to speak in a whisper, because you're in this beautiful
04:47mountain hut at the end of the road, in the middle of the forest.
04:51I feel really magical.
04:59It's been such a long day.
05:01I think I'm ready to eat.
05:03Traditional Polish cuisine tends to be heaven for carnivores, but more and more restaurants
05:07cater to veggies and vegans, and I have a feeling like this one won't disappoint.
05:12Celery steak.
05:22I know that we've been spending a lot of time in nature, but today we'll do something different.
05:28This region actually has one of the highest concentrations of castles in all of Europe,
05:33and I want to show you one that honestly looks like it's straight from a fairy tale.
05:38Oh, wow!
05:40Hey, Martin!
05:41Hi, Ivo!
05:42Nice to meet you!
05:43Thanks for coming.
05:44Yeah, thank you.
05:45What's that?
05:46This is the key to the castle.
05:47Let me show you around.
05:48Let's do it.
05:49Let's go.
05:50Staden Castle was first built in the 16th century for a German aristocrat.
05:54Afterwards, it changed hands and countries as the borders of Lower Silesia shifted over
06:00the centuries.
06:01And most recently, it ended up with Martin, who started the back-breaking work of restoring
06:06it to its former glory and running a hotel here.
06:10We need a stable.
06:12We also have the Literary Festival.
06:14This year, we had about 20,000 people here in just one week during the festival.
06:20So how does it feel to be a part of that?
06:23It's a great feeling.
06:24It's a great feeling.
06:25It's a great feeling.
06:26It's a great feeling.
06:27It's a great feeling.
06:28It's a great feeling.
06:29It's a great feeling.
06:30It's a great feeling.
06:31It's a great feeling.
06:32It's a great feeling.
06:33It's a great feeling.
06:34It's a great feeling.
06:35It's a great feeling.
06:36It's a great feeling.
06:37It's a great feeling.
06:38It's a great feeling.
06:39It's a great feeling.
06:40How did it feel to buy a castle?
06:42I was terrified.
06:44At first, it was strictly business.
06:46But now, I cannot really imagine my life without this.
06:50There are so many castles all across Lovers' Elysia.
06:53Do you know more or less how many?
06:54It's close to a thousand.
06:56I think there's a number of them that are operational.
06:59And we're very happy to form our little society of castle owners.
07:06Wow.
07:07This is amazing.
07:09Yeah.
07:10It's a chapel built in the early 18th century.
07:13The painting was finished in 1738.
07:16So these are, in fact, the original paintings from the 18th century.
07:21Yes.
07:22The castle is slowly reclaiming its beauty.
07:24And alongside cultural events, you can come here and spend the night at the Swiss House,
07:29which is part of the castle complex.
07:31Oh, so cool.
07:34Oh, my God.
07:36This is so beautiful.
07:38Look at this wallpaper.
07:40I feel like royalty tonight.
07:42Wow.
07:44And this is the Lovers' Elysia I love.
07:47Everywhere you go, you feel its enduring spirit of culture and history.
07:52Truly one of the most magical corners of Poland.