Srebrna Góra (Silver Mountain) Stronghold

a big fortress surrounded by green hills — This photo from Wikipedia shows how beautifully located the Silver Mountain Fortress is :)

I have said many times that we like traveling abroad, but we also love discovering Poland. We explore different regions and their gems. This time I wanted to show my children the Srebrna Góra fortress. It is one of the largest mountain strongholds in Europe. The impressions were incredible. The fortress is located on the top of a mountain. Its size is amazing and the views from it are breathtaking!

The fortress was built between 1765 and 1777. The main core of the fortress is a complex of bastions with a Donjon in the middle. This structure had 151 fortress rooms (casemates) arranged on three floors. Huge warehouses, 9 wells, an armory, a chapel, a prison, a hospital, a bakery, a brewery, craft workshops and a powder magazine made the fort completely independent and self-sufficient. It housed 3,756 soldiers, huge supplies of ammunition, fuel and food.

a boy is sitting on a stone next to the fortress entrance — The entrance to the entire complex. The Srebrna Góra fortress. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

a woman and two boys are standing in front of the donjon gate — The entrance to the entire complex. The Srebrna Góra fortress. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

a woman and a boy are posing in front of a fortress — Thick stone walls of the Srebrna Góra stronghold. Photo by A. Rybczyński

The fortress, in 1807, was not conquered despite the attack of the French army led by Jerome Bonaparte, Napoleon's younger brother. Heavy fighting was stopped by the cease-fire and the peace in Tilsit. In 1867, the soldiers left the fortress, which ended its war history.

big, stone walls of a fortress — One of the bastions of the Silver Mountain fortress. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

a view of the green hills — A magnificent view of the mountains from the Srebrna Góra fortress. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

remains of the fortress seen from above — You can take a walk around the top of the Srebrna Góra Fortress and admire the surrounding area. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

a boy stands on a small platform admiring hills — Sometimes it's good to stop and take a breath. The Srebrna Góra stronghold. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

The fortress is not only thick walls, but also a great story told by a guide (brilliant entertainment for children and adults), the possibility of resting in the courtyard, eating ice cream or even drinking a mug of beer. There is a restaurant and a hostel there. From the viewing terrace at the top of the donjon there is a panorama of the Sowie and Bardzkie mountains, there are tables and benches if someone wants to eat or rest, and even a herd of goats grazing. There are also film screenings in the fortress. It is a great place to spend time with the family or friends.

a woman sits in a blue tunnel — When you visit the srebrna Góra fortress, you can come across many interesting attractions, such as sitting in a special tunnel. Photo by A. Rybczyński

There would be no such amazing sightseeing without our guide Mr. Mariusz. Humor, interesting facts, "Prussian discipline" during the sightseeing :)) The best guided tour I've ever been on (and I've been on many). I know you won't understand anything from this movie, but I hope you'll see the passion of our guide (right after the movie ended there was a real gunshot, the bang was so loud that we had to cover our ears).

Two children and a woman pose with a man dressed as a Prussian soldier — With a fantastic guide. The Srebrna Góra fortress. Photo by A. Rybczyński

Guide dressed as Prussian soldier waits for tourists — With a fantastic guide. The Srebrna Góra fortress. Photo by A. Rybczyński

Guide dressed as Prussian soldier tells about fortress — Our guide was full of passion for his job. The Srebrna Góra stronghold. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

A guide dressed as a Prussian soldier measures with a rifle — Just before the shot. Srebrna Góra Stronghold. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

At the end of the 19th century, the fortress became one of the tourist attractions. Currently, the Srebrna Góra Fortress is a unique object in the scale of the cultural heritage of Europe and one of the most important attractions of Lower Silesia. The vastness of the entire complex (106 ha) and its location on the peaks allow the Srebrna Góra stronghold to be classified as one of the largest mountain defensive structures on our continent.

a boy walks through dark tunnels — The tour lasted over an hour. During that time we even visited the tunnels in the Srebrna Góra fortress. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

a small model of the fortress with four bastions — A model of the Silver Mountain fortress. Photo by A. Rybczyńska

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