Lądek - Zdrój

Lądek Zdrój being one of the oldest health resorts in Europe is situated in the eastern part of the Kłodzka Land, at the Biała Lądecka River. The town is divided into two parts: the urban part playing the service-commercial role and the spa part with medical institutes, sanatorias, holiday homes, boarding-houses and hotels. Archeological investigations proved that as early as in the 13th century the curative properties of local waters were used and the complex tests of the waters were carried out in the 15th century. Scientific analyses confirming the curative properties of the waters in Ladek contributed to the fast development of the health resort. Crowds of guests, including so known and famous people as J. V. Goethe, King Frederick II, King Frederick William III, Russian Tsar Alexander, have been visiting Lądek through the ages.
The most known and characteristic building of Lądek Zdrój is the Medical Institute “Wojciech” dated on 1658, rebuilt capitally two hundred years later and architecturally shaped like Turkish bath houses. Lądek, thanks to its many-centuries tradition, has a lot of historical buildings including the Gothic bridge of Saint John dated on 1565, the Parich Church sacrificed in 1697, the votive figure chiseled by M. Klahr, one of the most brilliant sculptors of the Baroque on the Kłodzka Land.
Lądek Zdrój is surrounded by mountains. The Golden Mountains, the Śnieżnik Massif and the Bialskie Mountains give a lot of opportunities of sightseeing and bike excursions. A great number of tourist tracks (a part of which is especially designed for patients as walking paths e.g. around Arboretum) as well as marked bike tracks make the surroundings of Lądek perfect for active rest. Local studs of horses offer their services, the fish-breeding ponds propose fresh fish frying, the climbing schools teach the secrets of moving on the rocks and the local guides invite for excursions.