The main square of Jelenia Góra is one of the finest in Lower Silesia — a large rectangular space surrounded on all four sides by baroque townhouses with a continuous arcade at street level. The arcades give the square a sheltered, almost Italian character unusual in this part of Poland. Most of the houses date from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with ornate painted facades and elaborate doorways.
The square is good for an extended wander. The town hall stands in the middle; several cafes and restaurants occupy the arcaded ground floors. Walking around all four sides of the arcade takes about twenty minutes and is worth doing slowly.