The mystery of the Owl Mountains - following the Nazis
- DURATION: 5 days.
- RECOMMENDED MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION: airplane, self drive.
- GETTING TO THE DESTINATIONS: self drive, transfers with a private driver, car rental.
The
Owl Mountains are a small range in the Central Sudety. Due to their
beauty, they are a treat for hiking enthusiasts, but above all they
hide many unsolved mysteries dating back to the World War II.
The
showpiece of the region are the underground towns of the Riese
Complex, i.e. Osówka, Walim - Rzeczka, Włodarz and the undergrounds
of Książ Castle. The purpose of the complex of underground towns
built by the Nazis has not been explained to this day. One theory is
that the Reise complex was supposed to be Hitler's headquarters and
was certainly the most expensive, yet unfinished construction project
during the Third Reich.
Day
1: Arrival to Wrocław (Breslau). A private driver will be waiting
for you at the airport to take you to your chosen hotel.
Day
2: After breakfast it's time to discover Wrocław. It’s up to you
whether you want to explore the capital of Lower Silesia on your own,
or use the services of our guide and a private driver.
Start
your sightseeing from the medieval Market Square, one of the oldest
in Europe. Visiting
Wrocław, you cannot miss the National Museum which houses the
Racławice Panorama - a painting by Jan Styka and Wojciech Kossak
depicting the Battle of Racławice. The work fascinates with its size
– it’s 15 metres high and 114 metres long.
Worth
seeing is also the Wrocław Zoo, with its Africarium – the
oceanarium which holds as much as 15 million litres of water.
Interestingly, it is the only facility of its kind in the world, due
to the concentration of flora and fauna exclusively from Africa.
It’s
time to leave Wrocław and head to our main destination. The
Owl-Mountains-adventure starts with accommodation at the Książ
Castle itself! To fully experience the mysticism of the place you are
visiting, you will go on a night tour of the chambers and cellars of
the castle by lamplight only. The guided tour lasts 90 minutes,
during which you will learn more about the history and the dark story
of the castle.
Day
3: The next day you will explore the Riese project. You will visit
underground adits, corridors, halls and military quarters hollowed
out on the slopes of the Owl Mountains - starting with the
undergrounds of the Książ Castle.
The
next destination is Wolfsberg, i.e. Włodarz - the biggest object of
the Riese project. After entering the underground we will find
ourselves in the cinema room, where a projection with facts related
to the construction of the complex will be presented. Next, we will
take a ten-person boat trip to the depths of Włodarz, as 1/8 of the
corridor system is flooded. The expedition ends in the largest room
of the complex, the guardroom, where exhibits remaining after the
local works have been stored.
The
Owl Mountains used to be a region rich in coal deposits and with many
mines. Therefore, the next destination will be Nowa Ruda, where there
is an underground tourist route in the closed "Piast" mine.
Apart from many exhibits and monuments remaining after the mining
activity, such as furnaces or shaft towers, the attractions will
include a ride in a 19th century mining train. After the mine tour we
will return to the Książ Castle, where a medieval dinner and
another night within the walls of the courtyard will be waiting for
us.
Day
4:
Being in the Sudety Mountains, it is worth getting to know the
charms of the rock city, therefore from the Owl Mountains we will go
to the Table Mountains, where we will wander through the local nature
reserve. Our destination will be Błędne Skały, a rock labyrinth
full of corridors, deep crevices, chambers and passages between
picturesque rock blocks. A special tourist route will take us through
this unique creation of the nature.
After
the trip, we’ll take you back to Wrocław for the last night at the
hotel.
Day
5: A private transfer to the airport and departure from Wrocław back
home.