In Kowary, different aspects of mining history sit alongside museums, architectural models, and walking and cycling trails. Two underground visitor routes lead through the chambers of former mines, while the Sentymentów Museum offers a glimpse of artefacts from past decades and interactive retro experiences. When choosing a destination, you can weigh up whether you are particularly interested in mining, exhibitions, or outdoor activities.
Mining history underground and on the educational trail
The Sztolnie Kowary – Liczyrzepa Uranium Mine underground visitor route leads through authentic tunnels belonging to the historic Liczyrzepa Uranium Mine complex. Another underground route, Kopalnia Podgórze, is about 1,600 metres long and runs through the excavated chambers of the former mine of the same name in Kowary. Both attractions focus on mining, but describe different places: Liczyrzepa highlights the authentic tunnels of the historic uranium mine, while Podgórze features the chambers of the former mine.
The red-marked “Szlak Tradycji Górniczych” (Mining Traditions Trail) also connects Kowary with its mining heritage. It is just over seven kilometres long, with a maximum stated time of two and a half hours for one way. This time refers to a single direction and should not be read as the total time for a return trip. It is advisable to check current trail conditions before setting out. This distinguishes the trail from the underground visitor routes: both the trail’s length and the walking time per direction are included in the planning information.
Retro experiences and architectural models
The Sentymentów Museum is housed in a former carpet factory and displays artefacts from past decades. The museum experience includes interactive retro attractions: visitors can, among other things, use a landline rotary telephone and retro computers from Atari or Commodore. The combination of exhibits and interactive devices makes the museum a different kind of discovery from the underground mine routes.
The Park Miniatur Zabytków Dolnego Śląska offers another perspective on history and architecture. It features scale models of castles, monasteries, churches, and historic town centres of Lower Silesia at a scale of 1:25. Those interested in buildings and towns will find a compact model view of a variety of regional structures here; the mine routes and museum, by contrast, focus on other themes.
On foot and by bike
The Leśny Park Miejski in Kowary has walking paths among trees and shrubs, including both common and rarer species. This means there are trails in the park to choose from alongside the themed attractions. Whether you prefer a stroll, a longer route connected with mining history, or a visit to a museum depends on how you want to spend your day. The walking time for the educational trail is stated per direction; its length of just over seven kilometres also gives you a concrete guide for planning your time.
Two different cycling routes are also described. The Euroregional Cycling Tourism Route “Liczyrzepa” ER-2 passes through Kowary. The “Obwodnica Kowarska,” by contrast, is a cycling loop of about 33 kilometres around Kowary. The distinction lies in the route forms described: one passes through the town, while the other is laid out as a loop around it. The length given for the second route is explicitly approximate, not an exact figure.
Choose your stay based on your interests
When looking for a hotel in Kowary, it may help to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay. The activities described in the town cover several clearly distinct themes: historic mine chambers, a trail exploring mining traditions, retro experiences, architectural models, and walking and cycling routes.
Discover more destinations: Łomnica, Piechowice, Stara Kamienica, Dziwiszów, Jeżów Sudecki, Podgorzyn, Bukowiec, Ściegny.
Return to the regional travel overview: Jeleniogórski.
