Wałbrzych, known as Valbrich in English, is a city located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland. From 1975–1998 it was the capital of Wałbrzych Voivodeship; it is now the seat of Wałbrzych County. Wałbrzych lies approximately 70 kilometres southwest of the voivodeship capital Wrocław and about 30 kilometres from the Czech border. Wałbrzych has the status of the municipality, its administrative borders encompass the area of 85 km2, which is populated by 115 thousand inhabitants, it makes the second-largest city in the voivodeship and the 33rd largest in the country.
Wałbrzych was once a major coal mining and industrial center alongside most of Silesia. The city was left undamaged after World War II and possesses rich historical architecture, among which the most recognizable landmark is the Książ Castle, the largest castle of Lower Silesia and the third-largest in Poland.
In 2015 Wałbrzych became widely known due to the search for an allegedly buried Nazi gold train, which however was not found.