Zlaté Hory is a small town in the Opawskie Mountains, in the vicinity of the Polish-Czech border. From the Middle Ages it was a gold mining and smelting center, which made it very rich. The area is also conducive to active tourism, especially mountain hiking.
The history of the city dates back to the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries and gold mines are already listed here. They were the subject of a dispute between the local princes and the bishops of Wrocław, and eventually fell into the hands of the church. The border location and the income from gold mining and smelting made Zlaté Hory a tasty morsel for the surrounding Silesian princes. It was connected with numerous invasions and frequent passing of these areas from hand to hand.
Today, the only memory of the mining traditions of this region is the Zatokopecki Open-Air Museum. There are mills in which gold was obtained by rinsing and replicas of plants where gold was melted and prepared for sale. It is currently the biggest attraction of Zlaté Hory. The former mining village of Rejviz with its characteristic low houses is also part of the city.
Due to the wealth of gold mining, Zlaté Hory was able to flourish. The historic, mainly Baroque city center with the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, numerous tenement houses, a baroque town hall and the City Museum located in a richly decorated tenement have been preserved to this day. His exhibitions focus mainly on gold mining and processing, and witch trials.
The location of Zlaté Hory at the foot of the Opawskie Mountains and the mineral springs occurring here make it a good place for active recreation. Sanatoriums and a health resort in underground tunnels have been operating in the town since the 19th century. The surrounding mountains are cut with a network of hiking and biking trails. A popular destination for excursions is the Biskupia Kopa, located on the Polish-Czech border, 890 m above sea level.
