10 Facts you Didn't Know About the Ślęża Mountain

The Ślęża Mountain is a part of the beautiful Sudeten Foreland. It's built predominantly of granite and covered with lush forests. It lies 30 kilometres outside of Wrocław and it's a top tourist destination in the area. Read on for 10 facts you didn't know about Ślęża!

You can reach it in only 1.5h! With its quite easy reachable height of 718 m, it is a common tourist destination. Depending on the route that you take, you will reach it within 2.5 to 1.5 h. The longest route leads from Sobótka village but it's also very picturesuqe.

Interestingly enough, in the past, the peak was called "Sobótka" (Saturday Mountain). Nowadays, a neighboring village bears that name.

The current name of the mountain (Ślęża Mountain) most likely comes from the Old Slavic word "ślęg" ("moisture, humidity, mud"). The word "ślęg" well describes the specific humid climate prevailing here.

According to the local legends, at the foot of the mountain there was an entrance to hell. Supposedly, at twilight you can still catch a glimpse of a stray devil, trying to make their way into the underground kingdom.

On the hiking trail, you can see mysterious ancient stone sculptures built in the past.

In the 19th century, Ślęża was a frequent place of students' celebrations. The celebrations usually started in the village of Sobótka and then moved onto Ślęża. The festivities took 3 days, with various performances and mountain walks.

On the way to the peak you will also encounter "Wieżyca", and a former Bismarck Tower - both renovated jointly by the inhabitants of Sobótka village in XX century.

On the top peak of Ślęża, a small church built by the Augustinian order has been preserved until this day.

Around 1700, the previous wooden chapel was replaced by a brick temple of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Alas, on the night of June 5 1834 it was completely burnt down by a lightning strike. Rebuilt in 1852, the temple still exists.

In the past, Ślęża Moutain was the center of a solar cult, and one of the neighboring settlements - of a lunar one.