Bolesławiec in Lower Silesia is one of those towns that has a lot to offer but that is not on the tourist radar. They call it Ceramics City because of its long-standing pottery-making tradition.

Bunzlauer ware (Ceramika bolesławiecka), the name given to this  ceramic type is taken from the German name for the town: Bunzlau. Bunzlauer ware evolved from a folk tradition into a distinct ceramic category distinguishable by form, fabric, glaze, and decoration.

Bolesławiec is an old town, which was named after Duke Bolesław I the Tall. It celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2001.

The town has a few beautiful but small parks along the old town walls which (surprisingly!!!) remain intact!

One of the city’s landmarks is its viaduct which is also one of the largest stone railway bridges in Europe. The viaduct is 490m long, 8m wide and 26m high. It was designed by the Prussian architect Frederick Engelhardt Gansel who was inspired by the Roman aqueducts. The construction took two years and the viaduct was completed in July 1846. It played an important role during the WWII because it connected Breslau (now Wroclaw) with Dresden and Berlin.

During the WWII, Bolesławiec had two concentration camps which were situated in the buildings of the former “Spinerei und Weberei-Concordia” company.

On a more positive note, there are some nice cafés and restaurants.

If you get hungry, you can eat at the “Pod Zlotym Aniolem” (below is the symbol of the restaurant) where Napoleon himself had dinner. Apparently, you can still choose the same meal…

Published by natalyadrian

I am a writer, a teacher, a translator and a digital nomad. View all posts by natalyadrian