Graudation tower vol. 1

Found in the coat of arms of Ciechocinek, a graduation tower is a building made of wood and blackthorn branches. It is used to increase the concentration of salt in the brine by its partial evaporation. There are three graduation towers in Ciechocinek. The first two, placed parallel to each other, were built between 1824 and 1833 on a sandy bank with their longer axes transverse to the prevailing wind directions in the Ciechocinek Lowlands. In 1859, graduation tower No. 3 was placed diagonally in relation to the previous two. Their total length is 1742.3 m. It is the largest wooden structure complex of its kind in the world. More than 19,000 cubic metres of wood were used in its construction.

A graduation tower is first and foremost a part of the technological process of salt production. It is used to evaporate brine in the open air with the help of wind and heat of the sun. Our brine is extracted from deep in the ground from spring No. 11, known as the popular Grzybek fountain. A graduation tower is a structure made of wood, narrower at the top, where there is a wooden walkway and troughs with brine that trickles down through the blackthorn branches all the way to the bottom. Its flow into the tanks is regulated by wooden valves. The process is repeated several times to increase the brine’s salt concentration from about 5.5 % to about 29% concentration. The lowest concentration is found at graduation tower 1 – up to 9%. On graduation tower No. 3 – the brine is concentrated to 16%, and on graduation tower No. 2 – to 29%. From here, the brine flows via an almost two-kilometre-long pipeline to the saltworks, where salt, sludge, and medicinal lye are produced.

The framework of the graduation tower is packed with thorny branches. Blackthorn is the most suitable for this due to its resilience and its thorns, as they space out the branches so that the brine is better broken up into droplets and the water evaporates more quickly. The branches are replaced every dozen or so years, depending on how congested they get with gypsum and silica. The brine tank is elevated on oak posts that are dug into the ground. There are a total of 7,000 of them in Ciechocinek. At the base, the graduation towers are 9 metres wide and 15.8 metres high on average. The framework of the structure is made out of thick beams of pine and spruce wood and reinforced with wooden supports, not counting the stone and brick foundation of the graduation tower No. 3. At the top of the tower there are windmills that were once used to pump brine into the graduation towers. Nowadays, electricity is used.

The graduation towers are also a very potent, natural inhalatorium. The brine evaporating with the aid of wind and sun creates an aerosol with beneficial properties. The microclimate around the graduation towers is rich in iodine, sodium, chlorine, and bromine. It is very similar to what can be experienced at the seaside. The air here boasts considerable chemical and microbiological purity. There is a lower air temperature and higher humidity here than in the centre of the spa, and the area around the towers also offers a high level of acoustic comfort. With frequent westerly winds in summer, favourable conditions for the inhalation of saline aerosol occur on the east – leeward side of the graduation tower. The wind direction is indicated by a flag on top of the graduation tower No. 1.

Indications: chronic inflammatory conditions of the respiratory system, as well as allergies, neuroses, states of depressed mood, hypertension. The use of the graduation tower is recommended for smokers, workers exposed to inhalation of harmful substances, and people who work professionally with their voice, e.g. singers.

The length of the graduation tower No. 1 is 653.5 metres. It can be climbed up via a winding staircase, and at the top of the tower there is an observation deck, offering a picturesque view of the surrounding area.