Cieplice Śląskie-Zdrój

Cieplice Śląskie-Zdrój is a district of Jelenia Góra and at the same time a spa town, an independent town until 1976. Its German name was Bad Warmbrunn, and the settlement's origins are linked to the discovery of warm springs on the site.

A spa on hot springs

The therapeutic waters in Cieplice are thermal, weakly mineralised and, in some intakes, hot. The spa uses them in the treatment of orthopaedic and trauma conditions, diseases of the nervous system, rheumatic diseases and osteoporosis. Today the warm springs are also used by Termy Cieplickie.

Spa Park and the Norwegian Park

In the Spa Park stands a spa pavilion from the end of the 18th century and a spa theatre, built in 1836 on the initiative of the Schaffgotsch family, owners of Cieplice from the 14th century until 1945. Next to it stretches the Norwegian Park, founded in 1906, with the distinctive Norwegian Pavilion.

Monuments of the district

The central monument is the Schaffgotsch Palace, built in 1784-1809. Cieplice also has the parish church of St John the Baptist from 1712-1714 and a former Protestant church from 1774-1779, while 20th-century architecture is represented by the former School of Applied Arts from 1901-1902. A few kilometres away, already beyond the district itself, rises Chojnik Castle.

History of the settlement

According to tradition, the springs were discovered by Duke Bolesław the Tall while hunting. In 1261 the Augustinian order was brought to Cieplice from Wrocław on the initiative of Bolesław II Rogatka, and in 1281 the settlement of Calidus Fons passed into the hands of the Knights Hospitaller of Strzegom. From the 14th century until 1945, Cieplice belonged to the Schaffgotsch family. In 1935-1976 it was an independent town, and the Jelenia Góra town council later established an auxiliary unit of the municipality, the Cieplice Spa District.

Practical information

• Location: a district of Jelenia Góra, at the foot of the Karkonosze (Giant Mountains)
• Access: no details in the sources; the district lies on the main roads leading to Jelenia Góra
• What to expect: spa-town development with a spa park, thermal baths and historic palace and church buildings; it is worth checking hours and visiting rules for individual sites before your visit