Szklarska
Poreba pretends to be the Mineralogical Capital of Poland, and our
mineralogical offer is becoming richer every year. There are more
than 50 classified minerals commonly found in the Karkonosze and the
Jizera Mountains; many of them precious and semiprecious gems,
e.g. amethyst,
mountain crystal, smoky quartz, agate, tourmaline, peridots, hyacinth
(a red-and-brown variety of zircon), iserine (a variety of ilmenite),aventurine, beryl, tourmaline, aquamarine, topaz, moonstone. Our
mountains and their wealth were praised by the medieval scholars of
geology and mining - Walloons. Many
of them became rich due to expeditions to this corner of Europe, very
remote at the time. Real
treasures of the earth can still be found in the mountain streams and
rocks to this day. The
guides can help you search for Sudeten treasures, as well as the
Walloons, members of the Sudeten Walloon Brotherhood.
In 1999, the Walloon Brotherhood of Sudety was formed in Szklarska Poreba, bringing together people who want to continue the Walloon traditions, promoting the town as the Mineralogical Capital of Poland. Headquarters of the Brotherhood is the Old Cottage Wallonne.
Geology
enthusiasts, collectors of rocks and minerals are invited by:
-
Mineralogical
Museum, 20 Kilinskiego
St., phone 607 100 880
E-mail:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.sokolowski-muzea.pl
In front of the building, there are trees from a Carboniferous forest, and the exhibits include rocks and minerals from around the world, a rich collection of Karkonosze minerals, two dinosaur eggs, dinosaur nest holding 7 pieces, a meteorite, a total of over three thousand specimens. In addition, for the last 3 years a natural black 14-carats diamond rock in kimberlite is exposed. The room on the ground floor holds the dinosaurs exhibition in full scale. There are also pictures and a description in the cabinet.more ...
- Old
Walloon Cottage, 12 Kołłątaja
St., phone 075 717 29 56
The seat of the Walloon Brotherhood in the Sudeten. It is here that you can meet the Great Master of the Walloons, listen to the Walloon legends or take part in the mysterious rites in the Walloon Force Kettle. The visit should be announced by phone according to the "a guest that has announced is always welcome" principle. The Old Wallon Cottage can be approached by the black trail. more ...
- Juna Museum of the Earth and the Dungeon Inn, 9 Jeleniogórska
St., phone 075 717 1932 87
The primary function of this place was to guard the Czech Path, one of the oldest known trails leading through the ridge of the Karkonosze Mountains. Next to the watchtower, an inn was set up for serving travelers, now called the Dungeon Inn, whose name is associated with the construction of the so-called "hunger road" from Piechowice through Szklarska Poreba to Harrachov. At the moment, there is a Museum of the Earth here. more ...
Minerals - the treasures of the earth, which you can find here:
- crystal- clear, transparent, well-formed quartz crystals. The name comes from the Greek Krystallos - crystalline. The ancients believed the mountain crystal to be made of ice, frozen by the gods and sent to the Earth: hence the belief in its special healing and magical properties. Mountain Crystals' property is "cleanness".
- Amethyst
- precious jeweler type of quartz with a violet, violet-to-red, or
purple color. The
name of the crystal comes from the Greek word "methystos" -
drunk and in conjunction with the negative "a" - amethystos
means "undrunk". The
ancient Greeks poured powdered amethyst to the liquor to prevent the
effects of alcohol. Its
beautiful color is due the presence of color centers induced by iron
compounds. Amethyst's property is "transformation".
-
Smoky
quartz - quartz variety with a pale-beige, brown or almost black
color. It
usually comes in the form of large, well-formed crystals. The
dark
brown color of the crystals may be caused by admixtures of Al (color
centers), the distribution of colloidal systems, the presence of
organic additives or radioactive radiation. The
property of smoky
quartz is "task, challenge".
- Pyrite - a mineral of the sulfides group: dimorphic with marcasite. The name comes from the Greek pyr - fire, since it bursts sparks when rubbed. It has a pale brass-yellow color, and is opaque. Because of its color, it is often confused with gold and called "the fool's gold". Pyrite crystals are usually found in the form of beautifully formed cubes. The property of pyrite is "solution".
