Ojcow and Pieskowa Skala

Poland'S Smallest National Park (1956), A Limestone Gorge Of White Rocks, Caves And Meadows North Of Krakow, With The Renaissance Pieskowa Skala Castle And The Club Shaped Hercules Rock. A Day Trip For Krakow Visitors Who Want Walking, Caves And A Castle In One Outing · Ojcow, Lesser Poland

Ojcow National Park is the smallest national park in Poland, created in 1956 in the Pradnik valley about 25 km north-west of Krakow. The valley cuts through Jurassic limestone, leaving white cliffs, hundreds of caves and wooded slopes above a clear stream. The best-known rock is Hercules Club, a stone pillar about 25 m tall near the village of Pieskowa Skala. Two caves can be entered: Lokietek Cave, named after a king said to have hidden there, and the Dark Cave, which needs a guide. Ojcow has the ruins of a 14th-century castle, and at Pieskowa Skala stands a Renaissance castle with an art museum inside. Marked trails link the sights in walks of two to four hours. Bats winter in the caves. It is a gentle outing rather than wild country, and the main sights are strung along one road, which gets busy on summer weekends. Most visitors come from Krakow by bus or car, and few stay overnight, so evenings are quiet.

Ojcow village and the Pradnik river gorge, about 25 km north-west of Krakow, Ojcow, Lesser Poland, Poland

The park itself, its trails, the valley road and the exteriors of the castle ruins are open outdoors and free to walk at all hours, though paths are poorly lit and best used in daylight. Lokietek Cave and the Dark Cave open on a seasonal basis, commonly spring to autumn, with the Dark Cave by guided group only and closed in winter to protect the bats. The Ojcow castle ruin and its small museum keep daytime hours and are often closed in winter. Pieskowa Skala castle museum is commonly closed on Mondays, with some free-entry day each week that varies. Cafes and stalls in the valley stay open in summer and many shut from late autumn. Check current times.

Ojcow and Pieskowa Skala on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos