The Ślęza (; ) is a 78.6 km

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

Lower Silesia Lower Silesia ( ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ) is a historical and geographical region mostly located in Poland with small portions in the Czech Republic and Germany. It is the western part of the region of Silesia. Its largest city is Wrocław. The first ...

, southern

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, a left tributary of the

Oder The Oder ( ; Czech and ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and its largest tributary the Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows through wes ...

. It starts in the Niemcza Hills (), part of the Sudeten Foreland (''Przedgórze Sudeckie''), and flows near

Mount Ślęża Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...

through the

Silesian Lowland Silesian Lowlands (or Silesian Plains, , , ) are lowlands located in Silesia, Poland in Central Europe. A small part is located in the Czech Republic. The Silesian ridge runs through northern Silesia from west-northwest to east-southeast and adjo ...

(''Nizina Śląska'') and enters the Oder in

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

. The most important tributary is the

Mała Ślęza Mała Ślęza is a river of Poland, a tributary of the Ślęza near Bartoszowa. Rivers of Poland Rivers of Lower Silesian Voivodeship {{Poland-river-stub ...

("Small Ślęza"). The most important towns on the river are:

Niemcza Niemcza () is a town in Dzierżoniów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Niemcza. It lies on the Ślęza River, approximately east of Dzierżoniów, a ...

Tyniec nad Ślęzą Tyniec nad Ślęzą is a village in the Administrative District of Gmina Kobierzyce, within Wrocław County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies on the river Ślęza and approximately south of the regional capital Wrocła ...

Jordanów Śląski Jordanów Śląski () is a village in Wrocław County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Jordanów Śląski. It lies approximately south of the regional capital ...

and Wrocław. The name is probably derived from a Silesian word meaning "wet swampy place". In a

papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...

from Hadrian IV in 1155, the river is called the Selenza. The names of the Ślęza and Mount Ślęża are both of Silesian origin, but the Ślęza is spelled with a standard '' z'' and Mount Ślęża is spelled with a '' ż'', pronounced like an English ''zh''.

References

Rivers of Poland Rivers of Lower Silesian Voivodeship {{Poland-river-stub

See also

References