Czubatka Viewpoint, Klucze

Czubatka is a 382 m hill on the western edge of Klucze village and one of the easiest viewpoints over the Błędów Desert – Poland's largest expanse of loose sand, covering about 33 km². You can drive right up, and from the fenced terrace you see both parts of the desert, the surrounding hills and, in the distance, the Katowice Steelworks. It is a good starting point for a walk onto the sands or a short stop on a drive through the Jura.

What to see

• Viewing terrace – fenced, with a telescope and a panorama board. The municipality points out that you can see both the southern part of the desert and the northern military part towards Chechło.
• Shelter, benches and tables – a roofed resting place with information boards about the desert.
• Olkusz Forest District observation tower – the tall structure on the summit is for foresters, not tourists, but it makes a handy landmark.

A naming curiosity: on the official Geoportal map the hill is called Jałowce, but signposts, boards and guidebooks all use the name Czubatka. When setting your satnav, search for Czubatka or the streets leading to the top instead.

History: a man-made desert

The Błędów Desert is not purely the work of nature. From around the 13th century the local forests were heavily felled to supply the silver and lead mines around Olkusz, and deforestation combined with falling groundwater exposed the glacial sands. From the early 20th century the area served as a military range; during World War II the Germans tested components of V-1 flying bombs here. Czubatka once had a command post, whose ruins were removed because they were in danger of collapse. In the 1950s part of the desert was planted with pine and willow, which is why the southern section is heavily overgrown; since 2014, after a Life+ project, the exposed sands can be visited again.

Tripto tips

The access road follows ul. Rudnicka, Podgórna and Górna and is marked with brown signs 'Czubatka – Pustynia Błędowska'. Coaches cannot use ul. Podgórna – they have a car park on ul. Rudnicka next to the sports pitch. From Czubatka the yellow trail leads down onto the desert, to its viewing platforms and nature trails, and on to Błędów at the western end of the sands. To see the open dunes from above, add the Dąbrówka viewpoint (355 m) in Chechło with its platform built in 2017. Half an hour is enough for the viewpoint itself; for a walk onto the desert take water and comfortable shoes, and respect the no-entry signs at the military area.