Zebrzydów: Cultural Heritage on the Czarna Woda

Zebrzydów can be explored through various historical and landscape themes: from a church with notable furnishings and traces of former manor sites to the Czarna Woda. A 23-kilometre circular route also passes through the village. Route 5 is a 23-kilometre circuit through Zebrzydów; the distance covers the entire loop.

Location and Landscape

Zebrzydów lies on the Czarna Woda at an elevation of around 215 metres. These details provide a brief indication of the village’s location and elevation. Another natural feature is a small-leaved lime tree by the mill stream, which is designated a natural monument. The river, mill stream and protected tree offer different landscape features: the Czarna Woda indicates the village’s location, while the lime tree is associated with a specific site and its natural monument status.

Church and Historic Furnishings

The branch church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was built in the early 16th century and stands on a hill east of the centre. It is listed in the heritage register. The medieval castle site in Zebrzydów is also listed there. The two listings concern different aspects of history and complement each other if you are interested in the history of the buildings and the village.

The church brings together furnishings from several centuries. The stone baptismal font dates from the 16th century and is Late Gothic. The wooden polychrome altar is Baroque and dates from the 18th century. There is also an organ built in 1874 by the Świdnica firm “Schlag und Söhne”. The dates make the differences between the objects clear: the baptismal font, altar and organ do not belong to a single period of construction or furnishing.

Manor Sites and Other Building History

The history of the manor sites is reflected in two different sets of remains. The lower manor site survives as a low, rectangular earthen mound, surrounded by the remains of a moat and an outer rampart. These remains are interpreted as the seat of the lords of Seifferdau, built no later than the end of the 14th century. The upper manor site, meanwhile, was a former village reeve’s farm with an outlying farmstead. It had features of a “knightly” residence, including a moat and a tower on a hill. This description of its former features does not mean that both survive today.

Other buildings also offer clues to the village’s history. Zebrzydów’s school is a brick building from the early 20th century. Its sections are one and two storeys high; it stands in an extensive park surrounded by a fence from the same period. A cemetery chapel dates from around 1800. Two penance crosses are also set into a cemetery wall. These examples represent different forms of architectural heritage: the school building and park on the one hand, and the chapel and crosses on the other.

Planning for Route 5

Route 5 is a 23-kilometre circuit from Marcinowice via Zebrzydów, Kątki, Wirki, Wiry and Tapadła, returning to Marcinowice. The 23 kilometres refer to the entire circuit, not to a section within Zebrzydów. If you include the route in your plans, check its current course, signage and trail conditions beforehand. This makes it easier to distinguish the total distance from the individual places along the way.

Discover more destinations: Świdnica, Boleścin, Jawor, Bystrzyca Górna, Marcinowice, Żarów, Świebodzice, Złoty Las.

Go to the regional travel overview: Świdnicki.