The fortress in Srebrna Góra is the largest mountain fortress in Europe!
Srebrna Góra is a small, historical town, beautifully located in Lower Silesia, between Nowa Ruda and Ząbkowice Śląskie, on the border of the Owl and Bardzkie Mountains, at the entrance to the picturesque Kłodzko Valley. The most important, and at the same time the biggest attraction here is the Silver Mountain Fortress - a valuable military monument of the continent and one of the most important attractions of Lower Silesia. It is the largest mountain fortress in Europe, and visiting it with a guide dressed in the historical costume of a Napoleonic era soldier is a real pleasure and a journey into the military times of the Silver Mountain forts!
Visiting the fortress - time and attractions
That is why the tour takes place with a guide who knows the area and the history of the fortress, about which he tells so interestingly that a little over an hour of sightseeing passes like the blink of an eye. In addition, the tone of the story is sometimes playful, which definitely makes wandering around the labyrinths of forts more pleasant and will also appeal to children. Although the topic is not particularly entertaining and after visiting the Silver Mountain Fortress I know for sure one thing, I would not like to be there in the role of a soldier at that time, because it was no different from prison! During the tour, you also go to the crown of the Fortress, which is also a wonderful lookout point, you can admire the panorama of the Sudetes, more precisely the Opawskie Mountains, the Śnieżnik Massif and the closer ranges of the Bardzkie and Owl Mountains. The views were not given to us, the sky almost slid down on our heads and the view barely reached the broken pine, reminding me of the one from Sokolica in the Pieniny Mountains!
Remember that the air temperature in the underground part does not exceed 10 degrees Celsius, even in summer, it is also worth taking a sweatshirt with you. You also need to take comfortable shoes and ones that can get dirty, because not all fragments are dry and paved 🙂 In places it looks similar to when the fortress was used.
How to get to the fortress?
Due to their size, the forts make a great impression on tourists, especially Donjon. To see it, you need to get to the Srebrna Góra Pass, and from there, near the shelter, go on foot along a winding, picturesque road uphill, which is excluded from car traffic. The walk takes about 15 minutes, disabled people can drive to the Fortress itself. In the summer, the paid Fort Fan Express cable car runs from the Srebrnogórska Pass to the Fortress on weekends. The price of a round-trip Fort Fan Express ticket is PLN 5 (2020).
History of the Fortress in Srebrna Góra
The Silver Mountain Fortress was built in 1765-77 on the order of King Frederick II the Great of Prussia, according to the design of engineer Ludwig Wilhelm Regeler - a Prussian lieutenant colonel. In fact, it did not make much military sense to build such a huge fortress in this place. It is said that King Frederick simply did not like the Slavs, and even hated the Poles, so when a Croatian fired at him, he announced that no one would shoot at him again!
Officially, the Silver Mountain Fortress was to defend Silesia, conquered by Prussia in 1740. Two hills towering over the Silver Pass were chosen for the construction of the fortifications: Fortress Mountain (Fortress Mountain, 686 m above sea level) and Ostróg (627 m above sea level). Today, the Ostróg Fort can also be visited, it is also an element of the Srebrna Góra Fortress.
How was the fort built?
Creating the Srebrna Góra Fortress was such a great undertaking that a sawmill, a brickworks, limestone plants, a water supply system and numerous transport routes were built on the site. The outer fortress walls were made of stone excavated on site, and the brick was used only to finish the interiors of the casemates, the inner wall of the Donjon courtyard and both entrance gates. Corners and gutters are made of white or red sandstone.
Interestingly, about 4,000 workers from western Germany and the Czech Republic were employed in the construction of the fortress, and the surrounding population was also forced to work on the construction of forts. The entire fortress consisted of 299 casemates and 54 shooting chambers. In the event of war, the crew would number nearly 4,000, and if necessary even 5,000 soldiers. Fortress artillery included 264 guns, howitzers and mortars. The fortress was self-sufficient enough to withstand even a 3-month siege, hiding wells in every fort, bakeries, brewery, livestock and food in warehouses. Today, the Srebrna Góra fortress is a very important element of Europe's military cultural heritage.
Living conditions in the Fortress
But the living conditions here were very difficult and harsh. It was not possible to leave the fortress under threat of death, and even for trifles there were punishments, and they were very clever and painful. And once you got to the hospital, you rarely left it alive. Doctors do not wash their hands, and they learned anatomy from the dead in the fortress, so they often approached dressings and operations directly from the bodies of the victims. Adding to this humid and unsanitary living conditions in the fortress and modest food, it is no surprise that there are high mortality rates of soldiers stationed in such fortresses!
Defence of the Srebrna Góra Fortress
And it should be remembered that the Silver Mountain Fortress was the most modern in Europe in the years of its glory, i.e. in the 18th century. Its construction was a huge undertaking, consisting of 6 large forts and many auxiliary buildings.
The huge, thick walls of the fortress and its specific location were once insurmountable. To this day, the cold and dampness of the walls can be felt here, especially in the corridors built under the surface of the mountain. About 3,500 soldiers were usually stationed there.
It was very difficult not only to get to the fortress, but also to get out of it 🙂 Apparently, only a few daredevils managed to do it. Others paid with their lives, dying from bullets from rifles or falling from almost vertical walls. To this day, the fortress is very impressive, it is monumental, has hundreds of underground tunnels and labyrinths. It's easy to get lost here.
Projects implemented in the Srebrna Góra Fortress
Since 2016, the Fortress has successfully implemented huge revitalization projects. The scope of works carried out in previous years and currently makes the Silver Mountain fortress one of the largest "conservation training grounds" in Poland , and the total value of the works carried out exceeds PLN 50 million.
In the former soldiers' chambers, a hostel for 58 people, a restaurant and a glazed multimedia room are being built. The money for the renovation and modernization of the Fortress was obtained from the regional operational program of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. At the same time, work is being carried out on the reconstruction of a part of the fortress that has not yet been made available to the public. The activities were co-financed from EEA funds. A viewing bridge suspended in the air at 29 meters above the moat will be created. This in itself will be a unique attraction.
In addition to the bridge structures, the decorative gates of the Upper Bastion, the Corner Fort, the Cavalier and the
adjacent walls. A new exhibition will be created in the Cavalier (over 600 m2), which will be filled with mockups, dioramas and many multimedia. They will allow visitors to show the main theme of the project – "How the Fortress in Srebrna Góra was built 250 years ago, the second largest mountain fortress in Europe".
It is worth observing these activities both on the Internet and seeing the effects of the work carried out with your own eyes, because the fortress is open every day.
Accommodation
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Practical information
Hours of sightseeing and ticket prices can be found at:
https://forty.pl/odwiedz-nas/bilety-godziny/ Parking: free at the pass, from where it is 15 minutes on foot (in summer there is a queue, PLN 5 return)
Free upper parking is available for disabled people and pregnant women
Guided sightseeing, only a limited Temp. route
in the fortress is 10⁰C, it is worth taking outerwear and comfortable shoes
Object available for dogs, only on a leash
On site in high season gastronomy and souvenirs
Fortress Srebrna Góra
ul. Kręta 4, Srebrna Góra
tel. 74/818-00-99
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What's worth seeing in the area?
If you are looking for more ideas for interesting places to visit, we have it for you some options in the area. There are several attractions within a radius of 100 kilometers, that are worth adding to your travel plan.
- Szczeliniec Wielki, distance: 23.5 km
- Grodno Castle in Zagórze Śląskie, distance: 25.5 km
- Church of Peace in Świdnica, distance: 32.1 km
- Książ Castle, distance: 38.7 km
- Bear Cave in Kletno, distance: 40.3 km
- Palace in Kopice, distance: 57.3 km
- Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław, distance: 66.4 km
- Wrocław Zoo with Afrkarium, distance: 66.5 km
- Moszna Castle, distance: 80.9 km
- Sky Walk Tower in Świeradów Zdrój, distance: 98.7 km
