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Sobótka
The Bismarck Tower stands on the summit of Wieżyca, the second highest hill of the Ślęża Massif, just above the town of Sobótka. It is one of seventeen structures of this kind preserved in Poland and the first ever built in Lower Silesia – worldwide, a little over two hundred of them were erected. They were raised as monuments in honour of Otto von Bismarck, and on the anniversaries of his birth and death fires were lit on their tops.
The ceremonial opening of the tower on Wieżyca took place in 1907, and it was then that the building passed into the care of Sobótka. A renovation followed in 1922, and the structure has survived the following decades in good condition.
The tower is fifteen metres high and sixty stone steps lead to the viewing terrace. A fire bowl once stood at the top. The building material was granite from a quarry halfway up Ślęża – the same stone can be found in many buildings of the area. From the terrace you can see the Świdnica Plain, the Kiełczyńskie Hills and the distinctive outline of Ślęża itself.
From Sobótka simply follow Armii Krajowej Street and then the red-marked path. The climb is about a kilometre long and takes roughly forty minutes; the path is steep but short, so children will manage it too.
Wieżyca belongs to the Ślęża Landscape Park, one of the most interesting hiking areas near Wrocław. It is worth combining the walk with an ascent of Ślęża itself and with a look at the ancient stone cult sculptures scattered around the foot of the massif.
