Swieradow-Zdroj
Swieradow-Zdroj is a town spa in Lubanski County and an administrative part of Lower Silesia. It is situated at an altitude between 450m and 710m above sea level in the valley of the River Kwisa in the Izerski Mountains which are part of the Western Sudety and close to the city of Jelenia Gora. The spa has the characteristics of a highland resort with a mountainous climate that is average to highly stimulating and moderated by its position in the Kwisa Valley and Swieradowskie Lowlands as well as the adjacent forests, predominantly of spruce.
The area around Swieradow is made up of metamorphic rocks, gneiss and granite with inserts of amphibolites belonging to the Karkonosze-Izerski Block but specifically the metamorphic Izera. On the northern slopes of the Kamienicki Ridge, in the region of Czerniawa, there are deposits of mica, leptynite and leucogranite schists.
Apart from the climate, basic elements used at the spa resort are the natural mineral waters and the therapeutic mud. The Swieradow mineral waters that are used therapeutically are primarily rich in carbonates, calcium and magnesium fluoride with a low mineral levels. Unique to this area are the presence of radon rich waters.
The first mention of Swieradow appears in 1524 when it went by the name of Fegebeutel. The already discovered mineral waters were cited for the first time in 1572 in a book by Leonard Thurneysser, an alchemist from Berlin, who wrote about the „Sacred Source” from which waters flow that are a relief for many ailments. Swieradow was plundered three times between 1634 and 1639 as a majority of the inhabitants were followers of the Protestant faith and in 1649 the armies of Captain Hermann were stationed here during the storming of Gryf Castle by the Swedes. Just over a hundred years later, in 1768, based upon scientific investigation, spa activities began to develop in an organised fashion. The second half of the 19th century sees the rapid growth of the spa resort. With the construction of a railway link and a road network, the town becomes more popular and further facilities are added, which quickly raise the status of the resort. After the surrender of the Third Reich in May 1945 the resort was occupied by the Russian Red Army but then returned to the Polish administration with the existing German population relocated back to Germany. The name of Swieradow-Zdroj was officially introduced in 1946, replacing the German name of Bad Flinsberg, and the settlement granted town rights.
Today treatments are carried out at the Spa House and at the Leopold and the Maria Baths while even more taverns, restaurants and villas are being built to accommodate the arriving patients.
Treatments in Swieradow-Zdroj include those for musculoskeletal, rheumatic and neurological disorders, gynaecological and respiratory tract diseases, peripheral atherosclerosis, asthma, allergies and osteoporosis.
More of the elite from the worlds of art, finance and industry choose to come here for their relaxation. As the spa business was not even interrupted by the outbreak of World War II, the resort, as it was so far away from the war zone, survived intact. The distinctive architecture of the resort is pleasing to the eye even today and the stylish interiors, in which the spa facilities operate, are meticulously maintained and provide the image of the quality of this spa resort. Whilst being in Swieradow-Zdroj, even if just passing through, it is worth visiting the Larch Promenade Hall, a unique building.
Swieradow-Zdroj is typically oriented tourist resort geared towards patients and skiers. It has a well developed range of accommodation and there is a wide range of organised annual, cultural and entertainment events staged in the town. Free time can be spent in one of several pools, on tennis courts or at equestrian areas. In the winter there are two prepared toboggan runs, six ski-lifts as well as the year-round gondola to the top of Stog Izerski.
