Góra Parkowa

The Góra Parkowa funicular railway is the oldest such tram in Poland, ferrying people up the Parkowa Mountain since 1937. Many make the ascent to access nearby skiing, spas, and other family entertainment like a children’s play park or the peak’s annual Christmas light display. However, the warmer months open up new opportunities for exploration – including a path to good fortune.

After taking a scenic, sometimes extra-cozy trip up the slope, carved wooden signs mark the beginning of a network of nature trails winding through and around the mountaintop. Nestled behind the peak is an unassuming stone monument housing a spring that has long captured the attention of both hopeful couples and those unlucky in love. 

Źródełko Miłości is most often translated as “the Source of Love”, but it has also been called the Spring of Love – local legend insists that drinking from this natural spring will grant fortune in matters of the heart. And though the spring basin’s heart-shaped configuration and the smattering of names and initials carved into the stone certainly lock in the romantic association, the lore doesn’t end there.

An even older local fable, allegedly reaching back to the medieval era, tells of a man who was miraculously healed after discovering the spring while digging for gold. Instead of falling ill from the unknown water as he feared, he awoke the next day healed of his rheumatism and completely rejuvenated. In a move that surely had locals saying “I told you so”, modern analysis of the water shows that it is of an alkaline mineral composition that is believed to have health benefits – particularly related to the heart.

Whether from anecdotal or scientific evidence, signs are (literally) pointing to Parkowa Mountain to mend your heart – would you hop aboard the train to find out?