The village of Karpniki, situated at the foot of the Sokole Mountains, is mentioned for the first time in the 14th century. The castle, whose history dates back to the 15th century, lies amidst the picturesque scenery of the mountainous landform and the surrounding hills and is connected with distinguished Silesian families.
The castle was redecorated in a Neogothic style in 1844 according to the plans of Friedrich August Stüler for Prince Wilhelm of Prussia who had purchased the estate in 1822. His brother, King Frederick William III, visited him several times and in 1831 bought nearby Erdmannsdorf Estate for himself, and in 1839 Wojanów (Schildau) Castle for his daughter Princess Louise of the Netherlands. Jelenia Góra Valley became a royal hideaway. The prince's daughter, Marie of Prussia, had her confirmation in the Lutheran Fischbach church in the spring of 1842, with King Frederick William IV and his wife Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria being present, as well as their nephew, the Bavarian Crown Prince and later King Maximilian II, Marie's fiancé, whom she married later that year. The following year their first son was born, who became the famous king Ludwig II.
Today Karpniki castle is a luxury hotel.
The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.
Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.