A sundial without hands makes Bad Gottschalkowitz readable in a special way: the time is read on the dial based on the Earth’s rotation and a person’s shadow. Together with spa buildings, a park and a traditional Rose Festival, it makes for a destination whose visit can be planned around cultural history and the time of year. This mix of themes can help you choose accommodation, especially when deciding what you would like to discover during your stay—spa town history, outdoor attractions or seasonal garden and festival events.
A Sundial with a Human Gnomon
The Goczałkowice sundial has neither a mechanism nor a hand. Instead, the time is read on the dial based on the Earth’s rotation and a person’s shadow. The difference from a clock with hands is not just its shape: the person on the dial is part of the reading itself. If you are interested in an illustrative connection between timekeeping and the Earth’s rotation, you will find an unusual mechanism here—a concrete subject for a visit, distinct from the historic spa buildings.
Spa Town History in Its Buildings
The Goczałkowice spa centre is one of the largest rheumatology and rehabilitation centres in Silesia. It has been offering health treatments using brine and therapeutic mud for more than 165 years. The combination of these treatments with its focus on rheumatology and rehabilitation gives the spa town’s history a distinct profile.
The spa grounds include, among other things, the historic mineral water pump room and the former Hotel Prezydent. The former spa hotel is now the “Wrzos” Pavilion: in the history of the buildings, the former Hotel Prezydent and the former spa hotel, now known as the Wrzos Pavilion, should therefore be distinguished from one another.
Stary Dworzec combines another historic landmark with practical facilities. The building houses a tourist service centre, a waiting area for travellers, a tourist information office, a small library and toilets. After the municipality took it over and renovated it, Stary Dworzec was named “Dworzec Roku 2020” in a nationwide competition. The award is part of its history; the listed facilities describe what the building contains.
Park, Gardens and Rose Festival
Zdrojowy Park lies next to the spa area and Maciek Pond. Sun loungers are available by the shore all year round. The “Kapias” show gardens offer a different seasonal reference point: they feature several thousand plant species and varieties in themed areas and are a place to visit from March to December. Before travelling to the gardens, check the current details with them.
The Goczałkowicki Festiwal Róż is traditionally held in Goczałkowice on the first weekend of July. This gives you different dates to consider when planning your trip: sun loungers by the shore are available year-round, the show gardens are described as open from March to December, and the Rose Festival is traditionally tied to the first weekend of July. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the current event date.
The Water Landscape in Its Regional Context
The regional water landscape also gives the destination a broader context. The Goczałkowice Reservoir supplies water to a large part of Upper Silesia and also serves as flood protection. Nearby, the municipal description presents Jezioro Goczałkowickie as the largest artificial lake in southern Poland; it covers an area of 3,200 hectares. The region thus offers two different perspectives: the reservoir’s role in water supply and flood protection, and the size of the nearby lake. Along with the spa buildings, the sundial and the seasonal garden and festival dates, these are themes you can weigh up when planning your stay.
Discover more destinations: Suszec, Pielgrzymowice, Wisła Mała, Łąka, Kobior, Warszowice, Brzeźce, Studzienice.
For the main travel overview: Pszczyna.
