Polkowice offers several different themes for a stay: a preserved windmill with a eventful past, churches from different centuries, and the Glinianki site, once used for clay extraction and later for recreation. A graduation tower and aquapark provide further recreational options. If you are looking for a hotel in Polkowice, this distinction can help with your planning: would you primarily like to explore architectural and urban history, or make recreation the focus?
Windmill and City History
The Wiatrak Polkowicki is the only surviving windmill in the city. An earlier wooden windmill burned down in 1846; the present structure was built in the 1880s. This sequence takes you from the loss of its predecessor to the later structure that today shapes Polkowice’s windmill history. The Wiatrak also houses an exhibition on the city’s history. Guided tours and opportunities to take part in artistic and ethnographic workshops are also offered there. If you are interested in a tour or workshop, check availability before your visit.
Two Churches, Different Building Periods
The Church of St. Michael the Archangel is the oldest sacred architectural monument in Polkowice. It was built in the second half of the 14th century as a wooden Catholic church. Two paintings dating from the 1680 plague epidemic are located in the church, including a votive painting in the presbytery and a painting associated with an altar dedicated to Saint Sebastian. Architectural history and religious memory from different periods thus sit side by side.
The Church of St. Barbara marks a later period. It was built in the mid-18th century as a Protestant church; its tower dates from 1828. Compared with the beginnings of St. Michael’s Church, it was built several centuries later. The building date and the tower’s date are also two separate points of reference. Those interested in sacred architecture will therefore find different architectural forms and historical contexts in Polkowice, rather than encountering just a single era.
Glinianki and Further Recreational Options
“Glinianki” was established in the first half of the 18th century as a site for extracting clay for brickmaking. In the 1920s, the site was turned into a recreational area for the residents of Polkowice. As part of its restoration, shelters, benches and fire pits were installed there. The site’s history thus encompasses two different uses: first, extracting raw material for bricks, and later, recreation.
The Tężnia solankowa salt graduation tower offers another interesting look at a specific process: brine is distributed over blackthorn branches, producing an aerosol. The aquapark includes, among other things, pools and saunas. As the facilities may change, check the current offerings before visiting. The recreational options therefore focus on different things: Glinianki’s former leisure use, the process at the salt graduation tower, and the aquapark’s facilities.
Getting Around and Accommodation in Polkowice
When planning your journey, it is important to know the scope of the local transport offer: a municipal report dated September 16, 2025, states that public transport in the municipality of Polkowice has been free to use for years. Check current routes and details before travelling.
Consider which of these interests you want to shape your trip, and take local transport information into account when planning. This will help you tailor your search for hotels in Polkowice to the stay you actually have in mind.
Discover more destinations: Stara Rzeka, Czerńczyce, Radwanice, Chocianow, Buczyna.
Return to the main travel overview: Polkwitz.
