Nowa Ruda: Mining History and Observation Towers
Accommodation in Nowa Ruda
Nowa Ruda combines architectural history with a mining heritage and scenic viewpoints. The townscape includes a town hall in the Biedermeier style, an important Neo-Gothic parish church, and historic weavers’ houses. There is also an underground tourist route featuring mining history and observation towers made of red sandstone. You can shape your stay around different interests: architecture and culture, the history of mining, or panoramic views of the Sudetes. When choosing a holiday apartment, it helps to first consider which of these aspects of Nowa Ruda makes it particularly interesting for your trip.
Town history at the town hall and weavers’ houses
The town hall is the city’s third town hall building. It was built in 1884 in the Biedermeier style and extended between 1892 and 1894, when it was embellished with a portal, oriel windows, and window crowns. These details give the later construction phase a distinctive character. At the northwest corner of the building stands a fountain with a Baroque statue of Saint Florian dating from 1756. The town hall and fountain thus bring together different historical references in one place: a 19th-century building and an 18th-century statue.
The weavers’ houses on Nadrzeczna Street date from around the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Their vaulted arcades cover the present-day footpath. The houses therefore tell us not only about their age, but also about a distinctive architectural form: the arcades are part of the houses and extend over the path that runs beneath them today. Those interested in urban architecture will find different scales in Nowa Ruda, from the town hall with its decorative features to the arcades along a street.
Churches, a chapel, and a monument
The parish church of St. Nicholas has historical, scientific, and artistic value. It is one of the largest and most striking Neo-Gothic churches in the Kłodzko region and is the work of a renowned architect. Its Neo-Gothic style makes it a prominent example of this architecture in the regional context.
The Loreto Chapel also makes its own impression: it was consecrated in 1768 and is one of 20 Polish buildings of this type. It is included and marked on the national route of Loreto chapels. The bronze monument to Saint John the Baptist adds a specific visual motif to the religious buildings. Dating from 1909, it depicts the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist.
Mining history and the mine railway
The underground “Kopalnia Węgla” tourist route in Nowa Ruda was first established as a mining museum in 1996. The idea was to preserve part of the former mine as a museum. The focus of this site is therefore not only coal mining, but also the idea of preserving a section of the mine as a reminder of the region’s mining history.
An educational program for visiting the coal mine at Dawna Kopalnia Nowa Ruda includes a ride on the mine railway in the LECH tunnel. If you would like to include this ride in your plans, check with the operator for current arrangements. This offers a way to experience mining history not only through buildings and former uses, but also through a specific visitor program.
Viewpoints made of red sandstone
The “Dwie Wieże” trail connects two viewpoints in Nowa Ruda, where brick towers made of red sandstone stand. The name draws attention to the connection between the two viewpoints and to the towers as a shared architectural feature. The mountains offer their own observation-tower highlights: a 14-metre-high observation tower made of red sandstone stands on Góra św. Anny. It was built in 1911 and reopened on 5 October 2014 after modernization.
At 648 metres above sea level, Góra Wszystkich Świętych is the highest elevation within Nowa Ruda’s city limits. A stone observation tower with a gallery stands at its summit, offering panoramic views of the Eastern and Central Sudetes. The viewpoints therefore differ in their described locations and forms: “Dwie Wieże” connects two points within the city, while the tower on Góra Wszystkich Świętych stands on a named elevation.
Choose a focus for your stay
These different themes can be a starting point when looking for a holiday apartment in Nowa Ruda. If you are particularly interested in architectural history, the town hall, weavers’ houses, and churches provide a clear focus. For a trip with an interest in mining, there is the underground tourist route and the educational program with a ride in the LECH tunnel. If you are mainly looking to visit viewpoints, you can consider the “Dwie Wieże” trail and the two elevations with their towers as separate themes.
Discover more destinations: Potoczek, Bad Langenau, Altheide-Bad, Poręba, Stojków, Sokolec, Jodlow, Lewin Kłodzki
Go to the overview of the wider region: Kłodzki.
