Kudowa-Zdrój (German: Bad Kudowa, Czech: Chudoba) is a town situated in the foothills of the Stołowe Mountains in the southwestern part of Poland, in Kłodzko County, Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, about 400 m above sea level. It has a population of about 10,000. It is right at the Polish-Czech border, just across from the Czech town of Náchod, and some 40 km west of Kłodzko. On the other side of the border is the Czech town of Náchod.

Understand

Stalactites in the Bear Cave of Kletno

Kudowa-Zdrój is historic spa town where heart and circulation system diseases were cured. In the downtown area, there is a park, styled on 17th century revival, with exotic plants and a mineral water pump room.

Due to its location, the town is a used as a place for tourism, walking, biking, and as the departure point for trips. Among notable locations of the region is the Chapel of Skulls and the Moving Nativity Scene in Czermna, the Basilica in Wambierzyce, the Bear Cave in Kletno or the heritage park in Pstrążna as well the natural surroundings of the nearby góry Stołowe (Table Mountains). It is 3 kilometers from the centre of the town to the Czech border and about 140 kilometers to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic.

Get in

Even though Kudowa-Zdrój is located very near to the border it has a train station with connections to many places in Lower Silesia. The 1 Kudowa-Zdrój Train Station with connections from Wrocław and Kłodzko is located a bit outside of the village centre. So the rest of the journey will need to be done on foot or by taxi.

See

Spa Park, with Drinking House in the middleground

• 1 Spa Park (Park Zdrojowy), Stanisława Moniuszki, Aleje Jana Pawła II. A large park with a mineral water spring, flower beds, several statues, benches and a large pond. (updated May 2022)
• 2 Chapel of Skulls (Kaplica Czaszek), Stanisława Moniuszki 8, ☏ +48 605 540 927. This chapel in the village of Czermna, like similar ones around Europe, is a small room with walls and ceiling entirely covered with human bones. It is a 20 minute walk from the Drinking House through the Spa Park. You can easily follow the signs to "Kaplica Czaszek". 5 zł.  
• 3 Toy Museum (Muzeum Zabawek).  
• 4 Museum of Folk Culture of the Sudeten Foothills (Muzeum Kultury Ludowej Pogórza Sudeckiego).  
• 5 Ecocenter of the Table Mountains National Park (Ekocentrum Parku Narodowego Gór Stołowych). Exhibition presenting the nature of the Table Mountains , both in terms of fauna and flora and inanimate nature. The facility also houses an exhibition of the former Frog Museum.  
• 6 Museum of minerals.  

Drink

There is a Drinking House (Pijalnia Wód Mineralnych) in the central park, where you can sit and drink two kinds of mineral water from beautiful wrought-iron and glass spouts for 1.5 złoty (during the opening hours only; spa guests with a proof of stay not required to pay). The two mineral water springs located here are called "Leon Marchlewski" and "Jędrzej Śniadecki", both waters are offered either cold or warm. There is another mineral spring in the park, around halfway from the Drinking House to the park pond, which is located in an open-air artistic structure resembling a flower. This spring is called "Stanisław Moniuszko" and is publicly accessible all day without any entrance fee.

Sleep

Sanatorium Polonia

• 1 Villa Antica, ul. Zdrojowa 29, ☏ +48 74 866 15 12, antica@anticakudowa.pl. Check-in: 14.00, check-out: 17.00. Villa Antica has been restored to bring back its 19th century glory. It's adjacent to the historic Spa Park. It can accommodate 50 people in single, double or triple rooms. Has an on-site restaurant, barbeque garden and guest car park. 
• 2 Villa Elizabeth, ul. Pogodna 14, ☏ +48 74 866 15 15. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 10:00. Adjacent to the Spa Park on one side and the town centre on the other. Comfortable, airy rooms with big balconies, 45 rooms. Has an on-site restaurant, barbeque garden and guest car park. 170 zł. 

Go next

• Table Mountains National Park
• Duszniki-Zdrój
• Kłodzko
• Adršpach