Złotoryja – the capital of Polish gold and the oldest town in Poland
Złotoryja is located in the northern part of the Kaczawskie Foothills, with the old town situated high above the Kaczawa River valley. The history of the town is rich and well-documented. Its origins are linked to the establishment of a mining settlement at the turn of the 12th/13th century, where residents were engaged in gold mining from river deposits. In 1211, the settlement received town privileges from Duke Henry the Bearded, making it the oldest documented case of town charter issuance in Silesia. Today, the city is recognized for its references to mining traditions, exemplified by the organization of national and international gold panning competitions.
Attractions of the town
Among the numerous historical landmarks in Złotoryja are the elongated Market Square, divided by the town hall building into two parts, the Delfin Fountain from 1604 on the Upper Market Square, the neorenaissance town hall from 1843-1852, historic townhouses in the Market Square, and the Mayor’s House on Konopnicka Street from 1735 with an ornate Baroque portal. Museum of Gold, Smith’s Tower (Baszta Kowalska) – the only surviving remnant of the medieval town fortifications, 22.5-meter-high, the sections of city walls. On the northwestern slope of Góra Mikołaja, the Aurelia Mine has been opened to visitors for exploration and tours.It has one main corridor with short side corridors, with a total length of about 100 meters. In reality, it had nothing to do with gold mining but was used for prospecting for ores. The oldest parts date back to the 17th century, while the side tunnels were dug in the 20th century.
Since 2022, Złotoryja has been home to a rope park located above Złotoryjskie Lake.
Sacral objects in Złotoryja
In Złotoryja, there are several historic sacral buildings. The most valuable object is the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located near the Market Square. It is a large three-aisled building with two towers at opposite ends of the structure, measuring nearly 50 metres in length and with the height of the main nave being 14.6 metres. The construction of the church began in the first half of the 13th century, and from that period, the chancel and transept were built in the Romanesque style. From the second half of the 13th century until the 18th century, the church was under the care of the Order of Saint John.
Out of the two planned towers in the western facade, only one was completed. The eastern tower, standing at a height of 63 metres, was added in 1482 and is accessible as an observation point. The exterior of the church is notable for its decorative portals and tombstones. The interior of the church is richly decorated and includes symbolic tombstones of Valentin Trozendorf and Hieronim Wildenberg in the chancel, a Renaissance pulpit, a Baroque main altar, and 17th-century galleries in the side aisles and transept.
The second religious building within the medieval centre is the Baroque Church of St. Hedwig, along with the former Franciscan monastery buildings. In front of the church, there is a statue of St. John of Nepomuk from 1732 and a Gothic, richly decorated column shrine. On Góra Mikołaja, to the north of the old town, stands the Church of St. Nicholas, which in its current form dates back to the 14th century.
Description: Piotr Migoń
