Abbey of Henryków, Cistercian abbey in Henryków, Poland
The Abbey of Henryków is a Cistercian monastery featuring a Baroque church decorated with detailed ornamental work, bell towers, and a rectangular courtyard. Monastery buildings form a connected complex around this central courtyard.
The monastery was founded in 1222 by Duke Henry the Bearded and grew into a major regional center. The Mongol invasion of 1241 destroyed much of its original structures.
The Henryków Book, written in the 13th and 14th centuries to document the monastery's estates, holds the first recorded sentence written in Polish language. Visitors can see references to this linguistic milestone throughout the complex.
The abbey welcomes visitors from May through September with guided tours of the church, chapels, and surrounding gardens. Visiting on a weekday helps you experience the site with fewer crowds.
A preserved medieval cylindrical stone defense tower stands integrated into the perimeter wall of the monastery grounds. This fortification shows how the monastery protected its boundaries against external threats.
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