Trzebnica - the shortest of the trips

Trzebnica lies closest to Wrocław, and getting there by train takes the least time of all the routes described here. It is a short walk from the station to the centre. The main destination is St Hedwig's Sanctuary - a monastery complex founded in 1202 by Duke Henry the Bearded as the first female religious community in Poland, with the tomb of St Hedwig of Silesia in the basilica. Visiting the interior alone takes fifteen minutes to half an hour, but the site deserves a longer stay. Those with more time can walk up to Winna Hill, a dome-shaped hill above the town with a landscape park on its slopes - the walk there and back takes another hour.

Oleśnica - a castle and traces of a passion for aviation

Oleśnica is a similarly short trip, and the railway station is a reasonable distance from the Market Square. The most important point is the Ducal Castle, a Renaissance residence of the Piasts of Oleśnica built on the site of a Gothic stronghold already mentioned in 1292 - walking around the courtyard and the facade with its sgraffito decoration takes half an hour. On the way back it is worth stopping at the small but unusual Ejection Seat Museum in Oleśnica, housed in the foyer of a former cinema - the collection is compact, so visiting takes no more than a quarter of an hour. Along the way you can also see a brick water tower from 1896-1897, 45 metres high, with a preserved steel tank at the top.

Świdnica - a UNESCO-listed church and a Gothic town hall

Getting to Świdnica takes somewhat longer, but it is still a comfortable one-day trip. The central point is the Church of Peace - the largest timber-framed Baroque church in Europe, built in just ten months in 1656-1657 under the terms of the Peace of Westphalia and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. The interior alone, with its rich painted decoration and timber-framed construction, takes a good half hour to see. A dozen or so minutes' walk from there stands Cathedral of St Stanislaus and St Wenceslaus in Świdnica, with a tower more than 101 metres high, the tallest in the whole of Silesia. On the Market Square, in the Gothic Councillors' Hall of Świdnica's town hall, the Museum of Old Trade in Świdnica displays a collection of historic weights and measures - another half hour, if time allows.

Legnica - a Piast castle and a park with a palm house

Legnica is a destination for relaxed, full-day sightseeing, as its attractions are scattered across the whole town. The Piast Castle, one of the oldest castles in Poland, built in the second half of the 12th century by Bolesław I the Tall, shows the remains of a Romanesque chapel and two Gothic towers - allow about an hour. A dozen or so minutes' walk from there stands the twin-towered Gothic Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, with a Renaissance pulpit of white sandstone. For a rest, the Municipal Park is a good choice, the largest in the town, with a historic Palm House from 1898 and the Goat Pond - a leisurely walk takes another hour.

Wałbrzych - Książ Castle and a former mine

Getting to Wałbrzych already takes noticeably longer, so it is worth planning a full day. The main destination is Książ Castle, the third largest castle in Poland after Malbork and Wawel, with a history going back to 1288 and tunnels dug during the Second World War - a full visit including the interiors comfortably takes two to three hours, with a walk around the surrounding park taking another hour. The second, less obvious point of interest is the Stara Kopalnia Science and Art Centre, on the site of the former Julia Coal Mine, with an underground route and preserved winding machinery from 1911 - allow about an hour and a half here.

Jelenia Góra - gateway to the Karkonosze

Jelenia Góra lies furthest of the routes described here, but it is still a one-day trip if you set off in the morning. In the town itself it is worth seeing the Castle Gate Tower from 1584, the only surviving part of the medieval town gate, now serving as a viewpoint. Those with more time and energy for a longer walk can travel or walk to the spa district of Cieplice, home to the Natural History Museum with a collection of the Schaffgotsch family gathered since the 16th century - about an hour to visit. For fans of hiking, the best destination is Chojnik Castle, a Gothic ruin on a cliff in the Karkonosze National Park, reached by trail from Sobieszów - this is already a trip of several hours, counting the walk there and back.