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Kolobrzeg Poland – A Short Introduction
Kolobrzeg (Kołobrzeg) is the administrative city in Kolobrzeg County in the Province of West Pomerania. It lies at the mouth of the Parseta River where it enters the Baltic Sea. It’s a large seaside resort and spa center.
The city’s seaport functions as a freight and passenger terminal, a fishing port, and a yachting marina. The health resort in Kolobrzeg has the characteristics of a lowland marine spa with a typical coastal climate that’s influenced by the sea.
A characteristic feature of this climate is its strong onshore winds and those along the coastline. This combination of winds is very favorable from a therapeutic point of view. They carry with them high levels of ozone saturated with particles of iodine. So what makes you beautiful in a Kolobrzeg spa? Its climate and its brine and mud deposits. The therapeutic mud from this region is an export product and is used in several other Polish health resorts.
A Short History Of Kolobrzeg
Kolobrzeg is one of the oldest cities in West Pomerania. A fortified settlement stood here already in the 8th century. By 1255 the town gained civic rights and was a center of salt production, trade, and fishing, and by the 14th century was a member of the Baltic Hanseatic League.
The Dukes from Brandenburg took the town over and immediately turned it into a fortress. Since then the city began falling into decline and the Russians captured it during the Seven Year War.
Napoleon’s armies besieged the Kolobrzeg Fortress in 1807 but this time held out till the signing of a peace treaty ending the war. By order of the King of Prussia in 1872, the city’s fortifications were gradually dismantled which changed its character.
During World War I the sanatoria and holiday homes transformed into a huge military hospital. The Battle for Kolobrzeg, towards the end of World War II, destroyed more than 95% of the city and all spa facilities.
A Seaside Resort
As a seaside resort, the city received visitors from the 19th century. Modeled on English resorts, it became fashionable to bathe in the sea as the notion that this led to improved health and well-being soon changed the negative attitude towards the use of seawater in this form. The use of brine from natural sources at the city’s spa facilities dates back to 1830 and made it very popular as other coastal health resorts use heated seawater for this purpose. The upgrading of the resort came with new investments after 1872 and the construction of therapeutic facilities along with their accompanying infrastructure.
A measure of the future aspirations of this health resort was the building of an exclusive treatment center, completed in 1899, with the most modern equipment of the time and called the Coastal Palace. This one facility met all the criteria of a modern health spa and became a model for other resorts.
Spa and Sanatorium
After rebuilding works to both the city and the spa the first patients returned to Kolobrzeg in 1952 with the opening of a sanatorium for children. Over the following years, extensive reconstruction and development of hospitals, sanatoria, holiday homes, and residences led to Kolobrzeg receiving official spa status in 1967.
Today Kolobrzeg is the largest spa resort in Poland and one of the leading resorts in the medical tourism market. All facilities have state-of-the-art equipment used by trained people. A holiday at this seaside resort is more often than not linked to some therapeutic spa treatments.
Treatments
There are treatments for respiratory and cardiovascular disease, disorders of the endocrine system, and metabolism here. Treatments for children include those for asthma, diabetes, thyroid, obesity, and skin allergies. The city is also a center for medical rehabilitation.
Events and Leisure
Some cultural institutions are responsible for filling the spare time of both patients and tourists by staging various concerts, spectacles, and artistic events. Leisure activities are available at sports centers, stadiums, sports halls, at the ice rink or the water park, or by hiking or cycling along the many prepared trails.
The Kolobrzeg Cathedral
Built sometime in the 1500s, Kolobrzeg Cathedral is a Gothic basilica, built as a catholic temple, later turned into a Lutheran one, and since 1970’s – again to catholic. For centuries the church was repeatedly damaged in many wars that had swept through the city. In 1945 Soviet shellfire destroyed the double tower crown of the cathedral, and was rebuilt in 1958 in the shape visible today. Not much of the historical decor or artifacts remain.
Yet, the still available ones include a 4 meters tall seven-branched Gothic candelabra, two chandeliers, a bronze one from the 15th century and a wooden one from the 16th century, a 14th-century baptismal bowl, and three altars: “The Last Supper”, “Adoration of The Magi” and “St. Anne and St. Nicolas”. The real treat is a lift ride or a climb up a steep, helix-like staircase of over 100 steps right to the tower top. The panoramic view of the whole city is breathtaking.
Address | Mariacka 5 |
Telephone | +48 94 352 61 50 |
Water Tower Kolobrzeg
The Water Tower is a red brick structure built in the Neo-Gothic style in 1885. At the highest point of the Tower, there’s an original water tank that could hold 720 m³ of water. Pumped water from the Parseta River was then distributed to the buildings.
It was in operation until March 2015. Currently, the Tower is in use as a local brewery and restaurant Colberg. They serve regional beer and traditional cuisine.
Address | ul. Morska 1 |
Telephone | +48 502 058 767 |