The village was first mentioned in 1669 under the name Hermswaldau. It may have been established after the Thirty Years’ War as a refuge for people fleeing the war. In the 18th century, it was owned by the Zedlitz family from Nowy Kościół, and at that time, it was inhabited by around 70 families. Its inhabitants mainly worked in nearby mines. In the mid-19th century, there was a farmstead here. After 1945, the village was named Wilhelmów or Leśna, and its current name, Gozdno, has been in use since 1947.
Today, Gozdno is the smallest village in the Świerzawa Commune, with a population of around 70 people.
Monument in memory of fallen soldiers
On the southern edge of Gozdno, at the foot of Mount Zawodna, stands a partially reconstructed monument to the residents of the village who died during World War I. This war claimed many casualties among the local population, mainly young men drafted into the army. After 1945, the monument was toppled and forgotten. In 2015, thanks to the efforts of the residents, the monument was successfully restored to its original location. The surroundings were properly cleaned, marked, and fenced off.
Interactive walk
An interactive walk around Gozdno and its neighboring village, Biegoszów, has been prepared. The walk consists of eight marked points that you can visit in the area. Each of them contains a QR code that redirects to a video recording in which Mr. Mieczysław from Biegoszów tells the story of each location. The walk was prepared by the Cooperacja Foundation.
Below you’ll find a virtual walk around Biegoszów and Gozdno prepared by the Cooperacja Foundation. For each of the marked points, educational videos have been prepared.
Zawodna – observation tower and Kaczawskie Single Tracks
Zawodna (sometimes referred to as Zawada) is a hill with an elevation of 445 metres above sea level, located in the central part of the Kaczawskie Foothills, to the southwest of the village. It is made up of Permian volcanic rocks, specifically rhyolites. In the weathered materials on the slopes of Zawodna and in the slopes of neighboring valleys, you can find agates.
In 2018, a 20-metre-high wooden observation tower was erected on Zawodna Hill near Gozdno, offering panoramic views of the Kaczawskie Mountains and Kaczawskie Foothills. In the forests on the slopes of Zawodna, one-way cycling paths – single tracks: Gozdno 1 and Gozdno 2 have also been created.
