Ślęża from Sobótka - yellow trail through Wieżyca

The yellow trail from Sobótka through Wieżyca, with its stone historic tower on the summit, is probably the most interesting trail to Ślęża for children. Here, you will find plenty of attractions for kids: the Tourist House with gnomes and wooden sculptures, the "Spider's Web" rope park, and a spacious meadow for play and relaxation.

• The trail is rocky, and the ascent to Wieżyca is quite steep.
• The trail runs through dense forest and is heavily shaded - even on a hot day, it is pleasantly cool here.
• Younger children can shorten the trail and only reach Wieżyca instead of Ślęża - this is also a nice goal for a trip.

Yellow trail to Ślęża from Sobótka - transportation and parking

From Wrocław, you can reach Sobótka by train - the journey takes about 40 minutes. The yellow trail starts at the Sobótka train station, it is well-marked but not heavily frequented until you reach the Tourist House.

Those traveling by car can park near the Tourist House "Pod Wieżycą" - however, the parking lot is often full on weekends.

Tourist House "Pod Wieżycą"

At the Tourist House located at the pass "Pod Wieżycą", you can spend the night at the foot of Ślęża and have a warm meal. During the summer, there is a bike rental and a rope park for children. The center also provides free Wi-Fi access. There is also the craft brewery "Browar Wieżyca" located here.

Yellow trail to Wieżyca

The beginning of the trail itself shows that it won't be easy! The rocky path climbs steeply uphill, so you can't see the end. After rain, you need to be more careful - the stones can be slippery.

Wieżyca and Bismarck Tower

Wieżyca, with a height of 415 meters above sea level, is a hill in the Ślęża massif. The stone tower located on its summit is one of the Bismarck Towers - these were simple tower or column-shaped structures, celebrating Otto von Bismarck and expressing German national pride. The first buildings of this type were constructed during Bismarck's lifetime. The entire structure is 15 meters high, and there are 60 stone steps leading to the top, where a special observation deck is located.

Further part of the trail

After bypassing the tower, the yellow trail continues through the forest - pay attention to the trees on the right side of the path. This part of the forest is almost entirely composed of stunted sessile oaks with twisted trunks.

Soon, the yellow trail joins the red trail - the path becomes wider and rockier. Further on, both trails lead us to the very top of Ślęża.

Iconic sculptures

Along the trail, we pass by stone statues found among the rocky debris, near their current location. The granite sculpture depicts a headless figure dressed in a flowing robe, holding a huge fish with both hands. Although the sculpture likely represents a male figure, it has been named the "Fish Maiden" due to legends. The "Maiden" is accompanied by a bear figure - one of two stone bears from the Ślęża massif. The age of the sculptures is difficult to estimate - some claim that they are remnants of a pre-Slavic cult, dating back several centuries BC. Currently, the more likely theory is that they are stone crafts from the Middle Ages.

Ascent to the summit of Ślęża

Closer to the summit, the path becomes narrower and leads us further over uneven stones. A few more stone steps, a bit of uphill, and soon we reach a spacious meadow - the summit of Ślęża.

Ślęża - attractions at the summit

In Slavic languages, the word "ślęga", which is associated with the mountain's name, means mud and wet weather. The massif was once under a glacier, and the surrounding areas were marshy - perhaps this is also the origin of the name Śląsk (Silesia)?

Mount Ślęża is located at an altitude of 718 meters above sea level, and its massif stands out significantly among the plains of the surrounding areas. It was once even thought to be an extinct volcano. Ślęża has an extraordinary history - it was a place of worship and a religious center for the worship of the Sun by the tribes that inhabited these lands. Druids paid homage to the Sun on its summit, and they went to nearby Radunia to worship the Moon.

Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Ślęża

The church was built on the ruins of a medieval stone castle. Currently, fragments of the castle walls can be seen through a glass floor in the church.

• Visiting the church on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm (free admission).
• Fee for entering the observation tower and descending to the underground, where you can see the apses, i.e., remnants of the castle walls - 5 PLN.

PTTK Tourist House "Na Ślęży"

Until recently, the PTTK Tourist House "Na Ślęży" was a mountain shelter. Unfortunately, the water sources that supplied the building have dried up, making it impossible to provide shelter services. Currently, water is delivered to the site - as a result, the Tourist House no longer offers accommodation and only operates as a restaurant.

Observation Tower

There is also a publicly accessible, free observation tower at the top of Ślęża - the path to it starts behind the church, right next to the stone "bear". Climbing the tower is not easy - especially for people with small children. The stairs are steep, and the entrances to the individual platforms are very narrow. It is advised not to climb the tower during a storm.

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Author: Adelina
Publish Date: 2022-09-16