DUSZNIKI ZDRÓJ - THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN

In the place where nowadays the health resort of Duszniki Zdrój is placed, in the 13th century there was already a small village, which belonged to lordly, miniature state called Homole. The development of the village began at the time when a rich vein of iron ore was discovered. The exploring of a seam caused that in 1346 a village became a town. It was fast getting richer owing to its advantageous position by the trading route from Prague to Wrocław. On the other hand this position was a reason of frequent wars and attacks. After one of them the iron ore exploring was given up.

Since 1562 in Duszniki there was a cloth guild and a paper industry, and in the 17th and 18th centuries the first weaving mills and manufactures came into being.

The history of the town is tightly connected to the history of the resort.
Discoveries of numerous mineral sources decided about founding it in here.
Curative proprieties of water spring named "Zimny Zdrój " has already been known since 1408. The fame of different springs of water from Duszniki was well known far away behind the state's boarders. Considering their pleasant taste they were searched by famous, noble houses as the feast beverages.
However until the 18th -century the sources were not properly appreciated and explored. Their curative proprieties were a matter of interest for physicians. Mogalle, a doctor from Wrocław published a lot of works mainly on specification of mineral sources and watering places in Silesia. Owing to this he increased their development. He chose Duszniki to set up a milk and whey of ewe's milk manufacture.
Moreover he improved a way of processing whey and whey of ewe's milk for curative and medical aims. Owing to this the resort quickly got fame and a number of patients was getting higher each year. In the first part of the 19th century Duszniki was a place of amusement and concerning high prices of stay and treatment here it was accessible only for rich people. Among three existing resorts: Polanica, Duszniki and Kudowa, those days Duszniki was the most popular. Aesthetics and a proper level of medical treatment were a matter of care. As a curiosity is a fact that in 1876 in the area of resort horsewhip banging was forbidden, and women were not allowed to wear trains of dresses not to make dust around while walking.

The resort town of Duszniki Zdrój lies at about 588 meters above the sea level in beautiful Kłodzko Area, in a valley of Bystrzyca Dusznicka River, among the Bystrzyckie and Orlickie Mountains ranges. In the distance of 6 km there is a spacious peatbog called "Topieliska", which is a sanctuary of nature. There are many species of plants, which have survived since the ice age, as for instance: Iceland moss, scrub birch, or Siberian stone pine.
In nearby forests there are many plants that are preserved. Among them there also is European trollilius called "the rose of Kłodzko", carlina acaulis, pasque - flower, and snowdrop.

The climate of Duszniki has specific proprieties. Considering the highest altitude above the sea level the resort has got some features of sub-Alpine climate.
Water sources from Duszniki belong to bicarbonate-calcic-ferruginous oxalates, and they are explored from "Pieniawa Chopina" and "Jan Kazimierz" springs. They are employed in potable treatment and in acid-carbonic baths.