Duszniki-Zdrój (; cs, Dušníky; german: Bad Reinerz), often simplified to Duszniki, is a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. He ...

Kłodzko Valley The Kłodzko Valley ( pl, Kotlina Kłodzka, cs, Kladská kotlina, german: Glatzer Kessel) a valley in the Sudetes mountain range, that covers the central part of Kłodzko County in south-western Poland, with the southern tip extending to the Cz ...

and

Kłodzko County __NOTOC__ Kłodzko County ( pl, powiat kłodzki) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, south-western Poland. It came into being on 1 January 1999 as a result of the Polish local govern ...

, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 4,329. Situated on the Bystrzyca River, it attracts tourists from Poland and around the world.

History

The settlement was mentioned in 1324. It was granted

town rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

in 1346. Until 1595 it remained in private hands. A trade route connecting

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

and Bohemia ran through the town, contributing to its development. Weaving and paper production developed, as well as the iron industry, but the local iron deposits quickly depleted. In 1584 a town hall was built, and in 1605 a paper mill, now housing the Museum of Papermaking. The town's development was stopped by the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

(1618-1648). In 1669 Polish King

John II Casimir Vasa John II Casimir ( pl, Jan II Kazimierz Waza; lt, Jonas Kazimieras Vaza; 22 March 1609 – 16 December 1672) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1648 until his abdication in 1668 as well as titular King of Sweden from 1648 ...

stopped in the town after his abdication. In 1748 the first research of mineral springs was carried out, and in 1751 spa treatments began. In 1769, the town obtained the status of a

. In 1822 a pump room was founded. In 1826, 16-year-old Frédéric Chopin visited the spa. He was cured there and gave his first concert outside of the

Russian Partition The Russian Partition ( pl, zabór rosyjski), sometimes called Russian Poland, constituted the former territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that were annexed by the Russian Empire in the course of late-18th-century Partitions of Po ...

of Poland, which was also his first charity concert. In 1877 a palm house was built with a concert hall and a reading room, and after 1881 many guesthouses were built. In 1896 or 1897, a monument was unveiled commemorating the 60th anniversary of Chopin's stay. In 1949, 1,500 Greek refugees of the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος �όλεμος}, ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom and ...

, mostly women and children, were temporarily admitted in Duszniki-Zdrój before new homes were found for them in other towns. The town suffered in the

1997 Central European flood The 1997 Central European flood or the 1997 Oder Flood of the Oder and Morava (river), Morava river basins in July 1997 affected Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany, taking the lives of 114 people and causing material damages estimated at $4.5 ...

Economy

The town's economy is based on tourism, with several hundred thousand people visiting the town and the area every year. In addition, there are several

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases. T ...

bottling plants, a traditional paper works and a crystal jewellery producer. The

Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój The Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój ( Polish: ''Muzeum Papiernictwa'') is a historical museum located in the spa town of Duszniki-Zdrój in the Lower Silesia Voivodeship, southwestern Poland. It was founded in 1968 in an old 16th-century p ...

is located in the town.

Spa

Although the area was known for its healthy waters at least since the late

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, the spa was officially founded in 1769. The natural sparkling waters of Duszniki are used in treatment of a variety of illnesses, including cardiac problems, gastrical problems. In addition, there is a number of facilities for

balneotherapy Balneotherapy ( la, balneum "bath") is a method of treating diseases by bathing, a traditional medicine technique usually practiced at spas. Since ancient times, humans have used hot springs, public baths and thermal medicine for therapeutic e ...

located in Duszniki and an osteoporosis treatment centre.

Sights

Duszniki-Zdrój most recognizable landmark is the Museum of Papermaking established in an old 17th century paper mill. It is listed as an official Historic Monument of Poland. Other significant places include the Saints Peter and Paul church, which contains a unique baroque,

whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. As an informal and colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea, i.e. all cetaceans apart from dolphins and ...

-stylized pulpit, and the Fryderyk Chopin Theatre, established in the place where in 1826, 16-year-old

Fryderyk Chopin The Fryderyk is the annual award in Polish music. Its name refers to the original Polish spelling variant of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin's first name. Its status in the Polish public can be compared to the American Grammy and the UK's B ...

played his first concert outside of the

of Poland and his first charity concert. The annual International Chopin Festival is held here since 1946.

International relations

Duszniki-Zdrój is twinned with: *

Audun-le-Tiche Audun-le-Tiche (; ; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Location and rail links Audun-le-Tiche is located adjacent to Esch-sur-Alzette, on the border with Luxembourg, and close to the borders of German ...

, France *

Bad Sulza Bad Sulza is a town in the Weimarer Land district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Ilm, 15 km southwest of Naumburg, and 18 km north of Jena. The former municipality Ködderitzsch was merged into Bad Sulza in January 2 ...

, Germany * Deštné v Orlických horách, Czech Republic * Hoya, Germany *

Nové Město nad Metují Nové Město nad Metují (; german: Neustadt an der Mettau) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 9,100 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...

, Czech Republic * Olešnice v Orlických horách, Czech Republic * Orlické Záhoří, Czech Republic * Sedloňov, Czech Republic *

Trzcianka Trzcianka (; german: Schönlanke) is a town in the Greater Poland region in northwestern Poland. Since 1999, it has been part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship and Czarnków-Trzcianka County. From 1975 to 1998, it was located in the Piła Voivod ...

, Poland

Gallery

File:2014 , Centrum Dusznik-Zdroju, 01.JPG, Panorama of the town File:2015 Otoczenie papierni w Dusznikach-Zdroju 01.JPG, Museum of Papermaking File:2013 Duszniki Zdrój, dworek Chopina.jpg, Fryderyk Chopin Theatre File:2018 Kościół Świętych Apostołów Piotra i Pawła w Dusznikach-Zdroju 2.jpg, Saints Peter and Paul church File:Duszniki-zdroj june 2014 051.JPG, Chopin memorial from 1897 File:2018 Hotel Fryderyk w Dusznikach-Zdroju.jpg, The Fryderyk Hotel File:2018 Pijalnia wody mineralnej w Dusznikach-Zdroju.jpg, The spa park File:Duszniki Zdrój, Rynek 1, 02.JPG, Place of stay of King

File:2014 Kościół św. Anny w Zieleńcu.jpg, Saint Anne's Church in the district of Zieleniec File:2018 Duszniki-Zdrój, ul. Sudecka 6 1.jpg, A historic townhouse on Sudecka Street

References

External links

Duszniki-Zdrój On-line

Official site

Jewish Community in Duszniki-Zdrój
on Virtual Shtetl
Tourists attractions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duszniki-Zdroj Cities and towns in Lower Silesian Voivodeship Cities in Silesia Duszniki Zdroj Spa towns in Poland