Attractions and Places To See around gmina Ruja - Top 20

Knight's castle built before 1317.

The abbey grounds are accessible, allowing you to explore every nook and cranny. The abbey itself can also be explored inside. I highly recommend it 😀👍

A pleasant section, with plenty to see, though there are a few pointlessly placed speed bumps along the way. The route ends strangely at this point, with a blockade at the entrance to the forest section, bearing a sign that says "No entry except for emergency services." After "bypassing the blockade," we continue along a pleasant single-track forest track to Lubiąż.

A Brief History of the Cistercian Abbey in Lubiąż The Cistercian Abbey in Lubiąż is one of the largest and most important monastic complexes in Central Europe. The beginnings of monastic settlement in Lubiąż date back to the 11th century, when the Benedictines probably had their establishment here. However, the real flourishing of the monastery began with the arrival of the Cistercians in 1163 from Pforta in Thuringia. They were brought by Duke Bolesław the Tall, who gave them lands in Lubiąż. The Cistercians, known for their diligence and management skills, quickly developed the monastery estates, establishing farms, fish ponds and mills. The abbey became an important economic, cultural and religious centre in Silesia. During the Middle Ages, Lubiąż was one of the richest and most influential Cistercian monasteries in Europe. Its abbots played a significant role in the political and ecclesiastical life of the region. Valuable manuscripts were created here, craftsmanship developed, and the monastery library gathered rich collections. The period of the Hussite Wars in the 15th century brought considerable destruction and the decline of the abbey. The monastery was burned down and plundered, and the number of monks decreased significantly. A revival took place in the second half of the 15th century and lasted through the 16th century, but on a smaller scale than during the period of glory. The real revival and Baroque reconstruction of the abbey took place in the 17th and 18th centuries. Monumental buildings were built at that time, such as an impressive church, library, refectory and abbots' palace. With the secularization of the monastic property in Prussia in 1810, the Lubiąż Abbey was dissolved. The monastery property was taken over by the Prussian state, and the buildings served various functions - from a psychiatric hospital, through warehouses, to barracks. Many valuable works of art and books were dispersed or destroyed. After World War II, Lubiąż found itself within the borders of Poland. The condition of the buildings was dramatic – the monastery was neglected, devastated and gradually fell into ruin. It was only in recent decades that intensive conservation and revitalization work was undertaken. Since 1989, the management of the abbey was taken over by the Lubiąż Foundation, which, together with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and EU funds, is conducting extensive renovation work. Thanks to this, it is gradually regaining its former glory and is being made available to visitors. Currently, the Cistercian abbey in Lubiąż is one of the greatest tourist attractions in Lower Silesia and a testament to the rich history of the region.

A Brief History of the Cistercian Abbey in Lubiąż The Cistercian Abbey in Lubiąż is one of the largest and most important monastic complexes in Central Europe. The beginnings of monastic settlement in Lubiąż date back to the 11th century, when the Benedictines probably had their establishment here. However, the real development of the monastery began with the arrival of the Cistercians in 1163 from Pforta in Thuringia. They were brought by Duke Bolesław the Tall, who gave them lands in Lubiąż. The Cistercians, known for their diligence and management skills, quickly developed the monastery estates, establishing farms, fish ponds and mills. The abbey became an important economic, cultural and religious centre in Silesia. During the Middle Ages, Lubiąż was one of the richest and most influential Cistercian monasteries in Europe. Its abbots played a significant role in the political and ecclesiastical life of the region. Valuable manuscripts were created here, craftsmanship developed, and the monastery library gathered rich collections. The period of the Hussite Wars in the 15th century brought significant destruction and decline to the abbey. The monastery was burned and plundered, and the number of monks decreased significantly. Rebirth occurred in the second half of the 15th century and lasted through the 16th century, but on a smaller scale than during the period of glory. The real rebirth and Baroque reconstruction of the abbey took place in the 17th and 18th centuries. Monumental buildings were built at that time, such as an impressive church, library, refectory and abbots' palace. With the secularization of the monastic property in Prussia in 1810, the Lubiąż Abbey was dissolved. The monastery property was taken over by the Prussian state, and the buildings served various functions - from a psychiatric hospital, through warehouses, to barracks. Many valuable works of art and books were dispersed or destroyed. After World War II, Lubiąż found itself within the borders of Poland. The condition of the buildings was dramatic – the monastery was neglected, devastated and gradually fell into ruin. Only in recent decades have intensive conservation and revitalization works been undertaken. Since 1989, the management of the abbey has been taken over by the Lubiąż Foundation, which, together with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and EU funds, is conducting extensive renovation works. Thanks to this, it is gradually regaining its former glory and is being made available to visitors. Currently, the Cistercian abbey in Lubiąż is one of the greatest tourist attractions in Lower Silesia and a testimony to the rich history of the region.

Perfect for road biking and cycling with the family.

The building, which once dominated the spatial arrangement of the city, was later squeezed into the mid-market block, and is now distinguished only by its Gothic tower. It is the oldest element of the preserved building in the 14th century. It functioned as a city prison with a torture chamber on the lower floor. The main town hall was probably erected in the 15th century, with representative interiors on the first floor for the Council, the Bench and the Mayor. From this period have survived, among others. vaults of the Knights' Hall, the southern gable and battlements above the cornices visible from the north. Window and door openings in Renaissance frames come from the mid-16th century. After the town hall tower was demolished in 1797, the City Council decided to raise the prison tower and crown it with a cupola. Today, the building is part of the Regional Museum.

One of the oldest churches preserved in Lower Silesia - mentioned in 1233, it was built in the second half of the 13th century. In the years 1378-1388, the builder Szymon erected a new presbytery covered with a vault by master Klaus Parler. In 1623, the roof and vaults of the church were destroyed, which were restored in 1645. In 1670, a thorough reconstruction of the church took place, and the western part was added around 1830. Currently, it is an oriented building, made of brick, built on a rectangular plan, with a separated presbytery ending polygonally. The three-bay presbytery is covered with a net vault, and the three-nave six-bay body with a basilica layout has a barrel vault in the main nave and cross vaults in the side naves. Its external walls are a remnant of a late Romanesque building from the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. It was a three-nave brick basilica, closed from the east by three apses, covered with a wooden ceiling. In the main altar (around 1718) there is a painting by J.W. Neunhertz "The Last Supper". Sculptures of St. Andrew and St. Hedwig. Baroque side altars of the Holy Family and St. Anne, a pulpit from 1677, a classicist baptismal font from 1845, two Gothic sculptures of the Madonna with Child from the 14th and 15th centuries and St. Hedwig from the 15th century. Gothic Renaissance stonework details (portal from 1579). Next to the church is a Gothic bell tower from the mid-14th century, originally a tower of the city gate. Next to the bell tower is a baroque figure of St. John of Nepomuk (1728).