Mountains
the highest point of Szczawno-Zdrój, with a 45-metre millennium cross and a view reaching as far as Wrocław
Viewpoints
a stone tower from 1888 made of Permian porphyries, next to a forty-five-metre cross
Mountains
a 532-metre summit above Szczawno-Zdrój, formerly called Wzgórze Tkaczy and Wzgórze Szpitalne
Mountains
a peak in the Chełmiec Massif, separated from Chełmiec by the Rosochatki saddle
Mountains
a hill of the Wałbrzych Mountains with a former watchtower function, on the boundary of Szczawno-Zdrój and Stary Zdrój
a domed outgrowth of the Chełmiec Massif built of Carboniferous greywackes and sandstones
Scenic views in Szczawno-Zdrój come from six places, from the tower on Chełmiec to hills inside the spa park. See what you can see, and from where.
From Chełmiec. The summit stands 850 m above sea level over the Wałbrzych area, and its domed shape can be seen from far away, even from Wrocław, 70 kilometres off. So you look both ways at once: down at the town and, from the town, up at the mountain. A millennium cross crowns the top, with a lookout tower right beside it. The tower was built in 1888 from Permian porphyry, stands 22 metres tall and resembles a castle turret. To make tourist traffic easier, two dirt roads were laid out here in the 1880s and part of the forest was cut down. So you are looking at a landscape that people deliberately opened up for walkers.
Lower down, in the same massif. Chełmiec Mały (776 m) lies west of central Wałbrzych and has a clearly marked domed top. Cichawa (751 m) is wooded, so look for views in the gaps between trees rather than from an open clearing. Gedymin Hill (532 m) sits inside the spa park, between Wałbrzych and Szczawno. Stróżek (517 m) once served as a lookout hill, which is where its name comes from.
If you are planning a route, start at the highest point and work downhill, so the views go from wide to closer. Chełmiec and Cichawa are separated by the Rosochatka saddle, while Gedymin Hill and Stróżek are lower and easier, which suits an afternoon or a short walk from the park side.
Come back down to the spa town and see other pages: mountains, nature. Views depend on weather and time of day, so check in the morning whether the summits are lost in cloud. We gathered the whole region under scenic views, and a general overview of the spa town is on the Szczawno-Zdrój attractions page.
